diff options
Diffstat (limited to '36296-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 36296-0.txt | 5753 |
1 files changed, 5753 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/36296-0.txt b/36296-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d93cf50 --- /dev/null +++ b/36296-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5753 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Childhood of Rome by Louise Lamprey + + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no +restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under +the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or +online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license + + + +Title: The Childhood of Rome + +Author: Louise Lamprey + +Release Date: May 31, 2011 [Ebook #36296] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF‐8 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHILDHOOD OF ROME*** + + + + + + [Illustration: Cover image] + + [Illustration: Marcia wove her basket, putting a band of red around the + curve.] + + + + + + THE CHILDHOOD + OF ROME + By + L. LAMPREY + + WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY + EDNA F. HART-HUBON + + [Illustration: Printer’s sign] +BOSTON +LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY +1925 + + + + + + _Copyright, 1922,_ + BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY. + + _All rights reserved_ + + + + PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA + + + + + + TO + MAITLAND C. LAMPREY + + + + + + INTRODUCTION + + +It is scarcely necessary to say that these stories are not meant to be +taken as history, even legendary history. The tales of the founding of +Rome and of the early life of the Italian races are many and +contradictory. It is quite possible that future discoveries may disprove +half the theories now held on these subjects. There must have been, +however, heroic semi-savage figures like the Romulus of the legends, and +the aim of the author has been to re-create in some degree the atmosphere +and the surroundings in which they may have lived. + +The various customs and events introduced here were not, probably, part of +the history of one generation. It is possible, however, that as a tree +grows from a seed, the laws of the future city were foreshadowed and +suggested in the relations between the Romans as individuals and between +the town on the Palatine and its neighbors. + +It will be observed that the forms of Latin and Italian names used in +these stories do not follow the usual classic Latin style and end in “us.” +It is said by some authors that the original immigrants from whose customs +and traditions Roman civilization developed came from Greece, and in that +case such Greek forms as “Vitalos” might have been preserved long after +such clipped forms as “Marcus” and “Marcs” became current. Inasmuch as +Italian peasant names hardly ever end in anything but a vowel it seems +illogical to take it for granted that in a colony of farmers, such as the +men who founded Rome, the names would all have taken the classical Latin +form at first. They would have been much more likely to vary according to +the ancestry, dialect and intelligence of the family. Later they would +tend to a conventional form as certain families of distinction set a +standard for others to follow and took pride in keeping their own speech +correct. + +In short, the period described here is a transition stage, and like any +age of the founding of a new civilization, contains incongruous elements. +It has been stated that even in the great days of the Roman Empire the +number of people who actually spoke correct classical Latin was extremely +small in proportion to the whole population of any city. + + + + + + THE LIVING LANGUAGE + + + Sing a song of little words, homely parts of speech, + Phrases children use at play, songs that mothers teach,— + Who would think when Rome was new, they used that language then— + Table, chair and family, map and chart and pen? + + Sing a song of stately ways, camp and square and street, + Consuls, tribunes, governors, the legion’s myriad feet, + If those wise men so long ago had not known what to say, + All they gave us readymade we should not have to-day. + + Clear and straight and brief their talk in country or in town. + Lucid, vivid, accurate the thoughts that they set down. + Still the world is using words that bear the Roman stamp— + Coined in forum, villa, temple, market place or camp. + Still our thoughts take day by day those shapes of long ago— + If you read the dictionary you will find it’s so. + + + + + + CONTENTS + + +CHAPTER PAGE + I. THE MOUNTAIN OF FIRE 3 + II. TEN FAMILIES 17 + III. THE SACRED YEAR 28 + IV. THE BANDITTI 40 + V. THE WOLF CUB 55 + VI. BOUNDARY LINES 68 + VII. MASTERLESS MEN 81 + VIII. THE BEEHIVE TEMPLE 94 + IX. THE SQUARE HILL 108 + X. THE KINSMEN 117 + XI. THE TAKING OF ALBA LONGA 130 + XII. THE RING WALL 140 + XIII. THE SOOTHSAYERS 152 + XIV. BREAD AND SALT 161 + XV. THE TRUMPERY MAN 174 + XVI. THE GREAT DYKE 184 + XVII. THE WAR DANCE 196 + XVIII. THE PEACE OF THE WOMEN 208 + XIX. THE PRIEST OF THE BRIDGE 224 + XX. THE THREE TRIBES 233 + XXI. UNDER THE YOKE 243 + XXII. THE GOAT’S MARSH 251 + A ROMAN ROAD 261 + + + + + + ILLUSTRATIONS + + +Marcia wove her basket, putting a band of red around _Frontispiece_ +the curve + PAGE +Other flocks of sheep and other men with oxen were 12 +hurrying to shelter +The patriarch looked at the fire on the altar 21 +All the young voices took up the song 33 +The people gathered in the public square 45 +Whoever they were, it was proper at this time to offer 59 +food to strangers +“I have seen something like this before,” he said 72 +The lad went straight down the mountainside with his 79 +wolf at his heels +The little maidens walked soberly together 96 +The little creatures inside the basket were not cubs or 103 +lambs +“Victory! Vic-to-ry! Romulus forever!” 132 +Then they blessed him and crowned him with the victor’s 139 +crown of laurel +A plan of Rome in classical times, showing the seven 144 +hills +The copper plow was drawn by a white bull and a white 147 +cow +They sat together that night and watched the moon sail 161 +grandly over the flood +Mamurius lifted her in his strong arms and carried her 170 +through the door +Toto spread out his gay cloth upon the ground 178 +There was a gleam of bright metal in the hole they were 203 +digging +Emilia was allowed to sit with them and spin and sew 216 +His mother molded for him men and animals 235 +Far away, in a cavern on a mountain height, there lived 259 +for many years an old shepherd + + + + + + + THE CHILDHOOD OF ROME + + + + + + I + + + THE MOUNTAIN OF FIRE + + +Marcia, the little daughter of Marcus Vitalos the farmer, sat on a +sheltered corner of a stone wall, making a willow basket. Basket weaving +was one of the first things that all children of her people learned, and +she was very clever at it. Her strong, brown fingers wove the osiers in +and out swiftly and deftly, as a bird builds its nest. The boys and girls +cut willow shoots, and reeds, and grasses that were good for this work, at +the proper time, and bound them together in bundles tidily, for use later +on. The straw, too, could be used for making baskets and mats after the +grain was threshed out of it. + +A great many baskets were needed, for they were used to hold the grain, +and the beans, and the onions, and the dried fruit, and the various other +things that a thrifty family kept stored away for provisions. They were +also used to gather things in and to carry them in, and sometimes they +took the place of dishes in serving fruit or nuts. Almost every size and +shape and kind could be made use of somewhere. The one Marcia was making +was round and squat and quite large, and it was to have an opening at the +top large enough to put one’s hand into easily, and a cover to fit. + +The house in which she lived was one of the oldest in the village on the +slopes of the Mountain of Fire. It was so old that there was no knowing +how many children had grown up in it, but they were all of the same +family,—the family of the Marcus Vitalos Colonus who built it in the first +place. This long-ago settler was called Colonus, the farmer, not because +he was the only farmer in the neighborhood, for everybody worked on the +land, but because he was an unusually good one, a leader among them in the +understanding of the good brown earth and all its ways. + +His sons after him took the name Colonus, for among their people it was +considered very important to belong to a good family. As soon as a man’s +name was mentioned his ancestry was known, if he had any worth the naming. +The ancestor of all this people was said to have been Mars, the god of +manhood and all manly deeds. Their names showed this, for the common ones +were Marcus, Mamurius, Mavor, Mamertius and so on, with some other name +added to describe their occupations, or the place where they lived, or +some peculiar thing about them. Plautus meant the splay-footed man; +Sylvius, the man of the forest; Marinus, the seaman,—and there had been a +Marcus Vitalos Colonus in this family, ever since the first one. Marcia’s +elder brother, two years older than she was, had this name, but he was +usually called Marcs, for in their language the last syllable was apt to +be slurred over. + +It was very quiet in the village just now, for all the men were off +getting in the harvest. The grain lands and the pastures were some +distance away, wherever the land was suitable for crops or grazing. Every +morning, directly after breakfast, every one who had anything to do away +from the village went out, and usually did not come back until supper +time. It was said that the first Marcus Vitalos was the leader who had +persuaded the people to settle down in one place instead of moving about, +driving their herds here and there. It was said also that he began the +custom of a common meal in the middle of the day for all the men who were +working on the land. This not only saved time and trouble, but made them +better acquainted and gave them time to talk over and plan the work during +the hottest part of the day. When the day’s toil was finished, each man +returned to his own house and had supper with his family. The houses were +built, not too near together, around an open square. The wall around the +house enclosed the sheepfold and the cattle sheds besides. The people +worked and played together for much of the time, but there was a certain +plot of ground that came down from father to son in each family and +belonged to that family alone. Nobody else had any rights there at all. + +The people were very careful to do everything according to custom. Almost +everything they did had been worked out long ago into a sort of system, +which was considered the best possible way to do it. Certain customs were +always observed because the gods of the land were said to be pleased with +them. Whether the gods had anything to do with it or not, these children +of Mars were certainly more prosperous than most of their neighbors, and +had many things which they might not have had if it had not been for their +careful ways. The soil of the sunshiny mountain slopes was rich and +fruitful and easy to work; the clear mountain waters were pleasant and +wholesome, and in certain places there were hot springs which had been +found good to cure disease. It was not strange that they believed the gods +took especial care of them and would go on being kind to them so long as +proper respect was shown. + +Marcia wove her basket, putting a band of red around the curve before she +began to draw it in, and her thoughts went far and near, as thoughts do. + +The family spent very little time indoors when it was possible to be in +the open air. The mother sat spinning in the doorway, and the baby played +at her feet. The father was harvesting, and Marcs was out with the sheep. +The next younger brother, Bruno they called him, had gone fishing. Supper +was in an earthen pot comfortably bubbling over the fire. It would be +ready by the time they all came home. Marcia had had her dinner and helped +clear away before she came out here. Although the people had some +vegetables and herbs, their main crop was grain. It was a kind of cereal a +little like wheat and a little like barley, with a small hard kernel, and +they called it “corn,” which meant something that is crushed or ground +into meal. When it was pounded in a mortar and then boiled soft, it made +good porridge. Boiled until it was very thick, and poured out on a flat +stone or board to cool, it could be cut into pieces and eaten from the +hand. The children had all they wanted, with some goat’s-milk cheese and +some figs. Marcia could hear them laughing and shouting as they played +with the pet kid. He was old enough now to butt the smaller ones right +over on their backs, and he did it whenever they gave him a chance. + +Marcia was rather a silent girl, with a great deal of long black hair in +heavy braids, level black brows over thoughtful eyes, and a square little +chin. As she began to draw in her basket at the top, she was thinking of +the stories the old people sometimes told about a long-ago time when their +ancestors lived in another and far more beautiful place. There the rivers +ran over sands that gleamed like sunshine, and all the land was like a +garden. The houses were larger than any here and built of a white stone. +There were stone statues like those she and Marcs sometimes made in clay +for the children to play with, but as large as men and women and painted +to look like life. The gods came and went among the children of men and +taught them all that they have ever known, but much had since been +forgotten. So ran the story. + +Sometimes in the heart of this mountain there were rumblings underground, +as if the thunder had gone to earth like a badger. The old people said +then that the smith of the gods was working at his forge. The noises were +made by his hammer, beating out weapons for the gods. The plume of smoke +that drifted lazily up from the deep bowl-shaped hollow in the mountain +top came from his fires. To these people the mountain was like a great +still creature, maybe a god in disguise. The forest hung on the slopes +above like a bearskin on the shoulders of a giant. Up higher were barren +rocks and cliffs, where nothing grew. + +Marcia looked up at the mighty crest so far above, and then down across +the valley, where the stubble of the grain fields shone golden in the +westering sun. The river, winding away beyond it, was bluer than the sky. +She wondered whether, if her people should ever go away, they would tell +their children how beautiful this land was. But of course they never would +go. They had lived too long where they were ever to be willing to leave +their home on the mountain. No other place could be like it. The floods +that sometimes ruined the lowlands never rose as high as this; the +wandering, warlike tribes that sometimes attacked their neighbors did not +trouble them here. They belonged to the mountain, as the chestnut trees +and the squirrels did. + +“Me make basket,” announced her little sister, pulling at the withes, her +rag doll tumbling to the ground as she tried to scramble up on the wall. +“Up! up!” + +“O Felic’la (Kitty), don’t; you’ll spoil sister’s work! I’ll begin one for +you.” + +The Kitten had got her name from her disposition, which was to insist on +doing whatever she saw any one else doing, just long enough to make +confusion wherever she went. What with showing the little fingers how to +manage the spidery ribs of the little basket she began, and working out +the braided border of her own basket, Marcia’s attention was fully taken +up. + +She did not even see that Marcs was driving in the sheep until they began +crowding into the sheepfold. The walls of this, like the walls of the +house itself, were of stone, laid by that long-ago Colonus, and as solid +and firm as if they were built yesterday. The stones were not squared or +shaped, and there was no mortar, but they were fitted together so cleverly +that they seemed as solid as the mountain itself. They hardly ever needed +repair. The roofs, of seasoned chestnut boughs woven in and out, seemed +almost as firm as the stonework. This place had been settled when the +farmers had to fight wolves every year. Even now, if the wolves had a hard +winter and got very hungry, they sometimes came around and tried to get at +the sheep. Then the men would take their spears and long knives and go on +a wolf-hunt. But that had not happened now for several years. + +Why were the sheep coming in so early? + +Marcs looked rather disturbed, and he was in a hurry. Bruno too was coming +home without any fish, an unusual thing for him; and he looked both scared +and puzzled. The mother was standing in the door, shading her eyes with +her hand and looking at the sky. Marcs caught sight of the girls in their +corner. + +“You had better pick up all that and go in,” he called to them. “Pater +sent us home as quick as we could scamper. See how strange the sky is.” + +They all looked. Little Felic’la, with round eyes, dropped her basket and +pointed. + +“Giants,” said she. + +It did not take much imagination to see, in the dark clouds spreading over +the heavens, huge misty figures like gigantic men, or like gods about to +descend upon the earth. + +“Mater,” said Bruno, “the spring and the stream have dried up.” + +The father was hurrying up from the grain fields, and the boys ran to help +him manage the frightened cattle and get the load under cover. Other +flocks of sheep and other men with oxen were hastening to shelter. The sky +was growing darker and darker. Blue lights were wavering in the marshy +lands by the river. The fowls, croaking and squawking in frightened haste, +huddled on to their roosts, all but Felic’la’s pet white chicken, which +scuttled for the house. Birds were flying overhead, uttering some sort of +warnings in bird language, but there was no understanding what they said. + +[Illustration: Other flocks of sheep and other men with oxen were hurrying + to shelter] + +Suddenly there was a crash as if the earth had cracked in two. Everything +turned black. The air was filled with smoke and dust and ashes raining +down from the sky. + +Marcia caught up her little sister and the baskets together and groped her +way to the door. Her mother darted out to drag them in and barred the door +against the unknown terrors outside. The boys and their father were under +the cattle shed, with the stout timber brace against the door; it had been +made to keep out wild beasts. In the roar of the tumult outside the +loudest shout could not have been heard. + +The terrific detonations above were heavier than any thunder that ever +rolled down the valley, sharper than any blows of a giant hammer. The +earth trembled and rocked under foot. Then came a pounding from all sides +at once, like the trampling of frantic herds. An avalanche of dust and +cinders came through the smoke hole and put out the fire. Part of the roof +had fallen in, for they could hear stones tumbling down on the earth +floor. Through the opening they saw a crimson glow spreading over the sky. +Only the beams in one corner, the corner where the mother and her children +were, still held firm. + +At last the rain of ashes was over, the stones no longer fell, and it was +light enough for them to see each other’s faces. They had no way of +knowing how long they had crouched there in the dark, but they had been +there all night. The house had no windows and only one door. Now the +father and the boys were trying to get the door open against a heap of +fallen roof beams and thatch and stones and ashes and broken furniture. In +a minute or two they got it far enough open to let them in. + +“Are you safe, Livia? And the children?” The man’s deep voice was shaking. +But even as he spoke he saw that they were alive and unhurt. He took his +baby boy from his wife’s arms, and put the other arm round the two girls, +while the little boys clung to him as far up as they could reach. Livia +sprang up at the first sight of Marcs and Bruno, for Marcs was bleeding +all down one side of his face and his shoulder, where a stone had glanced +along. + +“I was trying to catch the white heifer,” he said rather shamefacedly, +“but she got away. It’s only a scrape along the skin—let me go, Mater.” +And before she had fairly done washing off the blood and bandaging the +cuts, he was out from under her hands and out of doors after Bruno. + +Cautiously they all went out, and stood outside the wall, gazing about +them. Everything as far as they could see was gray with ashes and cinders +and stones. Here and there the woods were on fire. Far up toward the top +of the mountain, one tall tree by itself was burning like a torch. An +arched hole was broken out in the cliff above, and down through it flowed +a fiery river of molten rock, like boiling honey or liquid flame, cooling +as it went. Ravines were broken out, great slices of rock and earth had +fallen or slid, and the river, choked by fallen trees and earth and rocks, +was tearing out another channel for itself. The very face of the earth was +strange and unnatural. + +The walls of their own house and of most of the others in the village had +been wrenched and thrown down in places by the twisting of the earth. Then +the roof had given way under the pelting rocks. In the corner where Livia +and her children had taken shelter, one timber, a tree trunk set deep in +the ground, had held firm and kept the roof from falling. The same thing +had happened in the narrow cattle shed. They went on to see how their +neighbors had fared. + +There was less loss of life than one might have expected, considering that +the oldest man there had never seen anything like this. The people were +trained to obey orders and look out for themselves. The father was the +head of the family, and in any sudden emergency the people did not run +about aimlessly but looked to whoever was there to give orders. The +children had each the care of some younger child or some possession of the +family. Even Felic’la, trotting along beside Marcia, held tightly in her +arms her white chicken. The chicken was trying to get away, but Felic’la +felt that this was no time for the family to be separated. + + + + + + II + + + TEN FAMILIES + + +Whatever the strange and terrible outbreak of the Mountain of Fire could +have meant, the people had no thought of abandoning the land. Within a few +days they were repairing or rebuilding their huts and returning to the +habits of their daily life. Centuries might pass, more than one such +calamity might befall the village, but there would still be men living on +the same spot where their forefathers lived, on the slopes of the Mountain +of Fire. + +All the same, a great change had taken place, and they felt it more as +time went on. They began to see that the land that had once brought forth +food for them all would not now feed them with any such abundance. They +would be lucky if they could secure enough food to keep them alive. Some +of the fields were burned over by the lava stream; some were ruined by the +dammed-up river. Cattle and sheep had been killed or had run away. Much of +the grain and wool and other provision for the future had been destroyed. +It was a very hard winter. + +Yet rather than leave their homes and be strangers and outcasts without a +country, they endured cold and scarcity and every kind of discomfort, even +suffering. Outside the land they knew were unknown terrors,—races who did +not speak their language or worship their gods; soil whose ways they did +not understand, and very likely far worse troubles than had come upon them +here. Most of the people simply made up their minds that what must be, +they must endure, because anything else would only be a change for the +worse. + +There were a few, however, who did not take this view. The first to +suggest that some might go away was Marcus Colonus. He spoke of it to a +little group of his friends while they were in the forest cutting wood. +Sylvius, whose wife and children were killed when the stones fell, and +Urso the shaggy hunter, who never feared anything, man or beast, and +Muraena the metal-worker, a restless fellow who knew that he could get a +living wherever men used plows and weapons, all agreed that if Colonus +went they would go. If ten heads of households joined the party, it would +make a clan. But first the head of the village must be consulted. + +Old Vitalos was the grandfather of Marcus Colonus and related in one way +or another to nearly every person in the village. When his grandson came +to him and told what he had in mind, the old chief stroked his long white +beard and did not answer at once. He seemed to be thinking, and he thought +for a long time. + +Before written histories, or pictured records, or even songs telling the +history of a people, were in use, the memories of the old folk formed the +only source of information that there was. As old men will, they told what +they knew over and over again, and those who heard, even if they did not +know they were remembering it, often remembered a story and told it over +again, when their time came. The experiences and the wisdom that old +Vitalos had gathered in the eighty years of his useful life were stored in +his mind in layers, like silt in the bed of a river. Now he was digging +down into his memory for something that had happened a long time ago. + +When he had done thinking, he spoke. + +“My son,” he said, “you tell me that you desire to go forth and make your +home in another land.” + +“I desire it not, my father,” said Colonus, “unless it is the will of the +gods. I have thought that it may be best.” + +He did not know it, but while the old man’s mind was busy with the past, +his keen old eyes were busy with the strong, well-built figure, the +stubborn chin and the fearless eye of this man of his own blood. Colonus +walked with the long, sure step of the man who knows where he is going. +The fingers of his hand were square-tipped and rugged, the kind that can +work. He was Saturn’s own man, made to work the land and produce food for +his people. He would not give up easily, nor would he be dismayed by +difficulties. + +“And where will you go?” was the chief’s next question. + +“That I do not know,” said Colonus. “Yet something I do know. The mountain +folk are not friends to us, and we should have to fight them. Their land +is all one fortress, not easy to take. To the sea we will not go, for we +know nothing of the ways of the sea-tamers. Perhaps our gods would not +help us in those things, which are strange to our lives. There remains the +plain beyond the marsh, where the river runs out of the valley. I have +been there only once, but I remember it. Around it are mountains, and the +plain itself is broken by low hills, as we have seen from our heights. In +such a land we might live according to customs of our forefathers. The +little hills can be defended, and if enemies come we can see them from far +off. Is this a good plan that we make, my father?” + +The patriarch looked at the fire on the altar, which burned in his house +as in every other house of the village; then he looked keenly at his +grandson. + + [Illustration: The patriarch looked at the fire on the altar] + +“There are two ways of living in a strange place, Marcus Colonus,” he +said. “One is, to live after the manner of those who are born there, obey +their gods, learn their law, eat their food, work as they do, join in +their feasts and their games. The other is to fight them, and drive them +away, or make them your servants. Which is your choice?” + +Colonus hesitated. “My father,” he said, “to take the first path, I must +change my nature and become another man, which I would not do even if I +could. Here or in another country, or in the moon if men could go there, I +should be Colonus, the farmer,—not a sailor, or a trader, or any other +man. To take the second way I must be leader of many fighting men, and +this is not possible, since if we go we must take our wives and children. +It is in my mind, my father, that there may be a middle way. If we hold to +our own customs and are faithful to our own gods and to one another, +surely the gods should keep faith with us. If we hurt not the people of +the land where we go, but stand ready to defend ourselves against any who +try to attack us, they may allow us to live as we please. If not, then +must we fight for the right to live.” + +The old chief smiled. “My son,” he said, “you are wise with the wisdom of +youth. Yet sometimes that is better than the unbelief of age. It is better +to die fighting strangers than to die by starvation, or to fall upon one +another, and I have had fear that one or the other might happen here, for +truly the land is changed. It may be that this plan of yours shall end in +new branching out of our people, the Ramnes, and in new power to our +gods,—and if so, surely the gods will lead you. + +“Now I have a story to tell you, and you will give careful heed to it, and +not speak of it lightly, but store it away in the secret places of your +mind. Sit down here, close to me, for I do not wish to be heard by any +listener. + +“Many years ago, before you were born, or ever the road was made over the +marsh or the bridge across the river, our people were at war with a +strange people from the north. My son, whom you resemble, went to fight +against them and did not come back. Whether he died in battle and was left +on some unknown field we did not know. We never knew, until in after +years, one who was taken prisoner with him came back, his hair white as +snow, and told what he had seen. + +“In that country of which you have spoken, where a plain stretches away +toward the sea, and is guarded with mountains and divided by a yellow +river, there are people who speak a language like ours and are sons of +Mars, as we are. Some live in the hills and some in the plain, and some on +the Long White Mountain. Beyond the river the people are strange in every +way and their gods are also strange and terrible. + +“Now among the people of the Long White Mountain was a chief with two +sons, and when he died the elder should have been ruler in his place. But +the younger one, an evil man, stole into his brother’s place and killed +his sons, and forbade his daughter to marry. Here my son was taken as a +captive, and he became a servant to that chief. + +“The daughter of the elder brother was a fair woman, and my son was a +strong and comely man, and in secret they married. Then did my son escape, +thinking to come back with an army and bring away his wife with their twin +boys. But the wicked chief discovered what had been done, and killed the +mother and the children, and sent a war party after my son to kill him +also. He could have escaped even then, for he crossed a river in flood by +swimming. But when they called to him that his wife and her two sons were +dead, he returned across the river and fought his pursuers until they +killed him. Then he went to find his beloved in that unknown country which +is neither land nor water and is full of ghosts. + +“Now it is in my mind that if that evil chief is dead, the people of his +country may welcome you among them. Or if he is not dead, and the elder +brother still lives, he may be your friend, since we are of one race and +speak one language. In any case it is well for you to know what has +happened there in other days, for before we plant a field we desire to +know whether wheat, or lentils, or thistles, or salt was last sown there. +I was told also that the evil man who killed the mother and the babes +declared that the father of the children was the god Mars himself, not +wishing that any kinswoman of his should be known to be a wife to a +captive and a stranger. Now, my son, go, and peace go with you.” + +Colonus rose and bowed to the old man, and went home. + +Now the way was clear to prepare for the emigration, and from time to time +others came to talk about it and join the company. Besides the four men +who had made the plan in the first place, there were finally seven +others,—Tullius, who knew all the ancient laws and customs well, Piscinus +the fisherman, Pollio the leather worker, Cossus, an old and wary fighter, +the two Nasos, quiet and able farmers (all of whose children had the big +nose that marked the family), and Calvo, whose great-grandfather had +bequeathed to his descendants a tendency to grow bald young. Calvo already +had a little thin spot on the crown of his head, though he was not much +over thirty. Among them they had all the most necessary trades and could +supply most things they needed. But every one of them was also a good +farmer; in fact, in such migrations the settlers were most generally known +as _coloni_ or farmers. They had to understand the care of the land in +order to get through the first years without starving to death, for there +were no cities where they went. + +Muraena could make unusually fine weapons, and he took care that each of +the party should be provided with the best that he could make. The grain +was chosen with care, for when they found the place for their settlement +they would want it for seed. The finest animals were chosen to stock the +farms. The women who were not going made gifts of their best weaving to +the housewives who were. The lads who were old enough to fight gave +especial attention to their bows and their slings, and spent a good deal +of time practicing. + +All the men who had agreed to go had sons and daughters except Sylvius, +and most of the children were old enough to do something to help. They +were very much excited, and secretly most of them were rather scared. + +There was no priest in the company; that is to say, there was no man who +had nothing else to do, for that was not the custom among the Ramnes. They +chose a man they all trusted for this office. Tullius was chosen priest by +the _coloni_. It was due to his advice that the water jars and the leather +bottles for water-carrying were well selected, strong and numerous. It was +a hobby of his, the drinking of pure water, and he believed it had more to +do with health than any other one thing. He also believed that the gods do +not protect the careless and the lazy. For instance, if a man were to pray +to Mars to keep his house from being destroyed by fire, and then burn +brush on a windy day in summer, when the wind was blowing that way, and a +spark happened to light on the thatch, Mars would not be likely to put it +out. He would let it burn. If the gods went to the trouble of saving +people from the consequences of not using common sense, they would show +themselves to be fools, and not in the least god-like. Tullius prayed at +all proper times, but when he was working he worked with his head as well +as with his hands. He said that that was what heads were for. + + + + + + III + + + THE SACRED YEAR + + +In the month of spring when day and night are equal, and the young lambs +frisk on new grass, a company of young men and girls went slowly out from +a little town on the eastern side of a great mountain range. The long +narrow country stretching out into the sea, which is now called Italy, is +divided by this range lengthwise into two parts, and in the earliest days +of the country the people on one side had hardly anything to do with those +on the other. On the coast toward the sunrise were many harbors, and +seafaring men from other countries came there sometimes to trade. On the +other side, the young people who were now setting their faces westward did +not at all know what they would find. + +They were all of about the same age, and they looked grave and a little +anxious; some of the girls had been crying. The day had come when they +were to leave the place where they had been born and brought up and go +into an unknown world, and it was not likely that they would ever come +back. + +They belonged to the Sabine people, who used to live on the banks of the +rivers not far from the coast, and kept cattle and sheep and goats, and +raised grain and different kinds of vegetables, and had vineyards. The +land was so rich that they had more food and other things than they +needed, and used to trade more or less with the strangers from other +countries. So many strangers came there and settled in course of time that +the first inhabitants were crowded back toward the mountains, away from +the sea. Then war parties of Umbrians from the north came pushing their +way into the country, and the peaceable farming folk were obliged to +retreat still farther up the rivers into the mountain, and clear new land +and settle it. This happened all a long time ago. It was not easy to live +there, and they were poorer than they used to be, for so much of the land +was rock and forest that they had to spend a great deal of their time +getting it into a fit condition for either grain or cattle or anything +else. But they learned to do most things for themselves, as mountain +people do; they were not afraid of hard work or danger, and although they +lived plainly they were comfortable. + +But even here they were not let alone. About twenty years earlier, before +any of these boys and girls were born, the Umbrian war parties came up +into the higher valleys, and the Sabines had to fight for their very +lives. They won the war and drove back the invaders in the end, but it +began to seem that some day they would be wiped out altogether and +forgotten. + +After this war there were some hard years. Many of the men had been +killed, and the fields had been neglected when the fighting was going on. +Where the enemy came they trampled down and ruined the vineyards, and +burned houses and barns, and drove off the flocks and herds for their own +use. That one year of war almost ruined the work that had been done in +half a lifetime. If they were to be obliged to spend half their time +defending what land they had, every year would be worse than the last. + +Finally Flamen the priest, the man most respected in the central and +largest of the towns, spoke of an old custom called the “sacred spring.” +It was a method of making sacrifice to the gods when things came to a very +evil pass indeed. In a way it was a sacrifice, and in a way it was a +chance of saving something from the general ruin. Flamen believed that if +they kept a “sacred spring” their guardian god, Mars, would help them. All +this happened a long time before the calamity that drove the emigrants to +set out from the Mountain of Fire. There are all sorts of reasons why +people change their place of living and begin new settlements in a strange +country, but in those days it was a much more serious matter than it is +now, and it took almost a life-and-death reason to make them do it. + +When villages agreed to keep a sacred year, as these finally did, they +gave to the gods everything that was born in that year. The cattle, sheep, +goats and poultry were killed in sacrifice, when they were grown. But the +children born that spring were not killed. They were taught that when they +were old enough they were to go out and build homes for themselves