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 made a new order of things for the whole people; for he divided the
people of the city into four tribes, and the people of the country into
six-and-twenty. Then he divided all the people into classes, according
to the value of their possessions; and the classes he divided into
centuries; and the centuries of the several classes furnished themselves
with arms, each according to their rank and order: the centuries of the
rich classes had good and full armour, the poorer centuries had but darts
and slings. And when he had done all these works, he called all the
people together in their centuries, and asked if they would have him for
their king; and the people answered that he should be their king. But
the nobles hated him, because he was so loved by the commons; for he had
made a law that there should be no king after him, but two men chosen by
the people to govern them year by year. Some even said that it was in his
mind to give up his own kingly power, that so he might see with his own
eyes the fruit of all the good laws that he had made, and might behold
the people wealthy and free and happy.
Now King Servius had no son, but he had two daughters; and he gave them
in marriage to the two sons of King Tarquinius. These daughters were of
very unlike natures, and so were their husbands: for Aruns Tarquinius was
of a meek and gentle spirit, but his brother Lucius was proud and full of
evil; and the younger Tullia, who was the wife of Aruns, was more full of
evil than his brother Lucius; and the elder Tullia, who was the wife of
Lucius, was as good and gentle as his brother Aruns. So the evil could
not bear the good, but longed to be joined to the evil that was like
itself: and Lucius slew his wife secretly, and the younger Tullia slew
her husband, and then they were married to one another, that they might
work all the wickedness of their hearts, according to the will of fate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account