A: The habit of erecting trophies on a field of battle in
token of victory appears to have been originally confined to the Greeks,
who usually, as in the text, lopped the branches off a tree, placed it
in the ground in some conspicuous place, and hung upon it the shields
and other spoils taken from the enemy. In later times the Romans adopted
the habit of commemorating a victory by erecting some building on the
field of battle. Under the emperors, victory was commemorated by a
triumphal arch at Rome, many of which now exist. The Greek trophies were
always formed of perishable materials, and it was contrary to their
custom to repair them, that they might not perpetuate national
enmities.]

XVII. After the capture of the Ceninete tribe, while the rest of the
Sabines were still engaged in preparation for war, the inhabitants of
Fidenae and Crustumerium and Antemna attacked the Romans. A battle took
place in which they were all alike worsted, after which they permitted
Romulus to take their cities, divide their lands, and incorporate them
as citizens. Romulus divided all the lands among the citizens, except
that which was held by the fathers of any of the maidens who had been
carried off, which he allowed them to retain.

The remainder of the Sabines, angry at these successes, chose Tatius as
their general and marched against Rome. The city was hard to attack, as
the Capitol stood as an advanced fort to defend it. Here was placed a
garrison, and Tarpeius was its commander, not the maiden Tarpeia, as
some write, who make out Romulus a fool; but it was this Tarpeia, the
daughter of the captain of the garrison, who betrayed the capital to the
Sabines, for the sake of the golden bracelets which she saw them
wearing. She asked as the price of her treachery that they should give
her what they wore on their left arms. After making an agreement with
Tatius, she opened a gate at night and let in the Sabines. Now it
appears that Antigonus was not singular when he said that he loved men
when they were betraying, but hated them after they had betrayed; as
also Caesar said, in the case of Rhymitalkes the Thracian, that he loved
the treachery but hated the traitor; but this seems a common reflection
about bad men by those who have need of them, just as we need the poison
of certain venomous beasts; for they appreciate their value while they
are making use of them, and loathe their wickedness when they have done
with them. And that was h