The Rapture of the Sabinas
When Romulus finished founding the city of Rome, in order to quickly populate it, he invited all kinds of people to settle, arguing that it was the best city to live in freedom.
Although most of the inhabitants were not highly recommended, Romulus was happy.
He appointed a hundred men “Fathers of the Fatherland” or Patricians to ensure the order and security of this new city. But the most serious problem they had was the lack of women. If they did not get them quickly, the future of the city was doomed to failure.
After many meetings where they discussed all the possibilities, the Senators believed it would be best to visit neighboring villages to explain their intentions. None of us accept the offer of the Romans, because as we know, the inhabitants of Rome left much to be desired and no father wanted to give their daughters to such people.
The Romans felt aggrieved at the refusal, but Romulus calmed them down when he gave them a new plan.
When the feast of the god Consus came, Romulus organized great horse races inviting neighboring towns. Rome was filled with visitors to the festival as whole families arrived to celebrate the great event.
At that time, the most numerous and powerful neighbors of the region were the Sabines and they were the ones who had come to honor the god Consus.
When all the visitors were entertained participating in the competitions, Romulus' men abducted all the girls they found and hid them.
The neighbors were angry and only thought of revenge on the Romans.
The kidnapped Sabinas were very frightened because they did not know the plans of the Romans. Soon Romulus appeared before them to calm them down, saying, “They should not be afraid.” Nothing bad will happen to them. We only wish you to meet the Roman citizens, fall in love, marry and have many children so that the city of Rome grows and becomes prosperous.
Roman citizens were attentive and affectionate to young women and they soon agreed to form new homes.
Neighbouring towns could not forgive the Romans because they were left without daughters, and to rescue them they chose Titus Lazio, king of the Sabines.
As in those days, women were considered to be a lower class, Titus Lazio thought it was not worth shedding blood for a few women.
Other neighboring populations seeking revenge attacked Rome, but the Romans knew how to defend themselves and won all the battles. Romulus was sympathetic to his attackers, and instead of making them prisoners, he forgave them so they formed a united people.
Seeing that the power of Rome was advancing over the other peoples, Titus Lazio realized that if he did not do something soon to attack Rome, the Sabines would end up under Roman rule and began to draw up an attack plan.
While studying carefully how to cross the wall of Rome, she saw a young girl coming out of the city gates to fill her pitcher with water. That young woman was called Tarpeya and was the daughter of the mayor of the city.
Tarpeya was passionate about gold jewelry. When he saw the group of Sabines with their shining bracelets, he was dazzled and asked them, “Tell me, are those bracelets on your wrists of gold?”
Titus Lazio replied, “They are of pure gold and you can have them tonight, if you like.”
“Tell me what to do. “Tarpeya replied.
At the appointed time Tarpeya ran the bolts and then went to the Sabines to claim their reward.
Then they threw it from a rock, which has since been called Tarpeya.
No one expected that surprise attack, let alone Romulus who slept placiously. But the god Juno, defender of the gates of the city, brought forth a source of heat before the Sabines and for a few moments they had to reverse their attack.
The Romans tried to defend themselves against a new Sabina onslaught. Romulus, desperate promised the god of the gods to erect him a temple in the exact place where they would win the battle, and then again harenged his men with new hope, and the battle that seemed lost was again balanced.
The Sabines were under the command of Metius Curcio, a charlatan who constantly bragged about what he would do once he walked through the gates of Rome. But his horse got all rougher and ran into a swamp out of control and drowned. Metius Curcio saved himself from death but not from fright, and fled the fight in disgrace.
When the struggle leaned in favor of the Romans, the Sabinas took their children by the hand and stood between the two sides.
All those who fought were either brothers or fathers or husbands of them, and they asked them not to fight anymore, as they did not want to remain orphans or widows.
This ended with all the wars. Romulus and the Sabines signed an alliance that united them forever. Titus Lazio ruled with Romulus until he died, and then Romulus was king of Romans and Sabines.