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
Upon this the leaders came forward in order to concert a treaty, and
they not only concluded a peace, but formed one state out of two. They
associated the regal power, and transferred the entire sovereignty to
Rome. The city being thus doubled, that some compliment might be paid
to the Sabines, they were called Quirites, from Cures. As a memorial of
this battle, they called the place where the horse, after getting out of
the deep marsh, first set Curtius in shallow water, the Curtian Lake.
This happy peace following suddenly a war so distressing, rendered the
Sabine women still dearer to their husbands and parents, and above all
to Romulus himself. Accordingly, when he divided the people into thirty
curiæ, he called the curiæ by their names. Since, without doubt, the
number of the Sabine women was considerably greater than this, it is not
recorded whether those who were to give their names to the curiæ were
selected on account of their age, or their own or their husbands’ rank,
or by lot. At the same time three centuries of knights were enrolled,
called Ramnes from Romulus; Tities, from Titus Tatius. The reason of the
name and origin of the Luceres is uncertain.[c]
_A Critical Study of the Legends_
From the bare account of these two famous legends, it is interesting
to turn to their critical consideration. The myth of the Trojan colony
is said to have been handed down from generation to generation, but it
nowhere bears the characteristic features of genuine popular tradition.
It is wholly devoid of poetic feeling, it has every appearance of being
a made-up thing, the result of a dispassionate study of facts, customs,
cults, antiquities, memorials, and names of places, out of which a
spurious history has been spun. If real heroic deeds, performed by
Æneas in the home-land of Latium, had passed from mouth to mouth, in
what different and how much richer colours would the story have been
painted. The sow of Lavinium and her thirty piglings would not play such
a prominent part as it does. Æneas never became the national hero of the
Romans: not all the art of Virgil could accomplish that. None of the
numerous Roman festivals, none of the public games, celebrate his memory.
Doubtless the tradition of him and his settlement in Latium rests upon no
real historical tradition. In considering the Roman tradition of Æneas we
must bear in mind the fact that it is not the only one of its kind.
[Illustration: ALTAR AND SARCOPHAGI
(After Hope)]
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