Manius Curius Dentatus weigert de geschenken van de Samnieten 1763

This 1763 etching by Anthony Walker depicts the Roman general Manius Curius Dentatus refusing bribes from the Samnites. The scene is set in Dentatus’s modest home, where he is shown sitting by a fireplace while two Samnite emissaries offer him a tray laden with gold. This story, told by the Roman historian Plutarch, is a reminder of Dentatus’s incorruptibility and dedication to serving the Roman Republic. The etching highlights the dramatic contrast between the simplicity of Dentatus’s life and the extravagance of the bribes offered to him.