numa pompilius-第3章
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people; who; with an impatient desire; came forth to receive him;
the women; also; welcomed him with joyful acclamations; and sacrifices
were offered for him in all the temples; and so universal was the joy;
that they seemed to be receiving; not a new king; but a new kingdom。
In this manner he descended into the forum; where Spurius Vettius;
whose turn it was to be interrex at that hour; put it to the vote; and
all declared him king。 Then the regalities and robes of authority were
brought to him; but he refused to be invested with them until he had
first consulted and been confirmed by the gods; so being accompanied
by the priests and augurs; he ascended the Capitol; which at that time
the Romans called the Tarpeian Hill。 Then the chief of the augurs
covered Numa's head; and turned his face towards the south; and;
standing behind him; laid his right hand on his head; and prayed;
turning his eyes every way; in expectation of some auspicious signal
from the gods。 It was wonderful; meantime; with what silence and
devotion the multitude stood assembled in the forum; in similar
expectation and suspense; till auspicious birds appeared and passed on
the right。 Then Numa; apparelling himself in his royal robes;
descended from the hill to the people; by whom he was received and
congratulated with shouts and acclamations of welcome; as a holy king;
and beloved of all the gods。
The first thing he did at his entrance into government was to
dismiss the band of three hundred men which had been Romulus's
life…guard; called by him Celeres; saying that he would not distrust
those who put confidence in him; nor rule over a people that
distrusted him。 The next thing he did was to add to the two priests of
Jupiter and Mars a third; in honour of Romulus; whom he called the
Flamen Quirinalis。 The Romans anciently called their priests Flamines;
by corruption of the word Pilamines; from a certain cap which they
wore; called Pileus。 In those times Greek words were more mixed with
the Latin than at present; thus also the royal robe; which is
called; Laena; Juba says; is the same as the Greek Chlaena; and that
the name of Camillus; given to the boy with both his parents living;
who serves in the temple of Jupiter; was taken from the name given
by some Greeks to Mercury; denoting his office of attendance on the
gods。
When Numa had; by such measures; won the favour and affection of the
people; he set himself without delay to the task of bringing the
hard and iron Roman temper to somewhat more of gentleness and
equity。 Plato's expression of a city in high fever was never more
applicable than to Rome at that time; in its origin formed by daring
and warlike spirits; whom bold and desperate adventure brought thither
from every quarter; it had found in perpetual wars and incursions on
its neighbours its after sustenance and means of growth; and in
conflict with danger the source of new strength; like piles; which the
blows of the hammer serve to fix into the ground。 Wherefore Numa;
judging it no slight undertaking to mollify and bend to peace the
presumptuous and stubborn spirits of this people; began to operate
upon them with the sanctions of religion。 He sacrificed often and used
processions and religious dances; in which most commonly he officiated
in person; by such combinations of solemnity with refined and
humanizing pleasures; seeking to win over and mitigate their fiery and
warlike tempers。 At times; also; he filled their imaginations with
religious terrors; professing that strange apparitions had been
seen; and dreadful voices heard; thus subduing and humbling their
minds by a sense of supernatural fears。
This method which Numa used made it believed that he had been much
conversant with Pythagoras; for in the philosophy of the one; as in
the policy of the other; man's relations to the deity occupy a great
place。 It is said; also; that the solemnity of his exterior garb and
gestures was adopted by him from the same feeling with Pythagoras。 For
it is said of Pythagoras; that he had taught an eagle to come at his
call; and stoop down to him in his flight; and that; as he passed
among the people assembled at the Olympic games; he showed them his
golden thigh; besides many other strange and miraculous seeming
practices; on which Timon the Philasian wrote the distich…
〃Who; of the glory of a juggler proud;
With solemn talk imposed upon the crowd。〃
In like manner Numa spoke of a certain goddess or mountain nymph
that was in love with him; and met him in secret; as before related;
and professed that he entertained familiar conversation with the
Muses; to whose teaching he ascribed the greatest part of his
revelations; and amongst them; above all; he recommended to the
veneration of the Romans one in particular; whom he named Tacita;
the silent; which he did perhaps in imitation and honour of the
Pythagorean silence。 His opinion; also; of images is very agreeable to
the doctrine of Pythagoras; who conceived of the first principle of
being as transcending sense and passion; invisible and incorrupt;
and only to be apprehended by abstract intelligence。 So Numa forbade
the Romans to represent God in the form of man or beast; nor was there
any painted or graven image of a deity admitted amongst them for the
space of the first hundred and seventy years; all of which time
their temples and chapels were kept free and pure from images; to such
baser objects they deemed it impious to liken the highest; and all
access to God impossible; except by the pure act of the intellect。 His
sacrifices; also; had great similitude to the ceremonial of
Pythagoras; for they were not celebrated with effusion of blood; but
consisted of flour; wine; and the least costly offerings。 Other
external proofs; too; are urged to show the connection Numa had with
Pythagoras。 The comic writer Epicharmus; an ancient author; and of the
school of Pythagoras; in a book of his dedicated to Antenor; records
that Pythagoras was made a freeman of Rome。 Again; Numa gave to one of
his four sons the name of Mamercus; which was the name of one of the
sons of Pythagoras; from whence; as they say; sprang that ancient
patrician family of the Aemilli; for that the king gave him in sport
the surname of Aemilius; for his engaging and graceful manner in
speaking。 I remember; too; that when I was at Rome; I heard many
say; that; when the oracle directed two statues to be raised; one to
the wisest and another to the most valiant man in Greece; they erected
two of brass; one representing Alcibiades; and the other Pythagoras。
But to pass by these matters; which are full of uncertainty and
not so important as to be worth our time to insist on them; the
original constitution of the priests; called Pontifices; is ascribed
unto Numa; and he himself was; it is said; the first of them; and that
they have the name of Pontifices from potens; powerful; because they
attend the service of the gods; who have power to command over all。
Others make the word refer to exceptions of impossible cases; the
priests were to perform all the duties possible to them; if anything
lay beyond their power; the exception was not to be cavilled at。 The
most common opinion is the most absurd; which derives this word from
pons; and assigns the priests the title of bridge…makers。 The
sacrifices performed on the bridge were amongst the most sacred and
ancient; and the keeping and repairing of the bridge attached; like
any other public sacred office; to the priesthood。 It was accounted
not simply unlawful; but a positive sacrilege; to pull down the wooden
bridge; which moreover is said; in obedience to an oracle; to have
been built entirely of timber and fastened with wooden pins; without
nails or cramps of iron。 The stone bridge was built a very long time
after when Aemilius was quaestor; and they do; indeed; say also that
the wooden bridge was not so old as Numa's time; but was finished by
Ancus Marcius; when he was king; who was the grandson of Numa by his
daughter。
The office of Pontifex Maximus; or chief priest; was to declare
and interpret the divine law; or; rather; to preside over sacred
rites; he no