romulus-第8章

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that；　to　their　actual　sufferings；　fear　of　the　wrath　of　the　gods　was
added。　But　when　the　same　mischiefs　fell　upon　Laurentum；　then　everybody
judged　it　was　divine　vengeance　that　fell　upon　both　cities；　for　the
neglect　of　executing　justice　upon　the　murder　of　Tatius　and　the
ambassadors。　But　the　murderers　or；　both　sides　being　delivered　up　and
punished；　the　pestilence　visibly　abated；　and　Romulus　purified　the
cities　with　lustrations；　which；　they　say；　even　now；　are　performed　at
the　wood　called　Ferentina。　But　before　the　plague　ceased；　the
Camertines　invaded　the　Romans　and　overran　the　country；　thinking
them；　by　reason　of　the　distemper；　unable　to　resist；　but　Romulus　at
once　made　head　against　them；　and　gained　the　victory；　with　the
slaughter　of　six　thousand　men；　then　took　their　city；　and　brought
half　of　those　be　found　there　to　Rome；　sending　from　Rome　to　Camerium
double　the　number　he　left　there。　This　was　done　on　the　first　of　August。
So　many　citizens　had　he　to　spare；　in　sixteen　years'　time　from　his
first　founding　Rome。　Among　other　spoils　he　took　a　brazen　four…horse
chariot　from　Camerium；　which　he　placed　in　the　temple　of　Vulcan；
setting　on　it　his　own　statue；　with　a　figure　of　victory　crowning　him。
　　The　Roman　cause　thus　daily　gathering　strength；　their　weaker
neighbours　shrunk　away；　and　were　thankful　to　be　left　untouched；　but
the　stronger；　out　of　fear　or　envy；　thought　they　ought　not　to　give
way　to　Romulus　but　to　curb　and　put　a　stop　to　his　growing　greatness。
The　first　were　the　Veientes；　a　people　of　Tuscany；　who　had　large
possessions；　and　dwelt　in　a　spacious　city；　they　took　occasion　to
commence　a　war；　by　claiming　Fidenae　as　belonging　to　them；　a　thing
not　only　very　unreasonable；　but　very　ridiculous；　that　they；　who　did
not　assist　them　in　the　greatest　extremities；　but　permitted　them　to
be　slain；　should　challenge　their　lands　and　houses　when　in　the　hands　of
others。　But　being　scornfully　retorted　upon　by　Romulus　in　his
answers；　they　divided　themselves　into　two　bodies；　with　one　they
attacked　the　garrison　of　Fidenae；　the　other　marched　against　Romulus；
that　which　went　against　Fidenae　got　the　victory；　and　slew　two　thousand
Romans；　the　other　was　worsted　by　Romulus；　with　the　loss　of　eight
thousand　men。　A　fresh　battle　was　fought　near　Fidenae；　and　here　all　men
acknowledge　the　day's　success　to　have　been　chiefly　the　work　of　Romulus
himself；　who　showed　the　highest　skill　as　well　as　courage；　and　seemed
to　manifest　a　strength　and　swiftness　more　than　human。　But　what　some
write；　that　of　fourteen　thousand　that　fell　that　day；　above　half　were
slain　by　Romulus's　own　hand；　verges　too　near　to　fable；　and　is；　indeed；
simply　incredible；　since　even　the　Messenians　are　thought　to　go　too　far
in　saying　that　Aristomenes　three　times　offered　sacrifice　for　the　death
of　a　hundred　enemies；　Lacedaemonians；　slain　by　himself。　The　army　being
thus　routed；　Romulus；　suffering　those　that　were　left　to　make　their
escape；　led　his　forces　against　the　city；　they；　having　suffered　such
great　losses；　did　not　venture　to　oppose；　but；　humbly　suing　to　him；
made　a　league　and　friendship　for　an　hundred　years；　surrendering　also　a
large　district　of　land　called　Septempagium；　that　is；　the　seven
parts；　as　also　their　salt…works　upon　the　river；　and　fifty　noblemen　for
hostages。　He　made　his　triumph　for　this　on　the　Ides　of　October；
leading；　among　the　rest　of　his　many　captives；　the　general　of　the
Veientes；　an　elderly　man；　but　who　had　not；　it　seemed；　acted　with　the
prudence　of　age；　whence　even　now；　in　sacrifices　for　victories；　they
lead　an　old　man　through　the　marketplace　to　the　Capitol；　apparelled
in　purple；　with　a　bulla；　or　child's　toy；　tied　to　it；　and　the　crier
cries；　Sardians　to　be　sold；　for　the　Tuscans　are　said　to　be　a　colony　of
the　Sardians；　and　the　Veientes　are　a　city　of　Tuscany。
　　This　was　the　last　battle　Romulus　ever　fought；　afterwards　he；　as
most；　nay　all　men；　very　few　excepted；　do；　who　are　raised　by　great
and　miraculous　good…haps　of　fortune　to　power　and　greatness；　so；　I　say；
did　he；　relying　upon　his　own　great　actions；　and　growing　of　an
