Rape of the Sabine Women
There was no rush, no rush at all
except for the wind
against that slow rise and the fall
of those breasts
and her belly whilst he paused
to draw breath
and she lay there, all but naked
and so shamelessly sprawled ..
Twas there, midst
torn sackcloth and straw where
she bled, that he
spoke to her in tongues and said ..
You may once have been beautiful
yet by no means
tho’ the most beautiful of them all ..
Since tomorrow
we shall each march upon Antemnae
and then take her too ..
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Comments5
Outrageously kidnaped and then often raped these women raised the hackles of many a painter or writer and gave Roman soldiers a history of eternal shame that others have unfortunately followed time and again since then..... oooh am on my soapbox after reading your vivid pen-painting of those Sabine victims. Romulus had a lot to answer for methinks amigo eh ?..............x
your pose there atop that soapbox is indeed a pretty picture .. and I am delighted you saw beyond the surface of the canvas I have barely scribbled here today dear Fay .. x
A poetic write N.
Well, ignoring the title, this can't be about KP and I. Or you been spying on us?! lol. I will give her sackcloth and straw to lie on. heehee.
if the truth be known .. I spy on no one .. yet I keep my eye on those that do & truly 🙂
Is KP sabine? I dunno.
Mythologically, this could be a scene between Jupiter and Terra Mater with Jupiter appalled by the actions of the Romans. As written, I see it as an encounter between a Roman soldier and a Sabine woman. What followed were years of many wars and expansion of the Roman Empire. In today's parlance it is an example of sexual harassment of women. Will it ever be otherwise? A real eye-opener this one. - Phil A.
in fact, you are absolutely on target MF27 sir & for which I thank you hugely ....... Neville 🙂
how Brave!
before, ever
we try to contemplate
just how depraved our hu'man' inheritance
as existence, is
we must first, look-up
the etymology of the word, 'Havoc'
its very existence in modernity's vocabulary
and its very meaning to all the victims, it encapsulates
before
the word, ever existed even
far, far back
to Euripides and 'The Trojan Women'
or
the very tragedies and horrific acts
being carried out
on those 'battlefields' of Ukraine,
and all the wars around the world,
this very minute...
(were I a man, gifted
the wisdom of genuine empathy
how, dare i look upon the rage
and justified wrath of a lady
without being singed
by the very pain, boiling
in her pulsing DNA of inherited suffering)
I am again magnificently indulged ..
The motivation behind the abduction of the Sabine women is contested among ancient sources. Livy writes that Rome's motivation for abducting the Sabine women was solely to increase the city's population and claims that no direct sexual assault took place during the abduction. Livy says that Romulus offered the Sabine women free choice as well as civic and property rights. According to Livy, Romulus spoke to each of them in person, declaring "that it was all owing to the pride of their parents in denying right of intermarriage to their neighbours. They would live in honourable wedlock, and share all their property and civil rights, and – dearest of all to human nature – would be the mothers of freemen."
What do you think about this historical analysis, dear author?
Hello & thank you for showing such an interest in my little scribble .. I am grateful too for the question you have raised .. I will do my best to answer it write now .. Whilst aware of the oft cited historical motivations and background to said incident as per your generous review I must confess, I suspect Livy knows more about it than me .. Whereas my own very much open to interpretation portrayal is filled to the point of overflowing with poetic license .. Nevertheless, please note, I have subsequently tweaked the original and hope it meets with your approval ..
Many thanks my friend and wishing you All Good Things .. Neville
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