word abroad that he had discovered the altar of the god Consus, who
presided over secret counsels, and he invited the citizens of the
neighboring towns to come to Rome and take part in a feast with which he
proposed to celebrate the festal day of the deity. This was the 21st of
August, just four months after the founding of the city,--that is, if it
was the same year.

There were to be sacrifices to Consus, where libations would be poured
into the flames that consumed the victims. These would be followed by
horse-and chariot-races, banquets, and other festivities. The promise of
merry-making brought numerous spectators from the nearer cities, some
doubtless drawn by curiosity to see what sort of a commonwealth this
was that had grown up so suddenly on the sheep pastures of the Palatine
Hill; and they found their wives and daughters as curious and eager for
enjoyment as themselves, and brought them along, ignoring the scorn with
which they had lately rejected the Roman proposals for wives. It was a
religious festival, and therefore safe; so visitors came from the cities
of Coenina, Crustumerium, and Antemna, and a multitude from the
neighboring country of the Sabines.

The sacrifices over, the games began. The visitors, excited by the
races, became scattered about among the Romans. But as the chariots,
drawn by flying horses, sped swiftly over the ground, and the eyes of
the visitors followed them in their flight, Romulus gave a preconcerted
signal, and immediately each Roman seized a maiden whom he had managed
to get near and carried her struggling and screaming from the ground. As
they did so, each called out "Talasia," a word which means spinning, and
which afterwards became the refrain of a Roman marriage song.

The games at once broke up in rage and confusion. But the visitors were
unarmed and helpless. Their anger could be displayed only in words, and
Romulus told them boldly that they owed their misfortune to their pride.
But all would go well with their daughters, he said, since their new
husbands would take the place with them of home and family.

This reasoning failed to satisfy the fathers who had been robbed so
violently of their daughters, and they had no sooner reached home than
many of them seized their arms and marched against their faithless
hosts. First came the people of Coenina; but the Romans defeated them,
and Romulus killed their king. Then came the people of Crustumerium and
Antemna, but they t