their grandfather to be king at Alba, they should build for themselves
a new city in the place where, having been at the first left to die,
they had been brought up by Faustulus the shepherd. And to this purpose
many agreed both of the men of Alba and of the Latins, and also of
the shepherds that had followed them from the first, holding it for
certain all of them that Alba and Lavinium would be of small account in
comparison of this new city which they should build together. But while
the brothers were busy with these things, there sprang up afresh the same
evil thing which had before wrought such trouble in their house, even the
lust of power. For though the beginnings of the strife between them were
peaceful, yet did it end in great wickedness. The matter fell out in this
wise. Seeing that the brothers were twins, and that neither could claim
to have the preference to the other in respect of his age, it was agreed
between them that the gods that were the guardians of that country should
make known by means of augury which of the two they chose to give his
name to the new city. Then Romulus stood on the Palatine hill, and when
there had been marked out for him a certain region of the sky, watched
therein for a sign; and Remus watched in like manner, standing on the
Aventine. And to Remus first came a sign, six vultures; but so soon as
the sign had been proclaimed there came another to Romulus, even twelve
vultures. Then they that favored Remus clamored that the gods had chosen
him for king, because he had first seen the birds; and they that favored
Romulus answered that he was to be preferred because he had seen more in
number. This dispute waxed so hot that they fell to fighting; and in the
fight it chanced that Remus was slain. But some say that when Romulus
had marked out the borders of the town which he would build, and had
caused them to build a wall round it, Remus leapt over the wall, scorning
it because it was mean and low; and that Romulus slew him, crying out,
“Thus shall every man perish that shall dare to leap over my walls.” Only
others will have it that though he perished for this cause Romulus slew
him not, but a certain Celer. This much is certain, that Romulus gained
the whole kingdom for himself and called the city after his own name.
After this the people bethought themselves how they should get for
themselves wives, for there were no women in the place. Wherefore Romulus
sent ambassadors to the nations round about, praying that they should
give their daughters to his people for wives. “Cities,” he said, “have
humble beginnings even as all other things. Nevertheless they that have
the gods and their own valor to help become great. Now that the gods are
with us, as ye know, be assured also that valor shall not be wanting.”
But the nations round about would not hearken to him, thinking scorn of
this gathering of robbers and slaves and runaways, so that they said,
“Why do ye not open a sanctuary for women also that so ye may find
fit wives for your people?” Also they feared for themselves and their
children what this new city might grow to. Now when the ambassadors
brought back this answer the Romans were greatly wroth, and would take by
force that which their neighbors would not give of their free will. And
to the end that they might do this more easily, King Romulus appointed
certain days whereon he and his people would hold a festival with games
to Neptune; and to this festival he called all them that dwelt in the
cities round about. But when many were gathered together (for they were
fain to see what this new city might be), and were now wholly bent on
the spectacle of the games, the young men of the Romans ran in upon
them, and carried off all such as were unwedded among the women. To these
King Romulus spake kindly, saying, “The fault is not with us but with
your fathers, who dealt proudly with us, and would not give you to us in
marriage. But now ye shall be held in all honor as our wives, and shall
have your portion of all that we possess. Put away therefore your anger,
for ye shall find us so much the better husbands than other men, as we
must be to you not for husbands only but parents also and native country.”
After this, King Tatius and the Sabines came up against Rome with a great
army. And first of all they gained the citadel by treachery in this
manner. One Tarpeius was governor of the citadel, whose daughter, Tarpeia
by name, going forth from the walls to fetch water for a sacrifice, took
money from the king that she should receive certain of the soldiers
within the citadel; but when they had been so received, the men cast
their shields upon her, slaying her with the weight of them. This they
did either that they might be thought to have taken the place by force,
or that they judged it to be well that no faith should be kept with
traitors. Some also tell this tale, that the Sabines wore great bracelets
of gold on their left arms, and on their left hands fair rings with
precious stones therein, and that when the maiden covenanted with them
that she should have for a reward that which they carried in their left
hands, they cast their shields upon her. And others say that she asked
for their shields, having the purpose to betray them, and for this cause
was slain.
Thus the Sabines had possession of the citadel; and the next day King
Romulus set the battle in array on the plain that lay between the hill of
the Capitol and the hill of the Palatine. And first the Romans were very
eager to recover the citadel, a certain Hostilius being their leader.
