was to him that the maiden had originally been
promised. A battle took place, Turnus and Latinus fell, and AEneas
gained the victory and his father-in-law's kingdom as well. After a
time, however, the Rutuli secured the Etruscans as allies and marched
upon AEneas. They won in this war. AEneas vanished, being seen no more
alive or dead, and was honored as a god by the Latins. Hence he has
come to be regarded by the Romans as the fountain head of their race
and they take pride in being called "Sons of AEneas." The Latin domain
fell in direct succession to his son Ascanius who had accompanied his
father from home. AEneas had not yet had any child by Lavinia, but left
her pregnant. Ascanius was enclosed round about by the enemy, but by
night the Latins attacked them and ended both the siege and the war.

As time went on the Latin nation increased in size, and the majority
of the people abandoned Lavinium to build another town in a better
location. To it they gave the name of Alba from its whiteness and from
its length they called it Longa (or, as Greeks would say, "white" and
"long").

At the death of Ascanius the Latins gave the preference in the matter
of royal power to the son borne to AEneas by Lavinia over the son of
Ascanius, their preference being founded on the fact that Latinus was
his grandfather. The new king's name was Silvius. Silvius begat AEneas,
from AEneas sprang Latinus, and Latinus was succeeded by Pastis.
Tiberinus, who came subsequently to be ruler, lost his life by falling
into a river called the Albula. This river was renamed _Tiber_ from
him. It flows through Rome and is of great value to the city and in
the highest degree useful to the Romans. Amulius, a descendant of
Tiberinus, displayed an overweening pride and had the audacity to
deify himself, pretending an ability to answer thunder with thunder by
mechanical contrivances and to lighten in response to the lightnings
and to hurl thunderbolts. He met his end by the overflow of the lake
beside which his palace was set, and both he and the palace were
submerged in the sudden rush of waters. Aventinus his son perished in
warfare.

So far the account concerns Lavinium and the people of Alba. At the
beginning of Roman history we see Numitor and Amulius, who were
grandsons of Aventinus and descendants of AEneas.

_(BOOK 2, BOISSEVAIN.)_

[Sidenote: B.C. 672 (_a.u._ 82)] VII, 6.--When Numa died leaving no
successor, Tullus Hostilius was chosen by