Livy and Augustine as Negative Models in the Legend of Lucrece

This article considers the Legend of Lucrece alongside the sources Chaucer engages in dialogue, rather than those he appears to translate closely. It suggests that although Chaucer relies primarily on Ovid’s Fasti for the language and structure of Lucretia’s story, he builds into his legend a sustained response to Livy and Augustine’s writings on Lucretia as well. He does so, however, not by translating their words but rather by rejecting their interpretations of Lucretia’s tragedy as negative models for his own, enlisting both authors in a discussion of feminine virtue.