Cy apres sensuit de rea yle vierge de veste la deesse · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Cy apres sensuit de rea yle vierge de veste la deesse
Subject: Rhea Silvia; Remus; Romulus; Vestal Virgin; Important Women; Famous Women; Chastity; Rhea Ilia
Period: 1400-1450;
Geographic: Ancient Rome; Italy; Alba Longa
Description: This illumination depicts Rhea Ilia (also known as Rhea Silvia) on the left side of the image dressed in a long black cloak. There are two men on the right side 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 centre of the image with one boy drinking her milk.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:19972
Language: frm
Source Name: Livre que fist Jehan BOCACE de Certalde des cleres et nobles femmes, lequel il envoia à Audice de Accioroles de Florence, contesse de Haulteville [Book from Giovanni Boccaccio of Certaldo called the cleric and noble women, of which he sent to Audice Accioroles of Florence, Countess of Haulteville]
Parent Collection: 1401 Florence
Image: mta_19972_OBJ.jpg