Remus was dead.
His blood was spilled, his life had been taken, and nothing could undo what Romulus had done. Remorse may have spread through him after the brutal murder of his beloved twin-brother by his own hand, but neither did this impulsive act stop Romulus, nor did it slow him down in what should become his greatest achievement - the Roman Empire.
Foundations were laid, fortifications raised, huts were built and order was established.
The ruler of Rome wasted no time. He appointed founding men and established the Roman Senate as his advisory council.
However, after his brothers’ death only a mere handful of Romulus’ companions remained in the newly found city upon the Palatine Hill, and soon he came to realize that the need for more citizens was both real and pressing.
In a bold gamble, Romulus made the decision to prioritize quantity over quality, declaring Rome an asylum and inviting the forgotten and forsaken of Italy to gather within the protection of its walls. Crowds of runaway slaves, criminals, exiles and refugees flocked into the city, and while this increased the population tremendously, it did not solve the problem at hand: long-term survival.
Romulus’ declaration drew mostly men to the grounds of Rome, but very few women were attracted by this offer. Yet women were essential. They were needed. Without them, there would be no future generations to inhabit the city, its unsteady infrastructure would fall apart entirely, and Rome would die as quickly as it was established.
As ruler of Rome, Romulus intended to set an example of leadership and first tried his hand in diplomacy. Hopeful, he sent out messengers to the tribes living nearby, including the Sabines, Latins and the Etruscans, to propose intermarriage and future alliances to their kings.
And yet, he still failed in his mission. As a direct result of Rome’s poor reputation of being a disgraceful haven for bandits and outcasts, his proposals were rejected or left unanswered.
Having been dismissed by his neighbours, Romulus found himself in a trying position. The city he had founded with his own hands and stained with the blood of his own brother, was bound to fade out of existence, and he would fade along with it. Rather than being remembered as the great king of Rome, he would vanish from memory altogether, until even his name would be diminished by time.
Overcome by fear and feelings of resentment for the other tribes, he desperately needed to find a solution to the predicament he found himself in.
He had to devise a plan.
Shortly after, the city of Rome organized a grand festival in honour of Neptune Equester, the God of Horsemanship, which was to take place in the grassy valley between the Palatine and the Aventine Hills.
Wooden spectator stands and viewing platforms were erected especially for the chariot games and horse races that were to be held on that very day. The nearby tribes had been invited to attend the festival, and this time they gratefully accepted.
People, driven by a deep curiosity to see the newly built city with their own eyes, flooded into Rome. Many men were accompanied by their families - wives, sons, and unmarried daughters.
Before the games officially began, the visitors were taken around the city walls to build a false sense of security - they were shown into the houses, guided through the fortifications, and introduced to the functions of the senate.
The atmosphere vibrated with a festive energy - bright, loud and highly distracting - while their guests surrendered themselves to the novelty of their surroundings and the excitement of the games.
It was then that Romulus gave his prearranged signal to his men, as he rose from his seat, folded his cloak, and threw it around himself again in one swift movement.
From one moment to another, the carefree air that held the thrill of the day turned into something far more severe - it turned into chaos, danger and a tension almost palpable.
During the games, while the eyes of the spectators were fixed upon the fascinating races, the Romans chose their prey, and once their king gave his signal, they attacked and seized the young women of the Sabine tribe, carrying them off into their homes.
The remaining Sabines fought back. Desperately, they tried to rescue their women and save them from the Roman’s determined grasp, but the attack came too sudden and unexpected, and they were driven out of the city.
The young women, vulnerable and frightened, were now all on their own with their abductors.
Romulus blamed their parents’ arrogant rejection of his original proposal for the extreme measures he was then forced to take, but assured the terrified women that they were to be legally wedded wives, promising them full civic rights and property shares, and the honourable status as mothers of free Romans.
Over time, the men were able to persuade their now wives with kindness and gifts, and as the first children were born, the women were now entirely tied to their new lives.
But the abduction provoked retaliation, and Romulus knew that a confrontation was inevitable.
