St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

By what right the Romaines attained their first wiues. CHAP. 13.

IN like manner, neither Iuno (for all that shee was now as her husband was, good friends with the Romaines) nor Venus, could helpe her sonnes progenie to honest and honorable mariages, but suffered this want to growe so hurtfull vnto them, that they were driuen to get them wiues by force, and soone after were compelled to go into the field against their wiues owne fathers, and the wretched women beeing yet scarcely reconciled to their husbands for this wrong offered them, were now endowed with their fathers murthers and kin∣dreds bloud: but in this conflict the Romaines had the lucke to be conquerors. But O what worlds of wounds, what numbers of funerals, what Oceans of bloud∣shed did those victories cost! for one onely father (a) in lawe Caesar, and for one onely sonne in law Pompey; (the wife of Pompey, and daughter to Caesar being dead) with what true feeling, and iust cause of sorrow doth Lucane crie out.

Bella per Emathios plus quam ciuilia campos, •…•…us{que} datum sceleri canimus:—

Warres worse then ciuill in th' (b) Emathian plaines, And right left spoile to rage we sing:—

Thus then the Romaines conquered, that they might now returne and embrace the daughters with armes embrued in the bloud of the fathers: nor du•…•…st the poore creatures weepe for their slaughtered parents, for feare to offend their conquering husbands: but all the time of the battle, stood with their vowes in their mouthes (c) and knew not for which side to offer them. Such mariages Bellona, (and not Venus) bestowed vpon the Romaines: or perhaps (d) Alecto that filthy hellish furie, now that Iuno was agreed with them, had more power vpon their bosomes now, then shee had then, when Iuno entreated her helpe against Aeneas. Truly (e) Andromacha's captiuitie was farre more tollerable then these Romaine mariages; for though she liued seruile, yet Pyrrhus after hee had once embraced her, would neuer kill Troian more. But the Romaines slaugh∣tered their owne step fathers in the field, whose daughters they had already enioyed in their beds. Andromacha's estate secured her from further feares, though it freed her not from precedent sorrowes: But these poore soules being matched to these sterne warriours, could not but feare at their husbands going

to battell, and wept, at their returne, hauing no way to freedome either by their feares or teares. For they must either (in piety) bewaile the death of their friendes and kinsfolkes, or (in cruelty) reioice at the victories of their husbands. Besides, (as warres chance is variable) some lost their husbands by their fathers swords; and some lost both, by the hand of each other. For it was no small war that Rome at that time waged. It came to the besieging of the citty it selfe, and the Romaines were forced to rely vppon the strength of their walls and gates which (f) being gotten open by a wile, and the foe being entred within the wals (g) euen in the very market-place was there a most wofull and wicked battell, struck betwixt the fathers in law and the sons. And here were the rauishers cō∣quered maugre their beards, and driuen to flye into their owne houses, to the great staine of all their precedent (though badly and bloudily gotten) (h) con∣quests: for here Romulus him-selfe dispairing of his soldiors valors, (i) praid vn∣to Iupiter to make them stand, and (k) here-vpon got Iupiter his sur-name of Sta∣tor) (l) Nor would these butcheries haue euer beene brought vnto any end, but that the silly rauished women came running forth, with torne and dishe∣ueled haire, and falling at their parents feete, with passionate intreaties, insteed of hostile armes, appeased their iustly inraged valors. And then was Romulus that could not indure to share with his brother, compelled to diuide his King∣dom with Tatius, the King of the Sabines: but (m) how long would he away with him, that misliked the fellowship of his owne twin-borne brother? So Tatius be∣ing slaine, he to become the greater Deity, tooke possession of the whole king∣dome. O what rights of mariage were these, what firebrands of war; what leagues of brother-hood, affinity, vnion, or Deity! And ah what (n) liues the cittizens lastly led, vnder so huge a bed-roll of gods Guardians! You see what copious matter this place affordeth, but that our intention bids vs remem∣ber what is to follow, and falles on discourse to other particulars.

L. VIVES.

FAther in law (a) Caesar] Iulia the only daughter of C. Caesar was married vnto Cn. Pom∣peius the great. Shee died in child-bed, whilst her father warred in France. And after that * 1.1 he and his sonne in law waged ciuils wars one against another: (b) Emathian] That which is called Macedonia now, was called once Emathia. (Plin. lib. 4.) There did Pompey and Cae∣sar fight a set field. (c) And knew not.] Ouid (Fastor. 3.) hath these wordes of the Sa∣bine women when the Romaines battell and theirs were to ioine: Mars speaketh.

