Table of Contents PREFACE ................................................................................................................................. 2 ROMULUS ............................................................................................................................... 5 NUMA POMPILIUS ............................................................................................................ 11 THE HORATII AND THE CURIATII ................................................................................ 15 THE TARQUINS ................................................................................................................... 19 JUNIUS BRUTUS .................................................................................................................. 25 HORATIUS ............................................................................................................................ 29 MUCIUS THE LEFT-HANDED .......................................................................................... 33 CORIOLANUS ...................................................................................................................... 35 THE FABII.............................................................................................................................. 39 CINCINNATUS .................................................................................................................... 43 CAMILLUS ............................................................................................................................ 47 MANLIUS TORQUATUS .................................................................................................... 57 APPIUS CLAUDIUS CÆCUS ............................................................................................. 61 REGULUS .............................................................................................................................. 67 SCIPIO AFRICANUS ........................................................................................................... 71 CATO THE CENSOR ........................................................................................................... 77 THE GRACCHI ..................................................................................................................... 81 MARIUS ................................................................................................................................ 85 SULLA .................................................................................................................................... 93 POMPEY THE GREAT ......................................................................................................... 97 JULIUS CÆSAR .................................................................................................................. 101 CICERO .................................................................................................................................111 AUGUSTUS ..........................................................................................................................115 NERO ................................................................................................................................... 121 TITUS ................................................................................................................................... 127 TRAJAN ............................................................................................................................... 131 MARCUS AURELIUS ........................................................................................................ 133 DIOCLETIAN ...................................................................................................................... 139 CONSTANTINE THE GREAT .......................................................................................... 143 END OF THE WESTERN EMPIRE .................................................................................. 147 Glossary of People and Places .......................................................................................... 151 Maps of Italy, Rome, Roman Empire ................................................................................ 155 3 ROMULUS I II MANY, many years ago in the pleasant AMULIUS was now king, but he did not land of Italy, there was a litt le city called feel quite happy. He was much troubled Alba. It stood on the sunny side of a about Numitor’s son and daughter. The mountain, near the River Tiber and not son, he thought, might some day claim far from the Mediterranean Sea. In this the right to be king as heir of his father, city and around the mountain lived a or the daughter might marry and have a brave, intelligent people known as Latins. son who could become king as grandchild Several other tribes inhabited the adjacent of Numitor. mountains and plains. To prevent either of these things from The Latins were ruled by kings, and happening, Amulius had Numitor’s son one of their kings in very early times secretly put to death, and he appointed was named Aeneas. He was a famous the daughter, Sylvia, to be a priestess, or Trojan chief who had come over the seas an att endant, in the temple of the goddess to Italy and sett led there with his family Vesta. Only young girls were appointed and friends after Troy was destroyed by att endants in this temple, and they had the Greeks. to take a vow that they would not marry A great many years after the death of for thirty years. They were called Vestal Aeneas, one of his descendants, named Virgins, and it was their duty to keep a Procas, was king of Alba. He ruled wisely fi re burning continually on the altar of the and well for a long time, and his rather goddess. This was called the Sacred Fire, small kingdom on the mountainside, with and it was believed that if it went out, some its wheat fi elds and vineyards, was very great disaster would happen to the city. prosperous. Procas had two sons, one Amulius now thought there was nothing named Numitor and the other Amulius. to hinder him from being king of Alba. But As Numitor was the elder, he was heir to one day the god Mars came down to the city his father’s throne. But when King Procas from his palace on a high mountaintop and died, Amulius seized the kingdom by force saw Sylvia as she went out of the temple to and made himself king. get water at a well. He fell deeply in love Then Numitor, with his two children, with her. She also fell in love with the god, a boy and a girl, left the king’s palace at for he had the appearance of a handsome Alba and went to reside on a farm a short young man. They were married secretly. In distance away. time Sylvia had beautiful twin boys. When 5 Amulius heard of this he gave orders that During all these years Numitor lived Sylvia should be put to death for breaking on his farm, and his brother, Amulius, her vow and that the two infants should remained king of Alba. Numitor did not be thrown into the Tiber. These wicked know that his two grandsons had been orders were carried out, for no one dared saved from a watery grave and were living to disobey the king. so near to him. Fortunately, however, the babes had But one day Remus had a quarrel with been placed in a stout basket which fl oated some of the herdsmen of Numitor, and they along the Tiber until it was carried by the took him prisoner. They then brought him waters to the foot of a hill called Palatine before Numitor, who was much impressed Hill. Here the huge roots of a wild fi g tree with the noble appearance of the youth and upset the basket, and the litt le ones were asked him who he was. thrown out upon the river bank. Remus told all he knew about himself At this moment a great she-wolf came and Romulus, how they had been found strolling down the hill to drink at the at the cave of the she-wolf and had been river’s edge. She heard the feeble cries of reared by the king’s herdsman. Just then the infants and went to the place where Faustulus and Romulus came searching they lay helpless on the wet sands. She for Remus and were full of joy when touched them gently with her rough paws, they found that no harm had come to turned them over, and licked their faces him. Numitor questioned the herdsman and plump bodies. Perhaps she thought about the twins and, after hearing his they were some of her own cubs, for she story, was convinced that Romulus and carried the babes up the hill to her cave Remus were Sylvia’s boys who had been under a large rock. There she fed them as strangely saved from the wrath of their she fed her own cubs and seemed pleased cruel uncle. to have them near her. It is said that a He was very happy at finding his woodpecker fl ew in and out of the cave grandsons, and he thanked the herdsman many times a day bringing berries for the for his good care of them. Romulus and boys to eat. Remus were also very happy at fi nding One morning as Faustulus, the a grandfather and at the sudden change herdsman of King Amulius, was going of their fortune. When they were told over Palatine Hill looking for catt le that about Amulius and his wicked deeds, they had gone astray, he saw the boys playing resolved to punish him for the murder of with the wolf at the mouth of her cave. He their mother. So, with a few followers, they frightened the wolf away and took the rushed to the palace at Alba and entered boys to his home. His wife pitied the litt le the king’s chamber. foundlings and cared for them as