̔εξῆς δʼ ἡ Λατίνη κεῖται, ἐν ᾗ καὶ ἡ τῶν Ῥωμαίων πόλις, πολλὰς συνειληφυῖα καὶ τῆς μὴ Λατίνης πρότερον. Αἶκοι γὰρ καὶ Ὀυόλσκοι καὶ Ἕρνικοι Ἀβοριγῖνές τε οἱ περὶ αὐτὴν τὴν Ῥώμην καὶ Ῥούτουλοι οἱ τὴν ἀρχαίαν Ἀρδέαν ἔχοντες καὶ ἄλλα συστήματα μείζω καὶ ἐλάττω τὰ περιοικοῦντα τοὺς τότε Ῥωμαίους ὑπῆρξαν, ἡνίκα πρῶτον ἔκτιστο ἡ πόλις· ὧν ἔνια κατὰ κώμας αὐτονομεῖσθαι συνέβαινεν ὑπʼ οὐδενὶ κοινῷ φύλῳ τεταγμένα. φασὶ δὲ Αἰνείαν μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς Ἀγχίσου καὶ τοῦ παιδὸς Ἀσκανίου κατάραντας εἰς Λαυρεντὸν τῆς πλησίον τῶν Ὠστίων καὶ τοῦ Τιβέρεως ᾐόνος, μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς θαλάττης, ὅσον ἐν τέτταρσι καὶ εἴκοσι σταδίοις, κτίσαι πόλιν. ἐπελθόντα δὲ Λατῖνον τὸν τῶν Ἀβοριγίνων βασιλέα τῶν οἰκούντων τὸν τόπον τοῦτον, ὅπου νῦν ἡ Ῥώμη ἐστί, συμμάχοις χρήσασθαι τοῖς περὶ τὸν Αἰνείαν ἐπὶ τοὺς γειτονεύοντας Ῥουτούλους τοὺς Ἀρδέαν κατέχοντας (στάδιοι δʼ εἰσὶν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀρδέας εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἑκατὸν ἑξήκοντα), νικήσαντα δʼ ἀπὸ τῆς θυγατρὸς Λαουινίας ἐπώνυμον κτίσαι πλησίον πόλιν. πάλιν δὲ τῶν Ῥουτούλων συμβαλόντων εἰς μάχην, τὸν μὲν Λατῖνον πεσεῖν, τὸν δὲ Αἰνείαν νικήσαντα βασιλεῦσαι καὶ Λατίνους καλέσαι τοὺς ὑφʼ αὑτῷ. καὶ τούτου δὲ τελευτήσαντος καὶ τοῦ πατρός, τὸν Ἀσκάνιον Ἄλβαν κτίσαι ἐν τῷ Ἀλβανῷ ὄρει, διέχοντι τῆς Ῥώμης τοσοῦτον ὅσον καὶ ἡ Ἀρδέα. ἐνταῦθα Ῥωμαῖοι σὺν τοῖς Λατίνοις Διὶ θύουσιν, ἅπασα ἡ συναρχία ἀθροισθεῖσα· τῇ πόλει δʼ ἐφιστᾶσιν ἄρχοντα πρὸς τὸν τῆς θυσίας χρόνον τῶν γνωρίμων τινὰ νέων. ὕστερον δὲ τετρακοσίοις ἔτεσιν ἱστορεῖται τὰ περὶ Ἀμόλλιον καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν Νουμίτορα, τὰ μὲν μυθώδη τὰ δʼ ἐγγυτέρω πίστεως. διεδέξαντο μὲν γὰρ τὴν τῆς Ἄλβας ἀρχὴν ἀμφότεροι παρὰ τῶν ἀπογόνων τοῦ Ἀσκανίου, διατείνουσαν μέχρι τοῦ Τιβέρεως· παραγκωνισάμενος δʼ ὁ νεώτερος τὸν πρεσβύτερον ἦρχεν ὁ Ἀμόλλιος, υἱοῦ δʼ ὄντος καὶ θυγατρὸς τῷ Νουμίτορι, τὸν μὲν ἐν κυνηγίᾳ δολοφονεῖ, τὴν δέ, ἵνα ἄτεκνος διαμείνῃ, τῆς Ἑστίας ἱέρειαν κατέστησε παρθενείας χάριν· καλοῦσι δʼ αὐτὴν Ῥέαν Σιλβίαν. εἶτα φθορὰν φωράσας, διδύμων αὐτῇ παίδων γενομένων, τὴν μὲν εἷρξεν ἀντὶ τοῦ κτείνειν χαριζόμενος τἀδελφῷ, τοὺς δʼ ἐξέθηκε πρὸς τὸν Τίβεριν κατά τι πάτριον. μυθεύεται μὲν οὖν ἐξ Ἄρεως γενέσθαι τοὺς παῖδας, ἐκτεθέντας δʼ ὑπὸ λυκαίνης ὁραθῆναι σκυλακευομένους. Φαυστύλον δέ τινα τῶν περὶ τὸν τόπον συφορβῶν ἀνελόμενον ἐκθρέψαι (δεῖ δʼ ὑπολαβεῖν τῶν δυνατῶν τινα, ὑπηκόων δὲ τῷ Ἀμολλίῳ, λαβόντα ἐκθρέψαι), καλέσαι δὲ τὸν μὲν Ῥωμύλον τὸν δὲ Ῥῶμον. ἀνδρωθέντας δʼ ἐπιθέσθαι τῷ Ἀμολλίῳ καὶ τοῖς παισί· καταλυθέντων δʼ ἐκείνων καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς εἰς τὸν Νουμίτορα περιστάσης, ἀπελθόντας οἴκαδε κτίσαι τὴν Ῥώμην ἐν τόποις οὐ πρὸς αἵρεσιν μᾶλλον ἢ πρὸς ἀνάγκην ἐπιτηδείοις. οὔτε γὰρ ἐρυμνὸν τὸ ἔδαφος οὔτε χώραν οἰκείαν ἔχον τὴν πέριξ ὅση πόλει