Jacques-Louis David The Intervention of the Sabine Women (1799)

(Louvre, Paris, France)

A painting by the French artist Jacques-Louis David (1748 – 1825). This piece shows a scene from Roman mythology. According to the story, shortly after the founding of Rome, king Romulus was seeking wives for his mostly male followers. Romulus at first negotiated with the Sabines, an Italic tribe who populated the area surrounding Rome, but they refused. So Romulus decided to to abduct Sabine women during a festival.. In response the Sabines declared war on Rome and marched against the city. After some setbacks, the Sabines managed to take Rome thanks to the treason of vestal virgin Tarpeia who opened the city gates of Rome and let the Sabines in. A fierce battle erupted in the city itself between the Sabine and Roman army but at the height of the battle, the Sabine women of the Romans intervened: throwing themselves between the two armies, the women showed their babies and said "that as fathers-in-law and sons-in-law they would not contaminate each other with impious blood, nor stain their offspring with parricide, the one their grandchildren, the other their children. If you are dissatisfied with the affinity between you, if with our marriages, turn your resentment against us; we are the cause of war, we of wounds and of bloodshed to our husbands and parents. It were better that we perish than live widowed or fatherless without one or other of you". Both parties stopped fighting and peace was declared. The Sabines agreed to unite in one nation with the Romans. The painting shows the moment the Sabine women separating both armies. The woman in white in the middle is Romulus's wife Hersilia, the daughter of Titus Tatius, leader of the Sabines, rushing between her husband and her father and placing her babies between them. A vigorous Romulus prepares to strike a half-retreating Tatius with his spear, but hesitates. Other soldiers are already sheathing their swords. Painting from 1799.