TALES OF THE ROMANS
made on the tyrant's house, and Amulius was slain.
The two young chiefs—for such they now were—made up their minds to build a city of their own. They ploughed with a share or blade drawn by an ox, and ploughed a furrow in a sort of circle. This circle was the line on which the walls were built. But Remus never builded. He had told Romulus that the city ought to be built in another and safer spot.
“If you build here,” he said, “the enemy will easily enter as easily as this.”
So saying, he jumped over the ploughed line in a mocking manner.
In anger Romulus and his friends fell upon Remus and struck him, and he died. When his passion cooled, great was the sorrow of Romulus; but it was too late; his brother was dead. The city that was being built would now be called after the brother who was left alive—Rome.[1]
On a hill near Rome you could see huts, in which dwelt the men who had joined Romulus, because they had nowhere else to go—slaves who had escaped from their lords, men who had slain neighbors and dreaded being punished by their tribe. After a time you could notice that the folk were divided into classes. First came Romu-
- ↑ The Roman legend places the founding of Rome at 753 B.C., and tradition has it that Romulus reigned until 716 B.C.
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