Livy 1.12

The Sabines held the citadel nevertheless, and then on the next day, although the Roman army, drawn up, had filled what of plain there was between the Palatine and the Capitoline hill, they did not descend into even (ground) before, with anger and desire for recovering the citadel rousing their spirits, the Romans advanced up the opposing (hill).  [Principes] The leaders kept on urging the fight on both sides: from the Sabines, Mettius Curtius; from the Romans, Hostius Hostilius.  This (man) was sustaining the Roman state on uneven ground at the first standards with spirit and boldness.  As Hostius fell, the Roman battleline immediately is broken and was scattered to the old gate of the Palatine.  [Romulus] Even Romulus himself (was) driven by the crowd of those fleeing; lifting his weapons, he said, “Jupiter, ordered by your birds here I lay the first foundations for the city on the Palatine.  The Sabines already hold the citadel bought by wickedness; thence armed men strive to this point, with the middle of the valley overwhelmed.  [At] But you, father of gods and of men, from this point at least repel the enemy, remove fear from the Romans, and stop foul flight.  Here I vow to you a temple for Jove the Stayer, which will be a monument for our descendants that with your aid present the city was saved.”  [Haec] Having prayed these things, as if he had felt his prayer heard, he said, “Romans, hence Jupiter Best (and) Highest  orders (you) to stop and renew the fight.”  The Romans stopped short as if ordered by celestial voice; Romulus himself flies forward to the first (fighters).  [Mettius] Mettius Curtius, leader from the Sabines, had run down from the citadel and had driven the scattered Romans in the whole (space) such as is now for the Forum, nor was he far already from the gate of the Palatine, shouting, “We have conquered faithless hosts, unwarlike enemies.  Now they know to snatch maidens is a thing far from the thing it is to fight with men.”  [In] With a crowd of most fierce youths Romulus makes an attack on him boasting these things.  From his horse then by chance Mettius was fighting; by this he was more easily driven back.  The Romans pursue the one driven back, and the rest of the Roman line, fired by the boldness of the king, route the Sabines.  [Mettius] threw himself into a swamp with his horse spooked by the noise of the pursuers; this matter (lit. had) turned the Sabines also because of such danger for the man.  And that man indeed escapes with spirit added by the encouragement of many by nods and voices: The Romans and Sabines in the middle of the valley of the two hills renew battle; but the Roman situation was superior.

Livy 1.11

While the Romans are doing these things there, the army of the Antemnates through the opportunity and solitude made an incursion in a hostile manner into the Roman territory.  [Raptim] The Roman legion having been lead out swiftly overwhelmed those fighting in the fields.  The enemy was scattered therefore by the first attack and shout (and) the town was captured; Hersilia, his wife, worn down by the prayers of the captured women, begged Romulus, rejoicing in the double victory, to give pardon to the parents of these and receive them into the state: thus he could unite the state with concord.  [Facile] It was easily granted.  Thence he set out against the Crustuminians bringing war.  There it was less of a struggle also because their spirits had fallen with the disasters of the others.  [Utroque] In both (places) colonies were sent; more were found who gave their names for (lit. in) Crustuminum because of the fertility of the land.  Thence also to Rome it was migrated frequently, mostly by the parents and relatives of the abducted women.

The last war was raised by the Sabines and was by far the greatest: for nothing was done through anger or desire, and they did not show war before they brought (it).  [Consilio] A trick was also added to plan.  Spurius Tarpeius was in command of the Roman citadel.  Tatius corrupted (lit. present) his maiden daughter – by chance she had gone outside the walls to seek water then for sacred rites – having been received they killed the overwhelmed girl with their weapons, whether so the citadel seemed to be captured more by force or for the sake of an example for a betrayer that there is not any faith anywhere for a betrayer.  [Additur] A story is added that the Sabines commonly had gold armlets of great weight on their left arms and jeweled rings of great beauty; she demanded what they had on their left hands; therefore shields were piled upon her instead of golden gifts.  [Sunt] There are those who say that from the agreement of the handing over what was on their left hands she sought the weapons directly, and having been seen to act treacherously she herself was purchased with her own fee.

