De coniuge Drigiagontis gallo greci · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: De coniuge Drigiagontis gallo greci
Subject: Famous Women; Important Queens; Wife of Drigiagon; Rape; Vengeance; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Asia Minor
Description: This engraving depicts the queen of the Galatians standing on the right side of the image holding a decapitated head. This woman’s name is unknown; however, she is the wife of King Drigiagon (whose name is engraved above her head). After being taken as a captive by Roman enemies, the Galatian woman was defiled by a Roman centurion. This is depicted on the left side of the engraving as the queen is bound by a chain on her right hand while the centurion is putting his hand up her dress. She is illustrated looking away and fighting back as he forces himself onto her. To seek her vengeance, once she was freed through ransom, she ordered her servant to decapitate the man who raped her. The Galatian woman is holding the severed head as she presents it to her husband to prove that she was defiled by this man. Boccaccio explains that she wrote on this woman to highlight her daring and courageous nature.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:16688
Language: lat
Source Name: De Claris Mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1473 Ulm; 1473 Ulm
Image: mta_16688_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Famous Women; Important Queens; Wife of Drigiagon; Rape; Vengeance; Important Women