prologue to The Book of Legends, Hrotsvitha says: "Scorn he should not render at the writer's weaker gender/ Who these small lines had sung with a woman’s untutored tongue/ But rather should he praise the Lord’s celestial grace." In general, Hrosvitha's plays were works of hagiography. She said the Passio Sancti Pelagii was derived from an eyewitness to the martyrdom of Pelagius of Cordova. All six speak to a consistent theme in Hrothsvitha's work, the virtue of virginity over temptation. Her plays contrast the chastity and perseverance of Christian women with Roman women, who were portrayed as weak and emotional. Hrotsvitha wrote her plays in response those of Terence, a popular Roman playwright who she thought unfairly represented women as immoral. She writes, "Wherefore I, the strong voice of Gandersheim, have not hesitated to imitate a poet (Terence) whose works are so widely read, my object being to glorify, within the limits of my poor talent, the laudable chastity of Christian virgins in that self-same form of composition which has been used to describe the shameless acts of licentious women." All these dramas serve a discreet purpose. "Gallicanus" and "Calimachus" focus on conversion, "Abraham" and "Pafnutius" tell stories of redemption and repentance, and "Dulcitius" and "Sapientia" tell stories of virgin martyrdom. Cumulatively they speak to the power of Christ and Christian values, which was Hrothsvitha's objective. They are known to have been performed many times since her death, the earliest confirmation of which was in Paris in 1888. She writes in her preface that her writing will appeal to many who are attracted by the charm of style. There are comedic elements, as in "Dulcitius", when the wicked blind governor stumbles among pots and pans, having attempted to molest three virgins. The women watch and laugh. Although they go on to become martyrs for their faith, they do so on their own terms. "Dulcitius" is the only one of Hrotsvitha's comedies which aligns with the modern comedic genre. Liber Tertius The third book is dedicated to Emperors Otto I and Otto II, and consists of two historical writings in Latin hexameters. Gesta Oddonis tells the story of the Ottonian dynasty, and its rise to power; and Primordia Coenobii Gandeshemensis tells the history of Gandersheim Abbey. Legacy Feminism Hrothsvitha's work was largely ignored until Conrad Celtis rediscovered and edited her work in the 1600s. In the 1970s, feminists began their own