Chapter V
Romulus and the Sabine Women
Original
Literary translation
§ 5.1
.
Romulus was the son of Mars.
§ 5.2
.
Mars was the god of war and weapons.
§ 5.3
.
Roman soldiers worshipped Mars and sacrificed victims on his altars.
§ 5.4
.
So Romulus deeply loved soldiers and arms.
§ 5.5
.
He was the first king of the city of Rome.
§ 5.6
; .
But only men lived in the city; they had neither wives nor sisters.
§ 5.7
, “ ,” , “ , .
Accordingly Romulus gathered all the people and said, “Citizens, we have no women, but the Sabines live in the neighboring community.”
§ 5.8
.
The Sabines have many beautiful women.
§ 5.9
, .”
Therefore we shall invite the Sabines with their women to the games, and abduct the maidens.”
§ 5.10
.
So the Romans invited the Sabines to the great games.
§ 5.11
.
There was peace between the Romans and Sabines.
§ 5.12
.
So the Sabines gladly hurried to the Romans’ games.
§ 5.13
.
They brought neither shields nor swords nor spears.
§ 5.14
.
Many beautiful maidens came hurriedly with the Sabines.
§ 5.15
.
The Sabines watched the games of the Romans.
§ 5.16
, ! .
In the middle of the games the Romans suddenly shouted loudly and—look!—seized the Sabine maidens and carried them to their houses.
§ 5.17
, .
In vain the mothers wept; in vain they urged the men to take up arms.
§ 5.18
; .
The Romans had shields, swords, and spears; the Sabines had neither shields nor swords nor spears.
§ 5.19
.
The Sabines, grieving and angry, therefore hurried back to Sabine territory.
§ 5.20
.
Throughout the winter they remained there and carefully prepared weapons.
§ 5.21
.
The road between Rome and Sabine territory is long.
§ 5.22
, , .
But at last the Sabines, now armed, stood before the gates of the city of Rome.
§ 5.23
“ ,” , “ , .”
“Romans,” they said, “we shall fight bravely for our daughters, for our sisters.”
§ 5.24
; .
Then the Sabine women rushed out of the Romans’ houses with their hair disheveled; they carried their little children and showed them to their fathers and brothers.
§ 5.25
.
With many tears they pleaded with their fathers and brothers.
§ 5.26
“,” , “ ; ; .
“Now,” they said, “we live happily and peacefully in Roman homes; we have dear children whom we love deeply, and we love both Sabines and Romans.
§ 5.27
, , .
If the Romans fight the Sabines, Romans will kill Sabines and Sabines will kill Romans.
§ 5.28
.
Then the Sabine women will have neither husbands nor fathers nor brothers.
§ 5.29
, ! .”
Fathers, farewell! We shall no longer be Sabine women but Roman women, yet we shall always be your daughters.”