in +another land, trusting in the great and wise god Mars to show them where +to go. If this was done, even though the Umbrians attacked the country +again and again, and killed off the people or made them slaves, there +would still be Sabine men and women living in the old ways, somewhere in +the world. And now the time had come for them to set out to find their new +home. + +Flamen the priest gave a daughter in the year of the sacred spring; Maurs +the smith gave a son. Almost every family in all the country round had a +son or daughter or at least a near relative who was going. Some of the +young people were married before the day came for them to go; in fact, +there were a great many brides and grooms in the party. The parents had +given their children plenty of seed grain and roots and plants, cuttings +of shrubs and trees and vines, animals and fowls to stock their farms, +provision for the journey, and whatever clothing and other goods they +could carry without the risk of being delayed or tempting plunderers to +kill them for their riches. Everything that could be done was done to make +their great undertaking successful. + +At daybreak on the day that had been decided upon, the farewell ceremonies +began. Hymns were sung and a feast was held, prayers and sacrifices were +made; there were all sorts of farewell wishes and loving hopes and +instructions. Nothing, however, could make it anything but a very solemn +occasion. The young people must go beyond the mountains, for on this side +they could have no hope of finding any place to live. No one knew what +awaited them. But whatever happened, no one would have dreamed of breaking +the promise made to the gods. A pledge is a pledge, and not the shrewdest +cheat can deceive the gods, for they know men’s hearts. + + [Illustration: All the young voices took up the song] + +Flam’na, the wife of young Mauros the maker of swords, looked back just +once as they lost sight of the village. Then she led in the singing of the +last of the farewell songs. She had a beautiful voice, clear and strong +and sweet; her husband’s deeper tones joined hers, and then all the young +voices took up the song as streams run into a river. The fathers and +mothers heard the wild music of their singing floating down from the +mountain forest as they climbed the narrow trail. They were following a +path which the young men knew from their hunting expeditions, which led +around the shoulder of the mountain to a pass through which they could +cross and go down the other side. Now that they were fairly on their way, +the care of the young animals they were driving, all of them full of life +and not at all used to keeping together in strange woods, took up most of +the attention of the whole party. + +On the western slopes, as far as the hunters had ever gone, there were no +people living in villages—only scattered woodcutters and hunters, and here +and there a poor ignorant family in a little clearing. If they went far +enough down to reach the upper valleys of streams or rivers, they might +find just the sort of place they wanted for their new home. Others must +have done this in the past, or there would never have been the custom of +the sacred spring, for the emigrant parties would have been all killed off +or starved to death. The young men said that what others had done they +could do, and they went valiantly on, chanting a marching song. + +In these spring days, as time passed, the mornings were earlier and the +twilights later. They lived well while their provisions lasted, and there +was game in the forest and fish in the little streams. They always carried +coals from their camp fires to light the next fires, and in the cool +evenings the leaping flames were pleasant. They also kept wild beasts from +coming too near. + +There were three groups of the young people, from three different +villages. At night they gathered in three camps; each “company” which ate +bread together was made up of relatives and friends. After they had +crossed the mountain pass and before they had gone very far on the other +side, they halted for a day to talk matters over and decide what to do +next. It was very important now to take the right course. + +The youths gathered under a huge oak to hold a council while their wives +and sisters and cousins busied themselves with affairs of their own. The +men would have to do the fighting, and the girls were quite willing to +leave the general plans to them. They were a sober and serious group of +young fellows as they sat there in the dappling sunshine. It was enough to +make any man serious. Mars had brought them so far without any serious +mishap, and he might go on protecting them all the rest of the way; but +the question was, how to discover what was best to do. All the ways down +the mountain looked very much alike, and yet one might lead into a country +inhabited by fierce and cruel enemies, and another into a barren rocky +waste, and another to a fertile valley. + +Mauros was their leader, so far as they had one, but he called on each man +in turn to say what he thought. There seemed to be a good deal of doubt +about the wisdom of so large a party traveling together. The chances were +against their finding a valley large enough for all to live in. They were +not likely to find so much cleared land or good pasture in any one place. +If they were to separate, and each party took a different direction, one +or another certainly ought to be able to find the right sort of place. +Perhaps all of them would. Even one of the camps was strong enough to +defend itself against any ordinary enemy. They were all young and strong, +active and full of courage, and as time went on they would be traveling +lighter and lighter, for the provisions would be eaten up and the spare +animals killed for food. They decided to do this, to offer a sacrifice to +Mars and pray to him to direct them. The next morning all were ready to go +on and waited only for a sign. + +Each of the gods had certain favorite animals, birds and plants. Mars had +plenty of servants he could send to do his will, and surely he would show +them what to do. + +Flam’na stood with her cousins, watching Mauros as he stood in the center +of the silent group under the great oak tree. The fires were flickering +slowly down to red coals, and a little wind blew from the west. Suddenly +their lead-ox, the wisest of the team, lifted his head and sniffed the +breeze, pawed the earth, bellowed, and plunged down a grassy glade, +followed more slowly by the other oxen and the whole party in that camp. +The ox was one of the beasts of Mars. Nothing could be clearer than this. +Mauros turned and waved a laughing farewell to the other camps, and raced +on to make sure that the ox did not get out of sight. Before they had gone +very far they came to a tiny brook, which went chuckling on as if it knew +something interesting. They followed it downward and began to find more +and more grass as the valley widened and the trees grew less thick. +Finally they found a place where the water was good and the soil rich, and +there was room for all their beasts to graze. They called the town they +built there Bovianum, after the ox of Mars. They were sometimes called by +their neighbors the Bovii, the cattlemen, for herds of cattle were not +very common in that part of the country. + +In the camp to the right of this, not long after the departure of the ox, +one of the girls saw something red moving high up on the trunk of a tree, +and pointed it out to her brother. His eyes followed hers, and soon all +the company gathered in the edge of the woodlands, watching that scarlet +dot among the thick leaves. Then, with a sudden rush of little wings, a +green woodpecker flew down from the tree top and perched on a bough just +over their heads. He looked down knowingly into the upturned, eager faces, +and with a cheery call flew away down a ravine, and alighted again. +Breathless, wide-eyed and silent, they ventured nearer. He beat his tiny +tattoo on the bark as if he were sounding a drum, and flew on. Now scarlet +was the color of Mars, the drum was his favorite instrument of music, and +Picus the woodpecker was his own bird. Following their little feathered +guide, they went farther and farther north until they found a home among +the spurs of the Apennines. They called themselves the Picentes, the +Woodpecker People, and their children all knew the story of the sacred +spring and the bird of Mars. + +The third company had no time to watch the others, for some wolves had +winded their sheep, and the young men had to run to fight them off. Some +of them chased the skulking gray thieves for some distance and came back +with the news that the wolves had led them southward to a rocky height, +where they could look over the tops of the trees below and see an +uncommonly fine place for the colony. This was as plain a sign as one +could ask for, and the whole party, in great satisfaction and relief, went +on to the home that the wolves had found for them. The wolf was another of +the beasts of Mars. This settlement took the name of the Herpini, the Wolf +People. + +All three of the Sabine colonies prospered and grew strong, and although +they had little to do with each other they lived in peace with relatives +and neighbors. There came to be many villages on the slopes of the +Apennines in which the Sabine language was spoken. This was the last time +that they were forced to keep a Sacred Year, for the Umbrian war parties +left them alone, and perhaps did not even know where they were; and the +mountain land was pleasant and fertile, out of the way of floods. There +was no reason in the world why the brave young couples who founded their +homes here, and worked and played and kept holiday, and loved the green +earth as all their forefathers had loved it, should not be prosperous and +happy, and they were, for many a long year. + + + + + + IV + + + THE BANDITTI + + +When the Sabines came to the western side of the mountain range, they did +not try to plow much land at first. They had to find out what the land was +like. + +People who lived by pasturing their cattle and sheep wherever it was +convenient hardly ever settled in the same place for good, because the +pasture differs from year to year even in the same neighborhood. A +hillside which is rich and green in a wet year may be barren and dry when +there are long months with no rain. A valley that is rich in long juicy +grass in spring may be under water later in the summer. Herdsmen need to +range over a wide country, and especially they need this if they keep +sheep. The sheep nibble the grass down to the roots, and when they have +finished with a field there is nothing on it for any other animal that +year. But the true farmer, who uses his land for a great many different +purposes, can shift his crops and his pasturage around so that he can have +a home, and this was what the Sabines wished to do. + +For a farm of this kind, a place between mountain and plain is best, with +a variety of soil and good water supply. In such a mountain valley as the +Herpini chose, with wooded heights above it, the roots of the trees bind +the earth together and keep the wet of the winter rains from drying up, so +that there is not often either flood or drought, and almost always good +grass is found somewhere in the neighborhood. The people began by raising +beans and peas to dry for winter, and herbs for flavoring, and in the +summer they had kale and other fresh vegetables. Now and then, for a +holiday, they killed a sheep or a young goat or a calf and had a feast. +The heart and inner organs were burned on the altar for an offering to the +gods; the flesh was served out to the people, cooked with certain herbs +used according to old rules. For vineyards and grain fields, which needed +a certain kind of soil, they chose, after awhile, exactly the ground which +suited them, and plowed their common land, and sowed their corn and +planted their vines. + +Most of the farm land was worked by all the people in common. This was a +very old custom. There were good reasons for it. In farming, the work has +to be done when the weather is suitable. The planting or haying or +harvesting cannot be put off. By working in company the men saved time and +labor, and if one happened to be ill the land was taken care of all the +same, and nothing was lost. Also, in this way all of the land suitable for +a certain crop was used for that crop. Nobody was wasting time and +strength trying to make rocky or barren soil feed his family, while his +strength and skill were needed on good ground. The third and perhaps the +best reason was, that in this way the houses were not scattered, but close +together, so that no enemy could attack any one in the village without +fighting all. The village was clean and wholesome, because no animals were +kept there except as pets. The flocks and herds were taken care of by men +and boys trained to that work. Each man had for his own the land around +his own house, and every year he was allowed a part of the common land for +his especial use, but he did not own it as he owned his house and lot,—the +_heredium_, as it was called. + +Everything connected with the cultivation of the land was in the hands of +twelve men chosen for it, called the Arval Brethren, or the Brethren of +the Field. It was their work to see that all was done according to the +well-proved rules and customs, that the gods received due respect, and +that the festivals in their honor were held in proper form. + +In a society where people have to depend upon each other in this way, +there is no room for a person who will not fit in, and who expects to be +taken care of without doing his share of the work. Here and there, in one +village and another, a boy grew up who shirked his work, took more good +things than his share and made trouble generally. Sometimes he got over it +as he grew older, but sometimes he did not; and if he could not live +peaceably at home, he had to be driven out to get his living where he +could. There was no place in a village ruled by the gods for any one who +did not respect and obey the laws. + +These outlaws did not starve, for they could get a kind of living by +fishing and hunting, and they stole from the ignorant country people and +from travelers. They were known after awhile as _banditti_, the banished +men, the men who had been driven out of civilized society. Some of them +left their own country altogether and went down to the seashore, or into +the strange land across the yellow river. The people in the villages did +not know much about them. They were very busy with their own concerns. + +There were two great festivals in the year, to do honor to the gods of the +land. One was in the shortest days of the year, early in winter. This was +the feast of Saturn. He was the god who filled the storehouses, who sent +water to drench the earth and feed the crops, who looked after the silent +world of the roots and underground growing things generally. When his +feast was held, the harvest was all in, the wine was made, and it was time +to choose the animals to be killed for food and not kept through the +winter. For four or five days there was a general jollification. No work +was done except what was necessary. There was feasting and singing and +story telling, and some of the wilder youths usually dressed up in +fantastic costumes like earth spirits, and wound up the holiday with +dancing and songs and shouting and all sorts of antics. Sometimes a clever +singer made new songs to the old tunes, with jokes and puns about +well-known people of the place. These songs were always done in a certain +style, and this style of verse came to be known later as Saturnian poetry, +and the sly personal fun in them was called satirical. It was part of the +joke that the singer should keep a perfectly grave face. + + [Illustration: The people gathered in the public square] + +The other festival came in the spring, when the grass was green and the +leaves were fresh and bright, and flowers were wreathing shrubs and +hillsides like dropped garlands. It was in honor of the beautiful +open-handed goddess called Dea Dia, or sometimes Maia. One spring morning +the children of the village could hear the blowing of the horn in the +public square, and then they all understood that the priest was about to +give out the announcement of the festival of Maia. They crowded up to +hear, even more excited and joyous than the older people. + +There were no books or written records; not even a written language was +known to the villagers. The priest of the village, who kept account of the +days when ceremonies were due, and the changes of the moon, gave out the +news, each month, of the things which were to happen. The months were not +all the same length, and no two villages had just the same calendar. The +year was counted from the founding of the city, whenever that was, and +naturally it was not the same in different places. The people gathered in +the public square, waiting to hear what Emilius the priest had to tell +them. + +He was a tall and noble-looking man, generally beloved because he always +tried to deal justly and kindly with his neighbors, and was so wise that +he usually succeeded. The person who paid him the deepest and most +reverent attention was little Emilia, his daughter, who believed him to be +the wisest and best of men. She stood with her mother in a little group +directly in front of him, looking up at him with her deep, serious blue +eyes, in happy pride. + +Emilia was six and a half years old. This would be her first May festival, +to remember, for she had been ill the year before when it came, and one’s +memory is not very good before one is five years old. Her bright +gold-brown hair curled a little and looked like waves of sunshine all over +her graceful small head. It was tied with a white fillet to keep it out of +her eyes, and in the fillet, like a great purple jewel, was thrust an +anemone from a wreath her mother had been making. Her mother dressed her +in the finest and softest of undyed wool, bleached white as snow. She wore +a little tunic with a braided girdle, and over her shoulders a square of +the same soft cloth as a mantle; it looked like the wings of a white bird +as it shone in the morning sun. On her feet were sandals of kidskin, and +around her neck was a necklace of red beads that had come from far away. A +trader brought them from the place by the seashore where such things were +made. From this necklace hung a round ball of hammered copper, made to +open in two halves, and inside it was a little charm to keep off bad +spirits. The charm was made of the same red stone and looked like the head +of a little goat. + +Emilia had never in her life known what it was to be afraid of any one, or +to see any one’s eyes rest upon her unkindly. The world was very +interesting to her. It was filled with wonderful and beautiful things, +especially just now. Each day she saw some new flower or bird or plant or +animal she had never seen before. Spring in those mountains was very +lovely. It hardly seemed as if it could be the real world. + +The people were all rather fine-looking and strong and active. They worked +and played in the open air and led healthy lives, and being well and full +of spirits, there was really no reason why they should be ugly. + +Emilius told them when the feast of Maia would take place. The moon, which +was called the measurer, was all they had to go by in reckoning the year. +The feast was to be the day after it changed. Emilius repeated the names +of the Brethren of the Field, and mentioned things that should be done to +prepare for the feast, and that was all. + +Far up on the heights of the mountain above, in among the rocks where +nothing grew except wind-stunted trees and patches of moss and fern, there +was another settlement of which the village people knew nothing. Two of +its men happened to be farther down the mountain than usual, hunting, when +this announcement was made. They got up on a rock overgrown with bushes, +where they could look down into the village, and lay watching what went +on. They were not beautiful or happy. They looked as they lay on the rock, +spying over the edge with their hard, greedy eyes under shaggy unkempt +locks, rather like wild beasts. + +One was a runaway from this very place, and he knew it was nearly time for +the May festival. His name was Gubbo, and he had been cast out of the +village because he was cruel. He liked to torment animals and children; he +liked to compel others to give him what he wanted. When finally he had +been caught slashing at the favorite ox of a man he had had a quarrel +with, he had been beaten and kicked out and told never to come back. He +had wandered about for some years, and then joined the banditti on the +mountain. + +These banditti came from many towns; some were even of another race, of +the strange people beyond the river. There were not very many of them, but +there were enough to surprise and beat down a much larger number if +circumstances favored. Their usual plan was not to fight in the open, but +creep up near a place where stores or treasure happened to be kept, when +the most skillful thieves would get in and carry off the plunder to the +hiding-place of the others, who stood ready to fight or to act as porters, +whichever might be necessary. If they were chased, the best runners drew +off the pursuers after them and joined the rest of the band later. + +They did not spend all or even very much of their time in their mountain +den. They had picked this country as their headquarters because it was +largely wilderness above the farming belt. The rocks held many caves and +good strongholds. Often they went off and were gone for perhaps a month at +a time, prowling about distant settlements, or haunting the roads the +traders traveled. Many a luckless merchant had been knocked on the head +from behind, or dragged out of his boat and drowned, by these thieves, +with no one to tell the tale. + +They had found the Sabines here when they came, and it had not seemed +worth while—yet—to quarrel with them. The scattered country folk, who went +in deadly fear of the robbers and did whatever they were told, said that +the farmers could fight, and kept watch over what they had, and had very +little but their animals and food stores. There was no use in provoking a +war with them. The better plan would be to terrify them so thoroughly that +they would give the bandits anything they asked, to keep the peace. + +There was no use in upsetting these quiet folk so that they could not +work. They could be told that unless they brought to a certain place, at +certain times, grain, cattle and other provision, and left them for the +outlaws, something terrible would happen to them. They certainly could not +hunt the mountains over for the band, and they could not know how many or +how few there were. This plan worked well in other places, and it would do +very well here. + +The leader, the oldest of the robbers, had once been a slave, and he knew +all the things that are done to slaves who resist their masters. The +others were afraid of him, and there were very few other things in the +world of which they were afraid. He listened to the report of Gubbo and +his companion, and sent them back to watch the village during the time of +the festival, see who the chief men were, how well off the people seemed +to be, how many fighting men they had, and where they kept their grain and +other stores. + +For five days one or the other of the bandits was always watching from the +edge of the rock. If they had been the kind of men to understand beauty, +they must have owned that the festival of Maia was a beautiful sight. But +it only made them angry and bitter to think that they could not have all +the comforts these people had. Often they did not have enough to eat, and +then there would be a raid on some village, and all the men would eat far +more than was comfortable, and drink more than was at all wise, and the +feast usually ended in a fight. This festival in the village was not at +all like that. + +The young girls had a great part in the dancing and singing and +processions of Maia. A tall pillar, decorated with garlands and strips of +colored cloth, had been set up, and a circle of white-robed little +maidens, with wreaths of flowers on their heads, danced around it. Little +Emilia sat sedately in the center, wand in hand, and directed the dancing. +There were stately processions, and marching and countermarching of white +figures bearing garlands; the oxen appeared with their horns wreathed in +flowers; blossoms were strewn all over the public square as the day +passed. The blessing of Maia was asked upon the springing grain, now +standing like a multitude of fairy sword blades above the brown soil; upon +the bean and pea vines climbing as fast as ever they could up the poles +set for them; upon the vineyards, every vine of which was tended like a +child; and upon the orchards, all one drift of warm white petals blowing +on the wind. The chestnut trees were a-bloom and looked like huge tents +with great candelabra set here and there over them; and the steady hum of +the bees was like the drone of a chanter. + +When the day was over, and all the people were asleep, the spies went back +to the den in the rocks and told what they had seen. + +The chief decided that these people were to be let alone all through the +summer and early fall, until all their stores of wine and grain and fat +beasts were in, and they went afield to get nuts in the forest. That would +be the time to strike. The child of the head priest could be carried off, +perhaps, or the son of the chief man of the village. Then one of the +country people would be sent to tell the villagers that unless they agreed +to furnish provisions at certain times and places, the child would be +killed. That would bring them to heel. + +So the summer passed, and the unconscious, happy people prayed for a good +harvest. + + + + + + V + + + THE WOLF CUB + + +The new moon was rising above a wet waste of marsh and tussock and +tasseled reeds. A man and two boys climbed hastily up a hill. Before them +they drove a bleating, cold, rain-wet, bewildered flock. As any shepherd +will admit, sheep are among the silliest creatures in the world, and if +there is any way for them to get themselves into trouble they will do it. +Even so small a flock as this had proved it abundantly. + +A dry time, when all the grass in the usual pastures was burned brown or +eaten down to the roots, had been followed by a rainy fall and winter. The +shepherd and his two foster sons—his wife had long been dead—left their +hillside pastures by the river and went with their flock wherever they +could find any grass. They meandered about for some time on the great +plain that was usually too wet for sheep; that grass was rank and +sometimes unwholesome, but it was better than nothing. When the wet +weather began, they were on the other side, and they edged up among the +foothills of the mountains that stood around it, wherever they could +without getting into trouble with people who had cattle there. They would +have had more difficulty than they did if it had not been for the wolf cub +which the taller of the two boys had tamed. He was named Pincho, and he +seemed to be everywhere at once. No sheep ever delayed for an instant in +obeying him. + +For hours they herded the tired flock up and down, among hills and +gullies, until they came on a little hollow among bushes, out of the way +of the water, where they could stop and get a little sleep. The man and +the boys were all three wet, cold and hungry, even hungrier than the sheep +were, for they could not eat grass; hungrier than Pincho, who now and then +caught some sort of wild creature and ate it on the spot. They ate what +little they had left, and then one kept watch while the others slept, by +turns, in the driest place that could be found. + +When it was light enough to see, they looked about to find out where they +were. Farther down the slope and to one side of them was a village, and +the people there kept sheep and also cattle. Nobody seemed to be doing +much work, for half the men were standing about talking, and the shrill +note of a flute player came up the hill as if it were a signal. + +The boys did not know what this meant, for they had never been near a +village on a holiday,—and not often at any time. But the shepherd knew; he +knew that it must be a feast day, and he told the boys that if they wished +to go to the village and see what was going on, he would look after the +sheep. They must not try to go in unless they were asked, and they ought +not to take Pincho; some one might see him and kill him for a wolf, not +knowing that he was tame. + +But Pincho had something to say about that. He had no intention of being +left behind, and the shepherd had to cut a thong off his sheepskin cloak +to tie up the determined beast. Then when the boys were about two-thirds +of the way to the village, something came sniffing at their heels, and +there was Pincho, with the thong trailing after him; he had gnawed it in +two. + +His young master only laughed. “Here, Pincho!” he said good-humoredly, and +as the young wolf came and licked his hand he made a loop of the trailing +end and thrust his strong brown fingers into it. And so they came up to +the edge of the village where the people were making ready the feast,—two +boys and a wolf. + +The lads were both rather tall for their years, and moved with the wild +grace of creatures that constantly use every muscle and never get stiff or +lazy. They wore only the shepherd’s tunic of sheepskin with the wool +outward, and a braided leather girdle to hold a knife and a leather pouch. +In his left hand each held a crook, with a sharp flint point at the other +end so that it could be used as a spear if a weapon were needed. The +taller led the wolf, which fawned and licked his bare feet; the other, who +was not quite so dark of hair and eye, was playing on a reed pipe, taking +up the call of the pipers and weaving it into a simple melody. For a +moment the people did not know who they could be. All the shepherd boys in +that neighborhood were known. Surely only gods come out of the forest +would be accompanied by a wolf. + +They did not enter the village. They halted on the outside where they +could look into the square and see what was going on, and they stared in +silent wonder, like animals. + +The fact was that they were so hungry that if they had dared, they would +have rushed on the tables and seized the bread and meat and honey cakes, +and run away into the forest to devour them as if they were wolves +themselves. As it was, the intelligent nose of Pincho caught the maddening +odor of meat, and it was all his master could do to hold him. + +[Illustration: Whoever they were, it was proper at this time to offer food + to strangers] + +Whoever they were, it was proper at this time to offer food to strangers, +and if they were gods or wood spirits this was the way to find it out. The +wife of Emilius the priest, a tall and gracious woman, took up a flat +basket-work tray and filled it with portions of the various good things on +the nearest table. By the way they took the food and ate it, she saw that +they were probably only hungry boys. Pincho got the bones, but only when +it was certain they were not mutton bones. He had never been allowed to +find out what the flesh of a sheep was like. This was a portion of a +yearling calf. + +The matron’s little daughter, a straight, slender, bright-haired child, +came with her, and when Pincho sniffed curiously at her little sandalled +feet she did not draw back, but stooped and patted his head. The boy with +the reed pipe, when he had finished his share of the food, sidled away +toward the musicians, but the other one stayed where he was, his arm round +the shaggy neck of the young wolf, and they asked him questions. He +explained, when they were able to make out what he said—for he spoke in a +thick voice as the peasants did—that he and his brother lived with a +shepherd on the other side of the great plain. The shepherd had told them +to ask whether they might let their sheep graze here awhile, until the +water had gone down so that they could get back. Emilius the priest and +some of the other men were there by this time, and they said that this +would be allowed. + +“Why do you stay away from your own village on a holiday?” asked the child +straightforwardly. + +“We have no village,” the boy answered. “We live by ourselves.” + +The little maiden knit her straight, dark, delicate brows. People who had +no village and lived by themselves had never come to her knowledge before. +She thought it must be very dull not to have any holidays, or playmates. + +“Do the sheep and the wolves live together in your country?” she asked, +watching Pincho’s wedge-shaped, savage head as he gnawed his bone. + +“No; but Pincho is not really a wolf. He is my friend.” + +“How can you be friends with a wolf?” persisted the small questioner. +“Wolves are thieves and murderers. They kill sheep. If they killed only +the old sheep, I would not care. The old ram with horns knocks people +down. But they kill the little lambs.” + +“Pincho has never killed a sheep.” + +“Emilia, my child,” said her mother, “it is time for the dance of the +children.” And she led her little daughter away. + +The boys of the village were very curious about Pincho. He had been caught +when he was a tiny cub and his mother had been killed. There were two +cubs, but the other one died. This one slept at his master’s feet every +night. The lad beckoned to his brother, who began to play a curious, jerky +tune, and then the boy and the wolf danced together, to the wonder and +entertainment of the villagers. Then in his turn the boy began to ask +questions. What was a holiday and why did they keep it? + +The boys explained that there were many holidays at different times. There +was one in the later days of winter called the Lupercal, in honor of the +god who protected the sheep. That was the shepherds’ festival, and when it +took place, the young men ran about with thongs in their hands, striking +everybody who came in the way. The day they were now keeping was Founder’s +Day, in honor of the founder of their town. + +This was puzzling. How could one man found a town? A town grew up where +many people came to live in one place. + +“Nay, my son,” said a white-haired old man, the oldest man in the village, +who had sat down near the group. He spoke in the language the shepherd +spoke, so that it was easy to understand him. “That is nothing more than a +flock of crows or a herd of cattle that eat together where there is food. +The man who founds a city determines first to make a home for the spirits +of his people, as a man who builds a house makes a home for his family. +His gods dwell in this place, and he himself will dwell there when he is +dead, and his spirit is joined to theirs. Without the good will of the +spirits there is no good fortune. How can men know what is wise to do, or +what is right, if they do not ask help of the gods, as a child asks its +father’s will? Have you never heard this? Has your father not told you?” + +“We have neither father nor mother,” said the boy, but not +shamefacedly,—even a little proudly. “We were found when we were little +children by Faustulus the shepherd who is to us as a father, and we serve +him.” + +This did seem rather strange. Some of the village people drew back and +whispered among themselves. Could the lads be gods or spirits indeed? They +were strong and handsome—but who knew what things lived in the forest? + +“Nay,” said Emilius, “they have eaten our salt.” + +“The shepherd sometimes prays,” the lad was saying thoughtfully. “He prays +when he has lost his way. I asked him once when I was very small what he +was saying, and he said that he prayed to his god. He said the god was +like a man, but had goat’s legs and little horns under curling hair, and +played on a reed pipe. My brother said that he had seen him in the forest, +but I never did. When the shepherd sees anything unlucky, he makes the +sign of his god—thus.” + +He held up his fist with all the fingers except the little finger doubled +in; this, with the thumb, stuck straight up. “He calls it ‘making the +horns.’ ” + +“The people across the river have many gods,” he went on cheerfully. “Once +I ran away and found a boat, and went over there, to see what it was like. +The priests watch the flight of birds for signs; and the people give a +great deal of time to fortune telling. An old witch told mine for love, +and she said that I should rule over a great people. Then I laughed and +came away, for I knew that she must think me a fool to be pleased with +lies. She said that their laws were taught the priests by a little man no +bigger than a child, who came up out of a field which a farmer was +plowing.” + +The priest Emilius smiled. “My son,” he said kindly, “these things are +foolish and lead to nothing. If you will stay with us and help to tend our +flocks, you shall learn of our gods, and live as we do, sharing our work +and our play. But unless you obey our law we cannot let you stay. The gods +are not pleased when strangers come into their sacred places. + +“The founder of our city is as a kind father who watches us and sees what +we do, whether it is good or whether it is evil. Our children are his +children, and our fortunes are his care, as they were when he was alive +and ruled his people wisely as a father. This is why we honor him. Will +you stay with us and be our herd boy?” + +The lad stood up, his staff in one hand, the other in the loop of the +wolf’s collar. “We owe the shepherd our lives,” he said, with his proud +young head erect. “We will go back to him and serve him until we are men. +When I am a man, I think I will found a city of my own.” + +His brother laughed. In a flash the lad turned on him and knocked him +down. Emilius caught him by the shoulder. + +“My boy,” he said sternly, “there must be no quarreling on a holiday. Go +back to your own place, for you are right to cherish your foster father. +In good or bad fortune, in all places and at all times, it is right to +return kindness for kindness, to show reverence to the old who have cared +for the young.” + +The villagers, puzzled, curious and a little afraid, watched the two wild +figures and their strange companion move away into the long shadows of the +woodlands. They did not come back when any one could see them, but about a +week later there was found at the door of the priest a basket woven +roughly but not unskillfully of the bark of a tree, lined with fresh +leaves and filled with wild honey and chestnuts. + + + + + + VI + + + BOUNDARY LINES + + +The boy with the pet wolf did not come again to the village where he had +first seen a holiday feast and heard what religion was, but he saw a great +deal of it for all that. His brother never cared to go back and seemed to +take no interest in what he had seen. + +Pero, one of the shepherds, while out looking for stray lambs on the +hills, met the youngster and his wolf coming down with two of the woolly +black-faced truants. They had been hunting, the boy said, and had come +across these lambs far up on the heights where lambs had no business to +be, and brought them back. When the shepherd asked the lad his name, he +said the Cub was as good a name as any. The shepherd was an old man and +had seen many queer things in his life and heard of queerer ones. He had +found that most frightful stories, when one came to know the truth of +them, were some quite natural incident made large in the eyes of a +frightened man. This boy might, of course, be a wood demon, and his wolf +might be another, servants of some evil power, but the shepherd had never +seen any such beings and he did not know how they were supposed to look. +When he offered the Cub a piece of his bannock, made with salt and water +and meal and cooked on a hot stone, it was accepted and eaten, and Pincho +the wolf ate some of it also. Pincho would eat almost anything. But that +ought to prove that they were no devils, for if they were they would not +have eaten the salt. + +Pero was a little lame from a fall he had had several years ago, although +he got about more nimbly than some younger men. He found the help of this +wild youth and his wilder companion very convenient at times. After awhile +he began to see that the Cub was very curious about the customs of the +Sabine village. He did not ask many questions, but he would listen as long +as Pero would talk. Many a long still hour the two spent, on the grass +while the sheep grazed, or coming slowly down the slope toward the village +at nightfall, but always, when they came near the village gate, Pero would +look around presently and find that he was alone. + +The first time that Pero noticed this curiosity was one day when they were +high above the village so that they could look down on a level stretch of +land where the men were marking out a new field. Boundary lines were very +important with any people as soon as they stopped wandering from place to +place and settled down to work the same land, year after year. Of course, +it takes more than one season to make any plot of ground produce all it +can, and no man cares to do a year’s work of which he gets none of the +benefit; there must be a clear understanding on the subject of the +boundary. + +In the beginning there were no writings, or deeds, or public records to +mark the line of a farm, and the only way to protect property rights was +by ceremonies which would make people remember the boundary lines, and the +landmarks which it was a horrible crime to move. + +Pero began by explaining that every house of the village had to be +separated from every other house by at least two and one half feet. As +each house was a sort of family temple, the home of the spirits of the +ancestors of that family; naturally nobody but these spirits had any right +there. Two families could not occupy the same house any more than two +persons could occupy the same place. On the same plan, each field was +enclosed by a narrow strip of ground never touched by the plow or walked +on or otherwise used. This was the property of the god of boundaries, +Terminus. + +The boundary line of each field was marked by a furrow, drawn at the time +the field was marked out for the village or the individual owner. At +certain times, this furrow would be plowed again, the owners chanting +hymns and offering sacrifices. On this line the men were now placing the +landmarks they called the _termini_. The _terminus_ was a wooden pillar, +or the trunk of a small tree, set up firmly in the soil. In its planting +certain ceremonies were observed. + +First a hole was dug, and the post was set up close by, wreathed with a +garland of grasses and flowers. Then a sacrifice of some sort was +offered—in this case a lamb—and the blood ran down into the hole. In the +hole were placed also grain, cakes, fruits, a little honeycomb and some +wine, and burned, live coals from the hearth fire of the home or the +sacred fire of the village being ready for this. When it was all consumed +the post was planted on the still warm ashes. If any man in plowing the +field ran his furrow beyond the proper limit, his plowshare would be +likely to strike one of these posts. If he went so far as to overturn it +or move it, the penalty was death. There was really no excuse for him, for +the line was plainly marked for all to see. + +The Cub looked down at the solemnly marching group, the white oxen, and +the setting of the posts with bright and interested eyes. + + [Illustration: “I have seen something like this before,” he said] + +“I have seen something like this before,” he said. “Everywhere it is death +to move a landmark. In some places not posts but stones are used. The dark +people across the river say that he who moves his neighbor’s landmark is +hated by the gods and his house shall disappear. His land shall not +produce fruits, his sons and grandsons shall die without a roof above +their heads, and in the end there shall be none left of his blood. Hail, +rust and the dog-star shall destroy his harvests, and his limbs shall +become sore and waste away.” + +Pero stared in astonishment. “Where did you hear all that?” he asked. + +“When I was younger I ran away and crossed the river,” said the Cub +calmly. “They are strange people over there, not like your people. They go +down to the sea in boats. I went in a boat also, but I did not like it. +There was a fat trader on the boat, and when we were outside the long +white waves along the shore, and the wind came up and rocked our boat, his +face turned the color of sick grass. Perhaps my face did also; I do not +know. We were both very sick. After that I came back to tend sheep again, +for I do not like that place. + +“They have a god called Turms there who is the god of traders, and of +thieves, and of fortune tellers. They pray to him for good luck, for they +believe very much in luck. He is sometimes seen in the shape of a beggar +man with a dog and a staff that has snakes twisted about it, and a cap +with a feather in it.” + +The Cub stood up laughing and slipped away down under the rocks with his +wolf; it almost seemed as if he had flown. As Pero stared after him, he +remembered that the lad had an eagle feather in his pointed cap, and his +staff had a twisted vine around it. But the next time they met the boy was +so clearly only a boy in a sheepskin tunic that Pero called himself an old +fool too ready to take fancies. + +The Cub had spent time enough on the other side of the river to know +something about the people, and he had interesting things to tell. They +enjoyed bargaining and spent much time buying and selling. They could make +fine gold work, bright-colored cloth, and brown vases with black pictures +painted on them. Their walls were often painted with pictures. When a +trader from that country, named Toto, came to the village, Pero remembered +some of the things he had been told. The people bought some of his +trinkets, but by what they said of them when the brightness was worn off +and the color faded, he was not a very honest merchant. Pero remembered +then that this people had the same god for trading and for stealing. + +The Cub said that he had been to other villages along this mountain slope, +and they seemed to be as separate as if they were islands on a sea of +waste wilderness. They did not have their feasts on the same day, they did +not measure time alike; in some ways they were almost as far apart in +their ideas as if they had been different kinds of animals. And yet they +all spoke nearly the same language and worshiped in much the same way. If +they knew each other better and met oftener they would be all one people, +strong enough to drive away their enemies. If he and Pero could meet in +this friendly way, surely others could. But this was a new idea to the +shepherd, and he was not used to thinking. When the Cub saw that he did +not understand he began talking of something else. The invisible boundary +lines were too strong to be crossed. + +Often, late at night, after Pero had gone home, the Cub would lie on a +high rock that overlooked the village, looking down at the twinkling +circle of lights that meant altar fires in homes. Then he would look up at +the twinkling points of light in the sky, and wonder if the gods lived +there, and if the lights were the altar fires of their homes. If he had +known that Pero once half believed him to be a god in disguise, he would +have been very much surprised. He was only a boy, without father, mother +or home, and he wished he knew what lay before him in the life he had to +live. + +He could keep sheep, he could hunt, he could fight, he could run and swim +better than most boys of his age, and there was no beast, fowl, bird, +reptile, fruit or tree in the wilderness that he did not know. But there +seemed to be no place for him to live among men unless he was a sort of +servant. This was not to his liking. He had never seen any man whose +orders he would be willing to obey. He had seen some who were wiser, far +wiser than he was, who could tell him a great deal that he wished to know. +But he had never seen any to whom he would be a servant. A servant had to +do what he was told and make himself over into the kind of person some one +else thought he ought to be. The old woman who was a witch had told him +that he was born to rule, but he did not see how he could, unless it was +ruling to command animals. To rule men he must live where they were, and +so far as he could see they had no place for him. + +His brother never seemed to have such thoughts. Give him enough to eat and +drink, a fire to warm him in winter and a stream to bathe in when the +summer suns were hot, and his reed pipe to play, and that was enough. He +would spend hours playing some tune over and over with first one change +and variation and then another. Even the wolf, now grown large and +powerful, with his gaunt muzzle and fierce eyes, was more of a companion +than that. He was always ready for a wrestle or a race or a swim with his +master. The two of them were feared wherever they went, and treated with +unqualified respect. + +One day the Cub lay on his favorite rock, hidden by a low-sweeping +evergreen bough, when he heard shrieks and outcries. Peering over the +edge, he saw that in the edge of the woods below, where some women and +children were picking up nuts the men had shaken down for them, something +was happening. Half a dozen fierce men had rushed upon them and caught up +one of the children and run away, so quickly that by the time the fathers +and brothers got there no one could say which way they had gone. They +joined some others hidden in the woods, and came straight past the rock +where the Cub was watching. They were going to keep the child until they +got what they wanted. He could hear them talking. The biggest man had the +child on his shoulder. Her little face, as he got a glimpse of it, was +very white, but she did not cry out. + +The boy rose and followed them with his wolf at his heels. He knew a +spring some distance above, where he thought they would be likely to stop +for a drink. They did. They were far enough away by this time not to fear +pursuit, and they had passed a rocky place where they could hold the +narrow trail against many times their number. But long before the men +could get up there they would have gone on. + +The Cub crept up, inch by inch, until he was within a few feet of the +savage, careless group by the spring, and behind them, on a bank about six +feet high. Only the child was facing him. He showed himself for an +instant, and laid a finger on his lips, and beckoned. She struggled free +from the man who was holding her, striking at him with her little hands, +and he laughed and let her go. Even if she tried to run away, they would +catch her. But she only staggered unsteadily toward the bank, as if to +gather some bright berries there. + +The instant she was clear of the group two figures hurled themselves +through the air,—a man and a wolf, or so it seemed in the moment or so +before the thing was over. There was a snarling, growling, breathless +struggle, and then the two strange figures were gone, and so was the +child, and the bandits were nursing half a dozen wolf bites and various +cuts on their shoulders and arms. Some they had given each other in the +confusion, and some were from the long, keen knife the Cub had ready when +he leaped among them. + +The lad went straight down the mountainside with his wolf at his heels and +the child on his shoulder, and came out on the path that led upward just +as the men from the village were coming up. He set down the child, and +with a cry of delight she rushed into the arms of her father. A spear +hurtled through the air from the hasty hand of one of the men, who had +caught a glimpse of a brown shoulder and a sheepskin tunic. The Cub +disappeared. He was rather disgusted. If that was the way that the +villagers repaid a kindness— + + [Illustration: The lad went straight down the mountainside with his wolf + at his heels] + +From his rock he watched them returning with the child, all talking at +once. It seemed to him a great deal of talk about what could not be helped +by talking. He called Pincho, and only silence answered. He slid off the +rock and retraced his steps. When he reached the place where he had set +down little Emilia, he found the body of his pet, quite dead, with a spear +wound straight through the heart. Then he remembered that in the flash of +time when the spear was hurled, Pincho had sprung at the man. He had taken +the death wound meant for his master. + +Pero never saw the boy with the wolf again. When he heard Emilia’s story +of her rescue, he was inclined to think that they were gods after +all,—Mars himself, for all any one could say. But the Cub, feeling much +older, was far away, and it was long before he returned to that +countryside. + + + + + + VII + + + MASTERLESS MEN + + +The story the robbers had to tell, when they returned to their captain, +was not a very likely one. It was so unlikely that they took time to talk +the matter over thoroughly before attempting to face him. Perhaps it would +be better to tell a lie, if they could concoct one that would do. The +trouble was that they could not think of any explanation for their +failure, that was likely to satisfy him any better than the plain facts. + +Of course it seemed impossible that a man and a wolf should be traveling +peaceably in company,—to say nothing of taking a child out of the hands of +several strong and reckless men. But even so, where had they gone? One of +the men had been quick enough to thrust with his spear at the wolf as he +got it against the sky,—and it went through nothing. He forgot that the +motion of an animal is usually quicker than the human eye, on such +occasions. Moreover, though two of them went back down the path until they +could hear the voices of the villagers, there was no sign of man, wolf or +child. The conclusion they felt to be the only one possible was that the +villagers’ gods had come and taken the child away from them, in the form +of the wolf and the man. In that case they must be very powerful, so +powerful that it would not be safe to attempt anything against that +village in the future. + +Gubbo, who came from that village, assured them that its gods were +powerful indeed. He had not, when he and the other man were watching it, +seen anything like this man and wolf apparition, and it was certainly +remarkable enough to attract attention. Neither had the country people +ever mentioned such a thing. Privately, Gubbo did not believe much in +gods, but he was afraid of them for all that, because he was not sure. +Gubbo’s father had impressed upon him very hard that if he did wrong, bad +luck would surely overtake him. The patience of the gods was great, but +they knew everything, and in the end no man could escape them. Gubbo, +wincing at the pain where the wolf’s teeth had caught him, was +uncomfortably wondering whether his bad luck had begun. There had never +been any other failure to kidnap somebody, when men were sent to do it. +Perhaps the bad luck in this case came from the fact that one of the party +was attacking his own relatives and friends. There would be more bad luck +when the chief of the bandits heard of this thing. Gubbo decided to dodge +any further trouble if he could, and he lagged behind and quietly slipped +away, to find some other way of making a living. He intended to go on +traveling for a long time, to be out of the way of his former comrades. + +It was just as well for him that he did this, for the men who returned to +the den in the rocks and reported to the chief had a very bad time of it. +The leader was executed, and so was the man who had had charge of the +child. Of the other three, one died of the bite of the wolf and the others +were very ill. After that, not a man of them could have been induced to +join in an attack against that village. The chief wisely did not press the +matter. After all, that was the nearest village of all those in their +range, and it might not be altogether prudent to arouse the anger of the +fighting men. It might lead to discovery. + +The Cub, as he made his way back to the hut of Faustulus, was doing a +great deal of thinking. When he was younger he had sometimes dreamed of +being captain of a band of outlaws, because that seemed the only chance to +be captain of anything, for a fatherless boy. But he had no taste for +kidnaping children or being a nuisance to peaceable and kindly people. +Merely to think of those scoundrels made him hot all over. He would have +liked to follow their trail up to their very den, for he had an idea that +he knew where it was. One day, when he and Pincho had been hunting +together, he had seen a place where men evidently lived, and lived without +any sort of peaceful farming or other business. If that were the den of +the banditti, they could easily make themselves the pest of the +countryside, and what they had done would be nothing to what they could +do. Although he did not himself know it, this boy was the kind of person +whose mind leaps ahead and sees possibilities for others as well as +himself,—evil as well as good. + +One day he asked his brother how he would like to gather the masterless +men of all that neighborhood into a band of soldiery, to live by hunting +and by fighting for any chief who would give them their living. They were +growing too old to live much longer as they had lived. Perhaps if they +could gather followers enough, they could go somewhere after awhile and +make a place for themselves. First they might go to the Long White +Mountain, where there was a rather large town, and see what the prospect +was for such an undertaking. They had already taken part in one campaign, +with some of the boys of the neighborhood, under the names of the Wolf and +the Piper. All of the troop had some nickname or other. There was the Ram, +whose head would crack an ordinary board in two; the Snake, who could +wriggle out of any bonds ever tied—they had tried him time and again; Big +Foot, Flop-Ear, Long Arm, and some others. They found the captain they had +followed before glad to use them again and give them ordinary soldier +rations. On the second night of their life in camp, a broad-shouldered and +slightly bow-legged individual came and asked to see the head of the band. +Gubbo did not recognize the young leader, but the latter knew him the +moment he saw him. Gubbo explained that he had been a member of a company +of banditti, had become disgusted with their ways, and left them. He would +like to make an honest living. + +“What can you do?” asked the youth consideringly. + +Gubbo said that he could teach tricks in knife work to almost any man; +also he could wrestle. + +“Try me,” said the Wolf, slipping out of his heavy tunic. He enjoyed the +rough-and-tumble that followed more than he had anything since he used to +play with his wolf. This man really was a fair match for him. Gubbo was +taken into the band. + +“He is a brute,” said the Ram bluntly. + +“He is,” said the leader. “But he can teach you fellows something.” + +They learned a great deal from the villainous-looking newcomer, though if +he had not been a little afraid of the young head of the troop, they might +have paid a heavy price for their learning. The latter found out by +judicious questioning that the den was where he had supposed it was. After +a time he began to see that Gubbo was doing his men no good. The man was +cruel, treacherous and base. Two or three times he had played tricks which +others were blamed for. One day Gubbo heard that a merchant was coming +along the road to the mountain villages, and at the same time he was sent +on scout duty that way. He watched in the bushes until the man came along +slowly, muffled in a long mantle, with a donkey loaded with panniers. He +seemed to be old; his beard was white. Gubbo sprang on him; the man turned +in that instant and met him with a knife thrust. Then the Wolf +straightened up, dropped his white goat’s-hair beard and wig, and went +back to camp. The bad luck that Gubbo feared had got him at last, and +nobody mourned him at all. + +Wolf and the Piper and their troop spent some seasons in fighting and +adventure, and then they disappeared. It was said that they had separated. + +This was true, but they had separated for a purpose. If the company went +together to the lair of the banditti they might as well go blowing +trumpets and beating drums; it would be known long before they came near. +Their orders were to go by twos and threes, and when the moon was full to +meet near a certain great rock that overlooked the valley where the river +became a lake and then went on. One by one, as the young leader sat +watching on this rock, dark forms came slipping through the shadows and +joined him. Last of all came his brother, who had guided some of the party +by a very roundabout way. + +When all were there, and sentinels posted, he unfolded his plan. Above the +place where they now sat, among the tumbled rocks of a narrow valley, was +the headquarters of a most pestiferous company of robbers. For years they +had terrified and despoiled the people of the villages, and if any +resisted they were tormented almost beyond endurance in many different +ways. The people were expected to turn over to them at certain times and +places practically everything they produced, except just enough for a bare +living. Whatever the banditti did not use themselves, they sold for things +that could not be got in the villages. The villagers never knew what they +were to be allowed to have at the end of the year, and often they suffered +for food and warm clothing; but they stayed there because they knew +nowhere else to go. It was a miserable state of things. + +His plan was this. They were to steal upon this den of banditti and take +it by surprise. Gubbo had said that it was not fortified to any extent, +because the chief relied on the locality not being known. They were to +kill the chief and such men as could not be trusted to behave themselves +if they had a chance. Perhaps some would join the troop and abide by its +rules. They would take the stronghold for their own, and keep it as a +place to return to when they were not busy elsewhere. Then, instead of +making enemies of the villagers or keeping them so terrified that they +dared not refuse any request, let them make a friendly agreement. If the +people who lived in these valleys gave them a certain tribute three or +four times a year—a certain part of the crop, whatever it was—they would +take care that there was no more plundering and kidnaping, and the farmers +could attend to their own affairs in safety and comfort. If any enemy came +against the people, too great for the Wolf and his soldiers to encounter +successfully, the fighting men of the villages would be expected to help +them, but they would undertake to keep the region clear of banditti. In +return, if any one asked whether there was a band of outlaws hiding +thereabouts, the villagers were to say that they did not know where there +were any, and that would be the truth. + +The plan was approved, as the young chief knew it would be. He had talked +it over beforehand with each man separately. If the people were ungrateful +enough, after the den of thieves was broken up, not to agree to the plan +proposed, they could take their chance with other thieves, but he thought +that after what they had been through in the last few years they would be +willing to agree to almost anything. + +As men are apt to do when they are much feared, the banditti in the +rock-walled ravine were growing rather careless. The scouts of the Wolf’s +troop were able to follow their movements closely. On the following night, +when their destruction was to take place, the robbers were all in camp, +having just returned from one of their expeditions to bring up supplies. +The fat calf and the fowls and other provisions were sizzling and stewing +over great fires. There was plenty of new wine. From a trader’s pack some +of the younger men had got little ivory cubes with figures engraved on the +sides, and were playing a game of chance. Their huts were furnished rather +luxuriously, with fur robes, wool garments and gay hangings, but these, +like their clothing, were stained and injured more or less by the fighting +that usually took place over the plunder. The chief did not care what his +men did in camp so long as they obeyed his orders. He did not wish them to +do much thinking; he preferred to do all of that for them. He would have +been surprised indeed if he had known that some of them did think and had +almost made up their minds that they had had enough of him and of his +methods and would go somewhere else. + +As he grew older, the robber captain was fonder of eating and drinking, +and now he sat on a handsome ivory stool near the fire—for the night was +chilly—waiting for the meat to be done to a turn. The cook was a stout, +short, bright-eyed man, a slave from across the river, and there was very +little that he did not know about preparing rich dishes. + +It was a windy night. The wind howled among the trees and down the ravine +as if it were chasing something. It was like the howling of wolves, though +there had been no wolves on that part of the mountain for a long time. Far +to the right of the camp there was heard a noise like the cry of a child. +Far to the left there was a bleating like a lamb. These were the signals +arranged by the attacking force that was coming silently through the +woods, and the sentinels went out a little way to see what a lamb and a +child could be doing up here. They were knocked down, bound and carried +off to a safe distance. By the time supper was ready in the ravine, the +men in the woods were lying on the bank above, all around, looking down +into the stronghold. The huts were ranged in two rows down the hollow, +with a line of fires between and the fronts open. The entrance below was +blocked by a log gate. But the men now ready to attack the place could +climb like goats; they had all been brought up among the hills. + +All of a sudden arrows came shooting down on the careless banditti, and +almost every one found its mark. Down to the roofs of the huts and to the +ground came leaping figures, well armed and fighting with the strength and +skill of trained men. Whenever they could they disarmed and bound their +men, but the leader of the banditti was an exception to this rule. He was +killed without a chance to surrender. + +When every man in the camp of the banditti had been cut down or +captured—and about half of them surrendered,—the victors sat down and ate +the feast prepared for the robbers. + +Next day, when things had been cleared up and put in order, each +prisoner’s case was taken up separately. A few, whose deeds were the +terror of the countryside, were executed. The rest were glad enough to +join the troop under the Wolf, on probation. If they did well, they should +be full members in time. + +The people of the villages were thankful to buy protection on the +reasonable terms offered. They did not know exactly who these men were who +had rid them of the banditti; some supposed they were a troop of soldiers +from some chief. They almost never saw any of the band. The tax demanded +was brought to a certain place and left there, and that was all. Emilius +the priest often wondered why these men did not ask anything of his +village, but they never did. Their village was the only one that had +hardly ever suffered from the banditti. It was very odd. He never +connected either of these facts with the long-ago visit of the shepherd +youths and the tame wolf. So matters went on for a year or two. A guard +was always left at the stronghold, but the men were often absent. +Merchants and traders learned that they could get these men to protect +them, at a price, when they were traveling through a strange country. They +had really established a sort of patrol. The scattered hunters and +fishermen had walked in desperate terror of the banditti, but they almost +worshiped the troopers, and they would have died rather than reveal +anything they had been told to keep secret. When Amulius, the hoary and +evil chief of the people of the Long White Mountain, heard of these two +youths who were such excellent fighters and whose men had so good a +reputation, he tried to find out where they were, but he never could. For +all the people of the country seemed to know, they might come out of the +air and vanish into the clouds. It was very mysterious. When the young +leader heard that Amulius had been trying to find him he smiled, and did +not make any comment whatever. + + + + + + VIII + + + THE BEEHIVE TEMPLE + + +The preparations at the village on the Mountain of Fire were completed +during the winter, and the little company of men, women and children made +ready to go out into the unknown world as soon as a favorable day arrived. +It was a more serious undertaking than any they had known or even heard of +before. Even when their ancestors came to this place, so long ago that no +one could remember when it was, it was after a lifetime of wandering; they +were not used to anything else. This company was made up of people who had +never in their lives been more than a day’s journey from the place where +they were born, and what was more, hardly any of their forefathers had, +for generations. + +It was made still more difficult and doubtful by the fact that they were +taking their women and children with them. There was no other way. There +was not too much to eat in the village, as it was, and there would be +less, if the men went away for a year and left their families to be +supported. Although the men would have preferred to go first and explore +the land, the women were privately better pleased as it was. They felt +that if their husbands were to be killed they wanted to die too. As for +the children who were old enough to understand the situation, their +feelings were mixed. It was exciting and delightful to be going to see new +lands, and made them feel important and responsible, but when the time of +leaving actually approached and they began to think of never seeing their +old home again, they felt very sober indeed. + +They left the mountain on the day that was later called the Ides of March, +at the beginning of spring, and slowly they followed the shining river out +into the valley. Two-wheeled carts drawn by the oxen were loaded with the +stores and clothing they were able to take with them. The fighting men had +their weapons all in order. The boys were helping drive the cattle and +sheep, and the married women had the younger children with them. Every one +who was able to walk, walked. The eldest girl in each of the families—none +was over ten years old—had charge of one most important thing—the fire. +The little maidens walked soberly together, feeling a great dignity laid +upon them. Each carried a round, strong basket lined with clay and covered +with a beehive-shaped lid of a peculiar shape. In this were live coals +carefully covered with ashes, for the kindling of the next fire. No matter +what happened, they must not let those coals go out. + + [Illustration: The little maidens walked soberly together] + +“What-_ever_ happened?” repeated a little yellow-haired girl, called +Flavia because she was so fair. She was the daughter of Muraena the smith, +and the youngest of the ten. + +Ursula, the biggest girl, laughed. “If we were crossing a river and one of +us got drowned, I suppose her fire would be lost,” she said teasingly. +“But they wouldn’t excuse us for anything short of that.” + +“But if it did go out—if all of the fires were put out?” persisted Flavia, +walking a little closer to Marcia, whose word she felt that she could +trust. She had visions of a dreadful anger of the gods,—another night of +darkness and terror like the one they all remembered. “Should we never +have a fire again, and have to eat things raw, and freeze to death, and +let the wolves eat us up?” + +“Certainly not,” answered Marcia reassuringly. “Father told me all about +that when I was younger than you are. Don’t you remember how they kindled +the fire in the new year?” + +Flavia shook her yellow head. “I never noticed.” She had been so taken up +with the chanting and the ceremonies that she had not seen how the fire +actually blazed up on the altar. + +“They do it with the _terebra_ and the _tabula_. The _tabula_ is a flat +wooden block with a groove cut in it, and the _terebra_ is a rubbing-stick +that just fits the groove. They have some very fine chaff ready, and they +move the stick very fast in the groove until it is quite hot. Don’t you +know how warm your hands are after you rub them together? When there is a +little spark it catches in the chaff, and then it is sheltered to keep it +from going out, and fed with more chaff and dry splinters until the fire +is kindled. They can _always_ kindle a fire in that way.” + +“What if the _terebra_ and the _tabula_ were lost?” asked Flavia. + +“They would make others.” + +“If I rubbed my hands together long enough, would they be on fire?” asked +the child. She did not yet see how fire could be made just by rubbing bits +of wood together. In fact, it was so much easier to keep the fire when it +was once made that this was hardly ever done. It was only done regularly +once a year, at the beginning of the month sacred to Mars. Then all the +altar fires were put out and the priest kindled the sacred fire in this +way afresh. + +The girls all laughed, and Marcia answered, + +“No, dear, it is only certain kinds of wood that will do that. I suppose +the gods taught our people long ago which they were. The hearth god lives +in the fire, you know. I always think it is like a living thing that will +die without care. Father says that the fire keeps away the wicked fever +spirits.” + +“What’s fever?” asked Yaya, on the other side. “Did you ever have it?” + +“No, never; but Father did once, when he was working on the road across +the marsh, before I was born. It makes all your bones ache as if they were +broken, and you cannot keep still because the spirits shake you all over. +You grow hot and grow cold, and have bad dreams, and talk nonsense. Father +woke up one day when he had the fever, and said that there were great rats +coming to carry off my brother Marcs, who was a baby then, and he tried to +get up and kill the rats, when there were none there. And when he was well +he never remembered seeing the rats at all.” + +Although the children did not know it, a blazing fire and wool clothing +help to keep away the malarial fever of a wet wilderness. The people +believed that their gods taught them to keep up a fire, to wear clean wool +garments and to drink pure water, and it is certain that they were wise in +doing all these things religiously, as they did. When they found a good +spring on their journey they filled their water bottles and left a little +gift there for the god of the waters. They kept near pure running water +when they could, and away from standing water, even if they had to go a +long way round to do it. In the sudden damps and chills of the lowlands +through which they traveled the tunics and mantles of pure wool kept them +from taking cold, and there was very little sickness on the journey. They +kept to their own habits of eating, and the children were not allowed to +experiment with strange and possibly unripe fruits. + +It was a long time, however, before they came in sight of any place that +could be thought of as a home. Most of the country they saw was not +inhabited except by a stray hut dweller here and there, getting a +miserable living as he could,—simply because the land was not fit to live +in. They crossed a rolling plain, where the marshes were full of +unpleasant looking water, and the air at night was full of singing, +stinging insects that drove the cattle frantic. It was not quite so bad +near the fires. The insects seemed to dislike the smoke, or perhaps their +wings could not carry them through the strong currents of air that the +flames made around them. As soon as possible they moved up toward the +higher land, and here at last they came in sight of the river of the +yellow waters, the great river that ran down to the sea. Beyond that they +could not go without meeting strange people and the worship of strange and +cruel gods. + +Every night the beehive covers were taken off the baskets, and the fires +were kindled, and in a round hut that was like a big basket lid, a bed of +coals was made ready for the next day’s journey. It was the duty of the +ten little girls, the guardians of the fire, to take care of this, and +they spent a great deal of time around the miniature temple of the fire +god. One or another was always there. + +One night when they were carefully covering the coals with fine ashes, +Marcia and Tullia and Flavia looked up and saw two strange men standing +near and looking down at them. They were startled but not at all +frightened. The strangers would not be there if they were not friends; the +men would not allow it. The two youths did not say anything; they watched +for a few minutes, smiling as if they liked what they saw; then they +turned away. They looked very much alike, and walked alike, and their +voices were alike; but one was a little taller and darker than the other +and always seemed to take the lead. They were not like the rude, ignorant, +pagan people who sometimes came to stare and beg and perhaps to pilfer +when they found some one’s back turned. They looked like the people of +Mars. But what could they be doing away out here? + +The next day there was great news to tell. In the first place, the fathers +of the colony had decided to stay here a few days, and let the cattle +feed, and the women wash their clothing and rest for a little before going +on. The water was good, and they had learned that it was a safe part of +the country, though it was too rocky and barren to be a good place to +live. But that was the smallest part of the news. The two youths were +their own kinsmen, born