The Roman history from the building of the city to the perfect settlement of the empire by Augustus Caesar containing the space of 727 years : design'd as well for the understanding of the Roman authors as the Roman affairs / by Laurence Echard ...

The INTRODUCTION.

Of the Original of Rome, and its Inhabitants.

I. IN relating such great and remarkable Affairs as those of the Romans, it will be necessary to give some Account of the Original of that People: And, to make the Account as clear and intelligible as I can, it may not be amiss first to observe, that that Country which was anci∣ently call'd Italy, of which Rome was afterwards the chief City, did not contain above one half of what now goes by that Name. But as small as it was, it contain'd many distinct Nations and People; the principal of which were the Aborigines, Sabines, He∣trurians,

or Tuscans, Umbri, Samnites, Campani, Apulii, Calabri, Lucanii, and Brutii; and others of inferior Note which were often dependant on these. As for the rest of what is now call'd Italy, that was principally possess'd by the Gauls, who had driven out the Hetruri∣ans, and settl'd themselves in these Parts; being di∣stinguish'd into several Names, as the Senones, the In∣subres, &c. This Part went by the Name of Gallia Cis-Alpina and Togata, to distinguish it from that Gaul which is now call'd France, and was almost the same with the present Lombardy: The chief Inhabitants of it, besides the several Nations of the Gauls, were the Ligures and the Veneti.

Of all the foremention'd People, the Aborigines, af∣terwards call'd by the Name of Latines, were of prin∣cipal Note; not upon the account of any particular Excellency, but as being better known, and much more enquir'd after by all Historians. These were of the Posterity of the Oenotrians, a Grecian People of Arcadia, who had driven out the Siculi, the first Inha∣bitants of these Parts of Italy. They possess'd the Country of Latium, a small Country along the Ri∣ver Tiber, about 30 Miles in length, and 16 in breadth, containing near a fourth Part of that little Province in the Pope's Dominions now call'd Campagna-di-Roma. We find these govern'd by their own Kings nigh 200 Years before the destruction of Troy, and above 1300 before Christ; the first Kings we hear of in Italy, or in all Europe, except Greece. These Kings kept their Courts at Laurentum, a City about 5 Miles off the Mouth of the River Tiber; and were Go∣vernors of a mixt People: For first, some Pelasgians out of Thessaly settled among 'em; soon after, Saturn from Creet, who fled from his Son Iupiter, which oc∣casion'd their changing of their Names to Latines, à latendo, from his lying hid there; next Evander from Arcadia, then Hercules from Greece, with their several Followers.

But the last who settled in this Country, accord∣ing to Dionysius, were some Relicts of the Trojans, under the Conduct of their Prince Aeneas, who had left his native Country, and his inrag'd Enemies, to seek out Foreign Habitations. These were about 1200 in all, tho' some will allow but half that Num∣ber; and arriv'd in these Parts three Years after the destruction of Troy, and above 400 before the building of Rome, A. M. 2824. Aeneas at his first landing, was very civilly entertain'd by Latinus, the King then reigning, as a Person of great Renown, who not on∣ly treated him honourably, but gave him his only Daughter Lavinia in Marriage. This occasion'd a War between him and Turnus, a Prince of the Rutuli, their near Neighbours, who had formerly made Pre∣tensions to her; but these Wars soon ended in Tur∣nus's death, which did not only free Aeneas from a Rival, but secur'd his Kingdom, which Latinus gave him for his Daughters Portion after his decease. A••∣neas thus settled, soon after built the City of Lavini∣um, in honour of his Wife, about five or six Miles East of Laurentum, where he kept his Court; and the more to oblige his Subjects, caus'd both them and his own Country-men to be call'd by the common Name of Latini: But ingaging in a bloody War with Mezentius, a King of the Hetrurians, he was slain, after a short Reign of four Years. His Subjects, in honour to his Memory, dedicated a Chappel to him, under the Title of Iupiter Indiges.

