Venetian School, 16th Century

The subject is taken from Livy's 'Ab Urbe Condita' ('History of Rome') 1:58-9. Sextus Tarquinius, the son of the tyrant Lucius Taruqinius Superbus (called 'Tarquin the Proud'), crept into the bed chamber of the noble and virtuous Lucretia and threatened that unless she yielded to his advances he would  cut her throat and dishonour her memory by also cutting the throat of slave and leaving the naked bodies side by side to make it appear that they had been caught in adultery. Lucretia yielded and then after informing her husband and father she stabbed herself to death to assuage her shame. The come-uppance of which was a revolt led by Brutus who expelled Tarquin and his family from Rome.