of their own people, sons of a son of the old +chief who had died in a far land many years ago. + +This was wonder enough, to be sure, but there was more to come. The wicked +uncle of the two brothers had killed their mother and father, and told one +of his servants to take the twin boys down to the river and drown them. +They were babies then. The servant did not like to do this. He may have +been afraid he would get into trouble if he did it and any of their people +found it out later. He may have hated to do the cruel work, for they were +strong and handsome little fellows. At any rate he put them in a basket +and gave the basket to a slave, telling him to throw it into the river. + +The river was in flood just then, and its banks were overflowed for miles +on each side. There was water everywhere, and the ground was soft so that +it was hardly possible to get down to the real river, where the water was +deep and the current strong. If the children had been thrown into that, +they would have drowned at once. But the slave did not take time to go all +the way around the plain to the bank itself. He put the basket down in the +first deep pool he found and left it to be carried down to the river, for +the flood was beginning to ebb. Instead of that the basket lodged on a +knoll and stayed there, not very far from the banks. + + [Illustration: The little creatures inside the basket were not cubs or + lambs] + +In flood time, as Ursula had often heard her father the hunter say, +animals are sometimes so frightened that the fierce and the timid take +refuge together on some island or rocky ridge, without harming each other +at all. This flood had come up suddenly and drowned some of them in their +dens. A wolf that had lost her cubs in that way was picking her steps +across the drenched plain, when she heard a noise—two noises—from a willow +basket under a wild fig tree. She went quietly over there and looked in. +The little creatures inside the basket were not cubs or lambs, but they +were hungry; any one would know that from the way they squalled. Wolf talk +and man talk are quite different, but baby talk and cub talk are +understood by all mothers. The wolf tipped the basket over with her paw, +and the little things tumbled out in the cold and wet and cried louder +than ever. Perhaps they thought she was a big dog. At any rate they +crawled toward her, and plunged their strong little chubby hands into her +fur, and crowed. When she lay down they snuggled close to her warm furry +side, and she licked them all over. + +A shepherd named Faustulus came that way when the flood had gone down, +looking after a lost sheep. He found wolf tracks, and grasping his spear +firmly, traced them to this knoll. He found the gray wolf curled up there +with the two babies, asleep and warm and rosy, in the circle of her big, +strong body. + +The shepherd did not know just what to do. He thought that if he tried to +take the children away from her she would fight, and they might be hurt, +and he probably would be hurt himself. He decided to go and get help. +Later in the day he came back with some of his friends, and set a rude +box-trap for the wolf, baited with fresh meat from a drowned calf. When +they had trapped her they took her home and the children also, in their +basket. They kept the wolf for some time, and she seemed quite tame; but +at last she ran away and never came back. They fed the babies on warm +milk, and the shepherd and his wife both fell in love with them from the +very first. They heard a rumor after awhile, whispered about secretly as +such things are, that the chief Amulius had had his two little nephews +drowned. The shepherd guessed then who the foundlings might be, but he +kept quiet about it. The city was not too far away, and some one might be +sent even yet to kill the twins. In the language of the country the word +for river was Rumon, and the word for an oar was Rhem. He named the boys +Romulus and Remus, and those were all the names they had. They grew up to +be fine active fellows, afraid of nothing and good at all manly sports. As +they grew up, they gathered other young men outside the villages into a +sort of clan, to protect the countryside against robbers, and to fight and +hunt and earn a living in one way and another. They had a rocky stronghold +on the mountain, where they lived, and whenever strangers came that way, +some one was sent to see who and what they were. That was how the two +brothers came to the camp of the colonists. + +When this remarkable story was told, there was intense interest in the +strange kinsmen. The girls were a little afraid of them. Their eyes were +so bright and keen, their teeth so white, and their faces so bronzed and +stern that they looked rather savage, especially in their wolf-skin +mantles and tunics. But the boys all wished that they could join the +patrol in the mountains. + +For two days the colonists remained where they were, talking with the two +brothers about the country. At last it was settled that the very hills +where the two foundlings had grown up would be the best place for the +colony to live! + +Near the yellow river, there was a group of seven irregular hills which +had never been inhabited, because the place was far from any town, and the +neighboring chiefs had no especial use for it. There was good water on +these hills and pasture enough for all the herds, if the woods were +cleared off. The hills were so shaped that they could be defended, and +from those heights they could see for miles and miles across the plain. +The wild face of Romulus changed and kindled as he talked, and Marcus +Colonus saw that here in this youth, his kinsman, in spite of his +adventurous and untrained life and his ignorance of the old and +time-honored ways, he had found a true son of the Vitali, who loved his +land and his people. + +The colonists crossed the plain to the seven hills, with the brothers +guiding them, and on the largest, which stood perhaps a hundred and fifty +feet above the river, they made their camp and set up the beehive temple +for the last time. Here, they hoped, the sacred fire would burn year after +year, and their people find a home. + + + + + + IX + + + THE SQUARE HILL + + +The colony had chosen for their home one of the largest of the seven +hills, squarish in form and more or less covered with woodland. They began +at once to fence it around, to keep their beasts from wandering out and +thieves and wild beasts from getting in, for all this country was very +lonely. They had done this sort of thing so often since they left their +old home that they did it quickly and rather easily. It was the habit of +their people to save time and strength wherever they could, without being +any less thorough. To do a thing right, in the beginning, saved a great +deal of loss and trouble in the end. + +While some cut down trees that grew on the land where they intended to +make their permanent settlement, others trimmed off the branches as fast +as the trees were down, and cut the logs to about the same length, and +pointed the ends. The boys gathered up the branches and cut firewood from +them. The brush that was not needed for the fires was made into loose +fagots and piled up on the logs, as they were laid along the line where +the wall was to be. This made a kind of brush fence, not of much use +against a determined enemy but better than none at all. Even this would +keep an animal from bouncing into the camp without being heard, and in +fact most wild beasts are rather suspicious of anything that looks like a +trap. + +When they had logs enough to begin fencing, all placed ready for use, they +dug holes along the line they had marked out with a furrow, and planted +the logs side by side as closely as they could, like large stakes. In any +newly settled place, where trees are plenty, this is the most easily built +fortification settlers can have, and the strongest. A stone or earth wall +takes much longer to build. It is still called a palisade, a wall of +stakes,—just as it was by men who built so, thousands of years ago and +called a sharpened stake a “_palum_.” A fence built of boards set up in +this way is called a paling fence, and the boards are called palings. The +word fence itself is only a short word for “defence,”—a defence made of +pointed stakes planted in the ground. + +The earth that was dug up was always thrown inside and formed the basis of +a low earthwork that made the palisade firmer. It was made as high as +possible from the outer side by being built on the edge of the hilltop so +that the ground sloped away sharply from it. The pointed tops of the logs +were a foot or two too high for a man to grasp at them and climb up, but +from the inside the defenders could mount the earthwork and look through +high loopholes. + +There was a gateway at the top of a slope that was not so deep as the +others, placed there so that if the colonists were outside and had to run +for shelter, they could get in quickly. Almost anywhere else, a person who +tried to get in and was not wanted would have to climb the hill under fire +from the slingers and bowmen above. He must then get over the perfectly +straight log wall, which afforded no foothold, because all the nubs of the +branches had been neatly pared off, and force his way over the sawlike top +in the face of men with long spears. No matter what sort of neighbors the +colonists might have, they would think twice before they tried that. + +The gate was made as strong as possible, of smaller tree trunks lashed +together, and strengthened on the inside by crosspieces. When it was +closed, two logs, one at the top and one at the bottom, were laid in place +across it. Some one was always there to guard it, day and night, and could +see through a little window who was coming up the hill. + +Although strongholds like this had not been necessary for many years in +their old home, there was one, built of stone in the ancient days, and +never allowed to go to ruin. It seemed very adventurous to the boys to be +erecting defences like that for their own families. But Romulus and Remus +had told them that this would be the only way of being quite safe. They +had a great deal that petty thieves might want to steal; and the chief +Amulius might take it into his head to send a force to attack them, if he +knew that so large a party of strangers had come in. When they had been +there some years, and more people had joined the colony, the seven hills +could be fortified so that nobody could take them. Colonus himself could +see that, and it gave him a feeling of confidence and respect for his +young cousin to know that he had seen it too. + +By the time the palisade was finished, not only most of the land within it +was clear, but the material for the huts was ready and some huts had been +built. The timber was piled as it was cut, by the boys of the various +families, on the lots marked out for the houses. The younger children cut +reeds and grass for thatching and for the fodder of the cattle. They did +this work in little companies and had a very pleasant time. Sometimes they +caught fish, or shot waterfowl with their bows and arrows, or set snares +for game. + +Later the men would gather stone for a stone wall in place of the +palisade, to run along the same line, and then the seasoned timbers of +their log wall would still be good for building purposes. There was a +steeper and narrower hill near the river which would make an excellent +fortress. But the thoughts of the colony now were given to laying out +farms. + +They cleared and laid out wheat fields and orchards and vineyards as soon +as they found land suitable. As any farmer knows, the sooner land is +cultivated the more can be got out of it; it is not work that can all be +done in a year, or two years, or three. This is especially true of land +never used before for anything but pasture, and much of this had never +been used even for that. Sheep do not like wet ground, and both sheep and +cattle, unless they were tended constantly, might stray into the swampy +low grounds. Drainage would help that land; when some of it was drained it +would make rich lush meadows and golden grain fields. The land-loving +Vitali could see visions of richer crops than any they had ever harvested, +growing on that unpromising plain, if only they could have their way with +it. + +The children who were here, there and everywhere, watching all that was +done and helping where they could, felt as if they were looking on at the +making of a new world. It was really almost like a miracle—some of the +ignorant marsh folk thought it was one—when that uncultivated hilltop, +overgrown with bushes and wind-stunted trees and with the rocky bones of +it cropping out here and there, became a trim encampment of orderly +thatched huts. The beasts grew sleek and fat on the good fodder and +grazing, and no one had appeared so far who had any evil designs. In fact, +few persons came near them at all. It was as if they had the new world all +to themselves. + +In the house-building the children helped considerably after the men got +the timber frames up. Instead of building stone walls, they were going to +do what they had sometimes done before when a wall was run up +temporarily,—use mud. They set stakes in rows along the walls, not close +together like the palisade, but far enough apart for twigs and branches to +be woven in and out between them like a very rough basketry. When this was +done the men built a kind of pen on the ground, for a mixing bowl, and +brought lime and sand and clay and water, and mixed it with tough grass +into a sort of rough plaster. This was daubed all over the walls with +wooden spades until the whole was quite covered, and when it hardened it +would be weather-proof and warm. Small houses built in this “wattle and +daub” fashion have been known to last hundreds of years. + +The thatched roof was four-sided, running up to a hole in the middle to +let out the smoke. When it rained, the rain dripped in around the edges of +the hole and ran into a tank under it. The altar with the sacred fire was +at one side of this tank, and when the room was dark the flame was +reflected in the wavering, shining depths of the water. The space opposite +the door, beyond the altar, was where the father and mother slept, and +later it might be walled off into a private room. Other rooms could be +partitioned off along the sides. In later times there was a small entry or +vestibule between the door and the inner rooms. But although the other +rooms might vary in number and size and use, the _atrium_, the middle +space, in which were the altar and the _impluvium_ or water pool, remained +the same. It was the heart of the home. Here the family worship was held, +and this was the common room of the family. + +The plan of the encampment itself was like the house on a larger scale. +The huts were built around the inside of the palisade, with a separating +space or belt of land that was never plowed or built on—the _pomerium_, +the space “before the wall.” In the middle was an open square which was to +the town what the _atrium_ was to the house,—the common ground, where +public worship was held, announcements made, and public affairs social or +religious carried on. Here was the beehive hut with the sacred fire, and +all other temples or public buildings there might be would open on this +square. The line of encircling houses made a sort of inner defense line, +and even if any stranger could have climbed the wall for purposes of +robbery or spying, it would have been hard for him to pass the houses +without being found out. + +This was the ancient way in which all the towns of this race were built. +As the towns increased in size, other gates were opened, and streets laid +out, but always after the same general plan. And as a family never stayed +indoors when it was possible to work or play in the open air, so the +colonists did not stay inside their wall when they could go out on the +common land and make it fruitful. Their descendants are seldom contented +to live inside walls and streets, where they can have no land of their +own. They find homes outside, where they can have land to dig up and plant +and tend and watch, season after season,—and in the thousands of years +since they began to plant and to reap, they have gone almost everywhere in +the world. + + + + + + X + + + THE KINSMEN + + +While the colonists were clearing the land on the Square Hill, building +huts and laying out farms, they saw nothing of Romulus and Remus. The old +shepherd Faustulus came up now and then to look at the work as it went on, +and plainly thought these newcomers wonderful and superior beings. But the +wolf’s foster children were fighters, not husbandmen, and this work was +not in their line at all. + +The fathers of the colony were not altogether sorry that this was so. They +felt that if the hunters, woodsmen, shepherds, soldiers of fortune, and +outlawed men Romulus commanded should happen to quarrel with peaceable +people like the settlers, it might create a very unpleasant state of +things. The brothers themselves were friendly enough, but it was not +certain whether they could keep their men from plunder or fighting if they +tried. Such bands, so far as Colonus and his friends had known of them, +were like a pack of wolves,—the chiefs only held their leadership by being +stronger, fiercer and more determined than the others. Their group of rude +huts in the forest was not at all like a civilized town, from what they +said of it, and they never seemed to give any attention to the gods or to +worship. Perhaps they did not know much about such things. Even those who +came from civilized places had wandered about so much that they seemed to +think one place as good as another. They had no idea of the feeling that +made their home, to the colonists, dearer than any other place ever could +be. It was so not because it was pleasanter, or because they had more +comforts than others, but because it was home, the place where people knew +and trusted one another and trusted in the unseen dwellers by the fire to +protect and guide them, and to make them wise and just in their dealings +with one another. + +To the colonists there was a very great difference between the ways of +different people. The words they used showed it. Civil life began when men +lived in a city, but this was not a large settlement of miscellaneous +persons, but a permanent home of men who all worshiped the same gods, and +obeyed the same laws and took responsibility. A man who did his part in +the life of such a place was a “citizen,” and the life itself was +“civilized,” the life of men who served one another and the whole +community—men, women and children—looking out for its future as they would +for the prosperity of their own family. In fact, such a body of people +usually began with a group of relatives, as this one had. Without this +dependence on one another to do the right thing, there could not be +civilization. + +A “company” was a group who were so far friends as to eat bread together. +This in itself was a proof of a sort of friendship, for in eating a man +had to lay down his weapons and be more or less off guard; when men ate +together they were all off guard for the time. “Community” meant a group +of families or persons bound together by kindred or friendship or common +interest, and stronger for being bound together, as a bundle of sticks is +stronger than separate sticks can be. “Religion” meant something stronger +still, the binding together of people who felt the same sort of ties to +the unseen world, who worshiped in the same way, and loved the same sweet, +old, familiar prayers and chants, and believed in the same unseen rulers +of life and death. + +The various words for strangers outside these ties which bound them to +their own people were just as expressive. Among farmers who lived on +cleared land, within walls, the people who did not were “out of doors,” +the forest people, the “foreigners.” Among a people who all spoke the same +language, the thick-tongued country people, whose ideas were few, like +their needs and their occupations, were the “barbarians,”—the babblers. +And in a place like the settlement they were making now, a little island +of orderly, intelligent life in a waste of almost uninhabited wilderness, +the scattered hut dwellers were the “pagans,” the people of the waste. But +almost every word that meant a civilized family or town had in it the idea +of obligation. People must see that they could not be lawless and have any +civil life at all. Civil life meant living together and living more or +less by rules that were meant for the comfort and welfare of all. + +Now the wild followers of Romulus could surely not be united by any such +law as this. They fought as if Mars himself had taught them, the country +folk said; but the worship of this god of manhood meant a great many +things besides fighting. No settlement could be strong where the men were +free to fight one another, knew nothing of self-control, made no homes. +Just how much Romulus understood of this, Colonus was not sure. As it +proved, he understood a great deal more than any one thought he did. + +Suddenly, as they always came and went, the twins appeared one day at the +gate of the palisade and were made very welcome. It happened to be a feast +day, the feast of Lupercal, which came in midwinter, and the fact was that +Romulus had found this out and had come that day on purpose. He was always +interested in sacrifices, omens, and old customs. Remus had brought his +pipes, and while he played for the dancers some wild music that none of +them had ever heard, Romulus came over to the older men. He was rather +quiet for a long time, watching all that went on, and his eyes turned +often to the fire on the altar. + +“My uncle,” he said at last to Marcus Colonus, when they were seated a +little apart from the others, “I came here to tell you the desire of my +heart, and now that I am here, I feel afraid. There is much in the world +that I have never seen and do not know. With you, I feel like a little boy +who has everything yet to learn.” + +This was a surprise to Colonus, and it was a pleasant one. This young man, +who had fought his way to power and leadership at an age when most boys +are still depending on their fathers for advice in everything, had somehow +learned to be gentle and reverent, and not too sure of himself. This was a +thing that Colonus could not have expected. He did not see exactly where +Romulus had learned it, but it gave him a feeling of great kindness toward +his young kinsman. + +“There is no need for you to be afraid,” he said cordially. “We are all +your friends here. We owe you much for your aid and counsel. You are of +our blood. This is your home whenever you come among us.” + +The young leader stole a quick look from his keen, dark eyes at the older +man. He had opened the conversation with that speech, not because he did +not mean it, for he did; he felt very rude and ignorant among these +kinsfolk of his, with their kindly, pleasant ways, and practical wisdom, +and unconscious dignity. He was perfectly honest in saying that. But he +said it just then because he wished to find out how Colonus felt toward +him, and how far he could count on his approval and support in a plan he +had. It would be better not to ask for help at all than to ask for it and +be refused. The young chief of outlaws was proud. He was also wise, with +the sagacity of a wild thing that has had to fight for life against all +the world from birth. He never had really trusted anybody. The weak who +were afraid to oppose him might do it if they dared. The strong must not +be allowed to see his weakness or they would take the advantage. The old +shepherd was kind, but he did not always see danger. Strength and kindness +did not go together in Romulus’ experience. Even when he and his men were +protecting the mountain villages, doing for them what they could not do +for themselves, the people never let them forget that they were outlawed +men. Because they did not live inside the walls and do just as the farmers +did, they could not be called civilized. But these men here were his +kinsmen, and they seemed different. Some instinct told him that with +Colonus it would be better not to pretend to be wise and strong, but to +ask advice. + +“That is very good of you,” he said gratefully. “But I am not, after all, +really one of you. I was not brought up as your sons have been. I cannot +be sure that they would trust me as my own men do. If I were sure—” + +And then he stopped. + +“Do you mean,” asked Colonus, “that you wish the help of our young men in +some expedition?” + +Romulus decided to risk it. “If it is wise in your eyes,” he said. + +“We are strangers in this land,” said Colonus deliberately, “and we must +be careful what we do. You had better tell me exactly what the plan is, +for I cannot judge in the dark. If I think it is not good I will say so, +and we will let the matter drop and say no more. If it seems wise I will +speak of it to Tullius the priest and the other men, and do all I can to +help you.” + +He suspected that Romulus had some plan for making war against his wicked +uncle and winning back the place that he and his brother had been robbed +of. He wished to know more of the young man’s ways of thinking and acting +before he made any promises. It might be a very good thing if Amulius were +overthrown, for he was feared and hated even by his own people. The +colonists were not strong enough to do it themselves, and it was not their +quarrel, but it was a very grave question whether they would not have to +fight the soldiers of Amulius sooner or later. He had never troubled the +few scattered shepherds and hunters by the riverside, but a settlement +like theirs, if it grew and was prosperous, might attract his attention. + +It was natural enough for Romulus to desire to overthrow the man who had +cast him out of his rightful place, but whether he could do it was another +matter. The young men would not make any trouble about joining him in his +war if they were allowed to, for he was already a sort of hero among them. +But if they drifted into the vagabond godless life of the outlaws in the +forest, it would be very unfortunate indeed. The only possible way in +which the settlement by the river could hold its own was by standing +together and keeping the old proved discipline. The lads had never done +any real fighting, and it would be a great experience for them. Everything +would depend on the leader under whom they fought, and Colonus did not +really know much about him. + +Very often conversation goes on without the use of words. This is so in +animals, who seem to understand each other without any talk at all. There +is more or less of it even among modern, civilized men. The two kinsmen +were not so far from the wild life of their ancestors that they did not +see through each other to some extent. Romulus knew well enough that the +colonists ruled their lives by ancient customs, and by what they could +learn of the will of the gods. A man like Marcus Colonus would naturally +have some questions to ask of a young fellow who paid no more attention to +old rules and ceremonies than a wild hawk. The youth intended to answer as +many of these questions as he could, before they were asked. + +“A long time ago,” Romulus began, his dark eyes fixed thoughtfully on the +leaping flames, “when my brother and I were boys, Faustulus the shepherd +took us farther from our pastures than we had ever been before. We came to +a place after much wandering, where all the people were making holiday. +When we asked, being still youths and curious, what holiday it was, they +said it was the day of the founding of the city. + +“They knew the name and the history of the founder of the city, who came +from a far country with his people, and was led by a wolf to the place +where the city was to be. Although he had long been dead, he was +remembered and loved. The priest said that his spirit was often with them +and blessed them when they did right. He was to them a kind father, who +never forgets his children. + +“Then, not understanding how one man could found a city, I asked the +priest, and he told me that the city was not a mere crowd of people, but +the home of the gods and of the ancestors of the people, as a house is the +home of a man. The unseen dwellers by the fireside require not great +houses, but when the fire is kept burning they love it as do the living. +Then I watched and saw the processions, and the dancing, and heard the +chanting of songs and the sacred music, and all that was done in honor of +the founder. I saw that the city was the home of a man, living or dead, +forever and ever. Then I said, ‘When I am a man, I will found a city in +the place where the wolf saved our lives when we were children.’ My +brother laughed, and I, being angry, knocked him down. I wanted to kill +him in that moment. But the priest told me that there must never be +quarreling on a feast day, because it brought ill luck. I was afraid that +the founder of the city saw me and was angry. I went away. But from that +time I have always wished to found a city in this place, and for that +reason I was glad when your people came and I could lead them here.” + +Colonus found this story a touching one. It showed a reverence and +affection for the things he had not known, which he was glad to see in +this strong young man. + +“And that is your secret desire?” he said, smiling. + +“That is my dream,” said Romulus. And he looked at the older man with eyes +that had a question in them. + +“If you are to found a city here,” said Colonus slowly, “Mars must lead +you as he leads us. If our young men fight in your battles, your men must +come and live with us and worship our gods and obey our laws. That is what +a city means. How will these things be, Romulus, son of the Ramnes, son of +the wolf?” + +“My men will go where I go,” said Romulus briefly. “This also is in my +mind, my uncle, and you shall tell me whether it is a wise plan or the +hasty vision of youth. There are many in the army of Amulius, my uncle, +who hate him as much as they fear him. He suspects that we are the +children he tried to murder, and will try to hunt us down and make the +people we have protected betray us. Perhaps they will fight for themselves +if they will not fight for us; I do not know. But there is not one among +my men,” the youth lifted his dark head in high confidence, “who follows +me from any other reason than because he wishes. They do not all love me,” +he added, with a grin that showed his sharp white teeth, “but I am their +leader and they will die fighting before they will yield to Amulius. + +“If then I lead my men boldly against Amulius, not waiting for him to be +ready, not staying until he sends his slaves to hunt me down, not letting +him hear of our coming till we are there, I think that we may succeed, and +then will the land be freed. He himself is old and has not led men to war +for many years. I think that many in his army will refuse to fight against +us, and others will yield without much fighting, and when we have come and +taken his city, the people who obey him now will be glad. But my +grandfather is still alive, and he, and not my brother nor myself, has the +right to rule upon the Long White Mountain. + +“When my grandfather is again ruler where he has the right, then would I +come here and found my own city in my own place where the she-wolf saved +our lives. Was she not the servant of Mars?” + +Colonus nodded thoughtfully. “It would seem so.” + +“Then shall my people be your people, and your gods my gods,” said +Romulus, his clear voice cutting the rest like the call of a trumpet. The +young people on the other side of the square looked curiously at the two, +the young man and the older one, so deep in talk, and Remus, laughing, +began to play again. It was a sweet and piercing measure that set all +their feet flying. + +Colonus stood up and took his young kinsman by the hand. “You are of our +blood,” he said, “and your fight is our fight. We have talked of this +among us, and have thought that perhaps you would do this. I think that +our council will be of one mind with me in this matter. The gods guide +you, my son.” + + + + + + XI + + + THE TAKING OF ALBA LONGA + + +Never in his life had Romulus felt in his own soul the strength of kinship +as he felt it after the colonists agreed to join their forces with his. He +had made his men into a fighting force when courage was almost the only +virtue they had, but there was no natural comradeship between them as a +whole. Here were men of his own people, welded together by all the ties of +a boyhood and manhood spent together in one place, and they were ready to +stand by him to the death. It seemed to give him a strength more than +human. Remus was his brother, but he too was different and did not +understand. He was no dreamer; he would have been content to go on all his +life a shepherd boy or a soldier. But these men understood; they looked +down the road of the years to come and planned for their children and +grandchildren. That was why they were willing to let their sons go to +fight against the tyrant Amulius under a stranger and a captain of +outlaws,—because they saw that in the end the war must be fought, and all +the men who could fight were needed. + +There were anxious days in the settlement by the yellow river, after the +young men marched away. Even if Romulus won the victory, perhaps there +would be some who would not come back. And if he failed, the first the +colonists would know of it would be an army coming to kill or enslave them +all. + +Not quite a month after the departure of the little fighting force the +watchmen on the wall saw far away on the plain a single running figure. At +first they could not be sure who it was. The word flew about the colony +and soon the people were gathered wherever they could get a view of the +running man. It was toward evening; the long shadows stretched over the +level ground, and the red sunset made the still waters look like pools of +blood. Everything was very quiet. They could hear the croak and pipe of +the frogs, far below at the foot of the hill. + +On and on came the racing figure, and now he had caught sight of the +people on the hill, for he lifted his arm and waved to them again and +again. It was good tidings; that was the meaning of his gesture in their +signal language. Many hastened to meet him, but the path down the hill was +a winding one and those who stayed where they were heard the news almost +as soon. The runner was Caius Cossus, who always outstripped every other +lad of his age in the races, and when he came to the foot of the hill he +shouted: + + [Illustration: “Victory! Vic-to-ry! Romulus forever!”] + +“Ai-ya! Victory! Vic-to-ry! Romulus forever!” + +His mother began to cry for joy and pride. The other women did not dare to +yet. They did not allow themselves to be really glad until the small boys +came scampering in ahead of their elders, to be the first to tell. Amulius +was dead and Numa ruled in his place, and not one of their own men had +been killed. Cossus reached the gate carried on men’s shoulders, for he +was almost worn out. He had had nothing to eat for several hours, and had +been running all the last part of the way, to get home before it was too +dark to see. + +Caius Cossus lived to be very old, and his long life brought him much +honor and happiness, but never again, so long as he lived, did he have so +glad a triumph as when he came in at the gate of the little, rude town by +the river, and told the story of the fight at Alba Longa to the fathers +and mothers who had the best right to be proud of it. It was the first +battle the young men of the colony had ever been in, and a great deal +would have depended on it in any case. They were strangers, with their +reputation for courage and coolness all to make. + +When the young messenger had had a chance to get his breath and some food +and drink—and the best in the place was none too good for him—he told the +story of the campaign from the beginning. + +Romulus had separated his force into three companies and sent them toward +Alba Longa by three roads and in small groups, not to attract attention, +until they were within a few hours’ march of the town of the chief. Here +they halted, and some of the outlaw band came up with them, carrying new +shields and weapons that had been hidden in a cave until the time came to +use them. The place of meeting was a wild rocky place where not even goats +could have found pasture, and here Romulus made a brief speech giving them +their orders. Fortune, he said, always favored those who were loyal to the +gods. Amulius was loyal to nothing; he was a liar, a thief and a coward, +and the invisible powers of heaven were arrayed against him. He was not +afraid that any of his followers would offend the gods. Whatever else they +had done, they had not bullied the weak or robbed the poor, or turned +their backs on the strong, or violated the holy places of any city. They +were to go forward in the faith that the stars of heaven would fight for +them and against the armies of Amulius. + +Some of the country people were there to serve as guides. There was a way +around the city to the back, where the wall was not so high, and Remus and +his party would go first and come around that way. The colonists were to +swing to the left, where a road branched off, and come up toward the gate +where the barracks were. Romulus himself with his own men would attack the +main gate just after dawn and push his way in while the troops were partly +distracted to the left and to the rear. When he gave the signal, a triple +drum roll, the colonists were to give back as if they were retreating, and +follow his men in at the main gate and bar it after them. He would send a +part of his men toward the west gate to take the troops in the rear, and +if they could drive the enemy out and hold that gate, the city would be in +Romulus’ hands. + +It all went as it was planned. The headlong rush of the young chief and +his men, who were as active and sinewy as cats, took them through the main +gate and over the walls almost at the same moment. They had brought slim +tree trunks with the nubs of the branches left on, for ladders, and +rawhide ropes on which they could swarm up over the walls in half a dozen +places at a time. The soldiers were completely taken by surprise, and many +surrendered at once. The invaders were in the public square and pushing +into the palace of the chief almost before the bewildered and terrified +people found out what had happened. Romulus himself was the first to enter +the private rooms of Amulius, and there he found the old chief dying from +a spear wound in the breast. The captain of his guard had killed him and +then offered his sword to Romulus in the hope of being the first to gain +favor. + +“A man who is false to one master will be false to two,” said Romulus, +with a flash like lightning in his dark eyes. He ordered the captain bound +and turned over to his grandfather, when he should