and shows open to all men. Many people assembled to see them, and Romulus sat among his nobles, dressed in a purple robe. The signal for the assault was that he should rise, unfold his cloak, and then again wrap it around him. Many men armed with swords stood round him, and at the signal they drew their swords, rushed forward with a shout, and snatched up the daughters of the Sabines, but allowed the others to escape unharmed. Some say that only thirty were carried off, from whom the thirty tribes were named, but Valerius of Antium says five hundred and twenty-seven, and Juba six hundred and eighty-three, all maidens. This is the best apology for Romulus; for they only carried off one married woman, Hersilia, which proved that it was not through insolenco or wickedness that they carried them off, but with tho intention of forcibly effecting a union between the two races. Somo say that Hersilia married Hostilius, ono of the noblest Romans, others that sho married Romulus himself, and that ho had children by her; one daughter, called Prima from her being the first-born, and ono son, whom his father originally named Aollins, becauso of the assembling of the citizens, but whom they afterwards named Avillius. This is the story as told by Zenodotus of Trozen, but many contradict it.

XV. Among the ravishers they say there were some men of low condition who had seized a remarkably tall and beautiful maiden. When any of the nobles met them and endeavoured to take her away from them, they cried out that they were taking her to Talasius, a young man of good family and reputation. Hearing this, all agreed and applauded, and somo even turned and accompanied them, crying out the name of Talasius through their friendship for him. From this circumstance the Romans up to the present day call upon Talasius in their marriagesongs, as the Greeks do upon IIymen; for Talasius is said to have been fortunate in his wife. Sextius Sulla of Carthage, a man neither deficient in learning or taste, told me that this word was given by Romulus as the signal for the rape, and so that all those who carried off maidens cried Talasio.". 66 But most authors, among whom is Juba, think that it is used to encourage brides to industry

PLUTARCH'S LIVES.

When the

and spinning wool (talasia), as at that time Greek words had not been overpowered by Latin ones. But if this bo true, and the Romans at that time really used this word talasia" for wool-spinning, as wo do, wo might make another more plausible conjecture about it. treaty of peaco was arranged between tho Romans and the Sabines, a special provision was mado about tho women, that they were to do no work for the men except wool-spinning. And thus tho custom remained for tho friends of those who were married afterwards to call upon do no other work than spinning. To the present day tho Talasius in jest, meaning to testify that the bride was to

custom

remains in force that the brido must not step over

the threshold into her house, but bo lifted over it and carried in, because the Sabino maidens were carried in forcibly, and did not walk in.

Some add that the parting of the bride's hair with tho point of a spear is done in memory of the first Roman which subject we have enlarged further in our treatise on marriage having been effected by war and battle; on

Causes.

day of the month Sextilis, which is now called August, The rape of the Sabines took place upon the eighteenth on which day the feast of the Consualia is kept.

XVI. The Sabines were a numerous and warliko tribe,

birthright

fearless. Yet when they found themselves bound by such hostages to keep the peace, and in fear for their daughters, they sent an embassy to propose equitable and moderate terms, that Romulus should give back their daughters to them, and disavow the violence which had been used, and

as a Lacedæmonian colony to be bravo and

that

amity

a

fterwards the two nations should live together in

deliver

and concord. But when Romulus refused to the maidens, but invited the Sabines to accept

his alliance, while tho other tribes wero hesitating and considering what was to be done, Acron, the king of tho had viewed Romulus first proceeding in founding a city with suspicion, now, after what ho had done in carrying

a man of spirit and renown in the wars, who

Ceninetes,

off the

Women, declared that ho was becoming dangerous,

and would not be endurable unless he wero chastised. He at once began the war, and marched with a great force; and Romulus marched to meet him. When they came in sight of each other they each challenged the other to fight, the soldiers on both sides looking on. Romulus mado a vow that if he should overcome and kill his enemy he would himself carry his spoils to the templo of Jupiter and offer them to him. He overcamo his adversary, and slow him, routed his army and captured his city. He did not harm the inhabitants, except that

ho ordered them to demolish their houses and follow him to Rome, to become citizens on equal terms with the rest. This is the policy by which Romo grew so great, namely that of absorbing conquered nations into herself on terms of equality.

