第 3 节
作者:一米八      更新:2024-05-15 20:30      字数:9322
  worthy of being received and incorporated as citizens among them
  plainly appears from the matter of the women; an attempt made not
  wantonly but of necessity; because they could not get wives by
  good…will。 For they certainly paid unusual respect and honour to those
  whom they thus forcibly seized。
  Not long after the first foundation of the city; they opened a
  sanctuary of refuge for all fugitives; which they called the temple of
  the god Asylaeus; where they received and protected all; delivering
  none back; neither the servant to his master; the debtor to his
  creditor; nor the murderer into the hands of the magistrate; saying it
  was a privileged place; and they could so maintain it by an order of
  the holy oracle; insomuch that the city grew presently very
  populous; for they say; it consisted at first of no more than a
  thousand houses。 But of that hereafter。
  Their minds being full bent upon building; there arose presently a
  difference about the place。 Romulus chose what was called Roma
  Quadrata; or the Square Rome; and would have the city there。 Remus
  laid out a piece of ground on the Aventine Mount; well fortified by
  nature; which was from him called Remonium; but now Rignarium。
  Concluding at last to decide the contest by a divination from a flight
  of birds; and placing themselves apart at some distance。 Remus; they
  say; saw six vultures; and Romulus double that number; others say;
  Remus did truly see his number; and that Romulus feigned his; but when
  Remus came to him; that then he did indeed see twelve。 Hence it is
  that the Romans; in their divinations from birds; chiefly regard the
  vulture; though Herodorus Ponticus relates that Hercules was always
  very joyful when a vulture appeared to him upon any action。 For it
  is a creature the least hurtful of any; pernicious neither to corn;
  fruit…tree; nor cattle; it preys only upon carrion; and never kills or
  hurts any living thing; and as for birds; it touches not them;
  though they are dead; as being of its own species; whereas eagles;
  owls; and hawks mangle and kill their own fellow…creatures; yet; as
  Aeschylus says;…
  〃What bird is clean that preys on fellow bird?〃
  Besides; all other birds are; so to say; never out of our eyes; they
  let themselves be seen of us continually; but a vulture is a very rare
  sight; and you can seldom meet with a man that has seen their young;
  their rarity and infrequency has raised a strange opinion in some;
  that they come to us from some other world; as soothsayers ascribe a
  divine origination to all things not produced either of nature or of
  themselves。
  When Remus knew the cheat; he was much displeased; and as Romulus
  was casting up a ditch; where he designed the foundation of the
  city…wall; he turned some pieces of the work to ridicule; and
  obstructed others; at last; as he was in contempt leaping over it;
  some say Romulus himself struck him; others Celer; one of his
  companions; he fell; however; and in the scuffle Faustulus also was
  slain; and Plistinus; who; being Faustulus's brother; story tells
  us; helped to bring up Romulus。 Celer upon this fled instantly into
  Tuscany; and from him the Romans call all men that are swift of feet
  Celeres; and because Quintus Metellus; at his father's funeral; in a
  few days' time gave the people a show of gladiators; admiring his
  expedition in getting it ready; they gave him the name of Celer。
  Romulus; having buried his brother Remus; together with his two
  foster…fathers; on the mount Remonia; set to building his city; and
  sent for men out of Tuscany; who directed him by sacred usages and
  written rules in all the ceremonies to be observed; as in a
  religious rite。 First; they dug a round trench about that which is now
  the Comitium; or Court of Assembly; and into it solemnly threw the
  first…fruits of all things either good by custom or necessary by
  nature; lastly; every man taking a small piece of earth of the country
  from whence he came; they all threw in promiscuously together。 This
  trench they call; as they do the heavens; Mundus; making which their
  centre; they described the city in a circle round it。 Then the founder
  fitted to a plough a brazen ploughshare; and; yoking together a bull
  and a cow; drove himself a deep line or furrow round the bounds; while
  the business of those that followed after was to see that whatever
  earth was thrown up should be turned all inwards towards the city; and
  not to let any clod lie outside。 With this line they described the
  wall; and called it; by a contraction; Pomoerium; that is;
  postmurum; after or beside the wall; and where they designed to make a
