The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 05 : $b the Roman Republic
History
The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 05 : $b the Roman Republic
World history
For he loved husbandry, and he wished his people to live every man on his
own inheritance in peace and in happiness. So the lands which Romulus had
won in war, he divided out amongst the people, and gave a certain portion
to every man. He then ordered landmarks to be set on every portion; and
Terminus the god of landmarks had them in his keeping, and he who moved a
landmark was accursed. The craftsmen of the city, who had no land, were
divided according to their callings; and there were made of them nine
companies. So all was peaceful and prosperous throughout the reign of
King Numa; the gates of the temple of Janus were never opened, for the
Romans had no wars and no enemies; and Numa built a temple to Faith, and
appointed a solemn worship for her, that men might learn not to lie or to
deceive, but to speak and act in honesty. And when he had lived to the
age of fourscore years, he died at last by a gentle decay, and he was
buried under the hill Janiculum, on the other side of the Tiber; and the
books of his sacred laws and ordinance were buried near him in a separate
tomb.
TULLUS HOSTILIUS
[Sidenote: [_ca._ 673-641 B.C.]]
When Numa was dead, the senators again for a while shared the kingly
power amongst themselves. But they soon chose for their king Tullus
Hostilius, whose father’s father had come from Medullia, a city of the
Latins, to Rome, and had fought with Romulus against the Sabines. Tullus
loved the poor, and he divided the lands which came to him as king
amongst those who had no land. He also bade those who had no houses to
settle themselves on the hill Cælius, and there he dwelt himself in the
midst of them.
[Illustration: THE HORATII]
Tullus was a warlike king, and he soon was called to prove his valour;
for the countrymen of the Alban border and of the Roman border plundered
one another. Now Alba was governed by Caius Cluilius, who was the
dictator; and Cluilius sent to Rome to complain of the wrongs done to his
people, and Tullus sent to Alba for the same purpose. So there was a war
between the two nations, and Cluilius led his people against Rome, and
lay encamped within five miles of the city, and there he died. Mettius
Fuffetius was then chosen dictator in his room; and as the Albans still
lay in their camp, Tullus passed them by, and marched into the land of
Alba. But when Mettius came after him, then, instead of giving battle,
the two leaders agreed that a few in either army should fight in behalf
of the rest, and that the event of this combat should decide the quarrel.
So three twin brothers were chosen out of the Roman army, called the
Horatii, and three twin brothers out of the Alban army, called the
Curiatii.[b]
_The Combat of the Horatii and the Curiatii_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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