The Children's Hour, Volume 3 (of 10): Stories from the Classics — John Shaqi
The Children's Hour, Volume 3 (of 10): Stories from the Classics
General
The Children's Hour, Volume 3 (of 10): Stories from the Classics
Children's stories; Classical literature -- Adaptations
fault is not with us but with your fathers, who dealt proudly with us, and
would not give you to us in marriage. But now ye shall be held in all
honor as our wives, and shall have your portion of all that we possess.
Put away therefore your anger, for ye shall find us so much the better
husbands than other men, as we must be to you not for husbands only but
parents also and native country."
In the meanwhile the parents of them that had been carried off put on
sackcloth, and went about through the cities crying out for vengeance upon
the Romans. And chiefly they sought for help from Titus Tatius, that was
king of the Sabines in those days, and of great power and renown. But when
the Sabines seemed to be tardy in the matter, the men of Cære first
gathered together their army and marched into the country of the Romans.
Against these King Romulus led forth his men and put them to flight
without much ado, having first slain their king with his own hand. Then,
after returning to Rome, he carried the arms which he had taken from the
body of the king to the hill of the Capitol, and laid them down at the
shepherds' oak that stood thereon in those days. And when he had measured
out the length and breadth of a temple that he would build to Jupiter upon
the hill, he said, "O Jupiter, I, King Romulus, offer to thee these arms
of a king, and dedicate therewith a temple in this place, in which temple
they that come after me shall offer to thee like spoils in like manner,
when it shall chance that the leader of our host shall himself slay with
his own hands the leader of the host of the enemy." And this was the first
temple that was dedicated in Rome. And in all the time to come two only
offered in this manner, to wit, Cornelius Cossus that slew Lars Tolumnius,
king of Veii, and Claudius Marcellus that slew Britomarus, king of the
Gauls.
After this, King Tatius and the Sabines came up against Rome with a great
army. And first of all they gained the citadel by treachery in this
manner. One Tarpeius was governor of the citadel, whose daughter, Tarpeia
by name, going forth from the walls to fetch water for a sacrifice, took
money from the king that she should receive certain of the soldiers within
the citadel; but when they had been so received, the men cast their
shields upon her, slaying her with the weight of them. This they did
either that they might be thought to have taken the place by force, or
that they judged it to be well that no faith should be kept with traitors.
Some also tell this tale, that the Sabines wore great bracelets of gold on
their left arms, and on their left hands fair rings with precious stones
therein, and that when the maiden covenanted with them that she should
have for a reward that which they carried in their left hands, they cast
their shields upon her. And others say that she asked for their shields
having the purpose to betray them, and for this cause was slain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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