from the Greek word for felt; for at that time Greek
words were mingled with Latin ones more than now. For instance, the
_laena_ worn by the priests is said by Juba to be the Greek _chlaina_,
and the boy, whose parents must be both alive, who is servant to the
priest of Jupiter, is called _Camillus_, just as the Greeks sometimes
call Hermes (Mercury) _Cadmilus_, from his being the servant of the
gods.

VIII. Numa, after confirming his popularity by these measures, proceeded
at once to attempt to convert the city from the practice of war and the
strong hand, to that of right and justice, just as a man tries to soften
and mould a mass of iron. The city at that time was indeed what Plato
calls "inflamed and angry," for it owed its very existence to the
reckless daring by which it had thrust aside the most warlike races of
the country, and had recruited its strength by many campaigns and
ceaseless war, and, as carpentry becomes more fixed in its place by
blows, so the city seemed to gain fresh power from its dangers. Thinking
that it would be a very difficult task to change the habits of this
excited and savage people, and to teach them the arts of peace, he
looked to the gods for help, and by sacrifices, processions, and choral
dances, which he himself organised and arranged, he awed, interested,
and softened the manners of the Romans, artfully beguiling them out of
their warlike ferocity. Sometimes he spoke of supernatural terrors, evil
omens, and unpropitious voices, so as to influence them by means of
superstition. These measures proved his wisdom, and showed him a true
disciple of Pythagoras, for the worship of the gods was an important
part of his state policy, as it is of Pythagoras's system of philosophy.
His love of outward show and stratagem was also said to be derived from
Pythagoras, for as the latter tamed an eagle and made it alight upon
him, and when walking through the crowd at Olympia showed his golden
thigh, and did all the other surprising devices which made Timon of
Phlius write the epigram--

"Pythagoras by magic arts,
And mystic talk deludes men's hearts,"

so did Numa invent the story of his amour with a wood-nymph and his
secret converse with her, and of his enjoying the society of the Muses.
He referred most of his prophetic utterances to the Muses, and taught
the Romans to worship one of them especially, whom he called Tacita,
which means silent or dumb. This seems to have been done in