πρόσφορος, ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἀνθρώπους τοὺς συνοικήσοντας· οἱ γὰρ ὄντες ᾤκουν καθʼ αὑτούς, συνάπτοντές πως τοῖς τείχεσι τῆς κτιζομένης πόλεως, οὐδὲ τοῖς Ἀλβανοῖς πάνυ προσέχοντες. Κολλατία δʼ ἦν καὶ Ἀντέμναι καὶ Φιδῆναι καὶ Λαβικὸν καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα τότε μὲν πολίχνια, νῦν δὲ κῶμαι, κτήσεις ἰδιωτῶν, ἀπὸ τριάκοντα ἢ μικρῷ πλειόνων τῆς Ῥώμης σταδίων. μεταξὺ γοῦν τοῦ πέμπτου καὶ τοῦ ἕκτου λίθου τῶν τὰ μίλια διασημαινόντων τῆς Ῥώμης καλεῖται τόπος Φῆστοι· τοῦτον δʼ ὅριον ἀποφαίνουσι τῆς τότε Ῥωμαίων γῆς, οἵ θʼ ἱερομνήμονες θυσίαν ἐπιτελοῦσιν ἐνταῦθά τε καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις τόποις πλείοσιν ὡς ὁρίσις αὐθημερόν, ἣν καλοῦσιν Ἀμβαρουίαν. γενομένης δʼ οὖν στάσεως φασὶ κατὰ τὴν κτίσιν ἀναιρεθῆναι τὸν Ῥῶμον. μετὰ δὲ τὴν κτίσιν ἀνθρώπους σύγκλυδας ὁ Ῥωμύλος ἤθροιζεν, ἀποδείξας ἄσυλόν τι τέμενος μεταξὺ τῆς ἄκρας καὶ τοῦ Καπετωλίου, τοὺς δʼ ἐκεῖ καταφεύγοντας τῶν ἀστυγειτόνων πολίτας ἀποφαίνων. ἐπιγαμίας δὲ τούτοις οὐ τυγχάνων ἐπηγγείλατο ἕνα ἀγῶνα ἱππικὸν τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ἱερόν, τὸν καὶ νῦν ἐπιτελούμενον. συνελθόντων δὲ πολλῶν, πλείστων δὲ Σαβίνων, ἐκέλευσε τὰς παρθένους ἁρπάσαι τὰς ἀφιγμένας τοῖς δεομένοις γάμου· μετιὼν δὲ τὴν ὕβριν Τίτος Τάτιος διʼ ὅπλων ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Κυριτῶν ἐπὶ κοινωνίᾳ τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ πολιτείας συνέβη πρὸς τὸν Ῥωμύλον· δολοφονηθέντος δʼ ἐν Λαουινίῳ τοῦ Τατίου, μόνος ἦρξεν ἑκόντων τῶν Κυριτῶν ὁ Ῥωμύλος. μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον διεδέξατο τὴν ἀρχὴν Νουμᾶς Πομπίλιος πολίτης τοῦ Τατίου, παρʼ ἑκόντων λαβὼν τῶν ὑπηκόων.
Beyond Sabina is Latium, wherein the city of Rome is situated. It comprises many places which formed no part of ancient Latium. For the Aequi, the Volsci, the Hernici, the aborigines around Rome, the Rutuli who possessed ancient Ardea, and many other nations, some larger, some smaller, formed so many separate states around Rome, when that city was first built. Some of these nations, who dwelt in villages, were governed by their own laws, and subjected to no common tribe. They say that Aeneas, with his father Anchises and his child Ascanius, arrived at Laurentum, near to Ostia and the bank of the Tiber, where he built a city about 24 stadia above the sea. That Latinus, the king of the aborigines who then dwelt on the site where Rome now stands, employed his forces to aid Aeneas against the neighbouring Rutuli who inhabited Ardea, (now from Ardea to Rome is a distance of 160 stadia,) and having gained a victory, he built near to the spot a city, to which he gave the name of his daughter Lavinia. However, in a second battle, commenced by the Rutuli, Latinus fell, and Aeneas, being conqueror, succeeded this prince on the throne, and conferred