The villagers gather in the town square. Murmurs of murder, mayhem, and uprising fill the courtyard. Some even wonder about plots to uproot the king from the throne! Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayA man with an authoritative voice climbs the steps of the podium and shouts these rousing words: “Let it be known that on this day, the seventh of the first month of the year, Lucretia, the beautiful and noble woman, was raped by Sextus Tarquinius! And she courageously committed suicide to preserve the honor of her family and her husband. » Gasps escape from the crowd. Men bring their wives closer as if to protect them from the mere mention of their names; children hide behind their mother's skirts. The speaker cleared his throat and said again, "Who will fight?" Who will take up arms against a false king and a false family? Who will help rid Rome of tyranny and evil? He raises his arm in a sign of strength. Soon the men of the village are singing and clapping. They will fight. The rape of Lucretia is a well-known tragedy in Roman history. Although rape is one of the main messages, it is not the only meaning identified in this story. Lucretia's noble husband, Collatina, swears revenge on his wife's corpse and carries her corpse through the streets of Rome, angering the citizens at the sight of Sextus Tarquinius' evil act; one cannot help but wonder if this rape was not an easy way to place the blame on the Roman king. The people took Collatine's anger as a sign of grief, but it may have been a strategically planned attack used to ultimately rally the citizens of Rome for an uprising against the king. The Rape of Lucretia is a story of the dangers women faced in Rome. Under the Roman Empire, women were considered property and nothing else. Women did not have the right to vote, had no say in politics, and could not be seen in public without the approval of their husband or brother. And they always had to be accompanied by a chaperone. Noble women were kept on an even stricter leash; their virtue could have been sullied by the slightest whisper of adultery. Knowing this, questions arise about the validity of Lucretia's rape. It is said that Lucretia's husband bragged so much that he and his war friends held a contest of their wives. During their visit to Rome, all the men agreed that “the prize in this contest of feminine virtues went to Lucretia.” But according to Roman history, women were not even allowed to appear without their husbands' permission; wives were required to stand quietly aside while their husbands and friends dined and entertained themselves. This raises the question: ; Did Lucretia even meet Sextus Tarquinius? It was the custom of Roman men to conservatively protect their women, even from their friends. Only the men who were part of the family really got closer to their peers. Lucretia was a noble woman of wealth and stature, so she would certainly have been protected from prying eyes. Another part of Lucretia's rape includes her entertaining and letting Sextus Tarquinius stay at her home and at her husband's wealthy estate. Lucretia, apparently, “kindly welcomed Tarquinius…gave him dinner…and led him to a guest room.” The story also mentions that Collatina was not in the city when Sextus visited Lucretia. If Roman custom is to be believed, Lucretia should not even have opened the door. Lucretia was a noble woman and..