拍品專文
The subject, taken from Livy 3:44-58; Valerius Maximus 6:1, tells of Appius Claudius, one of a board of ten legislators of Rome, who secretly desired a virgin, the daughter of an honorable centurion. He conspired with one of his dependents to obtain her by laying claim to her as a former slave. The case was to come before Appius who intended to give judgement in the dependent's favor. Despite protests from the girl's betrothed, Appius' scheme worked to plan, but before the girl could be led away her father snatched a knife from a butcher's shop and stabbed her to death.