arrive, for judgment. +This was not the sort of timber he wanted for an army. If the captain had +surrendered, it would have been very well, but to kill his master in his +room, unarmed, for a reward, was black treachery, and it was not the young +chieftain’s plan to encourage either traitors or cowards. + +From the steps of the palace he sent the triple drum roll sounding through +the gray light of a rainy morning, and heard it answered by the battle +shout of the young men of the colony, as they came charging into the gate, +and by the shrill piercing music of the pipes from the company Remus led. +The three companies met in the square, keeping order and rank as if it +were a game, and as they saw their leader standing in the doorway in the +red flame of the torches, they shouted the triple shout of victory. +Standing there in his armor, above the savage confusion, the white faces +of the people uplifted to him from the crowded streets, he looked every +inch a chieftain. He beckoned his brother to his side, and lifted his +sword, and all was still. + +“Ye who know what Amulius did in the days of his brother Numa,” he began, +“know now that he is dead. + +“Ye who know that he killed his own sons for fear they should grow up and +rebel against him, fear him no more, for he is dead. + +“Ye who have been bowed down with the burden of his cruelty and his greed, +rise up and stand straight like men, for he is dead. + +“Ye, the gods of his fathers and mine, who know what he was in his +lifetime, I call on ye to judge whether his slayer did well to kill him, +for he is dead. + +“Ye, the people of the Long White Mountain, who have heard the name of +Romulus and the name of Remus, know now that we are the children whom he +would have slain after he had killed our father and our mother, and that +we were saved by a wolf of Mars to live and rule our own people now that +Amulius is dead. + +“Ye, the people of Alba Longa, of the ancient home of our race, take Numa +for your chief now, and be loyal to him and serve him, for he who took the +right from him is dead!” + +There was an instant’s pause, and then shouts of “Numa! Numa!” broke from +the people. If Romulus had claimed the place for himself they would have +shouted his name just as readily, but this was not Romulus’ plan at all. +The headship of this people belonged to his grandfather Numa, and there +was no question about it. Until the old man was dead, he was the rightful +chief, and for his grandsons to push into his place would simply be the +same high-handed robbery Amulius had committed. The brothers were his +heirs, and they could wait and rule over their own city until they had the +right to rule here. + +This did away with the last bit of resistance. The remainder of the army +was only too glad to surrender, and messengers were sent off to tell Numa +the good news and bring him home in triumph to his own place. When they +had welcomed him, they would come to the hill beside the river and found +their own city. + +It was a day long to be remembered when the Romans returned, the young men +marching lightly with laughter and singing, their young leaders in the +van. The people went out to meet them with music and rejoicing, and there +was a great feast in the colony. But to Colonus the most precious moment +of that day—not even excepting the first sight of his own son Marcus—was +that in which the young and victorious Romulus came to him where he stood +with Tullius the priest, and knelt before them, saying, + +“Tell me that I have done well, my fathers, for without your approval the +rest is nothing. Have I proved myself worthy to found our city, O ye who +know the law?” + + [Illustration: Then they blessed him and crowned him with the victor’s + crown of laurel] + +Then they blessed him and crowned him with the victor’s crown of laurel. +The outlaw had found his own people. + + + + + + XII + + + THE RING WALL + + +In the weeks that followed the slaying of Amulius, Romulus sat many hours +each day with the older men, consulting and planning. He was very quick to +understand all that he heard and saw, and very anxious not to leave out +the least ceremony proper to the founding of the city. Each one of these +ceremonies had a meaning. The founder of the city was to the community +what the father of a family was to his household; he was a sort of high +priest. It was a strange experience for the wild young chief of a band of +men of no family,—outlaws and almost banditti. From a forest lair with no +temple and no altar he had come to a town where the altar was the heart of +everything. From expeditions planned and directed by himself, in which his +will was the only law, he was now to be the head of a life in which +everything was guided, more or less, by customs so old that no one could +say where they came from. He was no man’s servant or subject, but he was +the chosen man of the gods, to do their will in the city. + +The fathers of the city saw more and more clearly the difference between +the two brothers. Remus did not, apparently, take any interest in the +traditions and the ceremonies so strange to him and so familiar to the +colonists. Romulus had been leader in all their expeditions, not because +he tried to make himself first and crowd his brother down into second +place, but because his men would follow him anywhere, and they did not +seem to have the same faith in Remus. Moreover, Remus did not seem to care +to be a leader. He never sat, silent, planning and working out a way to do +what seemed impossible, as Romulus did. Romulus was not a great talker +unless at some especial time when he had something it was necessary to +say. He was in the habit of thinking a matter over very thoroughly before +he said anything at all about it. People wondered at his lightning-like +decisions in an emergency, but the men who knew him best knew that he had +often come to them privately beforehand, and talked the whole thing over, +without their knowing what he was after until the time came. + +Remus did most of the talking, in fact. He was fond of raising objections +and expressing doubts, and Romulus once said with a smile that this made +him very useful, because if Remus could not pick a hole in his plans no +one could. It was better to know all the weak points beforehand, instead +of finding them out by making a failure. This dream of founding a city, in +any case, was none of Remus’; it was the dream of Romulus, and his doing. + +Therefore the Romans were surprised when Remus objected to the choice of +the Square Hill for the sacred city. In his opinion the one next to it, +which had been named the Aventine, the hill of defense, because that was +where the soldiers had encamped, would be the place. There was no sign +that the Square Hill was favored by the gods. If Romulus considered signs +and omens so important, how could he be so sure that he had the right to +choose the place himself? + +Romulus’ black brows drew together. He had not thought of it in that way. +He had intended to choose, so far as he could be certain of it, the very +place where he and his brother were found by the shepherd, for the sacred +enclosure which would be the heart of the city. He had talked with +Tullius, who thought this entirely right; the almost miraculous rescue of +the two children was a sign, if any were needed. But Remus recalled the +custom that the priesthood beyond the river had, and that was also found +among the Sabines, of watching the flight of birds for a sign. He +challenged Romulus to make sure in this way. Let each of the brothers take +his position at sunrise on the site selected by himself and remain there +through the day. Whichever saw an omen in the flight of birds should have +the right to choose the place for the city. To this Romulus agreed. It +might have been partly for the sake of peace, for he knew of old that when +Remus became possessed of an idea he could be very eloquent about it. In +addition to this, if the omens did favor the Square Hill, there could be +no question then,—and he believed they would. + +It was a still day, late in spring, and most of the birds had already +flown northward on their usual migration. For a long time none appeared. +Then Remus gave a shout. He saw winging their way slowly but steadily a +flock of vultures,—six in all. If that were the only flight observed +during the day, it would seem that the Aventine was the right hill, after +all. The sun began to sink and cloud over. Then from the mountains where +Romulus had gathered his troop, and on which his eyes were resting, arose +a dark moving spot that spread into a cloud of outspread wings,—vultures +again, and many of them. There were twelve altogether. The huge birds came +sailing on wide-stretched, dusky pinions directly over the village of +huts, noiselessly as the clouds. When they had passed, the sun came out +again and shot rays of dazzling splendor across the hill, so that the +people’s eyes, following the strange flock, could not bear the light. The +gods had spoken, and the Square Hill was the chosen place. + +[Illustration: A plan of Rome in classical times, showing the seven hills] + +On what would now be called the twenty-first of April, the day when the +sun passes from the sign of the Ram into the sign of the Bull, in the +beginning of the month sacred to Dia Maia, the goddess of growth, the city +was founded. + +The first rite was one of purification. Fire, which cleanses all things, +was called upon to make pure every one who was to take part in the +ceremonies of the day. The father of the city stood with Romulus near a +long heap of brushwood. With a coal from the altar fire Romulus lighted +the pile and leaped across the flame, followed by the others in turn. + +Then around the spot where Faustulus had always said he found the +children, Romulus dug a small circular trench. The space inside this was +called the _mundus_, the home of the spirits. Here the ancestors of all +these people who had left their old homes might find a new home, a place +where they would still be remembered and honored, a sort of sacred guest +chamber in the life of the new city. These invisible dwellers by the altar +would see their children’s children and all their descendants keeping the +good old customs and the ancient wisdom from dying out, just as they +showed their ancestry in their eyes and hair and gait and way of speaking. + +The things that were put in this trench, in a hollow called the “outfit +vault,” were all symbols of the life of the people. First Romulus himself +threw into it a little square of sod that he had brought from the +courtyard of the house where he was born, on Alba Longa. Each of the +fathers of the colony in turn threw in a piece of sod they had brought +from their old homes on the Mountain of Fire. This, like so many things in +old ceremonies, was a bit of homely poetry. When a man was obliged to +leave the place where he was born he took with him a little of the sod. +Even to-day we find people taking from their old homes a root of +sweetbriar, or a pot of shamrock or heather, a cutting of southernwood or +of lilac. The look and the smell of it waken in them a love that is older +than they are, that goes back to some unknown forefather who brought it +from a still older place, perhaps, centuries ago. To the people of long +ago this feeling was part of religion. + +Together with the earth there were placed in the circle some of the grain, +the fruit, the wine, and all the other things that made a part of the life +of the people. Finally an altar was built in the center of it, and a fire +was lighted there from coals brought by the young girls. This was the +hearth fire of the spirits and was never to be allowed to go out except +once a year. Then it was kindled afresh by the use of the _terebra_ and +_tabula_, and all the other hearth fires would be lighted from it. + +[Illustration: The copper plow was drawn by a white bull and a white cow] + +Now came the last and most important ceremony, the tracing of the line of +the wall around the city itself,—the _urbs_, the home of the people. This +of course had all been decided upon beforehand, and the places for the +gates had been fixed. Romulus wore the robes of a priest, and his head was +veiled by a kind of mantle, in order that during the ceremony he might not +see anything that would bring bad fortune. The copper plow was drawn by a +white bull and a white cow, the finest of all the herd. As he turned the +furrow he chanted the prayers which he had learned from Tullius, and the +others, following in silence, picked up such clods of earth as dropped +outside the furrow and threw them within, so that these, having been +blessed by this ceremony, should not be trodden by the feet of any +stranger. One of the strictest rules of ancient religions was that +whatever was sacred, or made so by having been blessed, should be treated +with as much reverence as if it were alive. It should never, of course, be +trodden upon or defiled. + +When he came to the places where the gates were to be, Romulus lifted the +plow and carried it over. These openings in the furrow were called the +_portae_,—the carrying places. Of course, where there was a gate, the soil +must be trodden by many feet, and there the furrow was interrupted. It is +not known where all of these gates were, but the one called Porta +Mugionis, the Gate of the Cattle, out of which the herds were driven to +pasture, was where the Arch of Titus stands in the Rome of to-day. The +Porta Romana was the river gate and there were others leading to the +common land to the other hills. This first enclosure was afterwards +sometimes called Roma Quadrata,—the square city by the river. + +When the wall was built, a little inside this furrow, the wall also would +be sacred. Nobody would be allowed to touch it, even to repair it, without +the leave of the priest in whose charge it was. On both sides of it, +within and without, a space would be left where no plow was used and no +building allowed. There was a good practical reason for these rules about +the wall, though they were so time-honored that no one gave any thought to +that. The danger of a city being taken was considerably lessened, when it +was an unheard-of thing for any one to be near the wall for any reason. No +spy could get over it without attracting attention. The foundations also +would be much less likely to be undermined if the land next them were not +used at all. + +No human being among the lookers-on who reverently followed the procession +around this city that was to be, could have told what thoughts and +feelings filled the soul of Romulus. Perhaps he felt the solemnity of it +even more than he would if he had been accustomed to all these beliefs +from childhood. Things that he had dreamed of, things that he had seen +from a distance as an outlaw and a vagabond, were part of the scene in +which he was now the central figure. He had the sensitive understanding of +others’ feelings and thoughts which a man gains when he has had to depend +on his instincts in matters of life and death. The intense reverence and +solemn joy of all these grave fathers of families, these gentle and kindly +women, these children with their wide, wondering eyes, and the youths and +maidens in all their springtime gladness were like wine of the spirit to +him. He felt as they felt, and all the more because it was so new and +strange a thing in his life. The very words of the chant, the smell of the +earth as the plowshare turned it, had a sort of magic for him. It was +exciting enough for those who looked on, but their feeling was gathered in +his, like light in a burning glass. + +When the circle was all but completed something happened which no one +could have foreseen. Remus had followed all that was done with a rather +mocking light in his eye. He did not believe in the least what these +people believed. Suddenly he stepped past the others, and with a jeering +laugh leaped across the furrow. If he had stabbed his brother to the +heart, it could not have made more of a sensation. It was a deliberate, +wilful insult to everything that religion meant to these people. All +Romulus’ hot temper and his new reverence for the ways of his forefathers +blazed up in an instant, and he struck his brother to the earth with a +blow. Even one single blow from his hard fist was not an experience to be +coveted, but Remus would not have been more than stunned if his head had +not struck on the copper plowshare. He lay quite still. He was dead. +Whether the gods themselves had willed that he should die, or whether it +was chance, the blow killed him. + +There were places where such an act as that of Remus would have been +punished with death, but Romulus did not know that. He had struck out as +instinctively as a man might knock down a ruffian who insulted his wife. +Such an insult might not be a physical injury, but the intention would be +enough to warrant punishment. The older men of the colony were inclined to +think that the gods had done the thing. Romulus himself did not. He never +got over it, though he never spoke of it. That day took the boyish +carelessness out of his eyes and set a hard line about his mouth. It was +the proudest and most sacred day of his life, and now it was the saddest. + + + + + + XIII + + + THE SOOTHSAYERS + + +After the founding of the city and the tragic ending of the day, Romulus +went away, no one knew exactly where. He was gone for some time, He told +Marcus Colonus that he was going to Alba Longa, where some of his men +still were as a garrison for Numa. But he did not stay there many days. + +Although he was the founder and in one way the ruler of his city, this did +not mean that he was obliged to stay there to settle all its problems. +Most of them were solved by the common law and common sense of the +colonists. Their ruler had no authority over them contrary to custom, and +custom would apply in one way or another to almost everything they did. +Hence the young man was free to go wherever he saw fit. + +The fancy took him to cross the river and see the old woman who had told +him when he was a boy that he was to be the ruler of a great people. He +found her still alive, though so old that her brown face looked like an +old withered nutshell. She glanced up at him keenly. + +“Welcome, king,” she said. + +Just how much she had heard of his life from traveling traders and +vagabonds, no one can say, but she seemed to know a great deal about it. +She told him that when he returned to his own country, if he followed +certain landmarks and dug in the ground at a certain point near the river +bank some distance from Rome, he would find an altar and a shield of gold. +The shield, she said, had fallen from heaven, and was intended for him, +because he was the especial favorite of Mars, the god of war. He did not +take this very seriously, but he found himself much interested in the ways +of this strange people. Their priests knew how to measure distances, and +mark out squares, and consult the stars. Their metal workers, dyers and +potters knew how to make curious and precious things. The fortune tellers +had a great reputation all over the country. Their name, soothsayers, +meant “those who tell the truth.” + +The old woman told him that it was a great mistake for those who were born +under a certain star to try to get away from their fate. If a man were +born to be a ruler and a commander of men, it was useless for him to try +to make himself a farmer or a trader. It would be far better for him to +keep to what he could do well, and buy of others what he needed. This +struck Romulus as directly opposed to the ways of the villagers as he had +seen them. They made for themselves everything they possibly could, and +all of them were farmers. He began to wonder where their future would lead +them. A man like Colonus, or Tullius, or Muraena, or Calvo knew enough to +direct other men. There was not one of the ten who came out from the +Mountain of Fire who was not far superior to most of the people in the +country round about. They were quite as fit to be rulers of a tribe as he +was; in fact, they were more so, in many ways. But if they had stayed +where they were born, they would have gone on to the end of their days, +working with their hands, and owning only their share of the common crop +and the flocks and herds of the village. Here in the land beyond the river +it was different. The powerful nobles and the priesthood ruled, and other +men served. + +In talking with the soothsayers, he heard a great deal about the influence +of the stars. The priests also put great faith in this. They divided the +sky into twelve parts, or houses, as they called them, and each of these +was ruled by some star named after a god. In the course of the year the +sun passed through each house, or sign, in turn. If a man were born in the +house of the Ram, which was ruled by Mars the red planet, he would be like +Mars,—a warrior, bold and fearless, and not afraid to venture into new +fields and to do things that other men had not done before. If he were +born in that sign when the planet was in it with the sun, he would be more +a son of Mars in every way. If Venus, the planet which ruled love, were +also in the sign, he would be ruled by reason even in his love affairs, +and his marriage and his wars would be more or less connected. All these +things, according to the soothsayers, were true of Romulus. + +Romulus was acute enough to see that these people knew him for a chief, +and that some of what they told him was flattery; but he was not sure how +much of it was. He had not wandered about his world for twenty-odd years +without seeing the difference in people. He knew that the great art of +ruling men successfully lies in understanding their different characters +and not expecting of any person what that person cannot do. The rules of +the villages were very well for a small place, where all of the people +were related. But how would they fit such a miscellaneous collection of +people as seemed likely to gather in the town by the river? His mind was +gradually getting at the problem of governing such a town in such a way +that instead of being a little island of civilization in a sea of +wilderness, it would be a center of civilization in a country inhabited by +all sorts of people who would look up to it and be ruled and influenced by +it. Such an idea, to Colonus, to Emilius in the Sabine village, or even to +the old chief Numa on Alba Longa would have seemed wildly impossible. It +seemed to Romulus that if a band of outlaws had been welded into an +effective fighting troop as he had welded them, a country might be made up +of a great many different sorts of persons living peaceably together. He +grinned as he thought of such a man as his old captain, Ruffo, obeying all +the customs of the colony and giving his whole mind to the tilling of the +soil and the raising of cattle. It would be like trying to harness a wolf, +or stocking a poultry yard with eagles. The thing could not be done. And +yet, when it came to keeping order, Ruffo was wise and just and kind. + +One thing he could see very clearly, and that was that for a long time yet +the colonists would have to give especial attention to disciplined +warfare. He wished that there were more of them. If they ever had a +quarrel with the dark Etruscans beyond the river, it would be a fight for +life, for the Etruscans outnumbered them ten to one. It would be well to +trade with them so far as they could, but there again the customs of the +colonists were against him. There was not much that they wished to buy. + +When he left the land beyond the river, he paid a farewell visit to the +old witch, and she told him again that he was born to rule. He hoped that +he was. + +When he came back to the Square Hill, he found the fathers of the colony +confronting a new problem, which they had no tradition to help them +settle. The problem was what to do with the new settlers who were coming +in for protection and in the hope of getting a living, but who were not of +their own people. Often they had not intelligence enough to understand +what the colonists meant by their customs. This was something that Romulus +had expected. He had his answer ready. He said that there was a god of +whom he had heard, called Asylos, who protected homeless persons and serfs +who had escaped from cruel masters, and that they might set apart a space +outside the walls and dedicate it to this god. There his own soldiers +could live, and there would be a place for any one who came who would work +for a living. And this was done. The people who came in from various +places seeking protection, and were useful in various ways even if they +could only hew wood and draw water, were called after awhile the _plebs_, +the men who helped to fill the town. There was so much to do, and so +little time to do it, that every pair of hands was of value. It would not +do to let every one who came become a citizen, an inhabitant of the city, +because that might destroy all comfort and order within the walls. But the +town grew much faster when it became known that any man not a criminal +could get a living there. + +Another circumstance that made it grow was that the country people and the +villagers from farther up the river began to bring down what they had to +sell. Sometimes the Etruscans bought of them, and sometimes the Romans +did. It was the last riverside settlement before the boats went down to +the sea, and it began to be a trading as well as a farming place not many +years after the colonists settled there. + +Trading was favored because farming did not altogether supply the needs of +the people. Now and then the river rose and flooded their land. The only +part of the country they could absolutely depend on as yet was the group +of seven hills, where they kept their herds and flocks. One year, when +their grain was ruined, they had to send across the river and buy some of +the Etruscans, in exchange for wool and leather and weapons. Within the +first ten years every one of the colonists had discovered that men who +make their home in a new land must change their ways more or less if they +are to live. While they are changing the land, the land changes them. The +children of these people would not be exactly the same when they grew up +as they would have been if they had stayed in their old home. Their +children’s children would be still more different. It is possible that a +ruler who had not grown up as Romulus had, making his own laws and habits +and managing men more or less by instinct, might have been bewildered and +frightened. Whatever came up, he always had some expedient ready, and +whatever strange specimen of human nature cropped out in the soldiers, or +the traders, or the pagans, he had always seen something like it before. + +At the end of ten years the town on the Square Hill had spread out into a +collection of villages and huts in which almost every kind of human being +to be found in that region might have been seen, somewhere. On the +Palatine Hill lived the original ten families and some of their kindred +who had joined them. On the Aventine were barracks for the soldiers, and +also on the steep narrow hill near the river. Clusters of huts here and +there on the plain showed where hunters and fishermen lived, who came up +the hill sometimes with what they had to sell, or came to buy weapons of +the smiths. In the hollow called the Asylum lived the runaway serfs from +Alba Longa, fishermen from the river bank, pagans and foresters from a +dozen places. When there was a feast, all of these various kinds of +families learned something of the worship of Mars, or Maia Dia, or Saturn, +or Pales, or Lupercus. They all knew something about the laws of the +colony, because the rulers took care that any offense against public order +was punished. It was not a good place for thieves or brawlers or idlers. +There was the beginning of a common law. + + + + + + XIV + + + BREAD AND SALT + + + [Illustration: They sat together that night and watched the moon sail + grandly over the flood] + +The children who had come to the Square Hill learned to know one another +very well in those first years of the colony. There were about a dozen of +the older ones who were nearly the same age, and they shared more +responsibility than children do in a more settled community. When the +river rose suddenly, and all the animals had to be hustled at a minute’s +notice to the highest part of the hills out of the way of the waters, +Marcs the son of Colonus, and Mamurius the son of the metal worker Muraena +were old enough to be treated almost as if they were men. They sat +together that night and watched the moon sail grandly over the flood, and +talked of all the things that boys do talk of when they begin to look +forward into the future. + +It was a wild and lonely scene. The rising of the flood had covered the +plain for miles, although in many places the waters were not deep. The +seven hills stood up like seven islands in an ocean, and although neither +of the boys had ever seen an ocean, they knew that it must be something +like this. The hill where they had driven their scrambling goats was high +and steep and rocky and had been partly fortified. It was a natural +stronghold, standing up above the group as the head of a crouching animal +rises above the body. All the hills were crowned with circles of twinkling +fires, and on the highest point of each was a beacon fire which was used +for signals. Each had signaled to the others that all was right, and now +there was nothing to do but wait for the morning. + +The smaller boys who had helped were very much excited at first, and +danced around the fires gleefully, and ate their supper with a great +appetite; but they went to sleep quite soon afterward. The two older lads +were the only ones awake when the moon rose, and it seemed as if they were +the only people awake in the whole world. In the safe and orderly and +protected life of their childhood they had never seen anything like this, +or been given so much responsibility. For some hours no one had known how +much farther the waters would rise, and all the boats had been kept ready, +and the men had made rafts, to save what they could if the river should +sweep over the last refuge. But evidently it was not going to do anything +like that. It had stopped rising already. Faustulus the old shepherd, who +had lived among these hills ever since he was a boy, said that once in a +few years they had a flood like this, but that it never in all his +recollection had gone more than a few inches higher. + +These two boys had always been good friends, for they were just unlike +enough for each to do some things the other admired. Marcs was like his +father, square-set and strong and rather silent. Mamurius was a little +taller and slenderer, and very clever with his hands. He could invent new +ways to do things when it was necessary and when the old ways were +impossible. He had never built a boat before he and Marcs made theirs the +summer before, but he had shaped a steering oar that was better than the +one he copied. On this night they found themselves somehow closer together +than they had ever been before, and they promised each other always to be +friends, to work and fight for each other as for themselves as long as +they lived. + +The girls also had their responsibilities, which made them rather more +capable and sure of themselves than they might have been if they were not +the children of colonists. After the flood went down it left things wet +and unwholesome for some weeks, and a fever broke out, of which some of +the people died. Mamurius’ mother, and Marcia’s two little brothers, and +two girls in the family of Cossus died of it, and at one time hardly a +family had more than one or two well persons. Marcia was watching over her +mother, who was very ill, when Mamurius came to the door with a basket of +herbs and gave her a handful. He said that he had asked Faustulus whether +he did not know of some medicine for the fever. Faustulus told him that +there were certain herbs in his hut which his wife used to prepare in a +drink, and this drink helped the fever. Mamurius had brewed the drink and +given it to his father, and taken some himself, and it had done them both +good. The old shepherd stood in considerable awe of the colonists, who +knew so many things that he did not, and he would never have thought of +suggesting anything to them himself. + +One night Muraena the metal worker came to the house of Colonus, and sat +down with the head of the house under a fig tree by the door and talked +with him. The two had been friends for many years, and now, he said, the +time had come to make the friendship even closer by an alliance between +the two houses. He had long observed the goodness and dutiful kindness of +Colonus’s daughter Marcia, and it was his wish that now she was come to an +age to be married, she might be his own daughter. He had reason to believe +that his son would be glad to marry her. What did Colonus think about it? + +Colonus had no objection whatever. That night he went in and called Marcia +to him, and told her kindly that Mamurius the metal worker’s son had been +proposed for her husband, and that it would be most pleasing to both +families if the marriage could be arranged. It was a surprise to Marcia, +but not at all an unpleasant one, and she went to sleep that night a very +happy girl. + +This was the first wedding in the colony, and as the preparations went +forward, everybody, old and young, took a great deal of interest in it. +Marcia never knew she had so many friends. Everybody seemed to wish her +well and approve of the marriage. The wooden chest Marcs had made for her, +and Bruno had carved and painted, began to fill with webs of linen and +wool, the gifts of her mother and the other matrons, and some that had +been spun and woven by Marcia herself. She could see from the door the +house that was to be her home, as its fresh, new walls arose day by day. +And at last the day arrived for the _confarreatio_; as it was called, the +wedding ceremony, the eating of bread. Like the other ceremonies in the +religion of the people, this was very old, so old that the beginning of it +was not known. The reason of some of the things that were done had been +forgotten. Marcia could just remember going to one wedding when she was a +little girl before they left the Mountain of Fire. All the colonists who +went out were already married and had children, and until now none of the +children were old enough to begin a new home. + +There was always a certain meaning in the eating of salt together; it is +so in all the ancient races. Salt was not like food that any two men might +eat together, like animals, where they found it. It was part of the +household stores; it was eaten by families living in houses. In some +places it was not easy to come by, and it was the one thing necessary to a +really good meal, whatever else there was to eat. When a man was invited +to share a meal with salt in it, it meant that he was invited to the table +and was more or less an equal. People who were simply fed from the stores +of the farmer prepared their own food in their own way, often without +salt. It was said that the wood spirits, the gods of the wilderness, of +whom nobody knew much except that they were mischievous and tricky, could +always be known by the fact that salt to them was like poison; they could +not eat it at all. + +When a bride left her own home to go to that of her husband, it was a very +solemn proceeding, because she said farewell to her own family, the +spirits of her ancestors, and the gods of her father’s hearth, and became +one of her husband’s family, a daughter of his father. All that was done +was based more or less on this idea. A girl who ran away from home without +her father’s knowledge could not expect to be blessed by her ancestors, +the unseen dwellers by the fireside. A woman who came into another home +without the permission of the spirits who dwelt there could not hope to be +happy; bad luck would certainly follow. The wedding ceremonies were meant +to make it perfectly clear that all was done in the right and proper and +fortunate way. + +The day was chosen by Tullius the priest, and was a bright and beautiful +day, not long after the feast of Maia. The ceremonies began at dawn. +Before sunrise Tullius was scanning the sky to make sure that the day +would be fair and that no evil omen was in sight. Felic’la, who hovered +around her sister with adoring eyes, thought she had never seen Marcia +look so beautiful. She was in white, with a flame-colored veil over her +head, and her hair had been, according to the old custom, parted with a +spear point into six locks, arranged with ribbons tied in a certain way to +keep it in place. Her tall and graceful figure was even more stately than +usual in the white robe she wore, and her great dark eyes were like stars. + +When the guests were all at the house, Marcus Colonus offered a sacrifice +at the family altar and pronounced certain ancient words, explaining that +he now gave his daughter to the young Mamurius and set her free from every +obligation that kept her at home. When the sacrifice was over, the guests +wished the young couple happiness, and the marriage feast began. There was +no one in the whole village who did not have reason to remember the +rejoicings on the day when the daughter of Colonus was married, for it was +the richest feast that had ever been given in the colony. The house was +decorated with wreaths and the best of the wine was served, and all the +dainties the Roman women knew how to make were to be found upon the table. +Marcia sat among her maidens like a young goddess among priestesses; they +were all eager to show her how dear she was to them and how glad they were +that she was happy. There was not a child in the village who did not think +of her as a kind elder sister. Now she herself was to be served and made +happy, and for that day she was the most important person in the eyes of +all those who had been her playmates. + +At last the rejoicings at the home of Colonus were over, and it was time +for the wedding procession. Attended by the young girls near her own age, +the bride was taken from her mother’s arms by the bridegroom, and the +whole party moved in procession toward the new home. In advance went torch +bearers, and the children scattered flowers for her feet to tread upon as +she passed. Every one was singing or shouting “Talassio! Talassio!” The +flute players were making music, and the bridegroom scattered handfuls of +nuts for which the boys scrambled. When they reached the door of the new +house Marcia poured a little oil upon the doorposts, and wound them with +wool which her own hands had spun. Then Mamurius lifted her in his strong +arms and carried her through the door. + + [Illustration: Mamurius lifted her in his strong arms and carried her + through the door] + +Exactly why this was part of the marriage ceremony is not known. Some +think it was because a bride must not be allowed to stumble on the +threshold, for that would be unlucky. But