5. They say, that the festival of the lupercal, as now celebrated, was
even at that time solemnized on the Palatine hill, which, from
Palanteum, a city of Arcadia, was first called Palatium, and afterwards
Mount Palatine. There they say that Evander, who belonged to the tribe
of Arcadians,[10] that for many years before had possessed that country,
appointed the observance of a feast, introduced from Arcadia, in such
manner, that young men ran about naked in sport and wantonness, doing
honour to Pan Lycæus, whom the Romans afterwards called Inuus. That the
robbers, through rage at the loss of their booty, having lain in wait
for them whilst intent on this sport, as the festival was now well
known, whilst Romulus vigorously defended himself, took Remus prisoner;
that they delivered him up, when taken, to king Amulius, accusing him
with the utmost effrontery. They principally alleged it as a charge
against them, that they had made incursions upon Numitor's lands, and
plundered them in a hostile manner, having assembled a band of young men
for the purpose. Upon this Remus was delivered to Numitor to be
punished. Now, from the very first, Faustulus had entertained hopes that
the boys whom he was bringing up were of the blood royal; for he both
knew that the children had been exposed by the king's orders, and that
the time at which he had taken them up agreed exactly with that period:
but he had been unwilling that the matter, as not being yet ripe for
discovery, should be disclosed, till either a fit opportunity or
necessity should arise. Necessity came first; accordingly, compelled by
fear, he discovers the whole affair to Romulus. By accident also, whilst
he had Remus in custody, and had heard that the brothers were twins, on
comparing their age, and _observing_ their turn of mind entirely free
from servility, the recollection of his grand-children struck Numitor;
and on making inquiries[11] he arrived at the same conclusion, so that
he was well nigh recognising Remus. Thus a plot is concerted for the
king on all sides. Romulus, not accompanied by a body of young men, (for
he was unequal to open force,) but having commanded the shepherds to
come to the palace by different roads at a fixed time, forces his way to
the king; and Remus, with another party from Numitor's house, assists
his brother, and so they kill the king.
[Footnote 10: Scil. "The Pallantean."]
[Footnote 11: By all his inquiries he arrived at the same conclusion as
before, viz. that they were his grand-children.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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