Book XXVII.37. Prodigy: At Capua a wolf entered the gate and tore the centinel {Tertiae Decadis Liber Septimus p. CLV} 1493

Curator: The stark contrast of this woodcut immediately grabs your attention, doesn't it? Editor: Yes, the raw emotion is palpable. What exactly are we looking at? Curator: This is "Book XXVII.37. Prodigy: At Capua a wolf entered the gate and tore the centinel," an anonymous work now held at the Harvard Art Museums. It depicts an event described by Livy. Editor: The wolf, a symbol of primal chaos, breaches the ordered space of the city—a clear violation. It really speaks to the anxieties surrounding the boundaries between civilization and the wild. Curator: Precisely! This artwork highlights the fragility of social order and the ever-present threat of the "outsider," especially in times of political and social upheaval. Editor: It's a chilling reminder that even the most fortified structures can be breached, both physically and metaphorically. Curator: It really makes you think about who gets to define the boundaries of belonging and who is deemed "outsider." Editor: And the wolf’s continued presence in art speaks to enduring human fears.