In 451 B.C., a Roman patrician named Appius Claudius fell in lust for a plebeian woman named Verginia (also spelled Virginia). She was the daughter of an esteemed centurion named Verginius and betrothed to Lucius Icilius. Gifts and bribes would not woo the girl, so Claudius turned to subterfuge. He got one of his clients, Marcus Claudius, to claim she was his slave. He kidnapped her on her way to school, but this act caused a such an uproar that a trial was called for. The case was brought before the decemvirs. The decemvirs were ten tyrants who ran Rome. The body had been created to codify Roman laws in order to protect the rights of the plebeians. This resulted in the famous 12 Tables. Although supposedly temporarily replacing the consuls, they decided to retain power. Since Appius Claudius was a decemvir and presided over the trial, the verdict was a foregone conclusion. After Verginia had been ordered to the home of Marcus Claudius, Verginius was allowed to say goodbye. He plunged his dagger into her, killing her and thus giving her freedom. Verginius and Lucius were arrested, further enraging the public. They rose up and overthrew the decemvirs, whose corruption and tyranny had grated over time. The Roman Republic was reestablished.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verginia
http://www.columbia.edu/dlc/garland/deweever/UV/virginia.htm
0 Comments