Upon the death of Aeneas, his Son Ascanius succeeded him in the Throne; but Lavinia, being left with Child by him, out of fear fled to the Woods, and was there deliver'd of a Son, who from the place of his Birth had the Name of Silvius. Thirty Years af∣ter the building of Lavinium, Ascanius left it to his Mother-in-Law, and founded Alba-Longa, about 12 Miles North of it, which he made his Seat. Ascani∣us had a Son call'd Iulus, from whom came the fa∣mous

Family of the Iulii; this Son after his Mo∣ther's Death, contended with Silvius for the King∣dom, but the People, judging that to belong to Lati∣nus's Race, gave the Kingdom to Silvius, and the Priesthood to Iulus, in whose Family it thenceforth continu'd. After Silvius, succeeded 13 Kings of the same Race, for nigh 400 Years, who all had their Seats at Alba, and many of them likewise had the Name of Silvius: These Kings were as following; Aeneas Silvius, who reign'd 31 Years, Latinus, who reign'd 51, Alba 39, Capetus I. 26, Capys 28, Cape∣tus II. 13, Tiberinus 8, Agrippa 24, Alladius 19, Aven∣tinus 37, Procas 23, Amulius 42, and Numitor, who was the last King of Alba. Except the two last, we have but little remarkable concerning these Kings, only Tiberinus gave Name to the River Tiber, by be∣ing drown'd in it, it being before call'd Albula; and Aventinus gave Name to Mount Aventine, one of the seven Hills of Rome.

These were call'd the Kings of Alba, or of Old La∣tium, which scarce contain'd the sixth part of what was call'd Latium in Augustus's Reign; which then comprehended not only the Old Latini, but also the Rutuli, Aequi, Hernici, Volsci, and Arunci. This Kingdom, tho' very Small, according to the Dimen∣sions before given of it, was very Fruitful, Populous, and full of Towns; and Alba it self was a great and flourishing City, and had been the Mother of thir∣ty Latine Towns, when it was destroy'd by Tullus Ho∣stilius the third King of Rome.

II. But to come close to the Roman Story, Amu∣lius and Numitor, the two last of these Kings, were Brothers; and it was agreed between 'em, that Nu∣mit••r the Eldest, should have the Kingdom, and Amulius the Treasure and Gold that was brought from Troy. But Money having the Advantage of meer Authority, Amulius soon got his Brother out of

his Kingdom; and, to secure it to himself against the Pretensions of his Posterity, caus'd his Son Lausus to be Murther'd in a pretended Hunting, and his Daugh∣ter Rhea to be made a Vestal Virgin. In the fourth Year of her Priesthood, going to fetch Water, she was met and ravish'd by some Lover, or probably by Amulius himself, rather, as was suppos••d, to serve his other Designs, than to gratifie his Lust. But for the Honour of the Cause, the Fact was laid upon Mars, in whose Grove it was committed, who came to her, as they will have it, in a most dreadful man∣ner with Thunder and Lightning. Rhea proving with Child, was deliver'd of two Boys, and thereupon was condemn'd to Death, or perpetual Imprison∣ment, and her Children were thrown into the River. But the Wind and Stream were both so favourable, that at the fall of the Water, they were left safe upon dry Ground, and there happily found by Faustulus, Amulius••s Herds-Man, and suckled by his Wife Lau∣rentia, who, for her Infamous Life, was call'd Lupa; and this probably might occasion the famous Story of their being nourished by a Wolf: The Names of these Twins were Romulus and Remus.

The Children, grown up, prov'd Active and Cou∣ragious, suitable to the Greatness of their Birth; but the Meanness of their Education gave 'em occasion of falling out with some of Numitor's Herds-Men; in which contest Remus was taken Prisoner, and brought before the King. Upon which Faustulus discover'd to Romulus all the Particulars of his Birth and hard Usage from Amulius; begging him to be assistant in the Rescue of Remus. Romulus soon drew together a great Number of Herds-Men and inferiour People, who hated Amulius, whom he divided into Compa∣nies, consisting of an hundred Men each; every Captain carrying a small Bundle of Grass and Shrubs ty'd to a Pole. The Latines call such Bun∣dles Manipuli; from whence it is, that in their Ar∣mies

they call their Captains Manipulares. Remus gaining upon the Citizens within, and Romulus make∣ing Attacks from without, Amulius not knowing what Expedient to think of for his Security, in that Amazement and Distraction, was taken and slain; the Brothers settling their Grand-Father Numitor in his Throne, after he had been depos'd forty two Years.

