Tarpeian hill until King Tarquinius, when he dedicated the place to
Jupiter, removed her remains and abolished the name of Tarpeia. But even
to this day they call the rock in the Capitol the Tarpeian Rock, down
which malefactors used to be flung. When the Sabines held the citadel,
Romulus in fury challenged them to come down and fight. Tatius accepted
his challenge with confidence, as he saw that if overpowered his men
would have a strong place of refuge to retreat to. All the intermediate
space, in which they were about to engage, was surrounded by hills, and
so seemed to make a desperate battle necessary, as there were but narrow
outlets for flight or pursuit. It chanced, also, that the river had been
in flood a few days before, and had left a deep muddy pool of water upon
the level ground where the Forum now stands; so that men's footing was
not certain, but difficult and treacherous. Here a piece of good fortune
befell the Sabines as they heedlessly pressed forward. Curtius, one of
their chiefs, a man with a reputation for dashing courage, rode on
horseback far before the rest. His horse plunged into this morass, and
he, after trying to extricate him, at last finding it impossible, left
him there and saved himself. This place, in memory of him, is still
called the Gulf of Curtius. Warned of their danger, the Sabines fought a
stout and indecisive battle, in which many fell, amongst them Hostilius.
He is said to have been the husband of Hersilia and the grandfather of
Hostilius, who became king after the reign of Numa. Many combats took
place in that narrow space, as we may suppose; and especial mention is
made of one, which proved the last, in which Romulus was struck on the
head by a stone and like to fall, and unable to fight longer. The Romans
now gave way to the Sabines, and fled to the Palatine hill, abandoning
the level ground. Romulus, now recovered from the blow, endeavoured to
stay the fugitives, and with loud shouts called upon them to stand firm
and fight. But as the stream of fugitives poured on, and no one had the
courage to face round, he lifted his hands to heaven and prayed to
Jupiter to stay the army and not to allow the tottering state of Rome to
fall, but to help it. After his prayer many were held back from flight
by reverence for the king, and the fugitives suddenly resumed their
confidence. They made their first stand where now is the temple of
Jupiter Stator, which one may translate "He who makes to stand firm;"
and then forming their ranks once more they drove back the Sabines as
far as what is now called the Palace, and the Temple of Vesta.
XIX. While they were preparing to fight as though the battle was only
now just begun, they were restrained by a strange spectacle, beyond the
power of words to express. The daughters of the Sabines who had been
carried off were seen rushing from all quarters, with loud shrieks and
wailings, through the ranks and among the dead bodies, as though
possessed by some god. Some of them carried infant children in their
arms, and others wore their hair loose and dishevelled. All of them kept
addressing the Romans and the Sabines alternately by the most endearing
names. The hearts of both armies were melted, and they fell back so as
to leave a space for the women between them. A murmur of sorrow ran
through all the ranks, and a strong feeling of pity was excited by the
sight of the women, and by their words, which began with arguments and
upbraidings, but ended in entreaties and tears. "What wrong have we done
to you," said they, "that we should have suffered and should even now
suffer such cruel treatment at your hands? We were violently and
wrongfully torn away from our friends, and after we had been carried off
we were neglected by our brothers, fathers, and relatives for so long a
time, that now, bound by the closest of ties to our enemies, we tremble
for our ravishers and wrongers when they fight, and weep when they fall.
Ye would not come and tear us from our ravishers while we were yet
maidens, but now ye would separate wives from their husbands, and
mothers from their children, a worse piece of service to us than your
former neglect. Even if it was not about us that you began to fight, you
ought to cease now that you have become fathers-in-law, and
grandfathers, and relatives one of another. But if the war is about us,
then carry us off with your sons-in-law and our children, and give us
our fathers and relatives, but do not take our husbands and children
from us. We beseech you not to allow us to be carried off captive a
second time." Hersilia spoke at length in this fashion, and as the other
women added their entreaties to hers, a truce was agreed upon, and the
chiefs met in conference. Hereupon the women made their husbands and
children known to their fathers and brothers, fetched food and drink for
such as needed it, and took the wounded into their own houses to be
attended to there. Thus they let their friends see that they were
mistresses of their own houses, and that their husbands attended to
their wishes and treated them with every respect.
