nii despised Lucumo, because he
was the son of a stranger, Tanaquil could not endure it, and caring
not for her country, if only she could see her husband held in honour,
purposed to depart thence and dwell elsewhere. And of all places Rome
seemed to her the best, being a new country wherein men were honoured
for their deservings rather than for their birth, and he that should
show himself brave and diligent would find occasion to win renown. So
Numa, coming from Cures that is in the land of the Sabines, had been
called to the kingdom. King Ancus also was born of a mother that was a
Sabine, nor was noble at all save for his kinship to Numa. With these
words she easily persuaded her husband, so that, gathering together all
his possessions, he departed from Tarquinii to Rome. And when he came
near to the city, at the hill that is called Janiculum, there happened
to him this marvel. As he sat in the chariot with his wife, an eagle,
having its wings stretched out, descended slowly upon him from the sky,
and carried off the hat that was upon his head. Then for a while it flew
over the chariot, making a great crying, and afterwards, as it had been
inspired to do this office, set it back upon his head, and so vanished
into the air. Now all the women of the Etrurians have great knowledge
of augury (for so they call the signs and tokens of birds), and Tanaquil
was of good courage when she saw what the eagle had done, and she
embraced her husband, and bade him hope for great honours in Rome; for
the bird, she said, had come from the sky, and the sign that it showed
concerned the crown of a man, for it had taken from his head the glory
that man's hand set upon it, that it might give it back to him from the
gods. So Lucumo and Tanaquil his wife came to Rome, hoping to do
great things; and the man dwelt there, giving out that his name was
Tarquinius. And because he was a new comer and wealthy, men took the
more note of him; also he would speak courteously to all men, and use
much hospitality, and do such service as he could to them that had need
of it And after a while King Ancus heard of him, and made acquaintance
with him, which acquaintance grew into friendship, till at the last,
having found him faithful and ready in all that was put into his charge,
whether at home or abroad, he appointed him to be guardian to his
children.

After this King Ancus died, having reigned twenty and four years, and
left two sons, not yet old enough