on his subjects the name of Latini. After the death both of himself and his father, Ascanius founded Alba, on Mount Albanus, situated about the same distance from Rome as Ardea. Here the Romans and Latini conjointly offer sacrifice to Jupiter. The magistracy all assemble, and during the period of the solemnity the government of the city is intrusted to some distinguished youth. The facts related of Amulius and his brother Numitor, some of which are fictitious, while others approach nearer the truth, occurred four hundred years later. These two brothers, who were descended from Ascanius, succeeded conjointly to the government of Alba, which extended as far as the Tiber. However, Amulius the younger, having expelled the elder, governed [alone]. Numitor had a son and a daughter; the former Amulius treacherously murdered in the chase; the latter, that she might remain childless, he made a priestess of Vesta, thus imposing virginity upon her. This [daughter] they name Rhea Silvia. Afterwards he discovered that she was pregnant, and when she had given birth to twins, he, out of respect to his brother, placed her in confinement, instead of putting her to death, and exposed the boys by the Tiber according to a national usage. According to the mythology, Mars was the father of these children, and when they were exposed they were discovered and suckled by a she-wolf. Faustulus, one of the swine-herds of the place, took and reared them up, and named one Romulus, the other Remus. (We must understand that Faustulus, who took them up and nourished them, was an influential man, and a subject of Amulius.) Having arrived at man’s estate, they waged war upon Amulius and his sons; and having slain them, restored the government to Numitor. They then returned home and founded Rome, in a locality selected rather through necessity than choice, as the site was neither fortified by nature, nor sufficiently large for a city of importance. In addition to this, the neighbourhood supplied no inhabitants; for those who dwelt around, even though touching the very walls of the newly founded city, kept to themselves, and would have nothing at all to do with the Albani. Collatia, Antemnae, Fidenae, Labicum, and similar places are here alluded to, which then were small cities, but are now villages possessed by private individuals; they are distant from Rome 30 or 40 stadia, or rather more. Between the fifth and sixth mile-stone which marks the distance from Rome there is a place named Festi; this they say was at that time the limit of the Roman territory, and at the present day, both here and in numerous other places which they consider to have been boundaries, the priests offer the sacrifice denominated Ambarvia. They say that, at the time of the foundation [of the city], a dispute arose in which Remus lost his life. The city being built, Romulus