If she continued to live, her reputation would be an abominable one of an unfaithful woman, thus earning her city a bad reputation for having an unfaithful citizen. She could not bear her gods because even though they rape women all the time, a mortal woman should not be raped by another mortal being, and she could bear neither her city nor humankind because of her shame she felt at this terrible deed. She could not bear her family because of the bad reputation that comes along with infidelity. She could not bear herself because it was unfaithful to her own body and its moral sanctity. She could not bear the burden of shame brought upon herself, her family, her gods, her city, and all of humankind after having been raped, so death was the only honorable option. Then, before the even knew what was happening, she stabbed herself and died. The following day, after having written to both her husband and father and telling them both to bring a friend, she explained her situation to them. Lucretia was left with two terrible options and decided on the one which would bring her family less shame. The only reason she allowed him to do so was because otherwise he threatened to kill her and a male slave and frame them both of committing adultery. This first instance of Lucretia’s fidelity is one example of her pietas, and the other example is shown several days later when Sextus arrives at her house in the middle of the night and rapes her. They all decided that she was by far the most faithful and Sextus, having been part of the mission, fell in love with her because of her admirable qualities. After checking many houses and finding all of their wives throwing small parties of their own, they came to Collatinus and Lucretia’s house, at which Lucretia sat alone at the loom with only her maids for company. Eventually, the discussion turned into a mission to determine who did, indeed, have the most faithful wife, so to the town they went to check at their houses. During this party, the two men and some others at the party began discussing the fidelity of each of their wives. In this eventful year, Roman King Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, or Tarquin the Proud, held a party at which both Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, a man from Collatia and spouse to Lucretia, and Sextus Tarquinius, the son of the king, attended. The story of Lucretia began in 508 BC, with the morals of the story surviving for millennia to follow. Lucretia and Brutus represent all of the qualities necessary to be defined as true, Roman heroes. Pietas is defined as a responsibility and duty, even, to one’s family, city, gods, and all of humankind.
Two such heroes were Lucretia and her avenger, Lucius Junius Brutus. In Ancient Rome, many heroes represented the Roman virtue pietas.
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