haughtier　mind；　he　forsook　his　popular　behaviour　for　kingly　arrogance；
odious　to　the　people；　to　whom　in　particular　the　state　which　he　assumed
was　hateful。　For　he　dressed　in　scarlet；　with　the　purple…bordered
robe　over　it；　he　gave　audience　on　a　couch　of　state；　having　always
about　him　some　young　men　called　Celeres；　from　their　swiftness　in　doing
commissions；　there　went　before　him　others　with　staves；　to　make　room；
with　leather　thongs　tied　on　their　bodies；　to　bind　on　the　moment
whoever　he　commanded。　The　Latins　formerly　used　ligare　in　the　same
sense　as　now　alligare；　to　bind；　whence　the　name　lictors；　for　these
officers；　and　bacula；　or　staves；　for　their　rods；　because　staves　were
then　used。　It　is　probable；　however；　they　were　first　called　litores；
afterwards；　by　putting　in　a　c；　lictores；　or；　in　Greek；　liturgi；　or
people's　officers；　for　leitos　is　still　Greek　for　the　commons；　and　laos
for　the　people　in　general。
　　But　when；　after　the　death　of　his　grandfather　Numitor　in　Alba；　the
throne　devolving　upon　Romulus；　he；　to　court　the　people；　put　the
government　into　their　own　hands；　and　appointed　an　annual　magistrate
over　the　Albans；　this　taught　the　great　men　of　Rome　to　seek　after　a
free　and　anti…monarchical　state；　wherein　all　might　in　turn　be　subjects
and　rulers。　For　neither　were　the　patricians　any　longer　admitted　to
state　affairs；　only　had　the　name　and　title　left　them；　convening　in
council　rather　for　fashion's　sake　than　advice；　where　they　heard　in
silence　the　king's　commands；　and　so　departed；　exceeding　the　commonalty
only　in　hearing　first　what　was　done。　These　and　the　like　were　matters
of　small　moment；　but　when　he　of　his　own　accord　parted　among　his
soldiers　what　lands　were　acquired　by　war；　and　restored　the　Veientes
their　hostages；　the　senate　neither　consenting　nor　approving　of　it；
then；　indeed；　he　seemed　to　put　a　great　affront　upon　them；　so　that；
on　his　sudden　and　strange　disappearance　a　short　while　after；　the
senate　fell　under　suspicion　and　calumny。　He　disappeared　on　the　Nones
of　July；　as　they　now　call　the　month　which　was　then　Quintilis；
leaving　nothing　of　certainty　to　be　related　of　his　death；　only　the
time；　as　just　mentioned；　for　on　that　day　many　ceremonies　are　sill
performed　in　representation　of　what　happened。　Neither　is　this
uncertainty　to　be　thought　strange；　seeing　the　manner　of　the　death　of
Scipio　Africanus；　who　died　at　his　own　home　after　supper；　has　been
found　capable　neither　of　proof　or　disproof；　for　some　say　he　died　a
natural　death；　being　of　a　sickly　habit；　others　that　he　poisoned
himself；　others　again；　that　his　enemies；　breaking　in　upon　him　in　the
night　stifled　him。　Yet　Scipio's　dead　body　lay　open　to　be　seen　of
all；　and　any　one；　from　his　own　observation；　might　form　his
suspicions　and　conjectures；　whereas　Romulus；　when　he　vanished；　left
neither　the　least　part　of　his　body；　nor　any　remnant　of　his　clothes
to　be　seen。　So　that　some　fancied　the　senators；　having　fallen　upon
him　in　the　temple　of　Vulcan；　cut　his　body　into　pieces；　and　took　each　a
part　away　in　his　bosom；　others　think　his　disappearance　was　neither
in　the　temple　of　Vulcan；　nor　with　the　senators　only　by；　but　that　it
came　to　pass　that；　as　he　was　haranguing　the　people　without　the　city；
near　a　place　called　the　Goat's　Marsh；　on　a　sudden　strange　and
unaccountable　disorders　and　alterations　took　place　in　the　air；　the
face　of　the　sun　was　darkened；　and　the　day　turned　into　night；　and　that；
too；　no　quiet；　peaceable　night；　but　with　terrible　thunderings；　and
boisterous　winds　from　all　quarters；　during　which　the　common　people
dispersed　and　fled；　but　the　senators　kept　close　together。　The
tempest　being　over　and　the　light　breaking　out；　when　the　people
gathered　again；　they　missed　and　inquired　for　their　king；　the
senators　suffered　them　not　to　search；　or　busy　themselves　about　the
matter；　but　commanded　them　to　honour　and　worship　Romulus　as　one
taken　up　to　the　gods；　and　about　to　be　to　them；　in　the　place　of　a
good　prince；　now　a　propitious　god。　The　multitude；　hearing　this；　went
away　believing　and　rejoicing　in　hopes　of　good　things　from　him；　but
there　were　some；　who；　canvassing　the　matter　in　a　hostile　temper；
accused　and　aspersed　the　patricians；　as　men　that　p