Livy's History of Rome - Table of Contents

your opinion?" He whose opinion was first asked, replied, "I am of opinion that they ought to be recovered by a just and
righteous war, wherefore I give my consent and vote for it." Then the others were asked in order, and when the majority of
those present declared themselves of the same opinion, war was agreed upon. It was customary for the Fetial to carry to the
enemies' frontiers a blood-smeared spear tipped with iron or burnt at the end, and, in the presence of at least three adults, to
say, "Inasmuch as the peoples of the Prisci Latini have been guilty of wrong against the People of Rome and the Quirites,
and inasmuch as the People of Rome and the Quirites have ordered that there be war with the Prisci Latini, and the Senate
of the People of Rome and the Quirites have determined and decreed that there shall be war with the Prisci Latini,
therefore I and the People of Rome, declare and make war upon the peoples of the Prisci Latini." With these words he
hurled his spear into their territory. This was the way in which at that time satisfaction was demanded from the Latins and
war declared, and posterity adopted the custom.
[1.33]After handing over the care of the various sacrificial rites to the Flamens and other priests, and calling up a fresh
army, Ancus advanced against Politorium a city belonging to the Latins. He took it by assault, and following the custom of
the earlier kings who had enlarged the State by receiving its enemies into Roman citizenship, he transferred the whole of
the population to Rome. The Palatine had been settled by the earliest Romans, the Sabines had occupied the Capitoline hill
with the Citadel, on one side of the Palatine, and the Albans the Caelian hill, on the other, so the Aventine was assigned to
the new-comers. Not long afterwards there was a further addition to the number of citizens through the capture of Tellenae
and Ficana. Politorium after its evacuation was seized by the Latins and was again recovered; and this was the reason why
the Romans razed the city, to prevent its being a perpetual refuge for the enemy. At last the whole war was concentrated
round Medullia, and fighting went on for some time there with doubtful result. The city was strongly fortified and its
strength was increased by the presence of a large garrison. The Latin army was encamped in the open and had had several
engagements with the Romans. At last Ancus made a supreme effort with the whole of his force and won a pitched battle,
after which he returned with immense booty to Rome, and many thousands of Latins were admitted into citizenship. In
order to connect the Aventine with the Palatine, the district round the altar of Venus Murcia was assigned to them. The
Janiculum also was brought into the city boundaries, not because the space was wanted, but to prevent such a strong
position from being occupied by an enemy. It was decided to connect this hill with the City, not only by carrying the City
wall round it, but also by a bridge, for the convenience of traffic. This was the first bridge thrown over the Tiber, and was
known as the Pons Sublicius. The Fossa Quiritium also was the work of King Ancus, and afforded no inconsiderable
protection to the lower and therefore more accessible parts of the City. Amidst this vast population, now that the State had
become so enormously increased, the sense of right and wrong was obscured, and secret crimes were committed. To
overawe the growing lawlessness a prison was built in the heart of the City, overlooking the Forum. The additions made
by this king were not confined to the City. The Mesian Forest was taken from the Veientines, and the Roman dominion
extended to the sea; at the mouth of the Tiber the city of Ostia was built; salt-pits were constructed on both sides of the
river, and the temple of Jupiter Feretrius was enlarged in consequence of the brilliant successes in the war.
[1.34]During the reign of Ancus a wealthy and ambitious man named Lucumo removed to Rome, mainly with the hope
and desire of winning high distinction, for which no opportunity had existed in Tarquinii, since there also he was an alien.
He was the son of Demaratus a Corinthian, who had been driven from home by a revolution, and who happened to settle in
Tarquinii. There he married and had two sons, their names were Lucumo and Arruns. Arruns died before his father,
leaving his wife with child; Lucumo survived his father and inherited all his property. For Demaratus died shortly after
Arruns, and being unaware of the condition of his daughter-in-law, had made no provision in his will for a grandchild. The
boy, thus excluded from any share of his grandfather's property, was called, in consequence of his poverty, Egerius.
Lucumo, on the other hand, heir to all the property, became elated by his wealth, and his ambition was stimulated by his
marriage with Tanaquil. This woman was descended from one of the foremost families in the State, and could not bear the
thought of her position by marriage being inferior to the one she claimed by birth. The Etruscans looked down upon
Lucumo as the son of a foreign refugee; she could not brook this indignity, and forgetting all ties of patriotism if only she
could see her husband honoured, resolved to emigrate from Tarquinii. Rome seemed the most suitable place for her
purpose. She felt that among a young nation where all nobility is a thing of recent growth and won by personal merit, there
would be room for a man of courage and energy. She remembered that the Sabine Tatius had reigned there, that Numa had
been summoned from Cures to fill the throne, that Ancus himself was sprung from a Sabine mother, and could not trace
his nobility beyond Numa. Her husband's ambition and the fact that Tarquinii was his native country only on the mother's
side, made him give a ready ear to her proposals. They accordingly packed up their goods and removed to Rome.
They had got as far as the Janiculum when a hovering eagle swooped gently down and took off his cap as he was sitting by