Romulus, in order to make the fulfilment of his vow as pleasing to Jupiter, and as fino a spectacle for the citizens as he could, cut down a tall oak-tree at his camp, and fashioned it into a trophy,* upon which he hung or fastened all the arms of Acron, cach in its proper place. Then ho girded on his own clothes, placed a crown of laurel upon his long hair, and, placing the trophy upright on his right shoulder, marched along in his armour, singing a pan of victory, with all the army following him. At Romo the citizens received him with admiration and delight; and this procession was the origin of all the subsequent triumphs and the model which they imitated. The trophy itself was called an offering to Jupiter Feretrius; for the Romans call to strike, ferire, and Romulus prayed that he might strike down his enemy. The spoils were called spolia opima, according to Varro, because opim

The habit of erecting trophies on a field of battle in token of victory appears to have been originally comined to the Greeks, who usually, as in the text, lopped the branches off a tree, placed it in the ground in some conspicuous place, and hung upon it the shields and other spoils taken from the enemy. In later times the Romans adopted the habit of commemorating a victory by erecting somo build. ing on the field of battle. Under the emperors, victory was commemorated by a triumphal arch at Rome, many of which now exist. The Greek trophies were always formed of perishable materials, and it was contrary to their custom to repair them, that they might not perpetuato national entities.

PLUTARCHI'S LIVES.

means excellenco. A more plausible interpretation would be from the deed itself, for work is called in Latin opus . This dedication of spolia opima is reserved as a privilege for a general who has slain the opposing general with his own hand. It has only been enjoyed by three Roman generals, first by Romulus, who slew Acron, king of the Ceninetes, second by Cornelius Cossus, who slew the Tyrrhenian Tolumnius, and, above all, by Claudius Marcellus, who killed Britomart, the king of the Gauls. Now Cossus and Marcellus drove into the city in chariots Dionysius is in error when he says that Romulus used a chariot and four, for the historians tell us that Tarquinius, the son of Demaratus, was the first of the kings who introduced this pomp into his triumphs. Others say that the statues of Romulus bearing the trophy, which are to be seen in Rome, are all on foot.

Poplicola

was the first to triumph in a chariot. However,

XVII. After the capture of the Cenineto tribe, while for war, the inhabitants of Fidena and Crustumerium and Antemna attacked the Romans. A battle took place in permitted Romulus to take their cities, divide their lands, and incorporate them as citizens. Romulus divided all the

which

lands

they were all alike worsted, after which they

among

the fathers of any of the maidens who had been carried off, which he allowed them to retain.

the citizens, except that which was held by

The

remainder of the Sabines, angry at these successes,

The city

chose Tatius as their general and marched against Rome. advanced fort to defend it. Here was placed a garrison, and Tarpeius as some write, who make out Romulus a fool; but it was who betrayed the capital to the Sabines, for the sake of this Tarpeia, the daughter of the captain of the garrison,

was hard to attack, as the Capitol stood as an

was its commander, not the maiden Tarpeia,

the

golden bracelets which she saw them wearing. Sho

asked

her what they wore on their left arms.

as the price of her treachery that they should give After making an

in the Sabines. Now it appears that Antigonus was not agreement with Tatius, she opened a gate at night and let

singular when he said that he loved men when they were betraying, but hated them after they had betrayed; as also Casar said, in the case of Rhymitalkes the Thracian, that he loved the treachery but hated the traitor; but this seems a common reflection about bad men by those who have need of them, just as we need the poison of certain venomous beasts; for they appreciate their value while they are making use of them, and loathe their wickedness when they have done with them. And that was how Tarpcia was treated by Tatius. He ordered the Sabines to remember their agreement, and not to grudge her what was on their left arms. IIe himself first of all took off his gold armlet, and with it flung his great oblong shield. As all the rest did the like, she perished, being pelted with the gold bracelets and crushed by the number and weight of the shields. Tarpeius also was convicted of treachery by Romulus, according to Juba's version of the history of Sulpicius Galba. The other legends about Tarpcia are improbable; amongst them that which is told by Antigonus, that she was the daughter of Tatius the Sabino leader, abducted by Romulus, and treated by her father as is related above. Simylus the poet talks utter nonsenso when he says that it was not the Sabines but the Gauls to whom Tarpeia betrayed the Capitol, because she was in love with their king. Ilis verses run as follows:

"And near Tarpeia, by the Capitol

That dwelt, betrayer of the walls of Rome.
She loved the chieftain of the Gauls too well,
To guard from treachery her father's home."

And a little afterwards he speaks of her death.

Her did the Boians and the Celtic tribes
Bury, but not beside the stream of Po;

From off their warlike arms their shields they flung,
And what the damsel longed for laid her low."

XVIII. However, as Tarpeia was buried there, the hill was called the Tarpcian hill until King Tarquinius, when he dedicated the place to Jupiter, removed her remains and abolished the name of Tarpcia. But even to this day they call the rock in the Capitol the Tarpcian Rock, down