Thus left at the head of the colony, Romulus re solved to build the city on Mount Palatine, and to dis tinguish it by his own name. After performing the preparatory ceremonies and sacrifices which the cus toms of the Etruscans required, Romulus yoked an ox and a cow to a plough, and surrounded Mount Pala tine with a square outline, to form the wall of the new city, which was begun on the 21st of April, about the year 753 before Christ.
After the city was finished, it consisted of about 1000 houses irregularly arranged, and the inhabitants were principally employed in the cultivation of the soil. When they were thus sheltered from the wea ther, their first care was to choose their form of go vernment. Romulus was unanimously elected king, and no sooner had he obtained this high office, than he devoted himself to the formation of laws, and the establishment of good order among his people. As suming a distinctive habit for himself, he appointed twelve Rotors as his body guard, and divided his sub jects, who amounted to about 33,000, into curia:, de curia:, patricians, plebeians, patrons, clients, Ecc. IIe established a senate of 100 patricians; and he formed a guard of 300 youth, for the purpose of fighting either on foot or on horseback. To the senate he gave the power of debating and resolving upon mea sures proposed by the king; and to the people he gave the power of electing magistrates, enacting laws, and resolving upon any war which might be proposed by the king. Of the religious affairs of his kingdom he was equally careful, electing priests, establishing fes tivals, and constructing a regular system of religion.
The scarcity of females in the new colony, induced Romulus to resort to violence for recruiting this branch of his population. By the advice of Numitor, and the consent of the senate, he proclaimed a solemn feast and public games in honor of Neptune Eques tris, which were notified in all the neighbouring towns. The splendid preparations which were made for that celebration, attracted to Rome the Cxninen ses, the Crustumini, the Antemnates, and the whole nation of the Sabines, with their wives and children. The strangers were every where received with the warmest civility. But when the shows began, a sig
nal was given, and the Roman youth seized and hur ried off about 700 of their female visitors, the most beautiful of whom were carried to the houses of the principal senators.
Although the Sabine women were soon reconciled to their husbands, yet their fathers resolved to have revenge for that breach of hospitality which they had experienced. The injured nations under Acron, king of Cxnina, invaded Rome; but Romulus succeeded in defeating the armies which were successively brought against him, and in adding to his own population the inhabitants of the conquered districts. By this acces sion of inhabitants, it became necessary to add the hill Saturnius to the city, and the citadel which was erected upon it was placed under the charge of Tar peius.
Although several of the Etruscan states had volun tarily submitted to the Roman power, yet the Sabines, undismayed at their success, demanded the restitution of their women, and when the request was refused, they marched to Rome with an army of 25,000 foot and 1000 horse, under the command of their king, Titus Tatius. Romulus took the field with 20,000 foot and 800 horse, and fortifying himself in an ad vantageous position, would probably have driven back the Sabines, had not the treachery of Tarpeia, the governor of the citadel's daughter, betrayed this im portant position into the hands of the Sabines. En trenched in this strong hold they defied for a while the power of Romulus. They were defeated, however, in a general engagement, and driven back into the ci tadel; but the Romans in attempting to retake this post, were assailed from the top of the hill with huge stones, one of which wounded Romulus on the head, and were pursued with great loss to the very gates of Rome. The king, however, having quickly recover ed from the blow, rallied his retreating forces, and drove the Sabines back into the citadel. In this cri sis of danger the Sabine women, who had been car ried off, marched in a body to the camp of their coun trymen, and pleaded the cause of their husbands with such sincerity and force, that an union was instantly effected between the contending nations.