romulus-第7部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


and　this　one　thing　was　the　beginning　of　open　quarrel　betwixt　them；
in　all　other　respects　they　were　very　careful　of　their　conduct；　and
administered　affairs　together　with　great　unanimity。　The　relations　of
the　slain；　being　debarred　of　lawful　satisfaction　by　reason　of
Tatius；　fell　upon　him　as　he　was　sacrificing　with　Romulus　at　Lavinium
and　slew　him；　but　escorted　Romulus　home；　commending　and　extolling
him　for　a　just　prince。　Romulus　took　the　body　of　Tatius；　and　buried
it　very　splendidly　in　the　Aventine　Mount；　near　the　place　called
Armilustrium；　but　altogether　neglected　revenging　his　murder。　Some
authors　write；　that　the　city　of　Laurentum；　fearing　the　consequences；
delivered　up　the　murderers　of　Tatius；　but　Romulus　dismissed　them；
saying　one　murder　was　requited　with　another。　This　gave　occasion　of
talk　and　jealousy；　as　if　he　were　well　pleased　at　the　removal　of　his
co…partner　in　the　government。　Nothing　of　these　things；　however；　raised
any　sort　of　feud　or　disturbance　among　the　Sabines；　but　some　out　of
love　to　him；　others　out　of　fear　of　his　power；　some　again　reverencing
him　as　a　god；　they　all　continued　living　peacefully　in　admiration　and
awe　of　him；　many　foreign　nations；　too；　showed　respect　to　Romulus；
the　Ancient　Latins　sent　and　entered　into　league　and　confederacy　with
him。　Fidenae　he　took；　a　neighbouring　city　to　Rome；　by　a　party　of
horse；　as　some　say；　whom　he　sent　before　with　commands　to　cut　down
the　hinges　of　the　gates；　himself　afterwards　unexpectedly　coming　up。
Others　say；　they　having　first　made　the　invasion；　plundering　and
ravaging　the　country　and　suburbs；　Romulus　lay　in　ambush　for　them；
and　having　killed　many　of　their　men；　took　the　city；　but；　nevertheless；
did　not　raze　or　demolish　it；　but　made　it　a　Roman　colony；　and　sent
thither；　on　the　Ides　of　April；　two　thousand　five　hundred　inhabitants。
　　Soon　after　a　plague　broke　out；　causing　sudden　death　without　any
previous　sickness；　it　infected　also　the　corn　with　unfruitfulness；
and　cattle　with　barrenness；　there　rained　blood；　too；　in　the　city；　so
that；　to　their　actual　sufferings；　fear　of　the　wrath　of　the　gods　was
added。　But　when　the　same　mischiefs　fell　upon　Laurentum；　then　everybody
judged　it　was　divine　vengeance　that　fell　upon　both　cities；　for　the
neglect　of　executing　justice　upon　the　murder　of　Tatius　and　the
ambassadors。　But　the　murderers　or；　both　sides　being　delivered　up　and
punished；　the　pestilence　visibly　abated；　and　Romulus　purified　the
cities　with　lustrations；　which；　they　say；　even　now；　are　performed　at
the　wood　called　Ferentina。　But　before　the　plague　ceased；　the
Camertines　invaded　the　Romans　and　overran　the　country；　thinking
them；　by　reason　of　the　distemper；　unable　to　resist；　but　Romulus　at
once　made　head　against　them；　and　gained　the　victory；　with　the
slaughter　of　six　thousand　men；　then　took　their　city；　and　brought
half　of　those　be　found　there　to　Rome；　sending　from　Rome　to　Camerium
double　the　number　he　left　there。　This　was　done　on　the　first　of　August。
So　many　citizens　had　he　to　spare；　in　sixteen　years'　time　from　his
first　founding　Rome。　Among　other　spoils　he　took　a　brazen　four…horse
chariot　from　Camerium；　which　he　placed　in　the　temple　of　Vulcan；
setting　on　it　his　own　statue；　with　a　figure　of　victory　crowning　him。
　　The　Roman　cause　thus　daily　gathering　strength；　their　weaker
neighbours　shrunk　away；　and　were　thankful　to　be　left　untouched；　but
the　stronger；　out　of　fear　or　envy；　thought　they　ought　not　to　give
way　to　Romulus　but　to　curb　and　put　a　stop　to　his　growing　greatness。
The　first　were　the　Veientes；　a　people　of　Tuscany；　who　had　large
possessions；　and　dwelt　in　a　spacious　city；　they　took　occasion　to
commence　a　war；　by　claiming　Fidenae　as　belonging　to　them；　a　thing
not　only　very　unreasonable；　but　very　ridiculous；　that　they；　who　did
not　assist　them　in　the　greatest　extremities；　but　permitted　them　to
be　slain；　should　challenge　their　lands　and　houses　when　in　the　hands　of
others。　But　being　scornfully　retorted　upon　by　Romulus　in　his
answers；　they　divided　themselves　into　two　bodies；　with　one　they
attacked　the　garrison　of　Fidenae；　the　other　marched　against　Romulus；
that　which　went　against　Fidenae　got　the　victory；　and　slew　two　thousand
Romans；　the　other　was　worsted　by　Romulus；　with　the　loss　of　eight
thousand　men。　A　fresh　battle　was　fought　near　Fidenae；　and　here　all　men
acknowledge　the　day's　success　to　have　been　chiefly　the　work　of　Romulus
himself；　who　showed　the　highest　skill　as　well　as　courage；　and　seemed
to　manifest　a　strength　and　swiftness　more　than　human。　But　what　some
write；　that　of　fourteen　thousand　that　fell　that　day；　above　half　were
