h afterward became
the Roman Forum. But this union did not last long. Titus Tatius was
slain at Lavinium by some Latins to whom he had refused satisfaction for
outrages committed by his kinsmen. Henceforward Romulus ruled alone over
both Romans and Sabines. He reigned, in all, thirty-seven years. One
day, as he was reviewing his people in the Campus Martius, near the
Goat's Fool, the sun was suddenly eclipsed, and a dreadful storm
dispersed the people. When daylight returned Romulus had disappeared,
for his father Mars had carried him up to heaven in a fiery chariot.
Shortly afterward he appeared in more than mortal beauty to the senator
Proculus Sabinus, and bade him tell the Romans to worship him under the
name of the god Quirinus.

[Illustration: Plan of the City of Romulus.]

As Romulus was regarded as the founder of Rome, its most ancient
political institutions and the organization of the people were ascribed
to him by the popular belief.

(i.) The Roman people consisted only of _Patricians_ and their
_Clients_. The Patricians formed the Populus Romanus, or sovereign
people. They alone had political rights; the Clients were entirely
dependent upon them. A Patrician had a certain number of Clients
attached to him personally. To these he acted as a _Patronus_ or Patron.
He was bound to protect the interests of the Client both in public and
private, while the Client had to render many services to his patron.

(ii.) The Patricians were divided by Romulus into _three Tribes_; the
Ramnes, or Romans of Romulus; the Tities, or Sabines of Titus Tatius;
and the Luceres, or Etruscans of Caeles, a Lucumo or Etruscan noble, who
assisted Romulus in the war against the Sabines. Each tribe was divided
into 10 curiae, and each curiae into 10 gentes. The 30 curiae formed the
_Comitia Curiata_, a sovereign assembly of the Patricians. This assembly
elected the king, made the laws, and decided in all cases affecting the
life of a citizen.

To assist him in the government Romulus selected a number of aged men,
forming a _Senate_, or Council of Elders, who were called Patres, or
Senators. It consisted at first of 100 members, which number was
increased to 200 when the Sabines were incorporated in the state. The 20
curiae of the Ramnes and Tities each sent 10 members to the senate, but
the Luceres were not yet represented.

(iii.) Each of the three tribes was bound to furnish 1000 men for the
infantry and 100 men for the cavalry. T