  gate; there they took out the share; carried the plough over; and left
  a space; for which reason they consider the whole wall as holy; except
  where the gates are; for had they adjudged them also sacred; they
  could not; without offence to religion; have given free ingress and
  egress for the necessaries of human life; some of which are in
  themselves unclean。
  As for the day they began to build the city; it is universally
  agreed to have been the twenty…first of April; and that day the Romans
  annually keep holy; calling it their country's birthday。 At first;
  they say; they sacrificed no living creature on this day; thinking
  it fit to preserve the feast of their country's birthday pure and
  without stain of blood。 Yet before ever the city was built; there
  was a feast of herdsmen and shepherds kept on this day; which went
  by the name of Palilia。 The Roman and Greek months have now little
  or no agreement; they say; however; the day on which Romulus began
  to build was quite certainly the thirtieth of the month; at which time
  there was an eclipse of the sun which they conceived to be that seen
  by Antimachus; the Teian poet; in the third year of the sixth
  Olympiad。 In the times of Varro the philosopher; a man deeply read
  in Roman history; lived one Tarrutius; his familiar acquaintance; a
  good philosopher and mathematician; and one; too; that out of
  curiosity had studied the way of drawing schemes and tables; and was
  thought to be a proficient in the art; to him Varro propounded to cast
  Romulus's nativity; even to the first day and hour; making his
  deductions from the several events of the man's life which he should
  be informed of; exactly as in working back a geometrical problem;
  for it belonged; he said; to the same science both to foretell a man's
  life by knowing the time of his birth; and also to find out his
  birth by the knowledge of his life。 This task Tarrutius undertook; and
  first looking into the actions and casualties of the man; together
  with the time of his life and manner of his death; and then
  comparing all these remarks together; he very confidently and
  positively pronounced that Romulus was conceived in his mother's
  womb the first year of the second Olympiad; the twenty…third day of
  the month the Aegyptians call Choeac; and the third hour after sunset;
  at which time there was a total eclipse of the sun; that he was born
  the twenty…first day of the month Thoth; about sunrising; and that the
  first stone of Rome was laid by him the ninth day of the month
  Pharmuthi; between the second and third hour。 For the fortunes of
  cities as well as of men; they think; have their certain periods of
  time prefixed; which may be collected and foreknown from the
  position of the stars at their first foundation。 But these and the
  like relations may perhaps not so much take and delight the reader
  with their novelty and curiosity; as offend him by their extravagance。
  The city now being built; Romulus enlisted all that were of age to
  bear arms into military companies; each company consisting of three
  thousand footmen and three hundred horse。 These companies were
  called legions; because they were the choicest and most select of
  the people for fighting men。 The rest of the multitude he called the
  people; an hundred of the most eminent he chose for counsellors; these
  he styled patricians; and their assembly the senate; which signifies a
  council of elders。 The patricians; some say; were so called because
  they were the fathers of lawful children; others; because they could
  give a good account who their own fathers were; which not every one of
  the rabble that poured into the city at first could do; others; from
  patronage; their word for protection of inferiors; the origin of which
  they attribute to Patron; one of those that came over with Evander;
  who was a great protector and defender of the weak and needy。 But
  perhaps the most probable judgment might be; that Romulus; esteeming
  it the duty of the chiefest and wealthiest men; with a fatherly care
  and concern to look after the meaner; and also encouraging the
  commonalty not to dread or be aggrieved at the honours of their
  superiors; but to love and respect them; and to think and call them
  their fathers; might from hence give them the name of patricians。
  For at this very time all foreigners give senators the style of lords;
  but the Romans; making use of a more honourable and less invidious
  name; call them Patres Conscripti; at first; indeed; simply Patres;
  but afterwards; more being added; Patres Conscripti。 By this more
  imposing title he distinguished the senate fro