The History of Rome, Books I to VIII | Page 5

deflowered by force, when she had
brought forth twins, declares Mars to be the father of her illegitimate
offspring, either because she believed it to be so, or because a god was
a more creditable author of her offence. But neither gods nor men
protect her or her children from the king's cruelty: the priestess is
bound and thrown into prison; the children he commands to be thrown
into the current of the river. By some interposition of providence,[9]
the Tiber having overflowed its banks in stagnant pools, did not admit
of any access to the regular bed of the river; and the bearers supposed
that the infants could be drowned in water however still; thus, as if they
had effectually executed the king's orders, they expose the boys in the
nearest land-flood, where now stands the ficus Ruminalis (they say that
it was called Romularis). The country thereabout was then a vast
wilderness. The tradition is, that when the water, subsiding, had left the
floating trough, in which the children had been exposed, on dry ground,
a thirsty she-wolf, coming from the neighbouring mountains, directed
her course to the cries of the infants, and that she held down her dugs to
them with so much gentleness, that the keeper of the king's flock found
her licking the boys with her tongue. It is said his name was Faustulus;
and that they were carried by him to his homestead to be nursed by his
wife Laurentia. Some are of opinion that she was called Lupa among
the shepherds, from her being a common prostitute, and that this gave

rise to the surprising story. The children thus born and thus brought up,
when arrived at the years of manhood, did not loiter away their time in
tending the folds or following the flocks, but roamed and hunted in the
forests. Having by this exercise improved their strength and courage,
they not only encountered wild beasts, but even attacked robbers laden
with plunder, and afterwards divided the spoil among the shepherds.
And in company with these, the number of their young associates daily
increasing, they carried on their business and their sports.
[Footnote 9: Forte quádam divinitus. [Greek: theia tini tychê]. Plut.]
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.]
6. Numitor, at