it was more likely to mean that +she was brought by her husband into the house to join in the worship of +the spirits of the home, and so did not come in without an invitation. As +she stood in the _atrium_, the middle room where the altar and the family +table were, she received the fire and water of the family worship and +reverently lighted the first fire ever kindled on that hearth. She and +Mamurius repeated together the prayers that thousands of young couples had +repeated since first their people had homes. Then they ate together a flat +cake made with the corn blessed by the priest, and Marcia poured a little +of the marriage wine upon the fire as a sacrifice of “libation” to the +gods of her new home. This was the _confarreatio_. They felt as if the +silent, burning fire that lighted the dusky little room were trying to +tell them that their simple meal was shared by the gods themselves, and +that the blessing of all Mamurius’ forefathers was on the bride that he +had brought home to be the joy of his house. + +On the next day there was another feast, to celebrate the beginning of the +new home, and the wedding was over. + +“I am glad,” said Marcia’s mother to her husband when they went home that +night, leaving their daughter and young Mamurius standing together at +their own door, “that everything went so well, without a single unlucky or +unhappy thing to spoil the good fortune. Marcia well deserves to be +happy,—but I shall miss her every day I live.” + +She sighed, and Felic’la looked rather sober. She knew very well that they +would all miss Marcia, but she determined in her careless little heart to +be a better girl and do so much for her mother and brothers that when her +turn came, they would all be sorry to see her go. + +“I am glad,” said Colonus, “for more than one reason. I have been rather +anxious for fear that in this new place our young people would not +remember the old ways as they might if they had grown up in our old home. +It was important to have the first wedding one that they would all +remember with pleasure, and wish to follow as an example. I am very glad +Marcia has so good a husband. Mamurius is a youth who will go far and be a +leader among the young men. I suppose that now they will all be thinking +of marriage.” + +There were, in fact, several other marriages in the colony within a year +or two, but nobody who was at that first wedding ever forgot it. Marcia +was often called upon to tell how the garlands were made, and just how +much honey they put in the cakes for the feast, and how the other little +matters were arranged that all seemed to be managed exactly right. In +fact, that wedding set a fashion and a standard, and as Marcia’s father +was shrewd enough to see, it is a good thing in a new community to have +the standards rather high. There was nothing in what Marcia and Mamurius +did that other people could not follow if they chose, but the simple +comfort and grace of their way of living did mean that they cared enough +for their home to take it seriously. Girls who might not have thought much +about cleanliness, thrift, cheerfulness and beauty began to see, when they +visited Marcia, how pleasant it was to have a home like hers. She did not +tell them so; she was herself, and that was enough. + + + + + + XV + + + THE TRUMPERY MAN + + +One autumn day a little while after the harvest, a squat, brown man with +large black eyes under great arched eyebrows set in a large head, and with +unusually muscular shoulders and arms, was paddling slowly in a small boat +across the yellow river. As he crossed he looked up attentively at the +range of hills near the riverside, now partly covered with wooden huts. It +was his experience that villages were good places to trade. They were +especially so when, as now, pipes were sounding and the people were +keeping holiday in honor of some god. He had gone to many places with his +wares, but he had not as yet visited the town by the river. He was not +even quite sure of its name. Some called it Rumon and some Roma. The +people of his race were not very quick of ear, and often pronounced +letters alike or confused them when they sounded alike,—as o and u, or b +and p, or t and d. He himself was called Utuze, Otuz, or Odisuze, or Toto, +according to the place where he happened to be. He came from Caere, the +Etruscan seaport near the mouth of the river. + +He had landed on this bank when he went up the river and approached the +men from the settlement when they were working on their lands outside the +walls, but they did not pay much attention to him. He could not tell +whether they did not want his wares, or were suspicious, or simply did not +understand what he was talking about. Now he was going to find out,—for he +was of a persistent nature. Perhaps there would be some one at the +festival who could speak both his language and theirs and tell them what +he wanted to say. Then it would be easy. + +On a glittering chain around his neck he carried a metal whistle, or +trumpet, that could be heard a long distance and would pierce through most +other noises as a needle pierces wool. On his back he carried in a sack a +great variety of small things likely to please women and girls and +children. He had learned a very long time ago that however shrewd a man +may be, he will buy very silly things and pay any price you like for them +when he is persuaded that they will please a girl. He also knew that men +will buy things for their wives that no sensible woman ever buys for +herself, and that if children cry for a toy long enough, they often get +it. But the most important thing was, he knew, that a man who can attract +attention to himself, no matter how he does it, generally sells more goods +than one who depends only on the usefulness of what he has to sell. +Therefore, when he set out on these trading journeys, he put on the most +gorgeous and gay-colored clothes he could find, decorated with +bright-colored figures, embroidered, and fringed or fastened with little +glittering beads and ornaments such as he carried in his pack. Shining +things were easier to sell than other things, as they were easier to look +at. The peddler had given careful attention to selecting his stores, and +Mastarna, the fat merchant from whom he got them, helped him. He wished to +know more of these people in the town by the river. + +The squealing of the peddler’s trumpet reached the ears of the soldiers, +who were having a good time in their own way. They had their own games and +frolics and feats of strength, and some of the young men from the town +were there to look on and perhaps to join. Urso the hunter’s son, and +Marcus and Bruno the sons of Colonus, and little Pollio the son of the +sandal maker, were all there, and when they heard the trumpet they sprang +to their feet. But Ruffo the captain of the guard laughed, and the others +shouted, and Ruffo said, “By Jove, there’s Toto!” + +“_Diovi_” was the general name for “the gods,” and when it is pronounced +quickly it sounds like “Jove.” The father of the gods was +“Diovis-Pater”—which in course of time became “Jupiter.” + +The peddler had been in their camp in the days before the town by the +river was thought of, and when he saw them, he came up the path grinning +broadly, and they grinned back. They explained to the boys of the colony +that he came from across the river and dealt in all sorts of things that +were not made at all on this side, and some that were brought from the +seashore. Toto spread out his gay cloth on the ground and began to lay out +his wares. + +Through long practice he knew just how to place them so that they would +show most effectively, and many a customer wondered why the trinket did +not look as well when he got it home as it had before he bought it. The +colors in the painted cloth were combined in old, old patterns worked out +according to laws as certain as the laws of music, and everywhere was the +gilding that set off the colors and seemed to make them brighter and +richer. + + [Illustration: Toto spread out his gay cloth upon the ground] + +There were scarfs such as women wore on their heads, and fillets for the +hair, and girdles and veils. There were necklaces and bracelets and rings +and brooches and pins. There were boxes of sweetmeats, and metal cups and +spoons, and curious little images of men and animals, and strings of +beads, and charm strings, and hollow metal cases for charms, that could be +hung around the neck, and pottery toys, and trinkets of all kinds. It +seemed impossible that so much merchandise of so many different kinds +could have been packed in that bag, or that a man could have carried it, +after it was packed. If the things had been as heavy as they looked, it +would have been too great a load even for Toto’s broad shoulders. + +The Roman boys had never seen anything like this before, but they did not +show any great curiosity. One of the things that the people of Mars taught +their children, without ever saying it in so many words, was not to be in +a hurry to talk too much in strange company. They were brought up to feel +that they were the equals of any one they were likely to meet and need not +be in haste to make new friends. This feeling gave them a certain dignity +not easily upset. In fact, dignity is merely the result of respecting +yourself as a person quite worthy of respect, and not feeling obliged to +insist on it from other people. The colonists had it. + +Pollio picked up one of the sandals and smiled. + +“My father would not think this leather fit to use,” he said in a low tone +to Bruno. + +Marcus was looking at a pin of a rather pretty design and wondering how +Flavia, his betrothed, would like it, when it bent in his fingers. That +pin had not been made for the handling of young men with hands so muscular +as his. Marcus paid for the pin and tossed it into the river. He had no +intention of making a gift like that to any one. + +When they handled the charm necklaces they saw from the lightness that +what looked like gold was not gold. It was so with all the peddler’s +stock. The soldiers, seeing that the boys from the colony did not think +the stuff worth buying, did not buy much themselves, nor did they drink +much of his wine. + +Ruffo said after Toto had gone that he did not always carry such a +collection of trash as he had to-day. Sometimes he sold excellent +fish-hooks and small tools. Marcus said that if he bought anything, he +wanted a thing that was worth buying, and they began to throw quoits at a +mark. + +Marcus had seen traders before and dealt with them, but for some reason +this peddler’s pack set him thinking. In their way of living a farmer made +most of his own tools, and wishing them to last as long as possible, he +made them well. It was the same with the baskets, the linen, the wool and +the leather work, and the other things made at home. It was the same with +the work done in the smithy of Muraena. He wished to have a reputation +among his neighbors for making fine weapons. The men always put the +greater part of their time on their farms, and since they had been in this +new country, their planning and contriving how to make the soil produce +more and more had been far more exciting than ever before. Each year a +little more of the marsh or the waste land would be drained and cleared; +each year the flocks and herds would be larger and more huts would be +built. They were founding a new people. + +In view of these great thoughts of the future, the glittering trinkets of +the man with the trumpet looked small and worthless. Marcus began to see +what was meant by the elders when they spoke of “gravity” as a virtue and +“levity” as a rather foolish vice. Life depended very much on the way one +took things; to take important things lightly, or give valuable time and +thought to worthless objects left a man with the chaff on his hands +instead of the good grain. + +Something his father had told him a long time ago, when he was a little +boy, came into Marcus’s mind. It was when he wanted something very much, +and being little, cried because he could not have it and made himself +quite miserable. His father came in just then and watched him for a minute +or two. Then he said, + +“My son, do you wish to be a strong man, when you grow big?” + +“Y-yes,” sniffed the little fellow dolefully. + +“You wish to be strong of soul and heart as you are in your body, so that +no one can make you do anything you are not willing to do?” + +“Yes, Father,” said the boy, with his puzzled dark eyes searching his +father’s face. + +“Then, my son, remember this: the strong man is the man who can go without +what he wants. If you cannot do without a thing you want, without being +unhappy, you are like a boy who cannot walk without a crutch. If you can +give up, without making a ridiculous ado about it, whatever it is not wise +for you to have—if you can be happy in yourself and by yourself and stand +on your own feet—then you are strong. In the end you will be strong enough +to get what you really want. The gods hate a coward.” + +Now in the long shadows of the fading day, as he heard the far sound of +the peddler’s trumpet down the river, Marcus found a new meaning in his +father’s words. He saw that those who wasted what they had earned by hard +work on that rubbish would end by having nothing at all, because they were +caught by the color and the shine of things made to tempt them. What was +there in all that collection that was half as beautiful as a golden wheat +field? What ornament that could be worn out or broken was equal to the +land itself, with its treasure of fleecy flocks and sleek cattle, and roof +trees under which happy children slept? The treasure of the world was +theirs already, in this plain that was theirs to make fruitful and +beautiful, and people with prosperous villages. That was the real estate; +the other was a shadow and a sham. + + + + + + XVI + + + THE GREAT DYKE + + +Although Toto did not find his first visit to the Seven Hills very +profitable, he had much that was interesting to tell Mastarna when he +returned. The two had a long talk in their strange rugged language with +its few vowel sounds. Mastarna was most interested in the gods of these +strangers. If he could find out what they did to bring good luck and ward +off misfortune, he could have charms and lucky stones made to sell to +them. If he knew what their gods were like, he could have images of these +carved in wood or molded in clay or cast in metal. But Toto could tell him +very little about these questions. The soldiers at the camp had no altars +and no regular worship at all, and they moved from place to place and did +not keep any place sacred. But these people on the Square Hill seemed very +religious. They behaved as if they had settled down there to stay forever. + +“What are they like?” asked the old man. + +“They are like no other townspeople in this valley,” said Toto decidedly. +“They are not like the herdsmen who wander from place to place and sleep +in tents, or the hunters who live alone in huts, or the fishermen by the +river or the sailors by the seashore. They are tall and straight and +strong and very active, because they work all the time. They work mostly +on their land. When they are not plowing, or digging, or cutting grain, or +cutting wood, or making things, they are working to make themselves +stronger. They run and leap and throw heavy weights; they hurl the spear +and shoot arrows at a mark. They stand in rows and go through motions all +together, and march to and fro, and play at ball. They do everything that +is possible to make themselves good soldiers; even the boys begin when +they are small to play at these games. + +“And that is not all. The women work also, but not as slaves. The matrons +go here and there as they choose, and see eye to eye with their husbands, +and manage the household as the men manage the farm. The men sit in +council, but each man speaks of his work in private to his wife, and she +advises with him. They do not have slaves to wait on them; even their +great men work with the others in the field. No one is ashamed to work +with his hands. They build their own houses and their own walls; they +breed their own cattle. If there should be a sheep gone from the flock, or +a heifer strayed from the herd, they would know it and search until the +thief was found.” + +“Hum,” said the old man thoughtfully. He was thinking that this must be a +strong and valiant people, and that if they increased in the valley of the +yellow river they might become very powerful. “And what are their +priests?” + +“They have no priesthood dwelling in the temples,” said Toto. “Their +elders are their priests and pretend to no magical powers. They are chosen +for their wisdom. Their gods are invisible.” + +“Hum,” said Mastarna again. + +The people to whom he and Toto belonged were called at one time and +another Tuscans or Etruscans by others, but they called themselves the +Ras, or Rasennae. They had some towns in the mountains beyond the plain +where these strangers were. They held most of the country on their side of +the rivers, as far north as the river Arno, and they had always lived +there, so far as they knew themselves or any one else could say. They were +different in almost every way from these strangers of the hills. He +wondered if his people had anything whatever that the strangers wanted. + +“You say that they build walls,” he said to Toto. “Do they build good +ones?” + +Toto grinned. He was nothing of a builder himself, but even he could see +the difference between the rude stone laying and fencing of the strangers, +and the scientific, massive masonry and arched drains of his own country. +“They will find out how good they are,” he said, “after twenty years of +flood and drought.” + +In fact, the worst enemy the colonists had met thus far was water. They +were used to mountain slopes with good drainage. They knew how to keep a +field from being gutted by mountain freshets, and how to repair roadways +and build drains that would carry off the water. They were strong and +clever at fitting stones into the right place for walls, and they could +dam up a stream for a fishpool or a bathing place. But this sort of +country was all new to them. It was not exactly a marsh and not so swampy +as it became in later centuries, but at any time it might become a marsh +full of ponds and stagnant streams, and remain so for weeks at a time. +This was bad for the grain and worse for sheep, and unhealthy for human +beings. During the next rainy season after Toto’s visit, the farmers had a +very unhappy time. They discovered that too much water is almost if not +quite as much a nuisance as too little. In a dry time it is sometimes +possible to carry water from a distance, but in a wet time there is +nowhere to put the water that is not wanted, and many of their ditches +were choked up with débris, and their grain was washed away. + +Mastarna was full of patience. He let them toil and soak and chill and +sweat until he thought they would welcome a suggestion from almost any +quarter. Then he and a man he knew, a stone worker called Canial, took a +boat and went across the river to a point where three or four of the +colonists were prying an unhappy ox out of the mire. The strength, +determination and skill with which they conducted the work were worthy of +all admiration. But it would have been far better if the land could have +been drained and protected by a solid dyke. + +Canial looked the bank over with a shrewd, experienced eye, and said that +if he had the work to do, he would dig a ditch there, and there, and +there; here he would build a covered drain lined with tilework; and in a +certain hollow under the hill he would have an arched waterway, so that +flood water would run through instead of tearing at the foundation of the +terrace below the vineyards. But he saw no signs that these men in their +building made any use of arches. He jumped ashore and splashed through the +pools, which were almost waist-deep in some places, up to where the ox was +standing panting, wild-eyed and nearly exhausted with fright and struggle. +Canial squatted down by a rivulet. He did not know the language of the +colonists and they did not know his, but no words were needed for what he +wanted to explain. He made a miniature drain rudely arched over with +mud-plastered stones while they stood there watching. That could be done, +as well with, a six-inch brook as with a river. It did not take the Romans +ten minutes to see that he knew more about such matters than they did. + +“Caius,” said Colonus to young Cossus, “go over to the camp and find +Ruffo, and ask him to come and talk to this fellow.” + +He knew that Ruffo understood several languages and dialects, and whatever +it was that this man had come for, he wished to know it. + +Ruffo knew enough of the language Canial spoke to be able to make out his +meaning, and he told Colonus that the stone worker wished to come and live +in Rome. He would show them how to drain their land and bridge their +streams. Mastarna would tell them that he was a man of honesty and +ability. His reason for leaving his own country was a personal one; he had +had a quarrel with the head priest of his village because the priest +wished to interfere in his family affairs and make Canial’s daughter the +wife of his nephew, against her will. There was no safety or comfort in +his part of the country when the priesthood had a grudge against a man. + +There were others in the Roman settlement who had fled there for reasons +of much the same kind as Canial’s—men who had been robbed of their +inheritance, slaves escaped from cruel masters, homeless men, and men who +for one reason or another had found themselves unsafe where they lived +before. But this was the first family which had wished to come from beyond +the river. The others all came from places where the public worship was +not entirely unlike that of the Romans themselves and the people were of +the same race in the beginning. This was a departure from that rule. + +If it had not been for the dyke-building problem, Colonus would probably +have said no at once. But that would have to be settled before the town +grew much larger than it was, or they would have to change their way of +life altogether. They were a people who hated to be crowded. They would +need land, and land, and more land, if they continued to live on the Seven +Hills. They must have grain for the cattle and themselves, and pasturage +for the beasts, room for orchards and gardens, room for the villages of +those who tilled their fields. Canial seemed to think that it would be +quite possible to prevent the plain from being flooded, with proper +stonework and drains, but it would need a man thoroughly used to the work +to direct it. Colonus could see that Canial was probably that man. Every +suggestion he made was practical and good, and he knew things about +masonry that it had taken his ancestors generations to learn. Colonus +finally said that he would talk it over with the other men of the city and +give him an answer on a certain day. + +Ruffo did not know anything of the gods the people of Canial worshiped, +except that they were unlike the Roman gods and seemed to be very much +feared. They had a god Turms, who was rather like the Roman Terminus, who +protected traders and kept boundaries. They had a smith of the gods, +called Sethlans, and a god of wine and drunkenness called Fuffluns. + +No person, of course, could be allowed to bring the worship of strange +gods into the sacred city. The very reason of the founding of the city was +to make a home for their own gods, and to let in strange ceremonies would +be to defile that home. + +It was finally decided that Canial and some of his countrymen who wished +to come with him should have a place of their own, which was afterward +known as the Street of the Tuscans. It was a place which no one had wished +to occupy before, because it was so wet, but Canial and his friends had no +difficulty in draining it. The only condition he made was that traders +should be allowed to come and go and supply his family and friends with +whatever they needed. Women, he said, did not like a strange place much as +it was, and he should have no peace at home if his wife were obliged to +learn new methods of housekeeping. + +The only condition that Marcus Colonus and his friends made was that the +strangers should do nothing against the law of the settlement, or against +the Roman gods, and this they readily agreed to. Canial said that the +priests in his country demanded so much in offerings that a man was no +better than a slave, working for them. + +All this happened while Romulus was away, but when he returned he said +that the decision was a wise one. It privately rather amused him to see +how in this new country the colonists were led to allow the beginning of +new customs which they regarded with great horror when they first came. + +Before another rainy season, the Etruscans and the Romans, working +together, had made a very fair beginning on the dyking and draining of the +worst of the marshes and the bridging of bad places. Canial understood how +to mix burned lumps of clay containing lime and iron, and lime and sand, +and water, in such a way that when the muddy paste hardened it was like +stone itself. Tertius Calvo, who happened to be there when this was done, +tried it by himself. Although what he made was not entirely a failure, it +did not behave as it did under the hands of Canial. Without saying +anything—indeed, he could say nothing, for he knew not a word of the +strangers’ language—Tertius watched and measured and experimented with +small quantities until he found out the exact proportions and methods +Canial used. The bit of wall he built finally was very nearly as good as +Canial’s own work. Calvo was good at laying stones, and had very little to +learn in that line from any stranger. This mortar, as they found in course +of time, would stand heat and cold and water and seemed to become harder +with exposure. By using the best quality of material the work was +improved. There was no secret about it; indeed, Canial did not object to +teaching any man who wished to learn all he could. + +The greatest debt they owed to their new settlers was the low round arch, +built with stones set in mortar in such a way that the greater the weight, +the firmer the arch would be. Another Etruscan trick was plastering over +the side of a drain or a bank with a mixture of small stones stirred +thickly into mortar like plums in a pudding. The best of this new way of +working was that it could be done so quickly. A great deal of the work +could be done by stupid and ignorant laborers under the direction of those +who knew how to direct. Men whom they could not employ in any sort of +skilled labor could help here. Such men were glad enough to come for an +allowance of food and drink. A certain task was set them, and they had +their living for that; if they did more, they had an extra allowance. The +task was called _moenia_, and since it was the lowest and least skilled +labor, work of that kind later came to be known as _menial_, the work of +slaves and servants. + +The change in the face of the plain in the following years was almost like +magic. The colonists built dykes to keep the river from overflowing; they +built drains to carry off the heavy rains; they built culverts; they built +bridges resting on solid arches; and they made one great drain which +carried off so much of the overflow water that it made the Square Hill and +most of the land around it safe. In fact, a part of every year thereafter +was given to the improvement and protection of newly cleared farmlands by +stonework. People came from a great distance to see the dyke they built, +for nothing like it had been done on that side of the river. The people in +the lowlands villages, relieved from the fear of floods, were proud to +call themselves the servants of the Romans. In those early years a +beginning was made of the great engineering work that was to endure for +centuries. The people of the Square Hill were doing on a very small scale +what nobody had done before them in that part of the world. In their +masonry and their farming they gave all their poorer neighbors reason to +be glad they were located where they were. It was a peaceful conquering of +village after village. + + + + + + XVII + + + THE WAR DANCE + + +When the country had grown peaceful, and there was no more need, for the +time, of sending out warlike expeditions, it began to be seen that the +soldiers who had come in with Romulus or had joined the troops later must +have something to do. Romulus talked the matter over seriously with the +fathers of the colony. If these men were to settle down as citizens, +taking part in the life of the city—and some of them wished to do so—they +ought to have homes; they needed wives. The family life of this people was +the very heart of their religion and their society. The father was high +priest in his family. The public worship was only a greater family +worship, in which all had a part, old and young, living and dead. The gods +themselves were often present unseen to receive prayers and offerings,—so +the people believed. + +The question of wives for these men was a serious one. Girls were growing +up within the palisade on the Square Hill, but so were young men. There +would be hardly enough brides for all the youths of their own generation, +even if every girl found a husband. Aside from the fact that the parents +would not like to see their daughters married to strangers of whom they +knew nothing, the young folk themselves would be likely to object. +Although theoretically, marriages were made by the elders without the +girls having anything to say about it, human nature was much the same +there as anywhere. In practice, the bride had some choice and the groom +some independence. Any woman married against her will can make life so +unpleasant for her husband and her husband’s relatives that common sense +would lead a parent to avoid such a result. Care was taken to keep a young +girl from knowing any men who would be unsuitable. A man did not ask any +youth into his house to meet his daughters, on the spur of the moment. He +met a great many men at the midday meal which the men ate together, whom +he would not think of asking to a family supper. He knew a great many with +whom he would not eat at all. + +Here and there a soldier found a wife among the country people, but this +did not usually turn out very well. The daughters of herdsmen and hut +dwellers were not trained in the arts which made a woman dear to a +civilized husband. Colonus and his friends wished the wives of the growing +settlement to be women who would add to the wealth of their homes and not +spoil it,—who would love their homes and their husbands, and bring up +their children wisely, and live in peace and friendliness with the other +women. The question which had come up was more important now than it might +be later. A great deal depended on beginning with the right families. The +men now coming in would be the fathers of the future Rome, and on the way +in which their sons were brought up the prosperity and godliness of the +people might rest. + +Another possibility was in sight, and it was too nearly a probability to +look very pleasant. The soldiers could get wives across the river among +the Rasennae. But that would be a dangerous plan—dangerous perhaps to the +men themselves and certainly to the colony. Women of a strange land, of a +race so old and strong as the dark people seemed to be—a country where +there was a secret council of priests who knew all sorts of things that +the people did not—such women, married to settlers in the colony, would be +a constant danger. They would learn from their husbands all that went on; +they might persuade them to worship the strange gods; they might help to +break down defences against the unknown power of the foreign priesthood. +That was a plan not to be thought of for a minute. + +Romulus sat listening and thinking, with his chin on his strong, brown +hand, and his bright dark eyes gazing straight at the altar fire. When the +others had said what they thought, he spoke. That was his way. He had +perhaps begun in that way because he was not sure he knew all the proper +forms of speech or all the matters that ought to be considered in ruling +the affairs of this people. Now that he was well acquainted with all +these, he still wanted to hear what every one else had to say, before +speaking himself. This was becoming in a man still so young, and it was +also wise. + +“There is a plan, my fathers,” he said, “but I do not know whether you +will think that it is the right one. Very long ago, I have heard, our +people used to take their wives by capture. In those days a man never went +openly to ask for his bride. He stole into the village by night with an +armed guard, choosing his closest friends to go with him. Then suddenly +seizing upon the maid he carried her off, and she became dead to her own +family, and one of his people. + +“Now this I do not commend, since it is not our wish to war with the +people around us. To raid their towns as did the men of old time, and +steal their maidens, would lead to never-ending war. The custom is an old +one and long given up, and I do not like to return upon a road that I have +traveled, or dig up old bones. + +“In the villages on the heights—in the lower valleys of the mountain range +that lies _there_—” he waved a brown arm toward the far blue hills, “the +people who dwell there are worshippers of our gods, and their ways are as +the ways of this colony, O my fathers. Their women spin, they weave, they +grind grain, they tend bees, they keep the household fire alive and +bright, they are fair and pure. These are fit wives for our soldiers—or +for any man. + +“In some of these villages were we known, for we were there in the old +days. They are not walled villages, they are scattered among the valleys, +and they have little to do with one another or with strangers. It is in my +mind that if their women were married here, we and they might be one +people. Then all the Seven Hills would be ours, and we and they together +would be a strong nation. But well I know that they would never consent to +give their daughters to strangers. + +“This therefore is my thought. I have seen,” the young chief’s dark face +was lighted by a fleeting smile, “that sometimes the will of a young maid +is not wholly that of the old men and women of her people. Forgive me, O +ye elders, if I speak foolishly, but I think that some of these Sabine +girls might not themselves be unwilling to mate with my men. Would it be +so great a crime to take wives from those villages despite the will of the +priests and elders, if the maidens themselves became in time content? +Suppose now that I send my men as messengers, to invite these people to a +festival on the day when the Salii, the Leapers, have their games and +their feast. They also have fraternities like ours; there is a fraternity +of the Luperci, and the Salii, and others, among the Sabines. Let their +young men contend with ours in the games, and their people join with ours +for the day. They are not compelled to come. If they dislike and distrust +us, they will stay in their villages. But if it is as I think, many will +come. + +“Then when all are gathered together, and weapons are laid for the games, +let our young men, at a given signal, seize each his chosen maiden and +bring her back within our walls to be his wife. In token that they are not +to be slaves but honorable wives, whose work is to spin, let our young men +shout as they go, ‘Talassa! Talassa!’ + +“Have I spoken well, my father?” He looked straight at Colonus. “If ye +have a better plan, let no more be said of this.” + +But there was no better plan; in fact, there seemed to be no other plan at +all. Romulus knew this very well. There was nothing in this idea that was +offensive to the general opinion in those days. It was not so very long +since marriage by capture was the usual way of getting wives. If the +Sabine girls were brought into the colony the soldiers would be sure of +having wives with the customs and the same gods of the other matrons. If +they were brought in a company and lived in the same quarter of the town, +they would form a little society of their own. It would not be a life +entirely new and strange. + +It was decided that the plan should be tried. If any of the messengers did +a little courting in the villages, nothing was said of it. + +The place chosen for the festival was a plain where there would be room +for all the games and the feasting and the ceremonies. Romulus and some of +the young men went out there a few days before the appointed date to level +off the ground, arrange seats for the public men, and make ready. In +removing a bowlder which would be in the way of racers, and smoothing the +ground, Tertius Calvo found his pick striking on something strange. He dug +down a little way and unearthed a flat stone which seemed to be the top of +an altar. He called the others to look, and Romulus caught his breath with +a queer gasp. He remembered something. + + [Illustration: There was a gleam of bright metal in the hole they were + digging] + +“Jove!” said Mamurius, a few minutes later, “Here’s something else!” There +was a gleam of bright metal in the hole they were digging. The altar, a +small square one of a whitish stone, was lifted out, and then something +struck with a muffled clang against Mamurius’ spade. They were all +excitedly gazing by that time, and when the round metal thing was lifted +out, and the earth cleaned off it with grass, and it was rubbed with a +piece of leather, it almost blinded them. It was a golden shield. + +Where it had come from, no human creature knew. Nothing else like it was +ever found in that neighborhood. It may have belonged to some Etruscan +nobleman in far-off days, when a battle was fought on that plain; it may +have been part of the plunder of some city; but there it was, and the +decoration showed that it was made by a smith who worshiped Mars. +Reverently the young men carried it back to Rome, after they had set up +the altar on the field where they found it. It seemed like a sign that the +gods approved what they were doing. It was hung up in the temple, and was +considered the especial property of the Salii, or Leapers, the young men +who danced the war dance, for it was they who had found it. But Romulus +told none of them of the witch’s prophecy that he would find an altar and +a shield in just this place. + +The day appointed for the feast was fair, and early in the morning the +mountain people could be seen coming across the plain or camped near the +field. + +The soldiers who were to take part in the festival in this unexpected and +startling way were very far from being the same rude outlaws who had +followed their young leader to the Long White Mountain. They had been +living within the bounds of a civilized settlement, and the life had had +its effect on them. They had seen men handle the spade and the plough as +if they were weapons, and treat the earth as if it were the most +interesting thing in the world to study. They had seen how interesting it +was to change the face of the land, to make a wild and dreary waste into a +rich farming country, to fight flood and fire and other mighty natural +enemies,—and win. They had seen, though at a distance, the gracious +manners and gentle ways of the matrons, the sweetness and dignity of the +young girls. They had fought and worked side by side with the young men +who were proud to be the sons of such fathers. Many of the outlaws had had +ancestors who were strong and brave and intelligent. They had the sense to +see that if they joined this new settlement they would have a place and a +power. And last but not least there was a great deal of wholesome comfort +in the life of this place. To men who had slept unsheltered in cold and +rain, who had worn sheepskins and wolfskins, who had gone without food, +often for days, and never had a really good meal unless they had unusual +luck, the life of the colonists was a revelation. Good beds, fresh +vegetables, well-cooked meats, cakes made with honey, were luxuries they +appreciated. The dress of the people was simple enough; a tunic for +working, and over that for warmth or holiday dignity the large square of +undyed wool called a toga; a pair of sandals for the feet, a cap or helmet +for the head, a leather girdle and pouch. But it was a long way better +than rawhide. In short, these young fellows had discovered that they liked +a civilized life. They were a very fine looking company as they marched +down the hill from their barracks and went with their long, swinging +stride over the plain to the place where the strange, little old altar +stood. + +The games went on, and at the height of the gayety and excitement there +was a sudden trumpet call, and all was in confusion. Each soldier seized a +Sabine maiden and carried her off as if she were a child. The men who were +not so burdened formed a rear guard. The older people were already on +their way home. Some of them did not know what had happened. Before +anything could be done by the startled and angry Sabine men, the soldiers +were inside the walls of the city and the shout of “Talassa! Talassa!” +revealed that this was a revival of the ancient custom of marriage by +capture. + +The Sabines were angry enough to go to war, But they could do nothing that +night, for a successful war would need preparations. There was a parley, +and Romulus himself informed the commissioners that the weddings would +take place with all due ceremony, and that in the meantime the girls were +in the city, under the care of matrons of the best families, and would be +given the best of care and provided with all things necessary for a bride. +Let there be no mistake about this: if any attempt were made to recapture +the Sabine girls the soldiers would fight. They had got their brides, and +they meant to keep them. It was a sleepless night in the town by the +riverside, but in the morning the Sabines were seen returning to their +mountains. + + + + + + XVIII + + + THE PEACE OF THE WOMEN + + +It is not to be understood that all the people on the Square Hill approved +of the capture of the Sabine girls. It did not seem to them, of course, as +it would to the society of to-day, because they considered that a girl +ought to marry, in any case, as her elders thought best that she should. +But Tullius the priest, and three or four of the other older men, were +very doubtful about the wisdom of angering the Sabine men by such a +proceeding. Naso and his brother objected to the capture because they had +never heard of such a thing. They were men whose minds never took kindly +to any sort of new idea. When they made their great move and left their +old home, they seemed to have exhausted all the ability to change that +they had. They held to every old custom they had ever heard of, as a +limpet holds to a rock. But the thing was done, and there was nothing they +could do now except to prophesy that it could not possibly turn out well. + +The women of the colony were curious to know how far the Sabine marriage +customs were like their own, and whether the wedding would mean to these +girls what it would to a Roman wife. Marcia asked her husband about it on +the night of the festival, when the confusion had quieted somewhat. The +watch-fires of the Sabines could be seen far away on the plain, and in the +stronghold on the Capitoline Hill the sentinels were keeping watch against +any sudden attack. + +“Ruffo says,” answered Mamurius, “that they have the same customs as ours, +in the main. The girls are taking it very quietly. I think they stopped +being frightened when they found they were to be in the care of your +mother and the other matrons in the guest house. You know Romulus has +ordered that no maiden shall be married against her will. If she remains +here until after the Saturnalia without making any choice, she shall be +sent back in all honor to her own people. There are none among the girls +who are betrothed to men of their villages.” + +Marcia was glad to hear that. During the following days she and the other +young matrons of the colony visited the captive girls and took care that +they lacked nothing in clothing and little comforts. The matrons and the +older men had stood firm in insisting that all possible respect should be +shown these maidens, just as if they were daughters of the colony. If they +were to defend the soldiers’ action as a necessary and wise measure and +not a mere savage raid, this was necessary. Otherwise the Sabine men would +have a right to feel that they could revenge themselves by carrying off +Roman women as slaves, and nobody would be safe. It was much better to +delay the weddings for a few days, see what the mountain people were going +to do, and give the girls a chance to become a little accustomed to their +new surroundings. Naso and some of the other men thought Romulus had gone +rather far in promising that the girls should be sent home if they wished +to go after a certain time, but he would not move an inch from that +position. He had his reasons. + +After two or three days the scouts came in to report that the Sabines had +gone back to their villages to gather their forces. It would take time to +do this, and meanwhile the wedding preparations went forward. + +The town on the Square Hill was larger and finer than any of the mountain +villages, and after the first shock and fright of their capture passed, +many of the girls began to think that what had happened was not so bad, +after all. They all knew something about Romulus and his mountain troop, +and many of his soldiers had been in the villages at one time and another +on some errand. Apparently these half-outlawed fighters had become great +men in the new settlement. They had a quarter of their own, in which they +had built houses for their brides, shaded by some of the forest trees that +were left when the land was cleared, and furnished with many things not +known in the mountain villages. It was also true, and Romulus had known +all along that it was, that many of his men had known something of the +Sabine maidens, and would have married in the villages before, if they +could. Considering that the elders of the villages would never have +consented to such a thing, this was the only way it could possibly be +brought about. It had seemed to him better to make it a sort of state +affair than to encourage among the soldiers the idea that they could +individually raid the villages and carry off the wives they chose without +any religious authority at all. Romulus heard a great many confidential +secrets from his men, one by one, that would have surprised those who did +not know them. He believed that if it could be managed so that they could +settle down in the quarter which was their own, and have homes of their +own, they would be as good citizens as any in Rome. But he did not waste +time in trying, by argument, to make Tullius and Naso and the other +colonists believe this. + +The public square was swept and made clean, and the walls of all the +houses hung with garlands. The Roman matrons, old and young, had taken +from their thrifty stores of home-woven linen and wool, robes and veils +and mantles for the strangers, and provided the wedding feast with as much +care as if each one of them had a daughter who was going to be married. In +fact, according to Roman faith and law, these girls were daughters of Rome +as soon as they became wives of Roman men, and had as much right in all +public worship and festivals as if they had been born on the Palatine +Hill. Since they could not be given away by their own fathers, it had been +decided that they should be treated as daughters of the city, and the ten +original fathers of the colony should be as their fathers. + +The procession came out into the square a little after daybreak, and here +the wedding feast was set forth. The maidens were veiled and dressed in +white, and attended by the young Roman girls as bridesmaids, and the +soldiers were drawn up in military order. The feasting and singing and +dancing went on in the usual way, and toward the end of the day the +procession formed again and went down the slope toward the huts of the +soldiers. At the door of each hut the man to whom it belonged claimed his +bride; she lighted the hearth fire, and poured out the libation, and ate +of the bride cake with her husband. It was a strange wedding day, but it +seemed to have ended happily, after all. + +There was only one girl who refused to have any part in the ceremonies. +When the rest of the Sabine maidens left the guest house, she remained. +She was still there when a little before sunset Romulus came back to the +square and entered the room where she sat. + +She was a tall and lovely creature, the daughter of the priest Emilius, +and Ruffo the captain had carried her off, but she would have nothing to +say to him. He had consoled himself with the daughter of one of his old +comrades. Her great eyes blazed as she met the look of the young chief, +and she held her head high, but she did not speak. + +“You are the daughter of a great man,” said Romulus. “You are Emilia.” + +It was surprising that he should know her name, but his knowing who she +was made it all the greater insult that she should have been carried off +by force. + +“Long ago,” he went on, “I saw you, a little maid, when I was a poor +shepherd boy. Your mother was kind to me and gave me meat and wine. Your +father reproved me when I in my ignorance would have offended the gods. As +you were then, so you are now,—beautiful as a flower, fierce as a wolf, +Herpilia, the wolf-maiden. You are the mate for me, and when I saw you at +the festival, I knew it.” + +“You! An outcast!” the girl cried, her eyes flashing in scorn. + +“I am of good blood, and now I rule this city. You shall rule it with me +when you will,” said the chief coolly. + +“I would rather be a slave and grind at the mill!” + +Romulus smiled. What did this girl know of a slave’s life? + +“You had better not,” he said. “But you need not do either. If after the +Saturnalia you wish to go back to your father’s house, you shall go. But +you cannot know much about us until you have seen how we live.” And he +turned and went out. + +Emilia did not know exactly what to make of this behavior. She had made up +her mind that if they tried to make her the wife of one of these +strangers, she would stab herself with the knife she carried in her bosom, +or throw herself into the river. But as the days went on and she saw no +more of Romulus, or any other youth, she was still more puzzled. She never +connected him with the lad in the wolfskin tunic who had rescued her from +the banditti many years before. Many stray shepherd boys had been fed in +their village at one time or another. The Sabines themselves had never +known that the strange rescuer of the child and the leader of the mountain +patrol were one and the same. In fact, they had come to believe that the +little Emilia had been saved by Mars himself, in human guise. Romulus had +never told of the matter, even to his own men or to his brother. + +The young girls who tended the sacred fire now formed a kind of society by +themselves, like the fraternities of the men. Emilia was allowed to sit +with them and spin and sew, and she lived in the house of Marcus Colonus, +all of whose children were now married. She heard a great deal about +Romulus from time to time, but he never came near her. Sometimes she saw +him marching at the head of his men, or sitting with the elders of the +people on some public occasion. But he never looked her way, or sent her +any word beyond what he had already said. + +At first she hoped fiercely that her people would gather an army and come +against the insolent invaders and destroy them, but as time went on, she +began to hope that they would not. A war with this race would be long and +bitter, for they were not the kind to yield. This town would never be +taken but by killing all the men who could fight, and burning the houses, +and enslaving the women and children,—and the women were kind to her. + + [Illustration: Emilia was allowed to sit with them and spin and sew] + +The settlement was now so large that it covered several of the hills, and +the high steep hill that stood up like the head of a crouching animal, the +Capitoline, had been strongly fortified. On one side it descended almost +straight like a precipice, and from the brink one could see for miles +across the plain. + +The captain of the guard there was one of Romulus’s old comrades, Tarpeius +by name. He had a daughter who often spent some hours with the other +maidens, on the Palatine, spinning and gossiping, and singing old songs. +She was very curious about Emilia’s people and said that her mother had +been a Sabine girl. She expressed great admiration for everything about +Emilia—her bright abundant hair, her beautiful eyes, her clear white skin, +her graceful hands and feet, and her clothes. Especially she admired the +band of gold Emilia wore on her left wrist. She was like an inquisitive +and rather impertinent child. + +The bracelet was a gift from Emilia’s father; he had ordered it from an +Etruscan trader; it had been made especially for her. Whenever she looked +at it, she felt as if it were a pledge that some day she should see him +again and visit her old home. + +One day late in the autumn there was a commotion in the town, and the +sound of many marching feet. From the plain below came shouting, and the +far-off sound of drums and pipes. Emilia’s heart jumped. The Sabine army +was on the way! + +Villagers came flying from a distance, wild with fright, and begging to be +protected within the walls. Some had taken time, scared as they were, to +drive in their beasts and bring the grain they had just finished +threshing. Their men joined the defenders, and the women and children were +sheltered among the townspeople, many of whom were relatives. + +The Sabines spread their army all around the Roman settlement. They took +possession of a hill near by, almost as great as the Palatine. + +It began to seem after a time as if the siege might last indefinitely. The +Roman fortifications were strong and well manned, and they had plenty of +provision. Now that the marsh was drained, only a most unusual flood would +drive away the enemy, and they did not seem inclined to storm the hills, +even if they could. Matters might have gone on so much longer but for the +thoughts in the head of a girl. + +Tarpeia, the daughter of the captain of the guard, watched eagerly the +Sabine captains, and saw the gleam of the ornaments they wore. One night +she slipped out by a way she knew and crept past the Roman guards into the +Sabine camp. She had learned something of their talk from Emilia and +easily made herself understood. She told Tatius the Sabine general, when +they brought her to him, that she would open the gates of the stronghold +to his men for a reward. She would do it if they would give her _what they +wore on their left arms_. + +Tatius looked at the willowy figure and the common, rather pretty face +with its greedy eyes and eager smile, and agreed, with a laugh. Tarpeia +returned to the stronghold, and that night, when the darkness was +thickest, she slid past the sleepy guard and unbarred the gates, and +waited. + +Tatius had no respect for traitors, though he was willing to make use of +them when they came and offered him the chance. He reasoned that a girl +clever and wicked enough for this would betray him and his own men just as +quickly as she betrayed her father and his people. He told his men to give +her exactly what he had promised her—what they wore on their left arms, +and _all of it_! As they rushed past her and she drew back a little toward +a hollow in the hill, Tatius first and the others after him flung at her +not only their bracelets, but the heavy oval shields they carried on their +left arms, beating her down as if she had been struck by a shower of +stones. The garrison, taken by surprise, had no chance. Brave old Tarpeius +died fighting, without knowing what had become of his treacherous +daughter. At dawn the stronghold was in Sabine hands. They had won the +first move. + +Now indeed the two armies must join battle, with the odds against the +Romans. They met in a level place between the two hills but not so low as +the plain, and the fighting was fierce enough. The Sabine and Roman women +watched from the walls of the Palatine, and the Sabine girls, some of them +with babies in their arms, were crying as if their hearts would break. +Whichever army won, they would mourn men who loved them, for their fathers +and brothers were fighting against their husbands. + +The line of fighting surged to and fro. A stone from a sling struck +Romulus on the head, and stunned him. The Romans gave back, fighting every +inch of the way. Romulus came to himself and tried to rally them, but in +vain. He flung up his arms to heaven and uttered a desperate prayer to +Jupiter, Father of the Gods, to save Rome. + +Emilia could not bear it any longer. She stood up among the other Sabine +women, her eyes bright and her face as white as a lily, and spoke to them +quickly. + +“Come with me!” she called, moving swiftly toward the door of the temple +of Vesta where they were gathered. “We will end this war—or die with our +men! Come to the battle field!” + +The women guessed what she meant to do, and with a soft rush like a flock +of birds, they went past the guards and out of the gates, down over the +hillside, between the armies, which had halted an instant for breath. With +tears and soft little outcries they flung themselves into the arms of +their fathers and brothers in the Sabine army, and some sought out their +husbands begging them to stop the fighting, and not to make them twice +captives by taking them away from their homes. A more astonished battle +line was probably never seen than the Sabine front. The Romans on the +other side of the field were nearly as much taken aback. + +There is no denying that most of the men felt rather silly. There could be +no more fighting without leading the women and babies back to the town, +and they probably would not stay there. It dawned on the Sabines all at +once that if the women who were now wives of the Romans were contented +where they were, and loved their husbands, it would be cruel as well as +senseless to force them back to their mountain villages. The war stopped +as soon as the generals on both sides could frame words of some dignity to +express their feelings. Emilia’s father, when he found that his daughter +was unharmed, and had been treated during the past year like an honored +guest, declared that there should be peace without delay. The conclusion +of the whole matter was an agreement to form an alliance. The Sabines and +the Romans were to share the Seven Hills and rule together. All the +customs common to both should be continued, and each settlement should +have freedom to govern itself in the customs peculiar to itself. + +Romulus came toward Emilia and her father about sunset, after the wounded +had been made comfortable and the treaty agreed upon. They were in the +doorway of the priest’s tent. The Roman general looked very tall and +handsome and full of authority. His shining helmet and shield, short +sword, and light body armor of metal plates overlapping like plumage were +as full of proud and warlike strength as the wings of an eagle. He bowed +before the two; then he looked at the maiden. + +“It is nearly a year. The time has not gone quickly.” + +“He told me,” explained Emilia, “that if after the Saturnalia I wished to +return, he would send me home.” + +“And do you wish to go home, my daughter?” asked the priest. + +Emilia looked up at Romulus. + +“I will go home,” she said, “with my husband.” + +And the news ran through the camps that Romulus had taken a Sabine bride. + + + + + + XIX + + + THE PRIEST OF THE BRIDGE + + +In the customs of the people who founded the town by the river, there was +no act of life which did not have some ancient rule or tradition connected +with it. There was a right way and a wrong way to do everything. In all +the important work of life, such as the care of the sheep and cattle, the +sowing of the fields and the making of wine, certain elders among the men +were chosen to take charge of the management, decide on what day the work +was to commence and take care that all was done as it ought to be. In this +new life in a strange place the colonists found that some kinds of work +that used not to be very important became so because things were changed. +This was the case with the priest who had charge of the public ways,—the +gates, the roads and the walls. In their old home this was not a very +important office, because the walls almost never needed anything done to +them, and the roads were all made long ago. Tertius Calvo, who was the +pontifex or roadmaker, was a quiet man and never had much to say, but in +this place he had more to do than almost any other public officer in the +city. + +Calvo was a good mason and understood something of what we should call now +civil engineering. He had judgment about the best place to lay out a road +and the proper stone to choose for masonry. As the town grew, and the +farming lands about it were cleared, and more and more persons became +interested in the town by the river, Calvo, in his quiet way, was one of +the busiest of men. + +He got on very well with the miscellaneous laboring force that he could +command, and partly by signs, partly in a mixture of the two languages, he +learned to talk with the stonemason Canial quite comfortably. Gradually, +as they were needed, roads were made in different directions over the +plain, and always in much the same way. They were as straight as they +could be without taking altogether more time and labor than could be +given, and they were usually carried across streams and bogs instead of +going around. Calvo enjoyed working out ways to do this. If the plain had +been really boggy he might not have been able to do as much as he did, but +it was not really a marsh. It was a more or less level area lying so +little above the bed of the river that the rise of a foot or two in the +waters changed its aspect until the Romans began draining it. The people +were astonished to see how much more quickly they could reach the river +over one of Calvo’s roads than they could over the old, winding, +up-and-down paths. The road was built with a track in the middle higher +than the edges, to let the water drain off, and this track was more solid +than the edges and far more solid usually than the land on each side the +road. There was no need for the highway to be very wide, for most of the +travel was on foot. After a time people began to call the new roads the +“laid” roads, because they were made by laying, or spreading, new material +on the line of travel. + +The new road was a “street” built up of _strata_. + +There was never much trouble in getting men to work on these highways +after they saw the convenience of them. They could not have built them for +themselves, because they had not Calvo’s eye for the right place or his +knowledge of every kind of stone and other road material. The roads led +out from Rome like the spokes of a wheel, but Calvo did not build any +roads from town to town. He said it was better not to. + +There came to be a proverb that all roads lead to Rome. Calvo’s object in +roadmaking was to make it easy for outsiders to reach the city and return. +He was not concerned about their visiting one another. The natural result +was that Rome got all the trade of a growing country. + +Another consequence of Calvo’s road-making system was that it would have +been very difficult for the outlying settlements to join in any attack +against Rome itself, because they could not reach their neighbors half as +easily as they could reach Rome. Calvo saw—what most generals have to see +if they are to have any success in fighting—that wars are won by the feet +as well as the weapons of an army. The quicker they march and the less +strength they have to expend on getting from one place to another, the +better the soldiers will fight. It came to be almost second nature for any +Roman to look out that the roads were in good condition, and a general on +the march took care that he did not go too far into an unknown country +without leaving a good road over which to come back. + +In the course of their wandering about, before they found a place for +their home, the colonists had not only learned the importance of good +water but had found out where some of the springs and wells were. Here and +there, as he discovered a good place for a camp, Calvo caused a rude +shelter to be built, where any Roman could find a place to sleep and make +a fire. On some of the roads he and Romulus took counsel together and +planned the erection of a kind of barrack, so that if they sent a company +of troops out that way there would be a place which they could occupy as a +shelter, and if necessary hold against an enemy. They were not exactly +houses, or forts; they were known as _mansiones_,—places where one might +remain for a night or two. The practical use of these places proved so +great that the plan was never given up, and _mansiones_ were built at the +end of each day’s march, in later ages, wherever the Roman army went. But +in the beginning there was only a rough shelter like the khans of Eastern +countries,—walls and roofs, to which men brought their own provisions and +bedding, if they had any. People had these places of refuge long before +there was any such thing as a tavern or hotel known in the world. + +It began to be seen in course of time that the Priesthood of the Highways, +or the bridges—for about half Calvo’s work here was bridge building—was +one of the most necessary of all. Before he died he had four others to +assist him, and was called the Pontifex Maximus, the high pontiff, and +greatly revered for his wisdom. He had met and talked with and commanded +so many different sorts of people, both intelligent and ignorant, and had +solved so many different problems, for no two places where a highway is +built are alike, that there were very few questions on which he did not +have something worth saying. The standard he set was kept up. A road, when +built, was built to last, and so was a bridge. + +But the greatest work of Tertius Calvo, and the one which perhaps made +more difference in the history of his people than any other, was an +undertaking which he put through when he and most of the other fathers of +the colony were quite old men. It was the bridge across the river. + +At the point where the Seven Hills are situated, the river is about three +hundred feet wide, but there is an island in it which makes a natural +pier. Here Calvo suggested a bridge, to take the traffic from the other +side of the river and bring it directly to Rome instead of letting it come +across anywhere in boats. Such a bridge, moreover, would make it easier to +hold the river, in case of war, against an enemy coming either up stream +or down. + +It seemed like a stupendous enterprise, and even those who had seen most +of Calvo’s work did not see how he was going to do it. The river was +twenty feet deep, and that was too deep for any pier building in those +days. It would be a timber bridge. + +More or less all the city took part in building that bridge. There were +large trees to be cut down and their logs hauled from distant places, and +shaped to fit into one another. There was stonework to be done at each end +of the span, and on each side of the island. By the time this work was +planned, the people were using iron more or less, and found it very +convenient for many things; but Calvo set his foot down; not a bit of iron +was to be used in his bridge. It was to be all wood, resting on stone +foundations. Some of those who had worked with him remembered then that he +never did use iron in such work. The younger men thought he must have +reason to suppose that the gods were not pleased with iron. + +Romulus had known Calvo for a great many years, although they had never +been exactly intimate. As they stood together, watching the work go on, +Romulus said in a tone that no one but Calvo could hear. + +“There is no iron in this work?” + +“None,” said Calvo. + +“The gods do not approve it?” + +“Apparently not,” said Calvo. “The fires of Jove burned two bridges for me +before I found it out. + +“Also I have found that iron and water are bad friends, and in a bridge, +which hangs above water, the bolts would rust. Finally, a thing which is +all timber, put together without the use of anything else, does not grow +shaky with time, but settles together and is firmer. There are some things +a man does not learn until he has watched the ways of building for fifty +years, and I have done that.” + +If Calvo had been like some men of his day, he would have thought, when +his bridges were burned, that the gods were angry with him for omitting +some ceremony. But he was a man who noticed all that he saw and put two +and two together; and he noticed in the course of time that lightning was +much more likely to strike where iron was. He observed the path of it once +when it did strike, and saw that it ripped the wood all to splinters and +set it on fire trying to get at the iron, which it melted. + +It is of course true that iron expands and shrinks with heat and cold, and +when iron bolts are used in wood, the iron and the wood do not fit as well +together after a few seasons, on this account. So Calvo planned his +bridges without iron, and they were all made of dovetailed wooden timbers, +as many old wooden bridges were which remain to this day. Calvo’s +observations about his bridges tended to make others think as he did. No +iron was ever used in any of the temples or sacred buildings of Rome, even +long after it was in common use for weapons, tools and other things. + +The way in which the bridge over the Tiber was built was much like the way +in which Cæsar built bridges, hundreds of years later. It was so +constructed that if necessary it could be removed at short notice. It was +never struck by lightning or burned, and it remained until—long after +Calvo was dead—another pontiff built a new and greater bridge, using all +his knowledge and all else that had been learned in five generations. + + + + + + XX + + + THE THREE TRIBES + + +The hill on which the Sabines settled took its name from their word for +themselves, Quirites, the People with the Spears. It came to be known as +the Quirinal. The level place between this hill and the Palatine, where +the treaty was made, was called the Comitium,—the place where they came +together. Here in after years was the Forum, the place for public debate +on all questions concerning the government of Rome. Any open place for +public discussion was called a forum—there were nineteen in different +parts of Rome at one time—but this one was the great Forum Romanum, where +the finest temples and the most famous statues were. Assemblies of the +people, or of the fraternities, to vote on public questions were also +called by the name of Comitium. + +Between these two great hills and a big bend in the river was a great +level space that was used for a sort of parade ground, and this was called +the Campus Martius, the field of Mars. + +Romulus himself lived with his wife Emilia in a house which he built on +the slope of the Palatine near the river and not far from the bridge, at a +point sometimes called the Fair Shore. Here he had a garden, fig trees and +vines, and beehives; and here he used to sit at evening and watch the +flight of the birds across the river. His little son, whom he called +Aquila as a pet name, because an eagle perched upon the house on the night +the boy was born, used to watch with wondering eyes his father’s ways with +live creatures of all kinds. A countryman who tended the garden, who had +been a boy on the Square Hill when Romulus was a tall young man, said that +they used to get Romulus to find honeycombs and take them out, because +bees never stung him. + +Aquila had a little plot of his own, where he planted blue flowers, which +bees like, and raised snails of the big, fat kind found in vineyards. He +was like his mother’s people, a born gardener. The countryman, Peppo, made +little wooden toys for him, and among them was a little two-wheeled cart +with a string harness, which Aquila attached to a team of mice, but he had +to play with that out of doors, because his mother would not have the mice +in the house. He had also a set of knuckle-bones which the children played +with as children now play with jackstones. His mother molded for him men +and animals and even whole armies of clay, so that he could play at war +with spears of reeds, and demolish mud forts with stones from his little +sling. + + [Illustration: His mother molded for him men and animals] + +He heard many stories,—some from his father, some from his mother and some +from Peppo. He liked best the story of his father’s pet wolf, and always +on the feast of Lupercal and the other feast days of Mars he and his +mother went to put garlands on the little stone that was raised to the +memory of Pincho, in one corner of the garden. + +The city was now ruled by three different groups of elders, from the three +different races of settlers. They were generally known as the three +tribes, and the public seat of the three rulers was called the tribunal. +The oldest tribe, of course, was the Ramnian, the people who had come from +the Mountain of Fire to Rome. The Tities were the Hill Romans or the +Sabines, and the Luceres, the People of the Grove, were the tribe that had +collected where the soldiers settled and the outsiders who were neither +Ramnians nor Sabines lived. There were three great fraternities—the Salii +or men of Mars on the Palatine, the Salii on the Quirinal, a Sabine branch +of the same worship, and the new priesthood of the whole people, whose +priest was called the Flamen Dialis, the Lighter of the Fire of Jove. + +Besides these fraternities there were two important groups of men who were +not exactly rulers, but were chosen because of their especial knowledge. +These were the six Augurs, who were skilled in watching and explaining +omens, and the Bridge Builders, the Priesthood of the Bridge, who were +skillful in measuring and constructing and building. There were five of +these, the head priest being called the Pontifex Maximus or High Pontiff. + +Instead of being a large and rather straggling town growing so fast that +it was hard to know how to govern it, Rome was really taking on the look +of an orderly and prosperous city. + +Sometimes, when the children of the first colonists looked back at the +simple village life they could just remember, and then looked about them +at the many-colored life that had gathered on the Seven Hills, it seemed +to them almost like another world. Yet in their homes they still kept the +old customs and the old worship, and the servants they had gathered about +them were very proud of being part of a Roman household. + +There was one danger, however, which nobody realized in the least. In the +great change from farm life to city life, the mere crowding together of +people is a danger. The fever which had broken out in the early days of +the settlement broke out again. This time it swept away lives by the +hundred. The poor people were frightened almost out of their wits, and ran +out of their houses and spread the disease before any one understood that +it could be caught. Emilia had a maid who came back from a visit to her +brother on the Quirinal and died before morning. In less than a week +Emilia herself and her little son were dead also, and Romulus was left +alone. + +Nothing seemed able to harm him. He went among the poorest, and by his +fearless courage kept them from going mad with fear. When the fever passed +his hair had begun to turn from black to gray. + +He heard somewhere of the drink that Faustulus the shepherd had taught +Mamurius how to make when the sickness came before, and he remembered +other things Faustulus had said of the fever. When the pestilence was +gone, he called the fathers of the city together, and they took counsel +how to keep it from coming back. + +Tullius, who was now an old man, said that in his opinion bad water was +the cause of much sickness. The fever began in a part of the city where +there was no drainage. + +Naso said that it was all because the people had allowed strangers to come +in, and the gods were angry. + +Romulus made no comment on that. He did not know, himself, whether the +gods were displeased and had sent the sickness, but he was sure of one +thing. It could do no harm to take all possible means of preventing it. + +Mamurius said, and Marcus Colonus upheld him, that in the old days on the +Mountain of Fire, where the people had plenty of good water and bathed +often, they seldom had any sickness. Calvo observed quietly that baths +were not impossible even here; it was only a question of building them and +conducting the water they had into fountains. An Etruscan he had once +known said that he had seen it done in a city larger than this. + +After the death of his wife and child Romulus seemed to feel that he was +in a way the father of all his people, more especially of the people who +were outside the ordinary fraternities and families of the old stock. He +set his own servants and followers at work, under the direction of Calvo, +and with the help of some of the other citizens who thought as he did, a +beginning was made on a proper water-supply and a system of public baths. +He set the young men to exercising and racing, keeping themselves in +condition; he urged all who could to go out into the country, form +colonies, or at least have country houses. It was the nature of Romulus to +look at things, not as they affected himself alone, but as they would +affect all the people. If Emilia could die of fever, if his son could die, +in spite of all his care, any man’s wife and child could. There was no +safety for