Judita

Marulić's epic is based on the biblical story of Judith, a pious woman from Bethulia, who saves her people by killing the Assyrian general Holofernes. The Assyrians besiege the city, and Judith, with God's help, seduces Holofernes and cuts off his head while he sleeps. In doing so, she brings victory to her people. In addition to the religious message, Marulić expresses patriotic ideas in Judith, connecting the fate of Bethulia with the Croatian struggle against the Ottomans. Therefore, the epic is also understood as a moral lesson about courage and faith. The work consists of six cantos and shows the influence of classical and Christian literature. Marulić is considered the "father of Croatian literature", and Judith is one of the most important works of the Croatian Renaissance.