hus 3000 foot-soldiers and 300
horse-soldiers formed the original army of the Roman state, and were
called a _Legion_.

2. REIGN OF NUMA POMPILIUS, B.C. 716-673.--On the death of Romulus, the
Senate, at first, would not allow the election of a new king. The
Senators enjoyed the royal power in rotation as Inter-reges, or
between-kings. In this way a year passed. But the people at length
insisted that a king should be chosen, and the Senate were obliged to
give way. The choice fell upon the wise and pious Numa Pompilius, a
native of the Sabine Cures who had married the daughter of Tatius. The
forty-three years of Numa's reign glided away in quiet happiness without
any war or any calamity.

As Romulus was the founder of the political institutions of Rome, so
Numa was the author of the religious institutions. Instructed by the
nymph Egeria, whom he met in the sacred grove of Aricia, he instituted
the Pontiffs, four in number, with a Pontifex Maximus at their head, who
had the general superintendence of religion; the Augurs, also four in
number, who consulted the will of the gods on all occasions, both
private and public; three Flamens, each of whom attended to the worship
of separate deities--Jupiter,[5] Mars, and Quirinus; four Vestal
Virgins, who kept alive the sacred fire of Vesta brought from Alba
Longa; and twelve Salii, or priests of Mars, who had the care of the
sacred shields.[6] Numa reformed the calendar, encouraged agriculture,
and marked out the boundaries of property, which he placed under the
care of the god Terminus. He also built the temple of Janus, a god
represented with two heads looking different ways. The gates of this
temple were to be open during war and closed in time of peace.

[Illustration: Salii carrying the Ancilia.]

3. REIGN OF TULLUS HOSTILIUS, B.C. 673-641.--Upon the death of Numa an
interregnum again followed; but soon afterward Tullus Hostilius, a
Roman, was elected king. His reign was as warlike as that of Numa had
been peaceful. The most memorable event in it is the destruction of Alba
Longa. A quarrel having arisen between the two cities, and their armies
having been drawn up in array against each other, the princes determined
to avert the battle by a combat of champions chosen from each army.
There were in the Roman army three brothers, born at the same birth,
named Horatii; and in the Alban army, in like manner, three brothers,
born at the same birth, and called Curiatii. The two