Rape of the Sabine women

Two Roman Republican denarii, minted by Lucius Titurius Sabinus in 89 BC. The Sabine king Titus Tatius is portrayed on both obverses. The reverses depict the abduction of the Sabine women by Roman soldiers (left) and the punishment of Tarpeia by the Sabines (right).^[1]

The rape of the Sabine women (Latin: Sabinae raptae, Classical pronunciation: [saˈbiːnae̯ ˈraptae̯]; lit. 'the kidnapped Sabine women'), also known as the abduction of the Sabine women or the kidnapping of the Sabine women, was an incident in the legendary history of Rome in which the men of Rome committed a mass abduction of young women from the other cities in the region. It has been a frequent subject of painters and sculptors, particularly since the Renaissance.

The word "rape" (cognate with rapto in Portuguese, rapto in Spanish, ratto, in Italian, meaning "bride kidnap") is the conventional translation of the Latin word raptio used in the ancient accounts of the incident. The Latin word means "abduction" or "kidnapping", but when used with women as its object, sexual assault^[2] is usually implied.

Although the rape of the Sabine women is believed to be a myth, several of Rome's ancient noble families were of Sabine origin, suggesting that Rome had a significant Sabine population since its early history.