The Rape of the Sabine Women
The women who sacrificed themselves to save Rome.
The Sabine people lived in the central Apennine Mountains of ancient Italy.
According to scholars and historians, the sad event of rape and abduction of the Sabine women took place just a few days after the foundation of Rome in the 8th century BC. The alleged crime was committed by Romulus, the first King and founder of Rome, and his male followers.
The Romans planned the abduction of Sabine women from the neighboring towns in an effort to populate their city with more women who would wed the men and ensure the legacy of the strong city by giving birth to a new generation of strong men.
The events that took place remain controversial to this day as historians contest the original motives of Romulus and his men.
The Abduction
The famous Roman historian Titus Livius, known as “Livy”, recounts the incident in his famous historical book “Ab Urbe Condita”, translated to “from the founding of the City”. Livy describes Rome during that period as a stable and strong city, capable of defending itself against any army. However, the strength derived from the increasing male bandits populating the city also posed a threat to the continuation of the mighty city as it had few female…