Livy 1.10

Now the spirits of the seized (dat. pos.) had been greatly appeased.  But the parents of those seized then most greatly were agitating their state with mourning garment and tears and complaints.  [Nec] Nor only were they containing their indignations at home, but everywhere they were gathering to Titus Tatius, king of the Sabines, and legations were convening to him because the name of Tatius was the greatest in these regions.  The Caeninenses, and the Crustumini, and the Antemnates were to whom part of this injury pertained.  Tatius and the Sabines seemed to act slowly to them; these peoples themselves among the three commonly prepare war.  [Ne]  Not even the Crustumini and the Antemnates move themselves energetically enough for the ardor and anger of the Caeninenses: thus on its own behalf the very name Caeninus makes an attack on Roman territory.  [Sed] But Romulus with an army happens upon those pillaging in scattered flight, and a light battle teaches that anger without strength is empty.  He routes and puts the army to flight; he pursues the routed.  He kills and despoils the king in the battle; with the leader of the enemy having been killed he takes the city in the first attack.

Then, the victorious army having been lead back, he himself, because he was then a hero magnificent in deeds no less than a displayer of deeds, bearing the spoils of the slaughtered leader of the enemy hung from a fork made fit for this he climbed the Capitolium and there, when he had deposited these at the oak sacred to the shepherds, at the same time when he marked with the gift the boundaries for a temple to Jove, and he added the cognomen to the god.  “Juppiter Feretrius,” he said, “I, Romulus, victor (and) king, bear these royal weapons to you, and I dedicate a temple in these regions which I have measured out in purpose (and) in will, a seat for the best spoils, which my descendants, following me as author, will carry from slaughtered kings and leaders of the enemy.”  This is the origin of the temple, which first of all is sacred to Rome.  Thus then seen by the gods and the voice of the temple founder was not in vain, by which he announced that his descendants would bear spoils here and his praise was not made common by a multitude of those in possession of this gift.  Twice after among so many years, so many wars have the best spoils been provided: so rare was the fortune of this glory.

Livy 1.9

The Roman state was now so strong that it was equal in war to any of the neighboring states; but by a shortage of women its multitude was about to last a lifetime of a man, for they had neither hope of offspring at home nor marriage with their neighbors.  [Tum] Then from the advice of the fathers Romulus sent ambassadors around the neighboring tribes who sought alliance and marriage for the new people: the city also as all other things were born from the lowest; then, whom their own virtue and the gods aid, they made great wealth and a great name for themselves.  [Satis] It was enough to know for the Roman origin both that the gods had been present and that courage would not be lacking.  Finally let the men not be reluctant to mix blood and race with the men.  [Nusquam] Never was the legation heard kindly: they both were so spurning and fearing such a mass growing in their midst for themselves and their own descendants; they were dismissed by very many asking if they had opened any refuge also for women: for this at last would be an equal marriage.  The Roman youth endured this with difficulty, and unmistakably (lit. hardly dubiously) the matter began to look to force.

