The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08
daughter. As soon as he ascended the throne, reflecting on the renown of
his grandfather, and that the late reign, glorious in every other
respect, in one particular had not been sufficiently prosperous, the
rites of religion having either been utterly neglected, or improperly
performed; deeming it of the highest importance to perform the public
ceremonies of religion as they had been instituted by Numa, he orders
the pontiff, after he had transcribed them all from the king's
commentaries on white tables, to expose them to public view. Hence, both
his own subjects, desirous of peace, and the neighbouring nations,
entertained a hope that the king would conform to the conduct and
institutions of his grandfather. Accordingly the Latins, with whom a
treaty had been concluded in the reign of Tullus, assumed new courage;
and after they had made an incursion upon the Roman lands, return a
contemptuous answer to the Romans on their demanding restitution,
supposing that the Roman king would spend his reign in indolence among
chapels and altars. The genius of Ancus was of a middle kind, partaking
both of that of Numa and of Romulus; and, besides that, he thought that
peace was more necessary in his grandfather's reign, considering the
people were but recent as well as uncivilized, he also (considered) that
he could not, without injury, preserve the tranquillity which had fallen
to his lot; that his patience was tried, and being tried, was now
despised; and that the times were more suited to a king Tullus than to a
Numa. In order, however, that as Numa had instituted religious rites in
peace, ceremonies relating to war might be transmitted by him, and that
wars might not only be waged, but proclaimed also according to some
rite, he borrowed from an ancient nation, the Æquicolae, the form which
the heralds still preserve, according to which restitution is demanded.
The ambassador, when he comes to the frontiers of the people from whom
satisfaction is demanded, having his head covered with a fillet, (the
fillet is of wool,) says, "Hear, O Jupiter, hear, ye confines, (naming
the nation they belong to,) let Justice hear. I am a public messenger of
the Roman people; I come justly and religiously deputed, and let my
words gain credit." He then makes his demands; afterwards he makes a
solemn appeal to Jupiter, "If I unjustly or impiously demand those
persons and those goods to be given up to me, the messenger of the Roman
people, then never permit me to enjoy my native country." These words he
repeats when he passes over the frontiers; the same to the first man he
meets; the same on entering the gate; the same on entering the forum,
some few words in the form of the declaration and oath being changed. If
the persons whom he demands are not delivered up, on the expiration of
thirty-three days, for so many are enjoined by the rule, he declares
war, thus: "Hear, Jupiter, and thou, Juno, Romulus, and all ye
celestial, terrestrial, and infernal gods, give ear! I call you to
witness, that this nation (naming it) is unjust, and does not act with
equity; but we will consult the fathers in our own country concerning
these matters, and by what means we may obtain our right." After that
the messenger returns to Rome to consult: the king immediately used to
consult the fathers almost in the following words: "Concerning such
matters, differences, and quarrels, as the pater patratus of the Roman
people, the Quirites, has conferred with the pater patratus of the
ancient Latins, and with the ancient Latin people, which matters ought
to be given up, performed, discharged, which matters they have neither
given up, performed, nor discharged, declare," says he to him, whose
opinion he first asked, "what think you?" Then he said, "I think that
they should be demanded by a just and regularly declared war, therefore
I consent, and vote for it." Then the others were asked in order, and
when the majority of those present agreed in the same opinion, the war
was resolved on. It was customary for the fecialis to carry in his hand
a javelin pointed with steel, or burnt at the end and dipped in blood,
to the confines of the enemy's country, and in presence of at least
three grown-up persons, to say, "Forasmuch as the states of the ancient
Latins, and the ancient Latin people, have offended against the Roman
people, the Quirites, forasmuch as the Roman people, the Quirites, have
ordered that there should be war with the ancient Latins, and the senate
of the Roman people, the Quirites, have given their opinion, consented,
and voted that war should be made with the ancient Latins, on this
account I and the Roman people declare and make war on the states of the
ancient Latins, and on the ancient Latin people." After he had said
that, he threw the spear within their confines. After this manner
restitution was demanded from the Latins at that time, and war
proclaimed: and that usage posterity have adopted.
