romulus-第3章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
them; with all expedition; to proceed to action; himself too joining
and assisting them; and indeed; had they wished it; the time would not
have let them demur。 For Romulus was now come very near; and many of
the citizens; out of fear and hatred of Amulius; were running out to
join him; besides; he brought great forces with him; divided into
companies each of an hundred men; every captain carrying a small
bundle of grass and shrubs tied to a pole。 The Latins call such
bundles manipuli; and from hence it is that in their armies they still
call their captains manipulares。 Remus rousing the citizens within
to revolt; and Romulus making attacks from without; the tyrant; not
knowing either what to do; or what expedient to think of for his
security; in this perplexity and confusion was taken and put to death。
This narrative for the most part given by Fabius and Diocles of
Peparethus; who seem to be the earliest historians of the foundation
of Rome; is suspected by some; because of its dramatic and
fictitious appearance; but it would not wholly be disbelieved; if
men would remember what a poet fortune sometimes shows herself; and
consider that the Roman power would hardly have reached so high a
pitch without a divinely ordered origin; attended with great and
extraordinary circumstances。
Amulius now being dead and matters quietly disposed; the two
brothers would neither dwell in Alba without governing there; nor take
the government into their own hands during the life of their
grandfather。 Having therefore delivered the dominion up into his
hands; and paid their mother befitting honour; they resolved to live
by themselves; and build a city in the same place where they were in
their infancy brought up。 This seems the most honourable reason for
their departure; though perhaps it was necessary; having such a body
of slaves and fugitives collected about them; either to come to
nothing by dispersing them; or if not so; then to live with them
elsewhere。 For that the inhabitants of Alba did not think fugitives
worthy of being received and incorporated as citizens among them
plainly appears from the matter of the women; an attempt made not
wantonly but of necessity; because they could not get wives by
good…will。 For they certainly paid unusual respect and honour to those
whom they thus forcibly seized。
Not long after the first foundation of the city; they opened a
sanctuary of refuge for all fugitives; which they called the temple of
the god Asylaeus; where they received and protected all; delivering
none back; neither the servant to his master; the debtor to his
creditor; nor the murderer into the hands of the magistrate; saying it
was a privileged place; and they could so maintain it by an order of
the holy oracle; insomuch that the city grew presently very
populous; for they say; it consisted at first of no more than a
thousand houses。 But of that hereafter。
Their minds being full bent upon building; there arose presently a
difference about the place。 Romulus chose what was called Roma
Quadrata; or the Square Rome; and would have the city there。 Remus
laid out a piece of ground on the Aventine Mount; well fortified by
nature; which was from him called Remonium; but now Rignarium。
Concluding at last to decide the contest by a divination from a flight
of birds; and placing themselves apart at some distance。 Remus; they
say; saw six vultures; and Romulus double that number; others say;
Remus did truly see his number; and that Romulus feigned his; but when
Remus came to him; that then he did indeed see twelve。 Hence it is
that the Romans; in their divinations from birds; chiefly regard the
vulture; though Herodorus Ponticus relates that Hercules was always
very joyful when a vulture appeared to him upon any action。 For it
is a creature the least hurtful of any; pernicious neither to corn;
fruit…tree; nor cattle; it preys only upon carrion; and never kills or
hurts any living thing; and as for birds; it touches not them;
though they are dead; as being of its own species; whereas eagles;
owls; and hawks mangle and kill their own fellow…creatures; yet; as
Aeschylus says;…
〃What bird is clean that preys on fellow bird?〃
Besides; all other birds are; so to say; never out of our eyes; they
let themselves be seen of us continually; but a vulture is a very rare
sight; and you can seldom meet with a man that has seen their young;
their rarity and infrequency has raised a strange opinion in some;
that they come to us from some other world; as soothsayers ascribe a
divine origination to all things not produced either of nature or of
themselves。
When Remus knew the cheat; he was much displeased; and as Romulus
was casting up a ditch; where he designed the foundation of the
city…wall; he turned some pieces of the work to ridicule; and
obstructed others; at last; as he was in contempt leaping over it;
some say Romulus himself struck him; others Celer; one of his
companions; he fell; however; and in the scuffle Faustulus also was
slain; and Plistinus; who; being Faustulus's brother; story tells
us; helped to bring up Romulus。 Celer upon this fled instantly into
Tuscany; and from him the Romans call all men that are swift of feet
Celeres; and because Quintus Metellus; at his father's funeral; in a
few days' time gave the people a show of gladiators; admiring his
expedition in getting it ready; they gave him the name of Celer。
Romulus; having buried his brother Remus; together with his two
foster…fathers; on the mount Remonia; set to building his city; and
sent for men out of Tuscany; who directed him by sacred usages and
written rules in all the ceremonies to be observed; as in a
religious rite。 First; they dug a round trench about that which is now
the Comitium; or Court of Assembly; and into it solemnly threw the
first…fruits of all things either good by custom or necessary by
nature; lastly; every man taking a small piece of earth of the country
from whence he came; they all threw in promiscuously together。 This
trench they call; as they do the heavens; Mundus; making which their
centre; they described the city in a circle round it。 Then the founder
fitted to a plough a brazen ploughshare; and; yoking together a bull
and a cow; drove himself a deep line or furrow round the bounds; while
the business of those that followed after was to see that whatever
earth was thrown up should be turned all inwards towards the city; and
not to let any clod lie outside。 With this line they described the
wall; and called it; by a contraction; Pomoerium; that is;
postmurum; after or beside the wall; and where they designed to make a
gate; there they took out the share; carried the plough over; and left
a space; for which reason they consider the whole wall as holy; except
where the gates are; for had they adjudged them also sacred; they
could not; without offence to religion; have given free ingress and
egress for the necessaries of human life; some of which are in
themselves unclean。
As for the day they began to build the city; it is universally
agreed to have been the twenty…first of April; and that day the Romans
annually keep holy; calling it their country's birthday。 At first;
they say; they sacrificed no living creature on this day; thinking
it fit to preserve the feast of their country's birthday pure and
without stain of blood。 Yet before ever the city was built; there
was a feast of herdsmen and shepherds kept on this day; which went
by the name of Palilia。 The Roman and Greek months have now little
or no agreement; they say; however; the day on which Romulus began
to build was quite certainly the thirtieth of the month; at which time
there was an eclipse of the sun which they conceived to be that seen
by Antimachus; the Teian poet; in the third year of the sixth
Olympiad。 In the times of Varro the philosopher; a man deeply read
in Roman history; lived one Tarrutius; his familiar acquaintance; a
good philosopher and mathematician; and one; too; that out of
curiosity had studied the way of drawing schemes and tables; and was
thought to be a proficient in the art; to him Varro propounded to cast
Romulus's nativity; even to the f