lebrated in honor of the
god Consus, and invited his neighbors, the Latins and Sabines, to the
festival. Suspecting no treachery, they came in numbers with their wives
and children, but the Roman youths rushed upon their guests and carried
off the virgins. The parents returned home and prepared for vengeance.
The inhabitants of three of the Latin towns, Caenina, Antemnae and
Crustumerium, took up arms one after the other, but were defeated by the
Romans. Romulus slew with his own hand Acron, king of Caenina, and
dedicated his arms and armor, as _spolia opima_, to Jupiter. These were
offered when the commander of one army slew with his own hand the
commander of another, and were only gained twice afterward in Roman
history. At last Titus Tatius, the king of Cures, the most powerful of
the Sabine states, marched against Rome. His forces were so great that
Romulus, unable to resist him in the field, was obliged to retire into
the city. Besides the city on the Palatine, Romulus had also fortified
the top of the Capitoline Hill, which he intrusted to the care of
Tarpeius. But his daughter Tarpeia, dazzled by the golden bracelets of
the Sabines, promised to betray the hill to them "if they would give her
what they wore on their left arms." Her offer was accepted. In the
night-time she opened a gate and let in the enemy, but when she claimed
her reward they threw upon her the shields "which they wore on their
left arms," and thus crushed her to death. One of the heights of the
Capitoline Hill preserved her name, and it was from the Tarpeian Rock
that traitors were afterward hurled down. On the next day the Romans
endeavored to recover the hill. A long and desperate battle was fought
in the valley between the Palatine and the Capitoline. At one time the
Romans were driven before the enemy, when Romulus vowed a temple to
Jupiter Stator, the Stayer of Flight, whereupon his men took courage and
returned again to the combat. At length the Sabine women, who were the
cause of the war, rushed in between them, and prayed their husbands and
fathers to be reconciled. Their prayers were heard; the two people not
only made peace, but agreed to form only one nation. The Romans dwelt on
the Palatine under their king Romulus, the Sabines on the Capitoline
under their king Titus Tatius.[4] The two kings and their senates met
for deliberation in the valley between the two hills, which was hence
called _Comitium_, or the place of meeting, and whic