The Affairs of Alba succeeding thus prosperously, the Young-Men, ambitious of Glory, were desirous of Founding a City in the Place where they were brought up; which Design was approv'd of by their Grand-Father, who appointed 'em Land, with such of his Subjects as he knew were of his Brother's Fa∣ction; and likewise gave free Liberty to all others who were willing, to settle themselves in this new Colony. Most of the Trojans came in, (of which there remain'd fifty Families in Caesar's Time, as Dionysius informs us) and also all the Inhabitants about the Palatine-Hill, where the City was built, which was about 14 Miles North-West of Alba, upon the River Tiber. For the more speedy carry∣ing on this Work, the People were divided into two Parts, who were to work by way of Emulation: But what was design'd for a considerable Advantage, prov'd a greater Inconveniency; for it gave birth to two Factions, whereof one preferr'd Romulus, and the other Remus; which swell'd 'em with the ambitious Desires of Preeminence. This soon appear'd in their Disagreement about the Place of Building, Romulus contending for the Palatine, where they were brought up, and Remus for the Aventine-Hill. Upon which, the Matter was brought before their Grand-Father Nu∣mitor, who advis••d 'em both to go apart, and ob∣serve the flying of Birds; and the most Fortunate of the two shou'd be counted the Founder of the Co∣lony. They both took their Stations upon their own

Hills, and Remus first had a flight of 6 Vultures, but Romulus having, or pretending to have, double the Number, both were saluted by the Title of King. This widned the Breach, and the Contention grew so hot as to come to a Battel, wherein Remus was worsted and slain, with several others, particularly Faustulus and his Brother Plistinus. But it is likewise said, that before the Battel, Remus gave his Brother many great Provocations, particularly by leaping over his Wall, to ridicule him for the Lowness of it.

Romulus, now sole Commander, and Eighteen Years of Age, began the Foundation of Rome in the fourth Year of the sixth Olympiad, according to Varro's Account, which was in the Year of the World 3252, the sixth Year of Iotham King of Iudah, and the seventh of Pekah King of Israel, 431 Years after the Destruction of Troy, 120 after the Building of Carthage, 214 before the Beginning of the Persian Empire, and 752 before Christ; And having got Au∣gurs, and such sort of People from Hetruria, he set a∣bout it with much Ceremony, on the 21 Day of A∣pril, according to Plutarch, which Day the Romans Anniversarily kept Holy, calling it their Country's Birth-Day. He took in the Mount Palatine only, and with a Heifer and a young Bullock, plow'd up a Fur∣row where the Wall was design'd; which Custom was afterwards observ'd by the Romans, both in the building and razing of Cities; and where-ever a Gate was to be made, the Plow was lifted up, which occasion'd it to be call'd Porta, a portando aratrum: All within this Line was call'd Pomaerium, from Post-Mu∣rum, or Pone Maenia. The City was almost square, containing at first about 1000 Houses, and was nigh a Mile in Compass, with four Gates, namely Roma∣nula, Ianualis, Mucionis, and Carmentalis; and a small Territory belonging to it of 7 or 8 Miles long.

Thus we see Rome in its Original, a small incon∣siderable beggarly Place, with Dominions still of less

Note; which yet from this mean and contemptible Beginning became Mistress of the World; being first founded and supported by its Kings, then strengthened and enlarged by its Consuls, and at last brought to its utmost Perfection by its Emperors. As for the Arts and Contrivances, the Policy and Cun∣ning, the Strength and Valour, and the gradual Pro∣ceedings, with the extraordinary Fortune, which contributed to make the Romans Masters of such vast and powerful Dominions, these are the Subject of this following History.

Notes

• Old 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• Latini.
• Iupiter Indiges.
• Iulii.
• Tiber.
• Aventine.
• New La∣tium.
• A. M. 3209.
• Manipula∣res.
• A. M. 3251.
• Pomaerium,