View source for Cloelia

{{short description|Semi-legendary woman from the early history of ancient Rome}}
[[File:Cloelia.png|thumb|Cloelia in the 16th-century ''[[Promptuarium Iconum Insigniorum|Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum]]'']]
[[File:Cloelia Fleeing the Camp of Porsena LACMA M.83.304.jpg|thumb|16th century piece by Pierre Milan and René Boyvin depicting one account of Cloelia's escape]]
'''Cloelia''' ({{langx|grc|Κλοιλία}})<ref>[http://www.attalus.org/greek/polyaenus8B.html#31.1 Polyaenus, Stratagems, Book 8, 31]</ref> was a legendary woman from the early history of [[ancient Rome]].

==Biography==
She was one of the women taken hostage by [[Lars Porsena]] as a part of the peace treaty which ended the [[Roman–Etruscan Wars|war between Rome and Clusium]] in 508 BC.<ref>{{Cite book |last=MacLachlan |first=Bonnie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2v1LAQAAQBAJ&dq=Cloelia+porsena&pg=PA34 |title=Women in Ancient Rome: A Sourcebook |date=2013-09-12 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-4411-6421-6 |language=en}}</ref> Ancient historians present two different stories explaining her escape. The first version of Cloelia's escape recognizes that the female hostages went to the river to bathe. Having persuaded their guards to leave them alone at the river, in order to remain modest, they swam across the river into Roman territory. The second version claims that Cloelia escaped from the Etruscan camp, leading away a group of Roman virgins. According to [[Valerius Maximus]], she fled upon a horse, and swam across the river [[Tiber]] through a barrage of hostile darts, thus bringing her band of girls to safety.

When Porsena learnt of their escape, he quickly sent emissaries to Rome demanding her return. However, Porsena soon reconsidered, deciding that her deeds were worthy of admiration equal to that of [[Horatius Cocles]] and [[Gaius Mucius Scaevola]]. He declared to the Romans that if she were restored to him he would send her back to Rome safe and inviolate, but if his demands were not met he should regard the treaty as broken.

The Romans agreed to the conditions and returned the pledge of peace, as the treaty required. Porsena praised Cloelia on her arrival and, as a reward for her heroism, promised to release half the share of his hostages of her choice. It is said that she selected the young boys, as was unanimously decided by the hostages, since they were particularly at risk of abuse.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Livy |first=Titus |url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0151%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D13 |title=The History of Rome |pages=2.13}}</ref>

Once peace had been established, the Romans celebrated her valour by building a [[Equestrian statue|statue]] of a maiden seated on a horse, set up on the summit of the [[Via Sacra]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Livy |first=Titus |url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0151%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D13 |title=The History of Rome |pages=2.13}}</ref>

==Cultural depictions==
[[File:The Flight of Cloelia ).jpg|thumb|302x302px|''The Flight of Cloelia'' (1623) by [[Cornelis van Poelenburgh]]]]
Cloelia has been depicted in several paintings and in the libretto ''[[Il trionfo di Clelia]]'' (1762) by [[Pietro Metastasio]].[[File:Clélie passant le Tibre (Rubens).JPG|thumb|300px|''[[Cloelia Crossing the Tiber]]'' (1630/40) by [[Rubens]]]]
She was also portrayed by [[Sylvia Syms]] in the 1961 Italian movie ''[[Amazons of Rome|Le Vergini di Roma]]''.

==See also==
*[[Cloelia gens]]
*[[Gaius Mucius Scaevola]]
*[[Horatius Cocles]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
*[[Livy]], ''[[Ab Urbe Condita Libri|Ab urbe condita]]'', [https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/From_the_Founding_of_the_City/Book_2#13 2.13]
*[[Valerius Maximus]], ''[[Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium]]'', [http://attalus.org/translate/valerius3a.html#2.2 3.2.2]

==External links==
* {{Commons category inline}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:6th-century BC Roman women]]
[[Category:Ancient Roman women in warfare]]
[[Category:Cloelii]]
[[Category:Legendary Romans]]