slain　by　Romulus's　own　hand；　verges　too　near　to　fable；　and　is；　indeed；
simply　incredible；　since　even　the　Messenians　are　thought　to　go　too　far
in　saying　that　Aristomenes　three　times　offered　sacrifice　for　the　death
of　a　hundred　enemies；　Lacedaemonians；　slain　by　himself。　The　army　being
thus　routed；　Romulus；　suffering　those　that　were　left　to　make　their
escape；　led　his　forces　against　the　city；　they；　having　suffered　such
great　losses；　did　not　venture　to　oppose；　but；　humbly　suing　to　him；
made　a　league　and　friendship　for　an　hundred　years；　surrendering　also　a
large　district　of　land　called　Septempagium；　that　is；　the　seven
parts；　as　also　their　salt…works　upon　the　river；　and　fifty　noblemen　for
hostages。　He　made　his　triumph　for　this　on　the　Ides　of　October；
leading；　among　the　rest　of　his　many　captives；　the　general　of　the
Veientes；　an　elderly　man；　but　who　had　not；　it　seemed；　acted　with　the
prudence　of　age；　whence　even　now；　in　sacrifices　for　victories；　they
lead　an　old　man　through　the　marketplace　to　the　Capitol；　apparelled
in　purple；　with　a　bulla；　or　child's　toy；　tied　to　it；　and　the　crier
cries；　Sardians　to　be　sold；　for　the　Tuscans　are　said　to　be　a　colony　of
the　Sardians；　and　the　Veientes　are　a　city　of　Tuscany。
　　This　was　the　last　battle　Romulus　ever　fought；　afterwards　he；　as
most；　nay　all　men；　very　few　excepted；　do；　who　are　raised　by　great
and　miraculous　good…haps　of　fortune　to　power　and　greatness；　so；　I　say；
did　he；　relying　upon　his　own　great　actions；　and　growing　of　an
haughtier　mind；　he　forsook　his　popular　behaviour　for　kingly　arrogance；
odious　to　the　people；　to　whom　in　particular　the　state　which　he　assumed
was　hateful。　For　he　dressed　in　scarlet；　with　the　purple…bordered
robe　over　it；　he　gave　audience　on　a　couch　of　state；　having　always
about　him　some　young　men　called　Celeres；　from　their　swiftness　in　doing
commissions；　there　went　before　him　others　with　staves；　to　make　room；
with　leather　thongs　tied　on　their　bodies；　to　bind　on　the　moment
whoever　he　commanded。　The　Latins　formerly　used　ligare　in　the　same
sense　as　now　alligare；　to　bind；　whence　the　name　lictors；　for　these
officers；　and　bacula；　or　staves；　for　their　rods；　because　staves　were
then　used。　It　is　probable；　however；　they　were　first　called　litores；
afterwards；　by　putting　in　a　c；　lictores；　or；　in　Greek；　liturgi；　or
people's　officers；　for　leitos　is　still　Greek　for　the　commons；　and　laos
for　the　people　in　general。
　　But　when；　after　the　death　of　his　grandfather　Numitor　in　Alba；　the
throne　devolving　upon　Romulus；　he；　to　court　the　people；　put　the
government　into　their　own　hands；　and　appointed　an　annual　magistrate
over　the　Albans；　this　taught　the　great　men　of　Rome　to　seek　after　a
free　and　anti…monarchical　state；　wherein　all　might　in　turn　be　subjects
and　rulers。　For　neither　were　the　patricians　any　longer　admitted　to
state　affairs；　only　had　the　name　and　title　left　them；　convening　in
council　rather　for　fashion's　sake　than　advice；　where　they　heard　in
silence　the　king's　commands；　and　so　departed；　exceeding　the　commonalty
only　in　hearing　first　what　was　done。　These　and　the　like　were　matters
of　small　moment；　but　when　he　of　his　own　accord　parted　among　his
soldiers　what　lands　were　acquired　by　war；　and　restored　the　Veientes
their　hostages；　the　senate　neither　consenting　nor　approving　of　it；
then；　indeed；　he　seemed　to　put　a　great　affront　upon　them；　so　that；
on　his　sudden　and　strange　disappearance　a　short　while　after；　the
senate　fell　under　suspicion　and　calumny。　He　disappeared　on　the　Nones
of　July；　as　they　now　call　the　month　which　was　then　Quintilis；
leaving　nothing　of　certainty　to　be　related　of　his　death；　only　the
time；　as　just　mentioned；　for　on　that　day　many　ceremonies　are　sill
performed　in　representation　of　what　happened。　Neither　is　this
uncertainty　to　be　thought　strange；　seeing　the　manner　of　the　death　of
Scipio　Africanus；　who　died　at　his　own　home　after　supper；　has　been
found　capable　neither　of　proof　or　disproof；　for　some　say　he　died　a
natural　death；　being　of　a　sickly　habit；　others　that　he　poisoned
himself；　others　again；　that　his　enemies；　breaking　in　upon　him　in　the
night　stifled　him。　Yet　Scipio's　dead　body　lay　open　to　be　seen　of
all；　and　any　one；　from　his　own　observation；　might　form　his
suspicions　and　conjectures；　whereas　Romulus；　when　he　vanished；　left
neither　the　least　part　of　his　body；　nor　any　remnant　of　his　clothes
to　be　seen。　So　that　some　fancied　the　senators；　having　fallen　upon
him　in　the　temple　of　Vulcan；　cut　his　body　into　pieces；　and　took　each　a
part　away　in　his　bosom；　others　think　his　disappearance　was　neither
in　the　temple　of　Vulcan；　nor　with　the　senators　only　by；　but　that　it
came　to　pass　that；　as　he　was　h