33. Ancus, having committed the care of sacred things to the flamines
and other priests, set out with a new army, which he had levied, and
took Politorium, a city of the Latins, by storm; and following the
example of former kings, who had increased the Roman state by taking
enemies into the number of the citizens, he transplanted all the people
to Rome. And since the Sabines occupied the Capitol and citadel, and the
Albans the Cœlian mount around the Palatium, the residence of the old
Romans, the Aventine was assigned to the new people; not long after, on
Telleni and Ficana being taken, new citizens were added in the same
quarter. After this Politorium was taken a second time by force of arms,
because the ancient Latins had taken possession of it when vacated. This
was the cause of the Romans demolishing that city, that it might not
ever after serve as a receptacle to the enemy. At last, the whole war
with the Latins being concentrated in Medullia, they fought there with
various fortune, sometimes the one and sometimes the other gaining the
victory; for the town was both well fortified by works, and strengthened
by a strong garrison, and the Latins, having pitched their camp in the
open fields, had several times fought the Romans in close engagement. At
last Ancus, making an effort with all his forces, obtained a complete
victory over them in a pitched battle, and having got a considerable
booty, returned thence to Rome; many thousands of the Latins being then
also admitted into the city, to whom, in order that the Aventine might
be joined to the Palatium, a settlement was assigned near the temple of
Murcia. The Janiculum was likewise added, not for want of room, but lest
at any time it should become a lodgment for the enemy. It was determined
to join it to the city, not only by a wall, but likewise, for the sake
of the convenience of passage, by a wooden bridge, then for the first
time built across the Tiber. The Fossa Quiritium, no inconsiderable
defence against the easy access to the city from the low grounds, is the
work of king Ancus. The state being augmented by such great accessions,
seeing that, amid such a multitude of persons, the distinction of right
and wrong being as yet confounded, clandestine crimes were committed, a
prison is built in the heart of the city, overlooking the forum, to
intimidate the growing licentiousness. And not only was the city
increased under this king, but the territory also and the boundaries.
The Mæsian forest was taken from the Veientes, the Roman dominion was
extended as far as the sea, and the city of Ostia built at the mouth of
the Tiber; salt-pits were formed around it, and, in consequence of the
distinguished success achieved in war, the temple of Jupiter Feretrius
was enlarged.
34. In the reign of Ancus, Lucumo, a rich and enterprising man, came to
settle at Rome, prompted chiefly by the desire and hope of obtaining
great preferment there, which he had no means of attaining at Tarquinii
(for there also he was descended from an alien stock). He was the son of
Demaratus, a Corinthian, who, flying his country for sedition, had
happened to settle at Tarquinii, and having married a wife there, had
two sons by her. Their names were [48]Lucumo and Aruns. Lucumo survived
his father, and became heir to all his property. Aruns died before his
father, leaving a wife pregnant. The father did not long survive the
son, and as he, not knowing that his daughter-in-law was pregnant, died
without taking any notice of his grandchild in his will, to the boy that
was born after the death of his grandfather, without having any share in
his fortune, the name of Egerius was given on account of his poverty.
And when his wealth already inspired Lucumo, on the other hand, the heir
of all his father's wealth, with elevated notions, Tanaquil, whom he
married, further increased such feeling, she being descended from a very
high family, and one who would not readily brook the condition into
which she had married to be inferior to that in which she had been born.
As the Etrurians despised Lucumo, because sprung from a foreign exile,
she could not bear the affront, and regardless of the innate love of her
native country, provided she might see her husband advanced to honours,
she formed the determination to leave Tarquinii. Rome seemed
particularly suited for her purpose. In this state, lately founded,
where all nobility is recent and the result of merit, there would be
room for her husband, a man of courage and activity. Tatius a Sabine had
been king of Rome: Numa had been sent for from Cures to reign there:
Ancus was sprung from a Sabine mother, and rested his nobility on the
single statue of Numa. She easily persuades him, as being ambitious of
honours, and one to whom Tarquinii was his country only on the mother's
side. Accordingly, removing their effects they set out together for
Rome. They happened to have reached the Janiculum; there, as he sat in
the chariot with his wife, an eagle, suspended on her wings, gently
stooping, takes off his cap, and flying round the chariot with loud
screams, as if she had been sent from heaven for the very purpose,
orderly replaced it on his head, and then flew aloft. Tanaquil is said
to have received this omen with great joy, being a woman well skilled,
as the Etrurians generally are, in celestial prodigies, and embracing
her husband, bids him hope for high and elevated fortune: that such bird
had come from such a quarter of the heavens, and the messenger of such a
god: that it had exhibited the omen around the highest part of man: that
it had lifted the ornament placed on the head of man, to restore it to
the same, by direction of the gods. Carrying with them these hopes and
thoughts, they entered the city, and having purchased a house there,
they gave out the name of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. His being a
stranger and very rich, caused him to be taken notice of by the Romans.
He also promoted his own good fortune by his affable address, by the
courteousness of his invitations, and by conciliating those whom he
could by acts of kindness; until a report of him reached even to the
palace; and by paying court to the king with politeness and address, he
in a short time so improved the acquaintance to the footing of intimate
friendship, that he was present at all public and private deliberations,
foreign and domestic; and being now tried in every trust, he was at
length, by the king's will, appointed guardian to his children.
[Footnote 48: The Lucumones were a class of persons among the Etrurians
of a warlike sacerdotal character, patricians, not kings. Vid. Niebuhr,
i. p. 372.]
35. Ancus reigned twenty-four years, equal to any of the former kings
both in the arts and renown of war and peace. His sons were now nigh
the age of puberty, for this reason Tarquin was more urgent that the