Successfully, he and his men repelled attacks led by the Caeninenses, the Crustuminii and the Antemnates, who sought revenge for the Sabines as much as for the misleading invitation.
At last, the Sabines themselves declared war on Rome, and as they advanced to the gates of the city, the betrayal of one Roman woman would come to aid them in their need for justice: it was Tarpeia, the daughter of a Roman commander, having been bribed with gold, jewels and even the promise of marriage, who opened the doors to the enemy.
But fate would turn against her, and the disloyalty she had shown her own people was rewarded with neither wealth nor love: as she opened the gates to the Sabines, the warriors swarmed inside, crushing her to death with their shields.
The Sabines covered ground and bravely pressed on into the heart of the city, but were met with the fierce resistance of the Romans. A battle that pushed both sides to their absolute limits had begun. In the mid-8th century BC, the battlefield was not a flat and safe ground to stand upon, but a treacherous basin filled with deep mud and standing water, causing men and horses to slip and sink into the mire. When the Sabines advanced further, the Romans began to panic and retreated. Romulus, desperate as he was, began to pray to Jupiter, vowing to build a temple in his honour should they succeed.
As the battle continued, fought entirely at close quarters, chaos peaked when the leader of the Sabine army, Mettius Curtius, plunged into a deep and muddy swamp together with his horse - surrounded by the treacherous enemy and pulled down by the weight of his own armour.
But fortune seemed to walk beside him that day, for the end that awaited him was as bleak as it was certain, and only the intervention of his troops spared him from that destiny.
The decisive moment had come when the abducted women themselves intervened.
Just as the brutal battle had reached its crimson summit, the young Sabine women - now mothers and wives - rushed onto the battlefield and threw themselves between the raging armies. Pleading for peace, they appealed to their fathers on one side and their husbands on the other, desperately urging them to stop killing one another.
“We’ll better die ourselves than live without either of you, as widows or orphans.”
they bravely declared.
The women succeeded, and their noble act led to a truce between the armies. Eventuallly, the two tribes merged under one joint rule of Romulus and Tatius, the king of the Sabines.
The tribe integrated into Rome, and contributed further to the city’s institutions and its population. The two kings ruled peacefully together, until Tatius was murdered a few years later during a town riot, and Romulus could declare himself the sole ruler over his empire once again.
This particular piece of history is commonly known as “The Rape of the Sabine Women”.
It is a challenging and uncomfortable subject to write about, but it does remain an important part of Roman mythology that cannot be overlooked.
As historical writer specializing in Ancient Rome, I would like to draw attention to a few details I find important to highlight, and while these facts may not alter or dilute the severity of the abduction itself, they might serve to provide clarity.
“The Rape of the Sabine Women” is yet another foundational myth in Rome’s legendary history, and while the women were forcibly taken and compelled into marriage, it does not necessarily imply sexual assault in the modern sense.
The Latin phrase “raptio Sabinarum” is often translated to “abduction” or “kidnapping”. The English word “rape” primarily stems from the Latin word “raptio”, meaning “abduction” or “seizure” ( from “rapere” – “to seize” ).
In the Ancient context it is often implied as forcible carrying off, and ancient authors stress that no immediate sexual assault occurred during the abduction itself.
Nevertheless, it does not change the cruelty of the crime itself.
The abduction of the Sabine women is considered a foundational myth rather than a strict historical fact. However, historians generally agree that it does reflect a kernel of truth about the actual historical integration of the Sabine tribe into early Rome.
The overarching consensus is that the tale was heavily embellished and adapted by Roman historians as propaganda, serving to glorify its military strength and underline Roman “family values”.
The merging of the Romans and the Sabines is an archaeological and historical truth. The tale of the abduction is widely interpreted as a symbolic or mythologized representation of how these tribes were joined together.
As we continue our journey through Ancient Rome, I am curious to find out your thoughts and feelings about this particular piece of history, dear reader.
What do you believe to be the truth? And is there anything in particular you would like me to cover in the future? Let me know in the comments!
SOURCES
SPQR by Mary Beard
Römische Geschichte - Leopold von Ranke
Wikipedia
Fascinating tale, thanks for sharing.