one but in the safety of all. He thought that out in the same +instinctive way that he had reasoned about the robbers. It was not enough +to clear out a robbers’ den, or to escape illness once. What he set +himself to do was to stop the evil. When Naso objected that the gods alone +could do that, Romulus did not argue the matter. His own opinion was that +if men depended upon the gods to do anything for them that they could do +for themselves, the gods would have a good right to be angry. A man might +as well sit down under a tree and expect grain to spring up for him of +itself, and the sheep to come up to him and take off their fleeces, and +the grapes to turn into wine and fill the vats without hands, as to expect +the gods to take care of him if he used no judgment. + +None of the Romans, in fact, were really great believers in miracles. They +did all they could in the way of ceremony and worship, but they took good +care to do also everything that they had found by experience produced +results. Romulus had the practical nature of his people. He had heard a +great deal of miracles at one time and another, but he had ceased to +expect them to happen. It would be quite as great a miracle as could be +expected if three different tribes of people succeeded in building up a +city without civil war. + + + + + + XXI + + + UNDER THE YOKE + + +Many years had passed since the colonists first came to the Seven Hills, +and Rome was now the city from which a large extent of country on both +sides of the river was ruled. Romulus had inherited the land of his +ancestors on the Long White Mountain, and village after village, town +after town, had found it wise to come under his rule. The way in which he +managed these new possessions was rather curious and very like himself. He +let them rule themselves and settle their own affairs so far as their own +local customs and people were concerned, and so far as these did not +contradict the common law of Rome. + +When the children of Mars first came to this part of the world, people +called them very often the “cattle-men,” because cattle were not at all +common there. Many of the customs both of the Romans and the Sabines came +about because they kept cattle and used them. This made it possible for +them to cultivate much more land than they could have farmed without the +oxen, and it also rather tied them down to one place, for after +cultivating land to the point where it would grow a good crop of grain, +nobody of course would wish to abandon it. They had a god called Pales who +protected the herds and was said to have taught the people in the +beginning how to yoke and use cattle, and the long-horned skulls were hung +up around the walls of the early temples and served to hang garlands from +on a feast day. When the “outfit vault” was filled at the founding of the +city, a yoke was one of the things put in. + +In a certain way, all the scattered villages and peoples which gradually +joined the new colony, although keeping their own land and homes, were +rather like oxen. They were not equal to the colonists in wisdom or skill +or ability to direct affairs. They could work, and they could fight for +their wives and children;—but cattle can work and fight. Without some one +to govern and teach them, they would belong to any one who happened to be +strong enough to make himself their master. + +The use of the yoke was the one great thing in which the Roman farmer +differed from these pagans and peasants, and he could teach them that. It +was the thing which would make the most difference in their lives, in +comfort and plenty and skill. A man must be more intelligent to work with +animals and control them than to dig up a plot of ground with his own +hands. It struck Romulus, therefore, that the yoke would be a good symbol +to use when Rome took possession of such a village. A great deal of the +ceremony used in the daily life of the ancient people was a sort of sign +language. When something important changed hands, the buyer and the seller +shook hands on it in public. When a man was not a slave nor exactly a +servant, but a member of the household who did something for which he was +paid, he was paid in salt, because he could be invited to eat salt with +his master, and this pay was called _salarium_,—salary. When Rome took +formal possession of a place, the men passed under a yoke, as a sign that +now they belonged to the men who used oxen, and worked as they did and for +them. + +Whenever it was possible, some Roman families were sent to such places to +live among the people and show them Roman ways. There were always some who +were willing to do this, because they could have more land and better +houses in that way than in the older town, which was getting rather +crowded. In this way, the widely scattered towns and villages and farms +ruled by Rome became more or less Roman in a much shorter time than they +would if they had been left to themselves. + +Life in such a growing country, made up of a great many different sorts +and conditions of people, is not by any means simple. The Romans +themselves were aware of this before the first settlers were old men. As +the sons of these colonists became men, they were proud to call themselves +“the sons of the fathers.” The word “father” was used in the old way, +which meant that every father of a family in a village was the head of +that family. The head of the house was a ruler simply because he was the +oldest representative of his race. In the same way the houses built by the +first families within the palisade, on the Square Hill, were called +palaces, and the hill itself the hill of the palaces, the Palatine. The +families of those first colonists were known, after a while, as the +“patricians.” After the Sabines came, there were two groups of settlers of +the same race, one on the Square Hill and the other on the hill called the +Quirinal, the Hill of the Spears. The Palatine settlers sometimes called +themselves the Mountain Romans, and the others the Hill Romans. The people +who had settled in the place Romulus called the Asylum lived among groves +of trees, and they were called the People of the Grove, the Luceres. But +all these citizens of Rome itself considered themselves superior to the +outsiders, who had sometimes been conquered and sometimes been glad to +join Rome for protection. The Romans were beginning to be very proud of +the town they had made. + +The Tuscans beyond the river, however, did not all feel this pride in +belonging to Rome. The town of the Veientines, especially, objected to the +idea of Tuscans being “under the yoke” of these strangers. When the Romans +took the town of Fidenæ, the Veientines were very indignant, though they +did not come to the help of their neighbors, and presently they claimed +that Fidenæ was a town of their own and set out to make war against the +Romans. Romulus promptly took the field and won the war. Although he was +now growing old, and his hair was white as silver, he fought with all his +old fire and sagacity, and the Tuscans were glad to make terms. They +offered to make peace for a hundred years, but that was not quite enough +for Romulus. They had begun the war, and he meant to make them pay for it. +When the matter was finally settled, they agreed to give to Rome their +salt works on the river and a large tract of land. While the talk was +going on, fifty of their chief men were kept prisoners in the camp of +Romulus. + +There was a great sensation in Rome when the news of the peace was made +known. The army paraded through the streets, with the prisoners and the +spoils of various kinds, and there was great rejoicing. It was the first +celebration of a victory by a “triumph”—called by that name because many +of those who took part in the parade were leaping and dancing to the sound +of music. Then Romulus proceeded to divide the land he had taken from the +Tuscans among the soldiers who had taken part in the war. He sent the +Tuscan hostages home to their people. + +Without intending to do it, Romulus aroused a great deal of ill feeling by +these two things that he did. The patricians formed a sort of senate—a +body of elders—for the government of Rome, and it seemed to them that they +should have been consulted about the hostages and the division of land. No +one knew but the Tuscans might rise up again against Rome, and in that +case these men ought to be here to serve as a pledge. Moreover, the land +belonged not to Romulus personally but to the city, and the senate ought +to have had the dividing of it. It was time to settle whether Rome was to +be governed by one man, or by the elders of the people, as in the days of +old. It was not fit that men should hold land who were not descended from +land-holders. + +Not all the elders, or senators, took this view. It really never had been +decided how far a general who took command in a war had a right to dictate +in the outcome of it. Generally speaking, in a war, the men who fought +took whatever they could lay their hands on. They plundered a city when +they took it, and each man had what he could carry away. In this case the +city of the Veientines had not been plundered, because the rulers +surrendered and asked for peace before Romulus had a chance to take it. +The land which had been given up was a kind of plunder, and the general +had a right to divide it. This was the view of Caius Cossus and Marcus +Colonus and his brother, and some of the others in the senate. But +Naso—who never had enough land—and some of his friends, who never were +satisfied unless they had their own way, had a great deal to say about the +high-handed methods of the veteran general, the founder of the city. They +said that he treated them all as if they were under the yoke, and that +this was insulting to free-born Romans. In short, the time had come when +all of the men who wished for more power than they had were ready to +declare that Romulus was a tyrant. It was quite true that he was the only +man strong enough to stand in their way if he chose. It was also true that +he was the only man who was disposed to consider the rights of the _plebs_ +and the outsiders who were not citizens, and had according to ancient +custom no right to share in the governing of the city at all. + + + + + + XXII + + + THE GOAT’S MARSH + + +Public opinion in Rome was like a whirlpool. The currents that battled in +it circled round and round, but got nowhere. Calvo, the last of the older +men who had been fathers of the people when Romulus founded the city, +began to wonder if at last the downfall of the chief was near. He could +not see how one man could make peace between the factions, or how he could +dominate them by his single will. But it was never the way of the veteran +pontiff to talk, when talk would do no good, and he waited to learn what +Romulus would do. + +What Romulus did was to visit him one night at his villa, alone and in +secret. He had sent his servant beforehand to ask that Calvo would arrange +this, and when some hours later a tall man in the dress of a shepherd +appeared at the gate, the old porter admitted him without question, and +there was no one in the way. The two sat and talked in the solar chamber, +with no witnesses but the stars. + +“They do not understand,” Romulus said thoughtfully, when they had been +all over the struggle between the two parties, from beginning to end. +“They do not see that the thing which must be done is the thing which is +right, whether it be by my will or another’s.” + +“They are ready, some of them, to declare that a thing is wrong because +you saw it before they did,” said Calvo dryly. + +“The people are with me—I believe,” said Romulus, “the soldiers, and the +common folk—but they have no voice in the government. Yet are they men, +Tertius Calvo,—many of them children of Mars as we are. Am I not bound to +do what is right for them, as well as for the dwellers within the +palaces?” + +“I have always believed so,” nodded Calvo. “When a man makes a road or a +bridge, he does not make it for the strong and powerful alone; it is even +more for the weak, the ignorant and those who cannot work for themselves. +If the gods meant not this to be so, they would arrange it so that the sun +should shine only on a few, and the rest should dwell in twilight; they +would give rain only to those whom they favor, and good water only to the +chosen of the gods. But the world is not made in that way. Therefore we +who are the chosen of the gods to do their will on earth should be of +equal mind toward all—men, women and children.” + +Calvo paused, as if he were thinking how he should say what he thought, +and then went on. + +“Whether men are high or low, Romulus, founder of the city, they have +minds and they think, and the gods, who know all men’s souls, hear their +unspoken thoughts as well as ours. Therefore it is not a small thing when +many believe in a man, for their belief, like a river, will grow and grow +until it makes itself felt by those who hold themselves as greater. I have +seen this happen when a good man whom all men loved came to die. He was +greater after his death than when he was alive, for the grief and the love +of the poor encompassed his spirit and made it strong.” + +Romulus smiled in the way he did when he was thinking more than he meant +to say. “I shall be very strong when I am dead,” was his only comment. And +Calvo knew that it was the truth. + +Romulus was now fifty-eight years old, and Calvo was seventy-two. Both of +them were thinking that it would not be many years when they would both, +perhaps, be talking together in the world of shadows as they were talking +now. Then Romulus told Calvo what he was going to do. + +This talk took place a little after the beginning of the fifth month, +which the Romans called Quintilis, but which we call July. In this month +the sun is hot and the air is sluggish and damp, and in the year when +these things happened it was more so than usual. The heralds announced in +the market place, one sultry morning, that there would be a meeting of all +the people at a place called the Goat’s Marsh some miles outside the city. +Romulus would there tell publicly why he sent back their hostages to the +Tuscans and how the lands were to be divided among the soldiers. No longer +would the people have to depend on what was said by one and another, he +would tell them himself. Partly out of curiosity, partly with the +determination that they too would speak, the greater part of the +patricians also went to hear. + +The Goat’s Marsh was no longer a marsh, but it had kept its name partly +because of the fig orchards, which bore the little fruits called the goat +figs. There was a plain at the foot of a little hill, which made it a good +place for any public meeting, and the country people for miles around +crowded in to see Romulus and to hear him speak. + +They raised a shout as his tall figure appeared but he waved them to +silence. + +“I have not much to say,” he began, and in the still air the intense +interest of his listeners seemed to tingle like lightning before a storm, +“but much has been said which was not true. I will not waste time in +repeating lies. + +“Ye know that the Tuscan cities were here before we came, and that their +people are many. We cannot kill them or drive them away, if we would. They +are our neighbors. + +“We made war against them and we beat them, and took their city Fidenæ and +their city Veii. Before we made peace they had to pay us certain lands. +Before peace was made and the price paid, there were sons of their blood +in our power, whom we kept as a pledge that they were willing to pay the +price. That was all. They were not guilty of any crime against us. They +were here to show that their people meant to keep faith. When peace was +made I sent them back. + +“If we had kept them, if we had slain them, if harm had come to them, then +the wrong would have been on our side, and we should have had another war. +Why should there be war between neighbors? Is not friendship better than +hatred? + +“Some are angry because I divided the lands, which they gave us as a +price, among the soldiers. Yet who has better right than the men who fight +the battles? This is all of my story. Ye believe?” Then a shout arose to +the very skies,—“Romulus! Romulus! Romulus!” + +Suddenly the clouds grew black, and lightnings flashed through them. Just +as Naso was rising to speak, a tremendous clap of thunder shook the earth, +or so it seemed. Winds swept suddenly down from the mountains and howled +across the plains, carrying away mantles and curtains and boughs of trees +in their flight. The crowd broke up in confusion, and the patricians were +heard calling in distress, “Marcus!” “Caius!” “Aulus!” for in the darkness +they could not see their friends a rod away. They hastened to whatever +shelter they could find, and sheets of rain poured from the clouds. It was +one of the most terrific tempests any one there present had ever known. It +did not last long—perhaps an hour—but when it was over Romulus was nowhere +to be seen. + +The people had scattered in all directions, but the patricians had managed +to keep together. When the storm was over, they did not know at first that +Romulus had disappeared, but presently one after another of the common +people was heard asking where he was, and no one could be found who knew. +The people searched everywhere without finding so much as the hem of his +mantle. It began to be whispered that he had been killed and his body +hidden away, and black looks were cast upon the public men in their white +robes. + +They themselves were perhaps more perplexed and worried than any one else, +for they saw what the people thought. It began to dawn upon them that the +united opinion of hundreds of men, even though of the despised _plebs_, or +peasants, was not exactly a thing to be overlooked. That night was a black +and anxious one. + +On the following morning, Naso, Caius Cossus, and some other leaders came +to see Calvo and ask his opinion of the mystery. He had not been at the +Goat’s Marsh the day before, nor had Cossus and others of the friends of +the vanished chief. All the men who had been there, of the upper class, +were enemies of Romulus. It was a most unpleasant position for them. + +Calvo heard the story gravely, without making any comment. + +The storm had not been nearly so severe in Rome; in fact it was not much +more than an ordinary summer storm. But when Naso told of it he described +it as something beyond anything that could be natural. + +“Do you think,” asked Calvo coolly at last, “that the gods had anything to +do with these strange appearances?” Naso could not say. + +“There have always been strange happenings about this man,” said Calvo +thoughtfully. “His very birth was strange; his appearance among us was +sudden and unexpected. What the gods send they can also take away.” + +“Do you think then,” asked Cossus, “that he was taken by the gods to +heaven?” + +“I do not know,” said Calvo. “You say you found no trace of him? But even +a man struck by lightning is not destroyed.” + +The frightened men looked at each other. + +Fabius the priest was the first to speak. + +“It is at any rate not true that we have murdered him,” he said boldly, +“and that is what men are saying in the streets.” + +“And it may be true that he has been taken by the gods,” said Naso +eagerly. They went out, still talking, and Calvo smiled to himself. He did +not know just what had happened, but Romulus had told him that after this +last appearance to the people he was going away, never to come back. +Apparently that was what he had done. It did not surprise the old pontiff +at all when he heard, an hour or two after, that Fabius had made a speech +and told the people that Romulus had been taken bodily to the skies, in +the midst of the crashing and flaring of the thunder and lightning, and +that he would no more be seen on earth. There were some unbelievers, but +after a time this was quite generally thought to be true. + +[Illustration: Far away, in a cavern on a mountain height, there lived for + many years an old shepherd] + +It had the effect of settling all quarrels at once. When they had time to +think it over, both factions agreed that Romulus was right. They could see +it themselves. Within a few years his memory was better loved, more +powerful, and more closely followed in all his ways and sayings than ever +he had been in life. + +He never returned to Rome, but far away, in a cavern on a mountain height, +there lived for many years an old shepherd who became very dear to the +simple people around him. He had a servant named Peppo who loved him well +and whom he treated more as a son than as a slave. He had a little plot of +ground which he cultivated, with nine bean-rows and various kinds of +herbs, and a row of beehives stood near the entrance to his cave. There +was nothing he could not do with animals, and the birds used to come and +perch on his fingers and his shoulders and head, and sing. Even the wolves +would not harm him, and one year a mother fox brought up a litter of four +cubs within a few yards of his door. The young people used to come to him +to get him to tell their fortunes, and if he advised against a thing they +never went contrary to what he said. When he died and was buried, his +servant returned to the place from which he came, and then Tertius Calvo, +who was by that time a very old man, learned certainly where Romulus the +founder of Rome had gone. But he kept the story to himself. + + + + + + A ROMAN ROAD + + + Once along the Roman road with measured, rhythmic stride + Marched the Roman legionaries in their valiant pride. + Men of petty towns and tribes, under Caesar’s hand, + Welded into Empire then their people and their land. + Now along that ancient road the silent motors run, + Driven by every ancient race that lives beneath the sun. + + Swarming from their barren plains, wild barbarian hordes + Wasted all the fruitful soil—then the Roman swords + Leagued with Gallic pike and sling, held the red frontier, + Saved the cradle of our folk, all that we hold dear. + Now above the towers that rise where Rome’s great eagles flew, + Circle dauntless aeroplanes to guard their folk anew. + + Gods who loved the sons of Mars found in field and wood + Altars built with reverent care—saw the work was good. + Simple, brave and generous, quick to speech and mirth; + Loving all the pleasant ways of the kindly earth; + Thus they built the stately walls that still unfallen stand. + Guarding for their ancient faith the dear, unchanging land! + + Winds and waves and leaping flames all have served our race. + Flint and bronze and steel had each their little day of grace. + But the lightning fleets to-day along our singing wires, + And the harnessed floods to-day are fuel for our fires. + Armored through the clouds we glide on swift electric wings. + Through the trenches of the hills a joyous giant sings. + Light and Flame and Power and Steel are welded into one + To serve the task set long ago,—when roads were first begun! + + + + THE END + + + + + + + TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE + + +The following changes have been made to the text: + + page 118, “some” changed to “same” + page 233, period added after “Rome” + +Variations in hyphenation (e.g. “cattlemen”, “cattle-men”; “roadmaking”, +“road-making”) and spelling (e.g. “Caesar”, “Cæsar”) have not been +changed. + + + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHILDHOOD OF ROME*** + + + + CREDITS + + +May 31, 2011 + + Project Gutenberg TEI edition 1 + Produced by Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed + Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + A WORD FROM PROJECT GUTENBERG + + +This file should be named 36296‐0.txt or 36296‐0.zip. + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + + + http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/6/2/9/36296/ + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one — the old editions will be +renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one +owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and +you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission +and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the +General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and +distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the Project +Gutenberg™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered +trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you +receive specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of +this eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook +for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, +performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given away +— you may do practically _anything_ with public domain eBooks. +Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + + THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE + + +_Please read this before you distribute or use this work._ + +To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or +any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), +you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ +License (available with this file or online at +http://www.gutenberg.org/license). + + + Section 1. + + +General Terms of Use & Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works + + + 1.A. + + +By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, +you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the +terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) +agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this +agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of +Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee +for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work +and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may +obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set +forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + + + 1.B. + + +“Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or +associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be +bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can +do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying +with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are +a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you +follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to +Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. + + + 1.C. + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or +PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual +work is in the public domain in the United States and you are located in +the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, +distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on +the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of +course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of +promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project +Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for +keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can +easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the +same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you +share it without charge with others. + + + 1.D. + + +The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you +can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant +state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of +your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before +downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating +derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. +The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of +any work in any country outside the United States. + + + 1.E. + + +Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + + + 1.E.1. + + +The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access +to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever +any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase +“Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” +is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or +distributed: + + + This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with + almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away + or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License + included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org + + + 1.E.2. + + +If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from the +public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with +permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and +distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or +charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the +phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you +must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 +or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ +trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + + + 1.E.3. + + +If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the +permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply +with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed +by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project +Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the +copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + + + 1.E.4. + + +Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License +terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any +other work associated with Project Gutenberg™. + + + 1.E.5. + + +Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic +work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying +the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate +access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License. + + + 1.E.6. + + +You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, +marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word +processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than +“Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted +on the official Project Gutenberg™ web site (http://www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. +Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as +specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + + + 1.E.7. + + +Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, +copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply +with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + + + 1.E.8. + + +You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or +distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that + + - You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to + the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to + donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg + Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 + days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally + required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments + should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg + Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, + “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary + Archive Foundation.” + + - You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. + You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the + works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and + all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works. + + - You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of + any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of + receipt of the work. + + - You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works. + + + 1.E.9. + + +If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic +work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this +agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from both the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael Hart, the owner of the +Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in +Section 3 below. + + + 1.F. + + + 1.F.1. + + +Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to +identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread public domain +works in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these +efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they +may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, +incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright +or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk +or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot +be read by your equipment. + + + 1.F.2. + + +LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES — Except for the “Right of +Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ +trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ +electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for +damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE +NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH +OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE +FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT +WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, +PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY +OF SUCH DAMAGE. + + + 1.F.3. + + +LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND — If you discover a defect in this +electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund +of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to +the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a +physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. +The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect +to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the +work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose +to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in +lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a +refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem. + + + 1.F.4. + + +Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in +paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ’AS-IS,’ WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + + + 1.F.5. + + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the +exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or +limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state +applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make +the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state +law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement +shall not void the remaining provisions. + + + 1.F.6. + + +INDEMNITY — You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark +owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of +Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and +any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution +of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs +and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from +any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of +this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or +additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect +you cause. + + + Section 2. + + + Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™ + + +Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic +works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including +obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the +efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks +of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance +they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring +that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for +generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for +Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations +can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation web page at +http://www.pglaf.org. + + + Section 3. + + + Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of +Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. +The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. +Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf. Contributions to the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full +extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws. + +The Foundation’s principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. +S. Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 North +1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact information +can be found at the Foundation’s web site and official page at +http://www.pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + + + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + + Section 4. + + + Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive + Foundation + + +Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without wide spread +public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the +number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed +in machine readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment +including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are +particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. +Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable +effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these +requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not +received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or +determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit +http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have +not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against +accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us +with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any +statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the +United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation methods +and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including +checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please +visit: http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + + + Section 5. + + + General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. + + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with +anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ +eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, +all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. unless a copyright +notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance +with any particular paper edition. + +Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook’s eBook +number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII, compressed +(zipped), HTML and others. + +Corrected _editions_ of our eBooks replace the old file and take over the +old filename and etext number. The replaced older file is renamed. +_Versions_ based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving +new filenames and etext numbers. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + + http://www.gutenberg.org + + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how +to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, +how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email +newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + + + + + +***FINIS*** +
\ No newline at end of file |