Rome and dwelt there; and King Romulus and King Tatius reigned together.
Only, after a while, certain men of Lanuvium slew King Tatius as he was
sacrificing to the gods at Lavinium; and thereafter Romulus only was
king as before.
When he had reigned thirty and seven years there befell the thing that
shall now be told. On a certain day he called the people together on
the Field of Mars, and held a review of his army. But while he did this
there arose suddenly a great storm with loud thunderings and very
thick clouds, so that the king was hidden away from the eyes of all the
people. Nor indeed was he ever again seen upon the earth. And when men
were recovered of their fear they were in great trouble, because they
had lost their King, though indeed the Fathers would have it that he had
been carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Yet after awhile they began to
worship him as being now a god; and when nevertheless some doubted, and
would even whisper among themselves that Romulus had been torn in pieces
by the Fathers, there came forward a certain Proculus, who spake after
this manner: "Ye men of Rome, this day, in the early morning, I saw
Romulus, the father of this city, come down from heaven and stand before
me. And when great fear came upon me, I prayed that it might be lawful
for me to look upon him face to face. Then said he to me, 'Go thy way,
tell the men of Rome that it is the will of them that dwell in heaven
that Rome should be the chiefest city in the world. Bid them therefore
be diligent in war; and let them know for themselves and tell their
children after them that there is no power on earth so great that it
shall be able to stand against them.' And when he had thus spoken, he
departed from me going up into heaven." All men believed Proculus when
he thus spake, and the people ceased from their sorrow when they knew
that King Romulus had been taken up into heaven.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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