“Orithya was primarily famous, and especially deserving of commendation, for her perpetual virginity.”
Virginity is an affirmation of Orithya’s purity which sets apart from other women. Her virginity is comparable to Biblical Samson's locks from which he found his mystic strength. Moreover, virginity is an indicator of her virtues which makes her the ideal leader for the Amazonians.
“Erythraea, or Herophile, was one of the Sibyls and an especially famous woman. Some authorities believe that there were ten Sibyls, and they distinguish each one with a proper name. But the general term ‘Sybil’ applies to all of them because they were highly skilled in prophecy. In the Aeolian dialect, sios corresponds to the Latin word for ‘ god’ (deus) and byles means ‘mind’ (mens); and so the ‘sibyls’ (sibylle) signify, as it were, 'women of divine mind' or 'women who bear God in their minds'."
The name is based on the divine attribute of the ability to prophecy which is God-given. Being prophets is a differentiating factor for the Sibyls, which suggests that they are not ordinary folks. Their feminine gender indicates that God does not discriminate against women; otherwise, he would not endow them with the prophesying ability.
“She was the immortal mistress of all things, companion of the man, already awake, called her Eve. Could anything greater and more glorious ever happen to one at birth? Moreover, we can imagine how marvellously beautiful her body was, for what can be created by God’s own hand that does not surpass everything else in beauty? Beauty perishes with old age and even in the flower of youth it many vanish from a slight attack of illness."
Boccaccio employs a Biblical allusion when narrating about Eve. Boccaccio visualizes Eve as a magnificent woman whose attractiveness is extraordinary because, unlike other women who descended from her, she was not born: God formed her. Although beauty is impermanent, it is a major attribute that God offers women including Eve.
