RŌMULUS ET REMUS
In Forō Rōmānō
ruīnae sunt templī Vestae rotundī, nec procul Virginum Vestālium domus. Hae
virginēs omnium Rōmānārum sacerrimae putābantur, quod ignem sacrum in templō
rotundō cūrābant. Hunc ignem Aenēās, Rōmānōrum pater, Troiā dīligentissimē
apportāverat. Omnium Virginum Vestālium nōtissima erat Rhēa Silvia, Rōmulī
Rēmīque māter. Haec nōn Rōmae sed Albae Longae habitābat, nōndum enim Rōma
aedificāta erat.
Aenēās, ubi ad
Italiam vēnit, paucōs annōs in hīs regiōnibus habitābat, et tandem ā Dīs
Immortālibus ad caelum vocātus est. Deinde Ascanius, Aenēae fīlius, Albam
Longam, urbem parvam, aedificāvit, et ibi multōs annōs laetus rēgnābat. Post
Ascaniī mortem, aliī deinceps rēgēs rēgnābant. Ex hīs rēgibus Numitor bene
benignēque urbem regēbat, et bona iūra cīvibus dabat.
Sed Numitōrī
frāter erat, ferōx crūdēlisque vir, Amūlius nōmine. Hic comitēs cōpiāsque
collēgit, et contrā frātrem exercitum dūxit. Diū et ācriter pugnābant frātrēs,
sed Numitōris mīlitēs hostium impetum nōn sustinēbant, et fugā salūtem
petīvērunt. Itaque Numitor ē rēgnō ā frātre expulsus est.
[i]
Aenēas, -ae [1/m]:
Aeneas, a Trojan prince who founded the Roman race
Alba Longa, -ae
[1/f]: Alba Longa, a city in Latium
Amūlius, -ī [2/m]:
Amulis, a king of Alba Longa
Ascanius, -ī [2/m]:
Ascanius, the son of Aeneas
Numitor, -ōris
[3/m]: Numitor, a king of Alba Longa
Remus, -ī [2/m]:
Remus, the brother of Romulus
Rhea Silvia, -ae
[1/f]: Rhea Silvia, the mother of Romulus and Remus
Vesta, -ae [1/f]:
Vesta, the goddess of the hearth
fuga, -ae [1/f]:
flight
salūs, -tis [3/f]:
safety; welfare
[ii]
benignē: kindly
hic, haec, hoc:
this
nōn dum (nōndum):
not yet
____________________
In the Roman Forum
there are the ruins of the round Temple of Vesta, and not far away the House of
the Vestal Virgins. These virgins were considered the holiest of all Roman
women, because they looked after the sacred fire in the round temple. This fire
Aeneas, the father of the Romans, had brought most carefully from Troy. Of all
the Vestal Virgins, the best known was Rhea Silvia, the mother of Romulus and
Remus. She lived not at Rome but at Alba Longa, for Rome had not yet been
built.
Aeneas, when he
came to Italy, lived in these regions for a few years, and at last was called
to heaven by the Immortal Gods. Then Ascanius, the son of Aeneas, built Alba
Longa, a small city, and there ruled happily for many years. After the death of
Ascanius, other kings ruled in succession. Of these kings Numitor ruled the
city well and kindly, and gave good laws to the citizens.
But Numitor had a
brother, a fierce and cruel man, by name Amulius. He gathered companions and
troops, and led an army against his brother. For a long time and fiercely the
brothers fought, but the soldiers of Numitor could not withstand the attack of
the enemy, and sought safety by flight. And so Numitor was driven out of the
kingdom by his brother.