08.02.26: Level 3; Reading (review); [29] The theft of Sabinian women

Rēmus necātus erat, Rōmulus nōnnūllus annōs rēgnāverat et rēx bonus fuerat, Rōma ipsa crēverat. Iam aedificia varia et templa aedificāta, iam viae strātae erant. Rōmānī autem, quamquam ipsī vītam bonam vīvēbant, contentī nōn erant, quod fēminās nōn habēbant. Iam nōnnūllī clam Rōmulum ipsum adierant eumque rogāverant: “Fēminās nōn habēmus; unde nōbīs parābimus?” Rōmulus autem “Id mihi”, inquit, “ignōtum nōn est!”, et cūrās eōrum dolēbat. Ac profectō ipse brevī eīs fēminās parāvit dolō.

Mox Rōmānī Sabīnōs, quī fīnitimī eōrum erant, ad lūdōs invītāvērunt. Sabīnī libenter ad eōs lūdōs adiērunt fēmināsque et fīliās, quārum multās habēbant, sēcum Rōmam trānsportāvērunt. Iam Sabīnī, quī necopīnī et sine armīs ad lūdōs ierant, iīs gaudēbant, cum Rōmānī, quibus Rōmulus id imperāverat, fīliās pulchrās captāvērunt et in casās suās portāvērunt. Sabīnī, quibus arma nōn erant, neque fīliās adiuvābant neque facta impia vindicābant, sed Rōmulum, cuius dolō fraudātī erant, verbīs dūrīs accūsāvērunt. Posteā autem magnīs cum cōpiīs Rōmam rediērunt fīliāsque, quae captātae erant, repetīvērunt. At fēminae ipsae eōs arcēbant et clāmāvērunt: “Abstinēte ā virīs nostrīs, quōs nunc amāmus!” Ex eō annō diuturna inter Rōmānōs et Sabīnōs amīcitia fuit.

abstineō, -ēre, -uī, abstentus [2]: stay away

arceō, -ēre, -uī, arcitus [2]: keep away; prevent

diuturnus, -a, -um: long-lasting

fraudō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus [1]: cheat; defraud; swindle

necopīnus, a, -um: unsuspecting

Find the Latin:

[i] (they invited) the Sabines, who were their neighbours,

[ii] and the daughters who had been captured 

[iii] by whose trickery [lit: by the trickery of whom] (they had been defrauded) 

[iv] our husbands who(m) we now love

[v] the Romans to whom Romulus had given this command 

[vi] the Sabines who did not have weapons [lit: … to whom there were not weapons] 

[vii] The Sabines who, unsuspecting and without weapons,  

[viii] the women and daughters of whom they had many 

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[i] Sabīnōs, quī fīnitimī eōrum erant,

[ii] fīliāsque, quae captātae erant

[iii] cuius dolō fraudātī erant

[iv] virīs nostrīs, quōs nunc amāmus

[v] Rōmānī, quibus Rōmulus id imperāverat

[vi] Sabīnī, quibus arma nōn erant

[vii] Sabīnī, quī necopīnī et sine armīs

[viii] fēmināsque et fīliās, quārum multās habēbant

Remus had been killed, Romulus had ruled for several years and had been a good king, and Rome itself had grown. By now various buildings and temples had been built, and the roads had already been paved. But the Romans, although they themselves were living a good life, were not content, because they did not have women. Already some had secretly approached Romulus himself and had asked him: ‘We have no women; from where shall we obtain them?’ But Romulus said, ‘That is not unknown to me,’ and he felt their concerns. And indeed, before long he himself provided women for them by trickery.

Soon the Romans invited the Sabines, who were their neighbours, to the games. The Sabines gladly went to those games and brought with them to Rome the women and daughters of whom they had many. Now the Sabines, who had gone to the games unsuspecting / without suspicion and without weapons, were enjoying them, when the Romans, to whom Romulus had given this command, seized the beautiful daughters and carried them off to their huts. The Sabines, who had no weapons, neither helped their daughters nor punished the wicked deeds, but they accused Romulus, by whose trickery they had been deceived, with harsh words. Afterwards, however, they returned to Rome with great forces and demanded back their daughters who had been taken. But the women themselves kept them away and cried: ‘Stay away from our husbands, whom we now love!’ From that year on there was long-lasting friendship between the Romans and the Sabines.