To which to give a suitable time and place, concealing his mortification of spirit, Romulus prepares solemn games industriously (lit. from industry) for equestrian Neptune; he calls (them) the Consualia.  [Indici] He orders then the spectacle to be publicized to the neighbors, the celebrated with as much magnificence as they then knew or were able, to make the event outstanding and anticipated.  Many men gathered, with zeal also for seeing the new city, all their nearest, the Caeninenses, the Crustumini, the Antemnates; now the whole multitude of the Sabines came with their children and wives.  [Invitati] Having been invited hospitably through the homes when they saw the location and walls and the city crowded with homes, they wonder that the Roman state had grown in so short a time.  When the time for the spectacle came, their minds were so dedicated to it with their minds, then violence arose by agreement (lit. from having been arranged), and a signal having been given the Roman youth runs down to seize the maidens.  [Magna] A great part were seized by chance in which (place) each had happened upon; men from the plebs to whom the business had been given were carrying to their homes some women outstanding in form marked out for the first of the fathers.  They say a certain one was seized, distinguished far before others in form and beauty, by the band of Thalassius, again and again, lest any violate, it was shouts that (she) was carried off for Thalassius: thence this was made the wedding call.  [Turbato] With the festival having been disturbed through fear, the sad parents of the maidens flee, protesting against and calling upon the treaty of the violated hospitality and the god to whose ceremony and games through right and faith deceived they had come.  Nor for those seized is either the hope better for themselves or the indignity less.  [Sed] But Romulus himself was going around and was teaching them that this was done through the haughtiness of their fathers who had denied marriage with their neighbors.  Yet those would be in matrimony, in the alliances of all fortunes and of the state, and of children, than which nothing is dearer to human kind.  [Mollirent] Let them only soften their angers and to whom chance had given their bodies, let them give their spirits.  Often from injury arose afterward favor, and by this they would find better husbands, because each would strive though himself to fill the desire for parents and also for country when he performed his duty for his part.  [Accedebant] The flatteries of their husbands were increased by the desire and love of those seeking to excuse the deed, which most greatly were effective prayers for the womanly spirit.

Livy 1.8

With divine matters having been attended to by rite and the multitude, which was able to gather into the body of one people by nothing except by laws, having been called to council, (Romulus) gave laws, which he thought (supply est) would be thus holy for a rough race of men if he himself had made himself venerable by symbols of power, he made himself more august not only by the rest of his dress but also especially by twelve lictors having been assumed.  [Alii] Some think that he followed number from the number of the birds which had foretold his sovereignty in the augury; it hardly discontents me to be of the opinion of those whom it pleases that both attendants of this type (adv. acc) and also the number itself was lead from their neighbors the Etruscan, whence the curule chair, whence the toga praetexta was taken; and the Etruscans considered/arranged (it) thus because individual peoples gave in common individual lictors from the twelve peoples with the king having been created.

Meanwhile the city was growing by the encroaching on some and other places with its walls because they were fortifying more in hope of future multitude than to this which was then of men (with regard to that which was the population then).  [Deinde] Then lest the multitude of the city be weak, for the sake of increasing the multitude, in the ancient plan of those founding cities, who used to lie that offspring were born to them from the earth, by drawing together to themselves a shadowy and humble multitude, he opens the place, which now is an enclosure for those descending between two groves, as a refuge.  At this time, from neighboring peoples the whole crowd was without distinction, (whether) he was free or slave, fled eager for new circumstances, and this was first of the strength for the begun multitude.  When already it hardly pained (him) of strength, he then prepares an advisory body for his strength: he creates 100  senators, whether because this number was enough or because there were only 100 (men) who could be named fathers: they were called fathers certainly from the honor, and their descendants were called patricians.

Livy 1.7

To Remus first an omen came, it is said: six vultures, and the augury having already been announced, when double the number had offered themselves to Romulus, his own multitude saluted each as king.  [Tempore] Those claim kingship on the priority of time, these on the number of the birds.  Then when they met in conflict, by the struggle of passions they turned to murder.  Thereupon Remus, having been struck, fell in the crowd.  [Vulgatior] The more common report is that Remus, in mockery of his brother, jumped over the new walls; thence by an angry Romulus, when, rebuking also with these words, had added, “Thus afterwards whoever else jumps over my walls! he was killed.  [Ita] Thus Romulus alone gained possession of power; the founded city was called by the name of its founder.