In the conference it was accordingly determined that such women as chose
to do so should continue to live with their husbands, free, as we have
already related, from all work and duties except that of spinning wool
(_talasia_); that the Romans and the Sabines should dwell together in
the city, and that the city should be called Rome, after Romulus, but
the Romans be called Quirites after the native city of Tatius; and that
they should both reign and command the army together. The place where
this compact was made is even to this day called the Comitium, for the
Romans call meeting _coire_.
XX. Now that the city was doubled in numbers, a hundred more senators
were elected from among the Sabines, and the legions were composed of
six thousand infantry and six hundred cavalry. They also established
three tribes, of which they named one Rhamnenses, from Romulus, another
Titienses from Tatius, and the third Lucerenses, after the name of a
grove to which many had fled for refuge, requiring asylum, and had been
admitted as citizens. They call a grove _lucus_. The very name of
_tribe_ and tribune show that there were three tribes. Each tribe was
divided into ten _centuries_, which some say were named after the women
who were carried off; but this seems to be untrue, as many of them are
named after places. However, many privileges were conferred upon the
women, amongst which were that men should make way for them when they
walked out, to say nothing disgraceful in their presence, or appear
naked before them, on pain of being tried before the criminal court; and
also that their children should wear the _bulla_, which is so called
from its shape, which is like a bubble, and was worn round the neck, and
also the broad purple border of their robe (_praetexta_).
The kings did not conduct their deliberations together, but each first
took counsel with his own hundred senators, and then they all met
together. Tatius dwelt where now is the temple of Juno Moneta, and
Romulus by the steps of the Fair Shore, as it is called, which are at
the descent from the Palatine hill into the great Circus. Here they say
the sacred cornel-tree grew, the legend being that Romulus, to try his
strength, threw a spear, with cornel-wood shaft, from Mount Aventine,
and when the spear-head sunk into the ground, though many tried, no one
was able to pull it out. The soil, which was fertile, suited the wood,
and it budded, and became the stem of a good-sized cornel-tree. After
the death of Romulus this was preserved and reverenced as one of the
holiest objects in the city. A wall was built round it, and whenever any
one thought that it looked inclined to droop and wither he at once
raised a shout to tell the bystanders, and they, just as if they were
assisting to put out a fire, called for water, and came from all
quarters carrying pots of water to the place. It is said that when Gaius
Caesar repaired the steps, and the workmen were digging near it, they
unintentionally damaged the roots, and the tree died.
XXI. The Sabines adopted the Roman system of months, and all that is
remarkable about them will be found in the 'Life of Numa.' But Romulus
adopted the large oblong Sabine shield, and gave up the round Argolic
shields which he and the Romans had formerly carried. The two nations
shared each other's festivals, not abolishing any which either had been
wont to celebrate, but introducing several new ones, among which are the
Matronalia, instituted in honour of the women at the end of the war, and
that of the Carmentalia. It is thought by some that Carmenta is the
ruling destiny which presides over a man's birth, wherefore she is
worshipped by mothers. Others say that she was the wife of Evander the
Arcadian, a prophetess who used to chant oracles in verse, and hence
surnamed Carmenta (for the Romans call verses _carmina_); whereas it is
generally admitted that her right name was Nicostrate. Some explain the
name of Carmenta more plausibly as meaning that during her prophetic
frenzy she was bereft of intellect; for the Romans call to lack,
_carcre_; and mind, _mentem_.
We have spoken before of the feast of the Palilia. That of the
Lupercalia would seem, from the time of its celebration, to be a
ceremony of purification; for it is held during the ominous days of
February, a month whose name one might translate by Purification; and
that particular day was originally called Febraté. The name of this
feast in Greek signifies that of wolves, and it is thought, on this
account, to be very ancient, and derived from the Arcadians who came to
Italy with Evander. Still this is an open question, for the name may
have arisen from the she-wolf, as we see that the Luperci start to run
their course from the place where Romulus is said to have been exposed.
