In Titus Livius's The First History of Rome, Livy recalls infamous incidents throughout Rome's history that contributed to develop the political and social values ​​of the citizens of Rome. Livy succeeded in fulfilling a didactic narrative function by cleverly introducing two essential female heroines from Roman history. These two women were incredibly influential as they were able to help formulate and embody many of the core values ​​of Rome. Some of the fundamental Roman principles included: courageously facing death to defend the honor and valor, the piety and chastity of one's people, and uniting against tyrannical kings or individuals with immoral ethics; all deeply revered elements of an individual's character that were praised by the Romans. In Livy's two accounts of the feminine exploits of Lucretia and Verginia, the similar elements and circumstances found in the stories of the two heroines are astounding. The rape and subsequent deaths of Lucretia and Verginia ultimately helped unite the people of Rome, created social and moral expectations of all women living in Rome, and represented the romanticized Roman idea of ​​courageously facing death to preserve or restore the honor and dignity of an individual. reputation in Roman society. Without the significant sacrifices of these two noble and heroic women, many of the traditional Roman values ​​during this period of history, and even in today's society, would be baseless. In Livy's retelling of Roman history, the accounts of Lucretia and the tales of Verginia are extremely similar. The two unfortunate women are forced to face and endure similar adversaries during their short lives. Despite the many years of history that separate the two women from each other, Lucretia's death...... middle of paper ...... fighters. The two women become a representation of the ideal woman in Roman society. Both Lucretia and Verginia placed the value of their own reputation in Roman society and the honor of their family before their own lives. They symbolized the tragedy that could befall good individuals when they were immoral men who placed their own desires ahead of those of their fellow citizens or their duty to their city. Without the heroism of Lucretia and Verginia, many of the main traditional values ​​of the Romans would not be possible. These contributions prove that even the smallest actions of a single individual can have some of the most drastic and far-reaching repercussions and influence in changing and shaping the function and tradition of an entire empire as large as Rome. Works Cited Livius, Titus. The early history of Rome. Trans. Aubrey De Sélincourt. London: Penguin Group, 2002. N. pag. Print.