But when this man, fighting in the forefront of the battle, was slain,
the Romans turned their backs and fled before the Sabines, even unto the
gate of the Palatine. Then King Romulus (for he himself had been carried
away by the crowd of them that fled) held up his sword and his spear to
the heavens, and cried aloud, “O Jupiter, here in the Palatine didst
thou first, by the tokens which thou sentest me, lay the foundations of
my city. And lo! the Sabines have taken the citadel by wicked craft,
and have crossed the valley, and are come up even hither. But if thou
sufferest them so far, do thou at the least defend this place against
them, and stay this shameful flight of my people. So will I build a
temple for thee in this place, even a temple of Jupiter the Stayer, that
may be a memorial to after generations of how thou didst this day save
this city.” And when he had so spoken, even as though he knew that the
prayer had been heard, he cried, “Ye men of Rome, Jupiter bids you stand
fast in this place and renew the battle.” And when the men of Rome heard
these words, it was as if a voice from heaven had spoken to them, and
they stood fast, and the king himself went forward and stood among the
foremost. Now the leader of the Sabines was one Curtius. This man, as he
drave the Romans before him, cried out to his comrades, “See, we have
conquered these men, false hosts and feeble foes that they are! Surely
now they know that it is one thing to carry off maidens and another to
fight with men.” But whilst he boasted himself thus, King Romulus and
a company of the youth rushed upon him. Now Curtius was fighting on
horseback, and being thus assailed he fled, plunging into a certain pool
which lay between the Palatine hill and the Capitol. Thus did he barely
escape with his life, and the lake was called thereafter Curtius’ pool.
And now the Sabines began to give way to the Romans, when suddenly the
women for whose sake they fought, having their hair loosened and their
garments rent, ran in between them that fought, crying out, “Shed ye not
each other’s blood ye that are fathers-in-law and sons-in-law to each
other. But if ye break this bond that is between you, slay us that are
the cause of this trouble. And surely it were better for us to die than
to live if we be bereaved of our fathers or of our husbands.” With these
words they stirred the hearts both of the chiefs and of the people, so
that there was suddenly made a great silence. And afterward the leaders
came forth to make a covenant; and these indeed so ordered matters that
there was not peace only, but one state where there had been two. For the
Sabines came to Rome and dwelt there; and King Romulus and King Tatius
reigned together. Only, after a while, certain men of Lanuvium slew King
Tatius as he was sacrificing to the gods at Lavinium; and thereafter
Romulus only was king as before.
When he had reigned thirty and seven years there befell the thing that
shall now be told. On a certain day he called the people together on the
field of Mars, and held a review of his army. But while he did this there
arose suddenly a great storm with loud thunderings and very thick clouds,
so that the king was hidden away from the eyes of all the people. Nor
indeed was he ever again seen upon the earth.
And now it was needful that another king should be chosen. No man in
those days was more renowned for his righteousness and piety than a
certain Numa Pompilius that dwelt at Cures in the land of the Sabines.
Now it seemed at first to the Senate that the Sabines would be too
powerful in the state if the king should be chosen from among them,
nevertheless because they could not agree upon any other man, at last
with one consent they decreed that the kingdom should be offered to him.
And Numa was willing to receive it if only the gods consented. And the
consent of the gods was asked in this fashion. Being led by the augur
into the citadel, he sat down on a stone with his face looking toward
the south, and on his left hand sat the augur, having his head covered
and in his hand an augur’s staff, which is a wand bent at the end and
having no knot. Then looking toward the city and the country round
about, he offered prayers to the gods and marked out the region of the
sky from the sunrising to the sunsetting; the parts toward the south he
called the right; and the parts toward the north he called the left; and
he set a boundary before as far as his eye could reach. After this he
took his staff in his left hand and laid his right on the head of Numa,
praying in these words: “Father Jupiter, if it be thy will that this Numa
Pompilius, whose head I hold, should be King of Rome, show us, I pray
thee, clear tokens of this thy will within the space which I have marked
out.” He then named the tokens which he desired, and when they had been
shown, Numa was declared to be king.
Many other things did King Numa set in order for his people. First he
divided the year into twelve months, each month being according to the
course of the moon, and in every twenty-fourth year another month, that
the year might so agree with the course of the sun. Also he appointed
certain lawful days for business, and other days on which nothing might
be done. He made priests also, of whom the chief was the priest of
Jupiter, to whom he gave splendid apparel and a chair of ivory. Two other
priests he made, one of Mars, and the other of Quirinus, that is to say,
of Romulus the god. And he chose virgins for the service of Vesta, who
should keep alive the sacred fire, and twelve priests of Mars, whom he
called the Salii, to be keepers of the sacred shield. (This shield, men
said, fell down from heaven, and that it might be kept the more safely,
King Numa commanded that they should make eleven other shields like unto
it.) This shield and its fellows the Salii were to carry through the
city, having on flowered tunics and breastplates of brass, and dancing
and singing hymns. And many other things as to the worship of the gods,
and the interpreting of signs, and the dealing with marvels and portents,
King Numa set in order. And that the people might regard these laws and
customs with the more reverence, he gave out that he had not devised them
of his own wit, but that he had learnt them from a certain goddess whose
name was Egeria, whom he was wont to meet in a grove that was hard by the
city.
