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
He also did great works in peace; for he made vast drains to carry off
the water from between the Palatine and the Aventine, and from between
the Palatine and the Capitoline hills. And in the space between the
Palatine and the Aventine, after he had drained it, he formed the Circus,
or great race-course, for chariot and for horse races. Then in the space
between the Palatine and the Capitoline he made a forum or market-place,
and divided out the ground around it for shops or stalls, and made a
covered walk round it. Next he set about building a wall of stone to go
round the city; and he laid the foundations of a great temple on the
Capitoline Hill, which was to be the temple of the gods of Rome. He also
added a hundred new senators to the senate, and doubled the number of
the horsemen in the centuries of the Ramnes, Tities, and Luceres, for he
wanted to strengthen his force of horsemen; and when he had done so, his
horse gained him great victories over his enemies.
Now he first had it in his mind to make three new centuries of horsemen,
and to call them after his own name. But Attus Navius, who was greatly
skilled in augury, forbade him. Then the king mocked at his art, and
said, “Come now, thou augur, tell me by thy auguries, whether the thing
which I now have in my mind may be done or not.” And Attus Navius asked
counsel of the gods by augury, and he answered, “It may.” Then the king
said, “It was in my mind that thou shouldst cut in two this whetstone
with this razor. Take them, and do it, and fulfil thy augury if thou
canst.” But Attus took the razor and the whetstone, and he cut, and cut
the whetstone asunder. So the king obeyed his counsels, and made no new
centuries; and in all things afterwards he consulted the gods by augury,
and obeyed their bidding.
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