The circumstances of the ritual are such as to make it hard to
conjecture their meaning. They slaughter goats, and then two youths of
good family are brought to them. Then some with a bloody knife mark the
foreheads of the youths, and others at once wipe the blood away with
wool dipped in milk. The youths are expected to laugh when it is wiped
away. After this they cut the skins of the goats into strips and run
about naked, except a girdle round the middle, striking with the thongs
all whom they meet. Women in the prime of life do not avoid being
struck, as they believe that it assists them in childbirth and promotes
fertility. It is also a peculiarity of this festival that the Luperci
sacrifice a dog. One Bontes, who wrote an elegiac poem on the origin of
the Roman myths, says that when Romulus and his party had killed
Amulius, they ran back in their joy to the place where the she-wolf
suckled them when little, and that the feast is typical of this, and
that the young nobles run,
"As, smiting all they met, that day
From Alba Romulus and Remus ran."
The bloody sword is placed upon their foreheads in token of the danger
and slaughter of that day, and the wiping with the milk is in
remembrance of their nurse. Caius Acilius tells us that, before the
foundation of Rome, the cattle of Romulus and Remus were missing, and
they, after invoking Faunus, ran out to search for them, naked, that
they might not be inconvenienced by sweat; and that this is the reason
that the Luperci ran about naked. As for the dog, one would say that if
the sacrifice is purificatory, it is sacrificed on behalf of those who
use it. The Greeks, in their purificatory rites, sacrifice dogs, and
often make use of what is called Periskylakismos. But if this feast be
in honour of the she-wolf, in gratitude for her suckling and preserving
of Romulus, then it is very natural to sacrifice a dog, for it is an
enemy of wolves; unless, indeed, the beast is put to death to punish it
for hindering the Luperci when they ran their course.
XXII. It is said also that Romulus instituted the service of the sacred
fire of Vestae, and the holy virgins who keep it up, called Vestals.
Others attribute this to Numa, though they say that Romulus was a very
religious prince, and learned in divination, for which purpose he used
to carry the crooked staff called _lituus_, with which to divide the
heavens into spaces for the observation of the flight of birds. This,
which is preserved in the Palatium, was lost when the city was taken by
the Gauls; but afterwards, when the barbarians had been repulsed, it was
found unharmed in a deep bed of ashes, where everything else had been
burned or spoiled. He also enacted some laws, the most arbitrary of
which is that a wife cannot obtain a divorce from her husband, but that
a husband may put away his wife for poisoning her children,
counterfeiting keys, or adultery. If any one put away his wife on other
grounds than these, he enacted that half his property should go to his
wife, and half to the temple of Ceres. A man who divorced his wife was
to make an offering to the Chthonian gods.[A] A peculiarity of his
legislation is that, while he laid down no course of procedure in case
of parricide, he speaks of all murder by the name of parricide, as
though the one were an abominable, but the other an impossible crime.
And for many years it appeared that he had rightly judged, for no one
attempted anything of the kind at Rome for nearly six hundred years; but
it is said that the first parricide was that of Lucius Hostilius, which
he committed after the war with Hannibal. Enough has now been said upon
these subjects.
[Footnote A: Chthonian gods are the gods of the world below.]
XXIII. In the fifth year of the reign of Tatius, some of his relatives
fell in with ambassadors from Laurentum, on their way to Rome, and
endeavoured to rob them. As the ambassadors would not submit to this,
but defended themselves, they slew them. Romulus at once gave it as his
opinion that the authors of this great and audacious crime ought to be
punished, but Tatius hushed the matter up, and enabled them to escape.
This is said to have been the only occasion upon which they were openly
at variance, for in all other matters they acted with the greatest
possible unanimity. The relatives, however, of the murdered men, as they
were hindered by Tatius from receiving any satisfaction, fell upon him
when he and Romulus were offering sacrifice at Lavinium, and slew him,
but respected Romulus, and praised him as a just man. He brought home
the body of Tatius, and buried it honourably. It lies near what is
called the _Armilustrium_, on Mount Aventine.
But Romulus neglected altogether to exact any satisfaction for the
murder. Some writers say that the city of Lavinium, in its terror,
delivered up the murderers of Tatius, but that Romulus allowed them to
depart, saying that blood had been atoned for by blood. This speech of
his gave rise to some suspicion that he was not displeased at being rid
of his colleague. However, it caused no disturbance in the state, and
did not move the Sabines to revolt, but partly out of regard for
Romulus, and fear of his power, and belief in his divine mission, they
continued to live under his rule with cheerfulness and respect. Many
foreign tribes also respected Romulus, and the more ancient Latin races
sent him ambassadors, and made treaties of friendship and alliance.