King Numa died, having reigned forty and three years; and the people
chose in his room one Tullus Hostilius.
THE STORY OF ALBA
By Alfred J. Church
King Tullus Hostilius, being newly come to the throne, looked about for
an occasion of war; for the Romans had now for a long time been at peace.
Now it chanced that in those days the men of Rome and the men of Alba
had a quarrel, the one against the other, the country folk being wont to
cross the border and to plunder their neighbors; and that ambassadors
were sent from either city to seek restitution of such things as had been
carried off. King Tullus said to his ambassador, “Delay not to do your
business so soon as ye shall be come to Alba”; knowing that the men of
Alba would certainly refuse to deliver up the things, and thinking that
he could thus with a good conscience proclaim war against them. As for
the ambassadors of Alba, when they were come to Rome, they made no haste
about their business, but ate and drank, the king entertaining them with
much courtesy and kindness. While therefore they feasted with him, there
came back the ambassadors of Rome telling the king how they had made
demand for the things carried off, and when the men of Alba had refused
to deliver them, had declared war within the space of thirty days. Which
when the king heard, he called to him the ambassadors of Alba, and said
to them, “Wherefore are ye come to Rome? Set forth now your mission.”
Then the men, not knowing what had befallen, began to make excuse,
saying, “We would not willingly say aught that should displease the king,
but we are constrained by them that have sent us thither. We are come to
ask for the things that your country folk have carried off. And, if ye
will not deliver them up, we are bidden to declare war against you.” To
this Tullus made answer, “Now do I call to the gods to witness that ye
men of Alba first refused to repair the thing that has been done amiss,
and I pray them that they will bring all the blood of this war upon your
heads.” And with this message the men of Alba went home.
After this the two cities made great preparations for war. And because
the men of Troy had built Lavinium, from which some going forth had
set up the city of Alba, and from the royal house of Alba had come the
founder of Rome, it was as though the children would fight against their
fathers. Yet it came not to this, the matter being finished without a
battle. The men of Alba first marched into the land of the Romans, having
with them a very great army, and pitched their camp five miles from the
city, digging about it a deep ditch. But while they lay in this camp
their King Cluilius died, and a certain Mettus was made dictator in his
room. Which when King Tullus heard, he became very bold, saying that the
gods had smitten Cluilius for his wrong-doing, and would smite also the
whole people of Alba. Whereupon he marched into the land of the Albans,
leaving the enemy’s camp to one side. And when these also had come forth
against him, and the two armies were now drawn up in battle array, the
one against the other, there came a messenger to King Tullus, saying that
Mettus of Alba desired to have speech with him, having that to say to him
which concerned the Romans not less than the men of Alba. Nor did King
Tullus refuse to hear him, though indeed battle had pleased him better
than speech. So when the king and certain nobles with him had gone forth
into the open space that was between the two armies, and Mettus also with
his companions had come to the same place, this last spake, saving, “I
have heard King Cluilius that is dead affirm that your wrong-doing, ye
men of Rome, in that ye would not deliver up the things that had been
carried off, was the cause of this war; nor do I doubt but that thou,
King Tullus, hast the same quarrel against us. Yet if we would speak
that which is true rather than that which has a fair show, we should, I
doubt not, confess that we, though we be both kinsmen and neighbors, are
driven into this war by the lust of power. Now I say not whether this
be just or no. Let others look to this; for I am not king of Alba, but
captain of the host only. Yet there is a matter which I would fain call
to thy mind, king. Thou knowest the Etruscans, how mighty they are both
by land and sea; for indeed they are nearer by far to thee at Rome than
to us at Alba. Bethink thee, therefore, how, when thou shalt give the
signal of battle between thy army and our army, the same Etruscans will
look on, rejoicing to see us fight together; and how, when the battle is
ended, they will fall upon us, having us at disadvantage; for of a truth,
whether ye or we prevail, we shall have but little strength remaining to
us. If therefore we be not content with the freedom that we have, but
must needs set on the chance of a die whether we shall be masters or
servants, let us devise some way by which the one may win dominion over
the other without great loss and shedding of blood.” Now King Tullus was
a great warrior, and would willingly have fought, being confident that he
and his people would prevail; nevertheless the thing that Mettus of Alba
had said pleased him. And when they came to consider the matter, there
seemed by good fortune to be a way ready to their hands. There were in
the army of Alba three brothers that had been born at one birth, whose
name was Curiatius. And in the army of the Romans there were other three
and these born likewise at one birth, whose name was Horatius. Nor was
there much difference in respect either of age or of strength between the
brothers of Alba and the brothers of Rome. Then King Tullus and Mettus
of Alba called for the brothers, and inquired of them whether they were
