Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
"Her did the Boians and the Celtic tribes
Bury, but not beside the stream of Po;
From off their warlike arms their shields they flung,
And what the damsel longed for laid her low."
XVIII. However, as Tarpeia was buried there, the hill was called the
Tarpeian hill until King Tarquinius, when he dedicated the place to
Jupiter, removed her remains and abolished the name of Tarpeia. But even
to this day they call the rock in the Capitol the Tarpeian Rock, down
which malefactors used to be flung. When the Sabines held the citadel,
Romulus in fury challenged them to come down and fight. Tatius accepted
his challenge with confidence, as he saw that if overpowered his men
would have a strong place of refuge to retreat to. All the intermediate
space, in which they were about to engage, was surrounded by hills, and
so seemed to make a desperate battle necessary, as there were but narrow
outlets for flight or pursuit. It chanced, also, that the river had been
in flood a few days before, and had left a deep muddy pool of water upon
the level ground where the Forum now stands; so that men's footing was
not certain, but difficult and treacherous. Here a piece of good fortune
befell the Sabines as they heedlessly pressed forward. Curtius, one of
their chiefs, a man with a reputation for dashing courage, rode on
horseback far before the rest. His horse plunged into this morass, and
he, after trying to extricate him, at last finding it impossible, left
him there and saved himself. This place, in memory of him, is still
called the Gulf of Curtius. Warned of their danger, the Sabines fought a
stout and indecisive battle, in which many fell, amongst them Hostilius.
He is said to have been the husband of Hersilia and the grandfather of
Hostilius, who became king after the reign of Numa. Many combats took
place in that narrow space, as we may suppose; and especial mention is
made of one, which proved the last, in which Romulus was struck on the
head by a stone and like to fall, and unable to fight longer. The Romans
now gave way to the Sabines, and fled to the Palatine hill, abandoning
the level ground. Romulus, now recovered from the blow, endeavoured to
stay the fugitives, and with loud shouts called upon them to stand firm
and fight. But as the stream of fugitives poured on, and no one had the
courage to face round, he lifted his hands to heaven and prayed to
Jupiter to stay the army and not to allow the tottering state of Rome to
fall, but to help it. After his prayer many were held back from flight
by reverence for the king, and the fugitives suddenly resumed their
confidence. They made their first stand where now is the temple of
Jupiter Stator, which one may translate "He who makes to stand firm;"
and then forming their ranks once more they drove back the Sabines as
far as what is now called the Palace, and the Temple of Vesta.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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