THE TARPEIAN ROCK
The tribes who had been at the feast of Consus were so angry with the
king that many of them went to fight against him, without waiting to
gather together a large army. Thus Romulus soon defeated and scattered
his foes.
Moreover, having slain one of the kings with his own hand, he stripped
him of his armour, and tying it to a pole, carried it back to Rome,
where he offered it to Jupiter. This was the earliest Triumph
celebrated at Rome. In days to come the Triumphs of the Roman generals
became famous. They were held when the soldiers returned victorious
from a great battle. The general at the head of his army rode into the
city in a chariot drawn by beautiful horses. Other chariots followed,
filled with the treasures and spoils of war, while the most noble
prisoners, often loaded with chains, were dragged along behind the
chariots. The day on which a Triumph was celebrated was always held as
a holiday by the citizens of Rome.
Now, among the tribes which Romulus had robbed, none had suffered so
heavily as the Sabines. But they, more wary than the king’s other foes,
did not attempt to avenge their wrongs until they had had time to
collect a large and powerful army. Nearly two years had passed before
this army was led by Tatius, the King of the Sabines, against the
Romans.
The fortress on the Capitoline hill Romulus had entrusted to the care
of a chief named Tarpeius. Now Tarpeius had a daughter named Tarpeia,
and she loved ornaments and jewels of gold and silver.
As the Sabines, led by Tatius, drew near to attack the fortress,
Tarpeia looked out of a spy-hole and saw that the enemy was adorned
with beautiful golden bracelets. The longer she looked, the greater
became her desire to possess these dazzling ornaments. What would she
not do to wear such splendid jewels? She would--yes, she would even
betray the fortress into the hands of the Sabines, if only she might
hear the tinkle of the golden bracelets on her arms.
So, leaving the spy-hole, Tarpeia slipped secretly out of the fortress
and spoke to the Sabines, offering to show them how to take the citadel
if they would give her in reward ‘what they wore on their left arms.’
The Sabines agreed to do as Tarpeia wished, but in their hearts they
despised the maiden for her treachery.
But she, heedless of all save the ornaments that would soon be hers,
hastened back to the fortress.
Then, when it grew dark, she stealthily opened the gate, outside of
which stood the waiting foe.
As the Sabines marched into the fortress, Tarpeia cried to them to
remember their promise and give her her reward.
Then Tatius bade his men not to refuse ‘the least part of what they
wore on their left arms,’ and himself taking off his bracelet, threw it
to her, together with his shield, which he also bore on his left arm.
His men did as their king had done, so that Tarpeia soon fell to the
ground and was killed by the weight of the shields that covered her.
The traitress was buried on the hill which she had betrayed. From that
day traitors were punished by being thrown over the steepest rock on
the Capitoline hill, which was named after the maiden who betrayed her
city, ‘The Tarpeian Rock.’