His first fortified the Palatine hill on which he himself had been brought up.  He set up the sacred rites for the other gods by Alban custom, by the Greek for Hercules, as they had been instituted by Evander.   [Herculem] They recall that into these locations, Hercules, Geryon having been destroyed, drove his cows of marvelous appearance, and, near the Tiber river, in which place he crossed by swimming, driving the herd before him, lay down in a grassy spot, to renew the cows with rest and fertile fodder, himself also weary from the journey.  [Ibi] There, when sleep had overtaken him, heavy with food and wine, a shepherd, a neighbor of this place, Cacus by name, fierce in his strength, having been captured by the beauty of the cows, because he wanted to turn this booty, because, if he forced her herd into his cave by driving (them), their tracks themselves would have led their seeking master to him, dragged the turned cows, each choice one in beauty, by their tails into his cave.  [Hercules] At first dawn Hercules, roused from sleep, when he had reviewed his herd with his eyes and had noticed part had gone from the number, advances to the nearest cave if by chance the tracks lead there.  Which, when he saw that all turned outward and did not lead in another direction, confused and uncertain of mind he began to drive his herd onwards from this dangerous place. [Inde] Then some of the cattle, driven toward their desire of the ones left, as happens, had lowed, the voice returned from the cave of those cows enclosed turned Hercules.  When he had tried to prevent Hercules (lit. whom) by force from entering the cave, Cacus, struck by his club, calling in vain on the faith of the shepherds, lay in death.

Evander, then a refugee from Peloponnesus, was ruling these places more by authority than by power, a venerated man for the miracle of letters, of a new thing among men unacquainted with the arts, but more venerated by the believed divinity of his mother Carmenta, whom these tribes had wondered at as a prophetess before the arrival of the Sibyl into Italy.  [Is] This Evander then, roused by the rush of alarmed shepherds around a stranger accused of open murder, after he heard the crime and the cause of the crime, thinking that the habit and appearance of the man was something greater and more august than human, he asked (lit. present) who the man was. 

[Ubi] When he heard his name and father and country, he said, “Hercules, son of Jupiter, hail!  My mother, true-speaking interpreter of the gods, sang that you would increase the number of the heavenly ones, and that here an altar would be built for you, which the some-day most powerful race in the lands will call the greatest and worship by your rite.”  [Dextra] Right hand having been given, Hercules says that he accepts the omen  and will fulfil (it) with the spoken altar having been founded and dedicated.  There then first with an outstanding cow having been taken from the herd, sacrifice was made to Hercules with the Potitii and Pinarii being employed for the office and feast, which then were the two most famous families inhabiting these parts.  [Forte] By chance thus it happened that the Potitii were present at the appointed time and before them the entrails were placed; the Pinarii arrived with the vitals having been consumed for the rest of the feast.  Then the institution remained as long as the family of the Pinarii existed that they not eat of the entrails of the victims.  [Potitii’ The Potitii, having been instructed by Evander, presided over (lit. were standing over) this rite for many ages, until, the sacred office of the family having been handed over to public servants,whole race of the Potitii perished.  Romulus then took up these rites, one from all the foreign rites, already then a patron of immortality born from virtue, to which his own fates were leading him.

Livy 1.6

At (lit. among) the first tumult, Numitor declaring that an enemy had entered the City and was attacking the palace, when he had called the Alban youth to hold the citadel as a guard and arms, after he saw the young men coming to congratulate him, the assassination having been accomplished, a council having been immediately called, he explained his brother's crime towards himself, the origin of his grandsons, how they were born, how they were brought up, and how they were recognized, finally the tyrant's death and that he himself was the author it.  [Iuvenes] The young men, having entered in a line through the middle of the assembly, when they had saluted their grandfather as king, a harmonizing voice from the whole multitude having approved ratified (lit. made ratified) the title and sovereignty for the king.

[Ita] Thus the Alban government having passed to Numitor, a desire for founding a city seized Romulus and Remus in these places where they had been exposed and where they had been brought up.  The multitude of the Albans and Latins was over and above, to this the shepherds also added, who all easily formed the hope that Alba would be small, Lavinium would be small before this city which was to be founded.  [Intervenit] Then an ancestral evil interrupted these thoughts, desire for rule, and then a foul contention arose from a mild enough beginning.  [Quoniam] As they were twins, and modesty of age could make no distinction, so the gods, whose safeguard were these places, would choose by the augurs, who would give his name to the new city, who would rule the founded (city) by his power, Romulus takes the Palatine, Remus took the Aventine as their quarters of the sky (lit. temples) for the augury.