of him from the assembly. Nor was Romulus after this seen on earth. The
consternation being at length over, and fine clear weather succeeding so
turbulent a day, when the Roman youth saw the royal seat empty, though
they readily believed the fathers who had stood nearest him, that he was
carried aloft by the storm, yet, struck with the dread as it were of
orphanage, they preserved a sorrowful silence for a considerable time.
Then, a commencement having been made by a few, the whole multitude
salute Romulus a god, son of a god, the king and parent of the Roman
city; they implore his favour with prayers, that he would be pleased
always propitiously to preserve his own offspring. I believe that even
then there were some, who silently surmised that the king had been torn
in pieces by the hands of the fathers; for this rumour also spread, but
was not credited; their admiration of the man, and the consternation
felt at the moment, attached importance to the other report. By the
contrivance also of one individual, additional credit is said to have
been gained to the matter. For Proculus Julius, whilst the state was
still troubled with regret for the king, and felt incensed against the
senators, a person of weight, as we are told, in any matter however
important, comes forward to the assembly, "Romans," he says, "Romulus,
the father of this city, suddenly descending from heaven, appeared to me
this day at day-break. While I stood covered with awe, and filled with a
religious dread, beseeching him to allow me to see him face to face, he
said, Go tell the Romans, that the gods so will, that my Rome should
become the capitol of the world. Therefore let them cultivate the art of
war, and let them know and hand down to posterity, that no human power
shall be able to withstand the Roman arms. Having said this, he ascended
up to heaven." It is surprising what credit was given to the man on his
making this announcement, and how much the regret of the common people
and army, for the loss of Romulus, was assuaged upon the assurance of
his immortality.
17. Meanwhile ambition and contention for the throne actuated the minds
of the fathers; factions had not yet sprung up from individuals,
because, among a new people, no one person was eminently distinguished
above the rest: the contest was carried on between the different orders.
The descendants of the Sabines wished a king to be elected out of their
body, lest, because there had been no k
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