THE MYSTERIOUS GATE
The fortress on the Capitoline hill was now in the hands of the
Sabines, but they had still to fight with the Romans who dwelt on the
Palatine hill.
Romulus was, indeed, already to be seen leading his men into the valley
that lay between the two mountains.
The battle was long and fierce, and disaster well-nigh overtook the
Sabines.
In the valley was a swamp, and in this swamp the whole of the enemy’s
army would have been engulfed, had not Curtius, one of their most
gallant soldiers, warned them of danger.
He himself had been carried by his horse into the mire. Nobly he tried
to free his steed, but his efforts were all in vain. The more the
animal struggled, the deeper it sank into the swamp, until at length
Curtius was forced to leave his horse that he might save himself. This
swamp was ever after known as the Curtian Lake.
Hour after hour the battle raged, until at last Romulus and his
followers were driven backward. In their dismay the Roman army rushed
through one of the gates into their city, hastily shutting it behind
them, that the foe might not also enter.
But lo! so says the legend, the gate would not remain shut, but opened,
as it seemed, of its own accord.
Twice again the terrified Romans tried to close it, and twice it opened
as mysteriously as before.
The Sabines reached the gate as it opened for the last time.
In through the open gate pushed the triumphant enemy, when suddenly a
great flood of water gushed forth from the temple of the god Janus,
which stood near to the gate.
Overwhelmed by the force of the water, the Sabines were swept, not only
out of the gate, but far away from the city, and Rome was saved.
But although the Sabines had been forced to flee, they had not been
conquered. Again and again they marched against Romulus, for they could
not forgive him for the loss of their daughters.
In one of these battles Romulus was wounded by a stone and fell to the
ground. His followers, seeing that their king was wounded, lost courage
and began to retreat.
But the king was soon on his feet, calling to his men to stand and
fight. But it seemed as though they dared not turn to face the foe.
Then, in his great need the king stretched out his hands to heaven and
besought Jupiter to come to his aid, promising that he would build a
temple to his name, so only he would stay the flight of his army.
Even as he prayed the answer came. No voice from heaven commanded them
to stand, yet the Romans were suddenly ashamed of their cowardice and
turned once more to face the foe.
But as the battle was about to begin with redoubled fury the Sabine
women rushed in between the two armies with loud cries, entreating
now their fathers and brothers, now their husbands to end this cruel
slaughter.
They even begged that they themselves might be slain, for, ‘Better it
is that we perish,’ said the women, ‘than live as widows and orphans.’
In their arms the women carried their little sons, and these babes
stretched out their tiny arms toward their grandsires, as though they
too would beg for peace. The lamentable cries of their daughters, the
sight of their little grandchildren made the Sabines hesitate, and soon
the warriors in either army let their weapons fall to the ground in
mood no longer warlike. ‘Then fathers and sons-in-law clasped hands in
friendship. The old men embraced their daughters, and carried their
baby grandsons on their shields. Surely a sweeter way was that to use
the shield.’
Peace was then made, and the Romans and Sabines agreed to become one,
while Romulus and Tatius ruled together over their united people.
Five years later Tatius was killed in a quarrel, and Romulus again
ruled alone.