willing to fight each three for their own country, agreement being first
made that that people should bear rule forever whose champions should
prevail in the battle. And as the young men were willing, a place was
appointed for the battle and a time also. But first there was made a
treaty in this fashion, for the fashion of making treaties is the same
always, though their conditions be different. The herald said, “Wilt
thou, King Tullus, that I make a treaty with the minister of the people
of Alba?” And when the king answered “Yea,” the herald said, “I will that
thou give me the sacred herbs.” Then the king made reply, “Take them, and
see that they be clean.” So the herald took them clean from the hill of
the citadel. Having done this, he said to the king, “Dost thou appoint
me to do the pleasure of the people of Rome, me and my implements and
my attendants with me?” And the king answered, “So that it be without
damage to the people of Rome.” Then the herald appointed one Spurius to
be minister that he should take the oath, and touched his hair with the
sacred herbs. And when Spurius had taken the oath, and the conditions of
the treaty had been read aloud, he spake, saying, “Hear thou, Jupiter,
and thou also, minister of the people of Alba, and ye men of Alba; as
these conditions have been duly read aloud this day from the beginning
even to the end from these tables, and after the interpretation by
which they may be the most easily understood, even so shall the Roman
people abide by them. And if this people, acting by common consent,
shall falsely depart from them, then do thou, O Jupiter, smite the Roman
people, even as I shall smite this swine to-day. And smite them by so
much the more strongly as thou art stronger than I.” And when he had said
this he smote the swine with a knife of stone. The men of Alba also took
the oath, and confirmed it after their own fashion. These things having
been thus ordered, the champions made them ready for battle. And first
their fellows exhorted them severally in many words, saying that the
gods of their country, their countrymen also and kinsfolk, whether they
tarried at home or stood in the field, regarded their arms that day; and
afterward they went forth into the space that lay between the two armies.
And these sat and watched them before their camps, being quit indeed of
the peril of battle, but full of care how the matter should end, seeing
that so great things, even sovereignty and freedom, should be decided by
the valor and good luck of so few men. Then the signal of battle being
given, the three met the three with such courage and fierceness as though
there were a whole army on either side. And as their swords rang against
each other and flashed, all men trembled to see, and could scarcely speak
or breathe for fear of what should happen. And for a while, in so narrow
a space did the men fight, nought could be seen but how they swayed to
and fro, and how the blood ran down upon the ground. But afterward it
was plain to see that of the three Romans two were fallen dead upon the
ground, and that of the three champions of Alba each man was wounded.
At this sight the Alban host shouted for joy, but the men of Rome had
no more any hope but only fear to think what should befall their one
champion that had now three enemies against him. Now, by good luck, it
had so fallen out that this one had received no wound, so that, though
he was no match for the three together, he did not doubt but that he
should prevail over them severally one by one. Wherefore, that he might
so meet them, dividing them the one from the other, he made a feint to
fly, thinking that they would follow him each as quickly as his wound
might suffer him. And so it fell out. For when he had fled now no small
space from the ground where they had fought at the first, he saw, looking
behind him, that the three were following him at a great distance one
from the other, and that one was very near to himself. Then he turned
himself and ran fiercely upon the man; and behold even while the men of
Alba cried aloud to the two that they should help their brother, he had
slain him, and was now running toward the second. And when the men of
Rome saw what had befallen, they set up a great shout, as men are wont
when they have good luck beyond their hopes; and their champion made such
haste to do his part that or ever the third of the Alban three could
come up, though indeed he was close at hand, he had slain the second
also. And now, seeing that there remained one only on either side, there
was in some sort an equality, yet were the two not equal either in hope
or in strength. For the champion of Rome had suffered no wound, and
having overcome his foes now once and again was full of courage; but the
champion of Alba being now spent with his wound, and wearied also with
running, was as it were vanquished already. Nor indeed was there a battle
between the two; for the Roman cried, “One and another of my foes I have
offered to the spirits of my brothers; but this third will I offer to
the cause for which we have fought this day, even that Rome may have
the dominion over Alba.” And when the champion of Alba could now scarce
bear up his shield, he stood over and ran his sword downward into his
throat. Afterward as the man lay dead upon the ground, he spoiled him
of his arms. Then did the men of Rome receive their champion with much
rejoicing, having all the more gladness because they had been in so great
fear. Afterward each host set themselves to bury their dead, whose tombs
remain to this day, each in the spot where he fell, for the two Romans
are buried in one sepulcher nearer to Alba, and the three champions of
Alba as you go toward Rome, but with somewhat of space between them, even
as they fought.