One way to interpret the role of women under the Roman monarchy is to analyze how the famous historian, Livy, portrays them in The Early History of Rome. While Livy tells a tale of kings in the first book, he does not leave out women who took part in shaping Rome's history. A popular story from Book One, the tale of Lucretia, is known for its symbolism of the fall of monarchy in Rome. Her story is one that, while giving some insight to the lives of Roman women during her time, mostly shaped the expectations of women.
Livy introduces Lucretia as a woman of outstanding character. When her husband, Collatinus, and the royal princes find Lucretia up late spinning wool, they all agree that she is superior to other wives. While Roman women had responsibilities in the house, Lucretia continued to work when no one could see. Not only this, but when the men arrived she entertained them as well. Because of her hard work, the men hold her in high esteem. When narrating Sextus Tarquinius' return to Collatia, Livy calls the home "Lucretia's house" (101). However, after Sextus Tarquinius rapes her, Lucretia calls for her husband and tells him "'In your bed, Collatinus, is the impress of another man'" (101). Livy's words imply that the house is no longer Lucretia's, because her reputation is no longer pure. The imagery used does not describe the defiling of Lucretia, but the invasion of her husband's home. When retelling the events that took place Lucretia describes Tarquinius as "My enemy disguised as my guest" (102). One of the responsibilities of women was to entertain guests. It was not unusual for Lucretia to have guests. Women, especially those of noble families, acted as a face of the family (McCarthy, 2015). Comparing Lucretia to the wives of the princes it is clear that the women had duties to the household, however Lucretia went beyond what was expected. Livy is implying that because she worked hard to give her home a good reutation she made a good name for herself.
