Cy sensuit histoire de rea ile devote la dessee · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Cy sensuit histoire de rea ile devote la dessee
Subject: Rhea Silvia; Vestal Virgin; Important Women; Famous Women; Chastity; Remus; Romulus; Rhea Ilia
Period: 1400-1450;
Geographic: Italy; Alba Longa; Ancient Rome
Description: This illumination depicts Rhea Ilia (also known as Rhea Silvia) on the left side of the image dressed in a blue dress. There are two men in the foreground of the illustration digging a grave for Rhea Ilia. As a vestal virgin, Rhea Ilia was forbidden from having relationships with men. She gave birth to twin boys, and as her punishment for having sexual relations with someone, she was buried alive. Therefore, the two men are digging a grave. The twin boys were named Remus and Romulus, and they were the eventual founders of Rome. They were raised by a mother wolf after being exposed in the wilderness. There is a wolf in the background of the image with the twin boys drinking her milk.
Image Creator: Master of Boethius (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:19952
Language: frm
Source Name: Des cleres et nobles femmes, De claris mulieribus in an anonymous French translation
Parent Collection: 1410 Paris; 1410 Paris
Image: mta_19952_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Rhea Silvia; Vestal Virgin; Important Women; Famous Women; Chastity; Remus; Romulus; Rhea Ilia