Lena meritrice · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture · Center for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Lena meritrice
Subject: Famous Women; Conspiracies; Leaena; Tyrants; Prostitution; Torture
Geographic: Ancient Greece
Description: This engraving depicts the prostitute Leaena being tortured for information regarding a conspiracy. She is depicted with her hands bound by rope, which is attached to some form of torturing device that a man is controlling on the right side of the engraving. She is also depicted standing in a burning fire as another torturing method. Boccaccio explains that she is being tortured for being involved in a conspiracy to overthrow a tyrant. In order to avoid revealing information to those torturing her, she bites off her own tongue. The two figures on the left side are the ones attempting to get information regarding the conspiracy from Leaena.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18175
Language: lat
Source Name: Iohannis Bocacij in librum de claris mulieribus
Parent Collection: 1487 Leuven; 1487 Leuven
Image: mta_18175_OBJ.png
Collection: Early Modern Women
Subject: Famous Women; Conspiracies; Leaena; Tyrants; Prostitution; Torture