Rape of the Sabines - Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedfordshire, UK
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Dragontree
N 52° 00.444 W 000° 24.732
30U E 677609 N 5765023
This statue of the Rape of the Sabines stands in Wrest Park.
Waymark Code: WM9CBW
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/31/2010
Views: 6
Located in a group of four statues in the south parterre this iconic statue is a Grade II Listed feature. It was listed on 10th January 1985.
The statue dates to approximately 1730 and is a lead design painted white and stands on a Portland Stone, ashlar plinth dating to the 19th century.
The Rape of the Sabines is the abduction of the women from the Sabine families by the men of Rome. The statue shows a soldier carrying a female who is struggling to free herself and another male crouches.
Wikipedia describes the myth:
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'The Rape of the Sabine Women is an episode in the legendary history of Rome in which the first generation of Roman men acquired wives for themselves from the neighboring Sabine families (in this context, rape means abduction rather than its prevalent modern meaning of sexual violation). Recounted by Livy and Plutarch ('Parallel Lives' II, 15 and 19), it provided a subject for Renaissance and post-Renaissance works of art that combined a suitably inspiring example of the hardihood and courage of ancient Romans with the opportunity to depict multiple semi-clothed figures in intensely passionate struggle. Comparable subjects from Classical Antiquity are the Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs and the theme of Amazonomachy, the battle of Theseus with the Amazons.
The Rape is supposed to have occurred in the early history of Rome, shortly after its foundation by Romulus and his mostly male followers. Seeking wives in order to found families, the Romans negotiated unsuccessfully with the Sabines, who populated the area. Fearing the emergence of a rival society, the Sabines refused to allow their women to marry the Romans; consequently, the Romans planned to abduct Sabine women. Romulus devised a festival of Neptune Equester and proclaimed the festival amongst Rome's neighbours. According to Livy, many people from Rome's neighbours attended, including from the Caeninenses, Crustumini, and Antemnates, and many of the Sabines. At the festival Romulus gave a signal, at which the Romans grabbed the Sabine women and fought off the Sabine men. The indignant abductees were implored by Romulus to accept Roman husbands.
Romulus offered them free choice and promised civic and property rights to women. According to Livy he spoke to them each in person, "and pointed out to them that it was all owing to the pride of their parents in denying the right of intermarriage to their neighbours. They would live in honourable wedlock, and share all their property and civil rights, and — dearest of all to human nature — would be the mothers of free men." '
The Rape of the Sabines started a war. This is comparable to Helen of Troy being abducted by Paris which started the Trojan war.