he gates shut after the days of Numa; for the first
time when Titus Manlius was Consul, after the ending of the first war
against Carthage, and for the second time when the Emperor Augustus,
after vanquishing Antony at Actium, established universal peace both
by land and sea. This temple then King Numa built, and shut the gates
thereof, having first made treaties of peace with the nations round
about.

Many other things did King Numa set in order for his people. First he
divided the year into twelve months, each month being according to the
course of the moon, and in every twenty-fourth year another month, that
the year might so agree with the course of the sun. Also he appointed
certain lawful days for business, and other days on which nothing might
be done. He made priests also, of whom the chief was the priest of
Jupiter, to whom he gave splendid apparel and a chair of ivory. Two
other priests he made, one of Mars, and the other of Quirinus, that
is to say, of Romulus the god. And he chose virgins for the service
of Vesta, who should keep alive the sacred fire, and twelve priests
of Mars, whom he called the Salii, to be keepers of the sacred shield.
(This shield, men said, fell down from heaven, and that it might be kept
the more safely, King Numa commanded that they should make eleven other
shields like unto it.) This shield and its fellows the Salii were to
carry through the city, having on flowered tunics and breastplates of
brass, and dancing and singing hymns. And many other things as to the
worship of the gods, and the interpreting of signs, and the dealing with
marvels and portents, King Numa set in order. And that the people might
regard these laws and customs with the more reverence, he gave out that
he had not devised them of his own wit, but that he had learnt them from
a certain goddess whose name was Egeria, whom he was wont to meet in a
grove that was hard by the city.

King Numa died, having reigned forty and three years; and the people
chose in his room one Tullus Hostilius.

CHAPTER II. ~~ THE STORY OF ALBA.

King Tullus Hostilius, being newly come to the throne, looked about
for an occasion of war; for the Romans had now for a long time been at
peace. Now it chanced that in those days the men of Rome and the men of
Alba had a quarrel, the one against the other, the country folk being
wont to cross the border and to plunder their neighbours; and that
ambassadors were sent from either city t