s
suggests that a town existed there before the reception of the Albans;
but what is the authenticity of this account? A third tradition
represents it as an Etruscan settlement of Caeles Vibenna. This much is
certain, that the destruction of Alba greatly contributed to increase
the power of Rome. There can be no doubt that a third town, which seems
to have been very populous, now existed on the Caelius and on a portion
of the Esquiliae: such a settlement close to other towns was made for the
sake of mutual protection. Between the two more ancient towns there
continued to be a marsh or swamp, and Rome was protected on the south
by stagnant water; but between Rome and the third town there was a dry
plain. Rome also had a considerable suburb toward the Aventine,
protected by a wall and a ditch, as is implied in the story of Remus. He
is a personification of the _plebs_, leaping across the ditch from the
side of the Aventine, though we ought to be very cautious in regard to
allegory.

The most ancient town on the Palatine was Rome; the Sabine town also
must have had a name, and I have no doubt that, according to common
analogy, it was Quirium, the name of its citizens being Quirites. This I
look upon as certain. I have almost as little doubt that the town on the
Caelian was called Lucerum, because when it was united with Rome, its
citizens were called, _Lucertes_ (_Luceres_). The ancients derive this
name from Lucumo, king of the Tuscans, or from Lucerus, king of Ardea;
the latter derivation probably meaning that the race was Tyrrheno-Latin,
because Ardea was the capital of that race. Rome was thus enlarged by a
third element, which, however, did not stand on a footing of equality
with the two others, but was in a state of dependence similar to that of
Ireland relatively to Great Britain down to the year 1782. But although
the Luceres were obliged to recognize the supremacy of the two older
tribes, they were considered as an integral part of the whole state,
that is, as a third tribe with an administration of its own, but
inferior rights. What throws light upon our way here is a passage of
Festus, who is a great authority on matters of Roman antiquity, because
he made his excerpts from Verrius Flaccus; it is only in a few points
that, in my opinion, either of them was mistaken; all the rest of the
mistakes in Festus may be accounted for by the imperfection of the
abridgment, Festus not always understanding Verrius Flaccus.