Nevertheless, she stood firm in her devotion to her husband, even when her life and honour was threatened by Tarquinius, while raping her. Then he tried to convince her that she should be with him, using all the common arguments to influence a woman’s heart.
He entered Lucretia’s room, while she was laying in her bed naked, he started to wash her belly with water which woke her up. In a different version, Tarquinius returned from the camp a few days later with one companion to take Collatinus up on his invitation and was lodged in a guest bedroom. Later in the night, Tarquinius sneaked into Lucretia’s bedroom and woke her up, offering her two options: she could could submit to his sexual advances and become his wife and future queen or he would kill her along with one of her slaves and place the bodies together, then he would claim he had caught her having adulterous sex. The party awarded her the palm of victory and Collatinus invited them to stay. Upon their arrival, she was weaving with her maids. There, he was warmly welcomed the governor and his wife (Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus and Lucretia).Īccording to one of the most famous versions of the story, Tarquinius and Lucius were debating the virtues of wives during a feast, and Collatinus volunteered to settle the debate proposing a ride to his home to observe his wife, Lucretia. Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome was involved in a war against Ardea, and he sent his son Sextus Tarquinius to Collatia on a military mission.
The tragedy, death or suicide of Lucretia by Botticelli