Rhea ylia vestali virgine · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Rhea ylia vestali virgine
Subject: Important Women; Vestal Virgin; Rhea Ilia; Rhea Silvia; Remus; Romulus; Roman Legend; Famous Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Ancient Rome; Italy; Alba Longa
Description: The vestal virgin Rhea Ilia is depicted on the left side of the engraving lying in a bed. She has a saddened expression on her face as she had just given birth to twin boys named Remus and Romulus who were forced to be exposed. Boccaccio explains that as a vestal virgin, she was forbidden from becoming pregnant. Her son’s Remus and Romulus are depicted on the right side of the engraving being exposed through the window. There are wolves surrounding Romulus on the ground as the mother wolf ends up raising the boys as her own. Rhea is buried alive for her punishment.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18165
Language: lat
Source Name: Iohannis Bocacij in librum de claris mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1487 Leuven; 1487 Leuven
Image: mta_18165_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Important Women; Vestal Virgin; Rhea Ilia; Rhea Silvia; Remus; Romulus; Roman Legend; Famous Women