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
But King Porsenna was greatly moved, and made the Romans offers of peace,
to which they listened gladly, and gave up the land beyond the Tiber
which had been won in former times from the Veientines; and he gave back
to them the hill Janiculum. Besides this the Romans gave hostages to the
king, ten youths and ten maidens, children of noble fathers, as a pledge
that they would truly keep the peace which they had made. But it chanced
as the camp of the Etruscans was near the Tiber, that Clœlia, one of the
maidens, escaped with her fellows and fled to the brink of the river, and
as the Etruscans pursued them, Clœlia spoke to the other maidens, and
persuaded them, and they rushed all into the water, and swam across the
river, and got safely over. At this King Porsenna marvelled more than
ever, and when the Romans sent back Clœlia and her fellows to him, for
they kept their faith truly, he bade her go home free, and he gave her
some of the youths also who were hostages, to choose whom she would; and
she chose those who were of tenderest age, and King Porsenna set them
free. Then the Romans gave lands to Caius, and set up a statue of Clœlia
in the highest part of the Sacred Way; and King Porsenna led away his
army home in peace.
After this King Porsenna made war against the Latins, and his army was
beaten, and fled to Rome; and the Romans received them kindly, and took
care of those who were wounded, and sent them back safe to King Porsenna.
For this the king gave back to the Romans all the rest of their hostages
whom he had still with him, and also the land which they had won from
the Veientines. So Tarquinius, seeing that there was no more hope of aid
from King Porsenna, left Clusium and went to Tusculum of the Latins; for
Octavius Mamilius, the chief of the Tusculans, had married his daughter,
and he hoped that the Latins would restore him to Rome, for their cities
were many, and when he had been king he had favoured them rather than the
Romans.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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