assembled men from every quarter, and instituted for an asylum a grove between the citadel and the Capitol, to which whoever fled from the neighbouring states, he proclaimed as Roman citizens. Not having wives for these men, he appointed a horse-race in honour of Neptune, which is celebrated to this day. Numbers [of spectators] having assembled, particularly of the Sabini, he commanded that each of those who were in want of a wife, should carry off one of the assembled maidens. Titus Tatius, king of the Quirites, took up arms to avenge the insult, but made peace with Romulus on condition that their kingdoms should be united, and that they should divide the sovereignty between them. Tatius, however, was treacherously assassinated in Lavinium, upon which Romulus, with the consent of the Quirites, reigned alone. After him Numa Pompilius, formerly a subject of Tatius, assumed the government, by the general desire of the people. Such is the most authentic account of the foundation of Rome.
αὕτη μὲν οὖν ἡ μάλιστα πιστευομένη τῆς Ῥώμης κτίσις ἐστίν. ἄλλη δέ τις προτέρα καὶ μυθώδης Ἀρκαδικὴν λέγουσα γενέσθαι τὴν ἀποικίαν ὑπʼ Εὐάνδρου. τούτῳ δʼ ἐπιξενωθῆναι τὸν Ἡρακλέα ἐλαύνοντα τὰς Γηρυόνου βοῦς· πυθόμενον δὲ τῆς μητρὸς Νικοστράτης τὸν Εὔανδρον (εἶναι δʼ αὐτὴν μαντικῆς ἔμπειρον), ὅτι τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ πεπρωμένον ἦν τελέσαντι τοὺς ἄθλους θεῷ γενέσθαι, φράσαι τε πρὸς τὸν Ἡρακλέα ταῦτα καὶ τέμενος ἀναδεῖξαι καὶ θῦσαι θυσίαν Ἑλληνικήν, ἣν καὶ νῦν ἔτι φυλάττεσθαι τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ. καὶ ὅ γε Κοίλιος, ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων συγγραφεύς, τοῦτο τίθεται σημεῖον τοῦ Ἑλληνικὸν εἶναι κτίσμα τὴν Ῥώμην, τὸ παρʼ αὐτῇ τὴν πάτριον θυσίαν Ἑλληνικὴν εἶναι τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ. καὶ τὴν μητέρα δὲ τοῦ Εὐάνδρου τιμῶσι Ῥωμαῖοι, μίαν τῶν νυμφῶν νομίσαντες, Καρμέντην μετονομασθεῖσαν.
However, there also exists another more ancient and mythical account, to the effect that Rome was an Arcadian colony planted by Evander. He entertained Hercules when driving the oxen of Geryon, and being informed by his mother Nicostrata, (who was skilled in the art of prophecy,) that when Hercules should have completed his labours it was fore-ordained that he should be enrolled amongst the gods; he informed him of the matter, consecrated to him a grove, and offered sacrifice to him after the Grecian mode; a sacrifice which is continued in honour of Hercules to this day. The Roman historian Coelius is of opinion that this is a proof that Rome is a Grecian colony, the sacrifice to Hercules after the Grecian mode having been brought over from their fatherland. The Romans also worship the mother of Evander under the name of Carmentis, considering her one of the nymphs.
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