He took Fidenae, a city close to Rome, according to some authorities, by
sending his cavalry thither on a sudden, and ordering them to cut the
pivots of the city gates, and then unexpectedly appearing in person.
Others say that the people of Fidenae first invaded the Roman territory,
drove off plunder from it, and insulted the neighbourhood of the city
itself, and that Romulus laid an ambush for them, slew many, and took
their city. He did not destroy it, but made it a Roman colony, and sent
two thousand five hundred Romans thither as colonists on the Ides of
April.
XXIV. After this a pestilence fell upon Rome, which slew men suddenly
without previous sickness, and afflicted the crops and cattle with
barrenness. A shower of blood also fell in the city, so that religious
terror was added to the people's sufferings. As a similar visitation
befell the citizens of Laurentum, it became evident that the wrath of
the gods was visiting these cities because of the unavenged murders of
Tatius and of the ambassadors. The guilty parties were delivered up on
both sides, and duly punished, after which the plague was sensibly
mitigated. Romulus also purified the city with lustrations, which, they
say, are even now practised at the Ferentine gate. But before the plague
ceased, the people of Camerium attacked the Romans, supposing that they
would be unable to defend themselves on account of their misfortune, and
overran their country. Nevertheless, Romulus instantly marched against
them, slew six hundred of them in battle, and took their city. Half the
survivors he transplanted to Rome, and settled twice as many Romans as
the remainder at Camerium, on the Kalends of Sextilis. So many citizens
had he to spare after he had only inhabited Rome for about sixteen
years. Among the other spoils, he carried off a brazen four-horse
chariot from Camerium; this he dedicated in the temple of Vulcan, having
placed in it a figure of himself being crowned by Victory.
XXV. As the city was now so flourishing, the weaker of the neighbouring
states made submission, and were glad to receive assurance that they
would be unharmed; but the more powerful, fearing and envying Romulus,
considered that they ought not to remain quiet, but ought to check the
growth of Rome. First the Etruscans of Veii, a people possessed of wide
lands and a large city, began the war by demanding the surrender to them
of Fidenae, which they claimed as belonging to them. This demand was not
only unjust, but absurd, seeing that they had not assisted the people of
Fidenae when they were fighting and in danger, but permitted them to be
destroyed, and then demanded their houses and lands, when they were in
the possession of others. Receiving a haughty answer from Romulus, they
divided themselves into two bodies, with one of which they attacked
Fidenae, and with the other went to meet Romulus. At Fidenae they
conquered the Romans, and slew two thousand; but they were defeated by
Romulus, with a loss of eight thousand men. A second battle now took
place at Fidenae, in which all agree that Romulus took the most
important part, showing the greatest skill and courage, and a strength
and swiftness more than mortal. But some accounts are altogether
fabulous, such as that fourteen hundred were slain, more than half of
whom Romulus slew with his own hand. The Messenians appear to use
equally inflated language about Aristomenes, when they tell us that he
thrice offered sacrifice for having slain a hundred Lacedaemonians.
After the victory, Romulus did not pursue the beaten army, but marched
straight to the city of Veii. The citizens, after so great a disaster,
made no resistance, but at their own request were granted a treaty and
alliance for a hundred years, giving up a large portion of their
territory, called the Septem Pagi, or seven districts, and their
saltworks by the river, and handing over fifty of their leading men as
hostages.
For his success at Veii, Romulus enjoyed another triumph, on the Ides of
October, when he led in his train many captives, amongst whom was the
Veientine general, an old man, who was thought to have mismanaged
matters foolishly and like a boy. On this account to this day, when a
sacrifice is made for victory, they lead an old man through the Forum
and up to the Capitol, dressed in a boy's robe with wide purple border,
and with a child's _bulla_ hung round his neck; and the herald calls out
"Sardinians for sale." For the Tyrrhenians or Tuscans are said to be of
Sardinian origin, and Veii is a Tyrrhenian city.
