owing to

He tells of how a group of Visigoths broke into Marcella’s house demanding gold:

She pointed to her coarse dress to show them that she had no buried treasure. However they would not believe in her self-chosen poverty, but scourged her and beat her with cudgels. She is said to have felt no pain but to have thrown herself at their feet and to have pleaded with tears for you [Principia] that you might not be taken from her,

Hi! This is from Rome: A history of seven sackings.

I'm not sure what the last underlined part means. Does it mean because you [Principia] are young unlike herself, she is willing to go through whatever it would be instead of Principia? Can I just replace owing to with 'because'?
Any help would be appreciated.

Does it mean because you [Principia] are young unlike herself, she is willing to go through whatever it would be instead of Principia?

To me, it means that because she is old, it is too late for the beatings to make much difference to what little length of life she has left to live. A young girl would have more potential future life to lose than an old woman.

Can I just replace "owing to" with "because"?

You could replace it with "because of" - ...or because of your youth, have to endure what she, as an old woman, had no occasion (reason) to fear...
.

Bondstreet said:

Does it mean because you [Principia] are young unlike herself, she is willing to go through whatever it would be instead of Principia?

To me, it means that because she is old, it is too late for the beatings to make much difference to what little length of life she has left to live. A young girl would have more potential future life to lose than an old woman.

Can I just replace "owing to" with "because"?

You could replace it with "because of" - ...or because of your youth, have to endure what she, as an old woman, had no occasion (reason) to fear...
.

Thanks so much Bondstreet!