1. Dionysius of Halycarnassus, Roman Antiquities, 2.63.3 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
| 2.63.3. He also ordered that Romulus himself, as one who had shown a greatness beyond mortal nature, should be honoured, under the name of Quirinus, by the erection of a temple and by sacrifices throughout the year. For while the Romans were yet in doubt whether divine providence or human treachery had been the cause of his disappearance, a certain man, named Julius, descended from Ascanius, who was a husbandman and of such a blameless life that he would never have told an untruth for his private advantage, arrived in the Forum and said that, as he was coming in from the country, he saw Romulus departing from the city fully armed and that, as he drew near to him, he heard him say these words: |
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2. Livy, History, 1.16.5-1.16.8 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
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3. Ovid, Fasti, 2.503-2.504, 2.509-2.512, 3.292, 3.295-3.326, 3.601, 3.633-3.638, 3.657-3.668, 4.865-4.866, 6.251-6.256, 6.319-6.344 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
| 2.503. It seemed to him that Romulus, handsome, more than human 2.504. And finely dressed, stood there, in the centre of the road 2.509. So he commanded and vanished into thin air: 2.510. Proculus gathered the people and reported the command. 2.511. Temples were built for the god, the hill named for him 2.512. And on certain days the ancestral rites are re-enacted. 3.292. Teach them unless compelled: so catch and bind them.’ 3.295. At sight of which you would say: ‘There’s a god within.’ 3.296. The centre was grassy, and covered with green moss 3.297. And a perennial stream of water trickled from the rock. 3.298. Faunus and Picus used to drink there alone. 3.299. Numa approached and sacrificed a sheep to the spring 3.300. And set out cups filled with fragrant wine. 3.301. Then he hid with his people inside the cave. 3.302. The woodland spirits came to their usual spring 3.303. And quenched their dry throats with draughts of wine. 3.304. Sleep succeeded wine: Numa emerged from the icy cave 3.305. And clasped the sleepers’ hands in tight shackles. 3.306. When sleep vanished, they fought and tried to burst 3.307. Their bonds, which grew tighter the more they struggled. 3.308. Then Numa spoke: ‘Gods of the sacred groves, if you accept 3.309. My thoughts were free of wickedness, forgive my actions: 3.310. And show me how the lightning may be averted.’ 3.311. So Numa: and, shaking his horns, so Faunus replied: 3.312. ‘You seek great things, that it’s not right for you to know 3.313. Through our admission: our powers have their limits. 3.314. We are rural gods who rule in the high mountains: 3.315. Jupiter has control of his own weapons. 3.316. You could never draw him from heaven by yourself 3.317. But you may be able, by making use of our aid.’ 3.318. Faunus spoke these words: Picus too agreed 3.319. ‘But remove our shackles,’ Picus added: 3.320. ‘Jupiter will arrive here, drawn by powerful art. 3.321. Cloudy Styx will be witness to my promise.’ 3.322. It’s wrong for men to know what the gods enacted when loosed 3.323. From the snare, or what spells they spoke, or by what art 3.324. They drew Jupiter from his realm above. My song will sing 3.325. of lawful things, such as a poet may speak with pious lips. 3.326. The drew you (eliciunt) from the sky, Jupiter, and later 3.601. And his daughter too, and had merged both peoples. 3.633. Within her silent heart, and concealed her fears: 3.634. And though she saw many gifts given away openly 3.635. She suspected many more were sent secretly. 3.636. She hadn’t yet decided what to do: she hated 3.637. With fury, prepared a plan, and wished to die avenged. 3.638. It was night: it seemed her sister Dido stood 3.657. The year (annus): others, Themis, or the Inachian heifer. 3.658. Anna, you’ll find some to say you’re a nymph, daughter 3.659. of Azan, and gave Jupiter his first nourishment. 3.660. I’ll relate another tale that’s come to my ears 3.661. And it’s not so far away from the truth. 3.662. The Plebs of old, not yet protected by Tribunes 3.663. Fled, and gathered on the Sacred Mount: 3.664. The food supplies they’d brought with them failed 3.665. Also the stores of bread fit for human consumption. 3.666. There was a certain Anna from suburban Bovillae 3.667. A poor woman, old, but very industrious. 3.668. With her grey hair bound up in a light cap 4.865. Venus suits those who earn by your profession. 4.866. offer incense and pray for beauty and men’s favour 6.251. I was rapt in prayer: I felt the heavenly deity 6.252. And the happy earth shone with radiant light. 6.253. Not that I saw you, goddess (away with poets’ lies!) 6.254. Nor were you to be looked on by any man: 6.255. But I knew what I’d not known, and the error 6.256. I’d held to were corrected without instruction. 6.319. Red-faced Priapus shall I tell of your shame or pass by? 6.320. It’s a brief tale but it’s a merry one. 6.321. Cybele, whose head is crowned with towers 6.322. Called the eternal gods to her feast. 6.323. She invited the satyrs too, and those rural divinities 6.324. The nymphs, and Silenus came, though no one asked him. 6.325. It’s forbidden, and would take too long, to describe the banquet 6.326. of the gods: the whole night was spent drinking deep. 6.327. Some wandered aimlessly in Ida’s shadowy vales 6.328. Some lay, and stretched their limbs, on the soft grass. 6.329. Some played, some slept, others linked arm 6.330. And beat swift feet threefold on the grassy earth. 6.331. Vesta lay carelessly, enjoying a peaceful rest 6.332. Her head reclining, resting on the turf. 6.333. But the red-faced keeper of gardens chased the nymph 6.334. And goddesses, and his roving feet turned to and fro. 6.335. He saw Vesta too: it’s doubtful whether he thought her 6.336. A nymph, or knew her as Vesta: he himself denied he knew. 6.337. He had wanton hopes, and tried to approach her in secret 6.338. And walked on tiptoe, with a pounding heart. 6.339. Old Silenus had chanced to leave the mule 6.340. He rode by the banks of a flowing stream. 6.341. The god of the long Hellespont was about to start 6.342. When the mule let out an untimely bray. 6.343. Frightened by the raucous noise, the goddess leapt up: 6.344. The whole troop gathered, and Priapus fled through their hands. |
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4. Plutarch, Romulus, 28.1-28.3 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 28.1. At this pass, then, it is said that one of the patricians, a man of noblest birth, and of the most reputable character, a trusted and intimate friend also of Romulus himself, and one of the colonists from Alba, Julius Proculus by name, Cf. Livy, i. 16, 5-8. went into the forum and solemnly swore by the most sacred emblems before all the people that, as he was travelling on the road, he had seen Romulus coming to meet him, fair and stately to the eye as never before, and arrayed in bright and shining armour. 28.2. He himself, then, affrighted at the sight, had said: O King, what possessed thee, or what purpose hadst thou, that thou hast left us patricians a prey to unjust and wicked accusations, and the whole city sorrowing without end at the loss of its father? Whereupon Romulus had replied: It was the pleasure of the gods, 0 Proculus, from whom I came, that I should be with mankind only a short time, and that after founding a city destined to be the greatest on earth for empire and glory, I should dwell again in heaven. So farewell, and tell the Romans that if they practise self-restraint, and add to it valour, they will reach the utmost heights of human power. And I will be your propitious deity, Quirinus. 28.3. These things seemed to the Romans worthy of belief, from the character of the man who related them, and from the oath which he had taken; moreover, some influence from heaven also, akin to inspiration, laid hold upon their emotions, for no man contradicted Proculus, but all put aside suspicion and calumny and prayed to Quirinus, and honoured him as a god. |
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5. Plutarch, Sulla, 27.2 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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