XXVI. This was Romulus's last war. After it, he, like nearly all those
who have risen to power and fame by a great and unexpected series of
successes, became filled with self-confidence and arrogance, and, in
place of his former popular manners, assumed the offensive style of a
despot. He wore a purple tunic, and a toga with a purple border, and did
business reclining instead of sitting on a throne; and was always
attended by the band of youths called Celeres, from their quickness in
service. Others walked before him with staves to keep off the crowd, and
were girt with thongs, with which to bind any one whom he might order
into custody. The Latins used formerly to call to bind _ligare_, and now
call it _alligare_; wherefore the staff-bearers are called _lictors_,
and their staves are called _bacula_,[A] from the rods which they then
carried. It is probable that these officers now called _lictors_ by the
insertion of the _c_, were originally called _litors_, that is, in
Greek, _leitourgoi_ (public officials). For to this day the Greeks call
a town-hall _leitus_, and the people _laos_.
[Footnote A: The Romans termed these bundles of rods _fasces_. The
derivation of _lictor_ from the Greek shows the utter ignorance of
etymology prevailing among the ancients.]
XXVII. When Romulus' grandfather Numitor died in Alba, although he was
evidently his heir, yet through a desire for popularity he left his
claim unsettled, and contented himself with appointing a chief
magistrate for the people of Alba every year; thus teaching the Roman
nobles to desire a freer constitution, which should not be so much
encroached upon by the king. For at Rome now even the so-called Fathers
took no part in public affairs, but had merely their name and dignity,
and were called into the Senate House more for form's sake than to
express their opinions. When there, they listened in silence to
Romulus's orders, and the only advantage which they possessed over the
commons was that they knew the king's mind sooner than they. Worst of
all was, that he of his own authority divided the land which was
obtained in war amongst the soldiers, and restored the hostages to the
Veientines, against the will of the Senate and without consulting it, by
which he seemed purposely to insult it. On this account the Senate was
suspected, when shortly after this he miraculously disappeared. His
disappearance took place on the Nones of the month now called July, but
then Quintilis, leaving nothing certain or agreed on about his end
except the date. Even now things happen in the same fashion as then; and
we need not wonder at the uncertainty about the death of Romulus, when
that of Scipio Africanus, in his own house after supper, proved so
inexplicable, some saying that it arose from an evil habit of body, some
that he had poisoned himself, some that his enemies had suffocated him
during the night. And yet the corpse of Scipio lay openly exposed for
all to see, and gave all who saw it some ground for their conjectures;
whereas Romulus suddenly disappeared, and no morsel of his body or shred
of his garments were ever seen again. Some supposed that the Senators
fell upon him in the Temple of Vulcan, and, after killing him cut his
body in pieces and each of them carried off one in the folds of his
robe. Others think that his disappearance took place neither in the
Temple of Vulcan, nor yet in the presence of the Senators alone, but say
that Romulus was holding an assembly without the city, near a place
called the Goat's Marsh, when suddenly strange and wonderful things took
place in the heavens, and marvellous changes; for the sun's light was
extinguished, and night fell, not calm and quiet, but with terrible
thunderings, gusts of wind, and driving spray from all quarters.
Hereupon the people took to flight in confusion, but the nobles
collected together by themselves. When the storm was over, and the light
returned, the people returned to the place again, and searched in vain
for Romulus, but were told by the nobles not to trouble themselves to
look for him, but to pray to Romulus and reverence him, for he had been
caught up into heaven, and now would be a propitious god for them
instead of a good king.
The people believed this story, and went their way rejoicing, and
praying to him with good hope; but there were some who discussed the
whole question in a harsh and unfriendly spirit, and blamed the nobles
for encouraging the people to such acts of folly when they themselves
were the murderers of the king.
XXVIII. Now Julius Proculus, one of the noblest patricians, and of good
reputation, being one of the original colonists from Alba, and a friend
and companion of Romulus, came into the Forum, and there upon his oath,
and touching the most sacred things, stated before all men that as he
was walking along the road Romulus appeared, meeting him, more beautiful
and taller than he had ever appeared before, with bright and glittering
arms. Astonished at the vision he had spoken thus: "O king, for what
reason or with what object have you left us exposed to an unjust and
hateful suspicion, and left the whole city desolate and plunged in the
deepest grief?" He answered, "It pleased the gods, Proculus, that I
should spend thus much time among mankind, and after founding a city of
the greatest power and glory should return to heaven whence I came. Fare
thee well; and tell the Romans that by courage and self-control they
will attain to the highest pitch of human power. I will ever be for you
the kindly deity Quirinus."