Conueniunt nuptae dictam Iunonis in aedem, Quas inter mea sic est nurus ausa loqui: O pariter raptae, quoniam hoc commune tenemus, Non vltra lentae possumus essepiae. Stant acies: sed vtradij sunt pro parte rogandi? Eligite, hinc coniunx, hinc pater arma tenet. Querendum est, viduae fieri malitis, an orbae? &c.

The wiues in Iunoes church a meeting make, Where met, my daughter thus them all be spake: Poore rauisht soules, since all our plights are one, Our zeale ha's now no meane to thinke vpon. The batails ioine: whom shall we pray for rather? Choose: here a husband fights, and there a father: Would you be spouselesse (wiues) or fatherlesse. &c.

(e) Or perhaps Alecto] The 3. furies, Alecto, Magera, & Tisiphone, are called the daughters of night & Acheron. Alecto affects y^• hart with ire, hate, tumult, sedition, clamors, war, slaughters.

T•…•… p•…•…es una•…•…s ar•…•…re in pr•…•…lia •…•…ratres, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…is ver•…•…re d•…•…s—

Tis thou can make sworne bretheren mortall foes, Confounding hate with hate—

Saith Iuno to Alecto, stirring her vp against the Troians. Aeneid. 7. (e) Andromache] Hectors * 1.2 wife, daughter to Tetion King of Thebes in Cilicia: Pyrrhus married her after the de∣struction of Troye. (f) Beeing gotte open] Sp. Tarpeius was Lieutenant of the Tower, whose daughter Tarpeia, Tatius the Sabine King with great promises allured to let in his souldiors when shee went out to fetch water. Shee assented, vpon condition that shee might haue that which each of his souldiors wore vpon his left arme. Tatius agreed, and being let in, the Sol∣diours * 1.3 smothered the maide to death with their bucklers: for them they wore on their left armes also, whereas shee dreamed onely of their golden bracelets which they bore on that arme. Plutarch (out of Aristides Milesius) saith, that this happened to the Albanes, not to the Sabines. In Parallelis. But I do rather agree with Liuie, Fabius, Piso, and Cincius, of the La∣tine writers, and Dionysius of the Greekes. (g) In the very market place] Betweene the Capitoll and Mount Palatine. (h) Conquests] Not of the Sabines, but of the Ceninensians, the Crus∣tumerians, and the Attennates. (i) Praid vnto Iupiter] In these words: But O thou father of Gods and men, keepe but the foes from hence, take away the Romanes terror, and stay their flight. Vnto thee O Iupiter Stator, doe I vowe to build a temple in this place, as a monument vnto all po∣steritie, that by thine onely helpe the citty was saued. Liuius lib. 1. (k) Herevpon] stato â sistendo, of staying, or à stando, of stablishing, that is, erecting the Romaine spirits that were deiected. Cicero calleth this Iupiter, the preseruer of the Empire, in many places. I thinke it is because his * 1.4 house was neere this temple. Saint Hierome saith, that this Iupiter was formed standing: not that he thinketh he was called Stator, because he standeth so vpright, but because Iupiter To∣nans (as Hermolaus Barbarus hath noted) was alwayes stamped and engrauen vpon ancient coynes sitting: and Stator, standing, as being in readinesse to helpe and assist men: Seneca giues a deeper reason of his name. Hee is not called stator (saith he) because (as history reporteth) hee stayed the Romaine armie after the vowe of Romulus, but because by his benefits all things consist, and are established. De benefic. lib. 4. And Tully likewise: When we call Iupiter, Almighty, Salu∣taris, Hospitalis, & Stator, wee meane, that all mens health, and stabilitie is consisting of him and from him, being vnder his protection. But both these authors doe here speake Stoically. For Tully maketh Cato the Stoike speake these fore-alledged words. De finib. lib. 3. For all these assertions of the gods the Stoikes reduced to a more Metaphysicall or Theologicall sence. (l) Nor would these Butcheries] In the middest of the fight the women gaue in betwixt the battels all bare∣headed and loose haired: and calling on their parents on this side, and their husbands on that, with teares besought them both to fall to agreement. So the battell ceased, a league was made, the Sabines became citizens, and Tatius was ioyned King with Romulus. (m) But how long] The Laurentians of Lauinium slew Tatius the fift yeare of his raigne with Romulus, because his friends had iniured their Embassadors. Hereof was Romulus very glad. (n) Liues] some read Iura, lawes. But in the old manuscripts, some haue vita, and some vitae, liues, both better then Iura.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aema∣thia.
• * 1.2

  Andro∣mache.
• * 1.3

  Tarpeia.
• * 1.4

  Stator.