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History of Rome
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General SummaryMOST eloquent of all Roman historians is Livy (59 B. C.–17 A. D.). His history of Rome begins with Romulus and extends to the reign of Augustus. The first ten books of the work relate the fortunes of the Roman city from its foundation to the consolidation of Roman power in Italy by the subjugation of the Samnites. Modern scholars are not inclined to attach much value as sober history to this earlier part of Livy’s narrative. And indeed the author himself declares that for the first four centuries of Roman history "the facts were obscure by reason of their remote antiquity, like objects which from their great distance are seen with difficulty, and also because in those times written records, which are the only faithful guardians of the memory of events, were few and rare." Whatever their historical importance, the earlier chapters of Livy’s great production are a treasure house of those heroic legends, of those splendid stories of patriotic devotion, which never failed to fire the hearts of noble Romans.
Historical SummaryRomulus, according to legend, was followed by six other kings. The last of these was an Etruscan, Tarquinius the Proud. He ruled Rome harshly and made many enemies. One of his exploits was the capture of the city of Gabii by fraud and stratagem; "arts," says Livy, "by no means Roman." Representing himself as a fugitive from his father’s cruelty, young Sextus Tarquinius fled to Gabii whose unsuspecting citizens received him kindly. He was immediately admitted into their public councils and before very long was chosen as commander in the war against Rome.
67. The Affair at Gabii1
. . . When he saw that he had sufficient strength collected to support him in any undertaking, he sent one of his confidants
to his father at Rome to inquire what he wished him to do. To this courier no answer by word of mouth was given, because, I suppose, he appeared of questionable fidelity. The king went into a garden of the palace, as if in deep thought, followed by his son’s messenger. Walking there for some time without uttering a word, he is said to have struck off the heads of the tallest poppies with his staff.1 The messenger, wearied with asking and waiting for an answer, returned to Gabii apparently without having accomplished his object, and told what he had himself said and seen. He added that Tarquin, either through passion, aversion to him, or his innate pride, had not uttered a single word. As soon as it was clear to Sextus what his father wished, he put to death the most eminent men of the city. . . . Some who wished to go into voluntary exile were allowed to do so, others were banished, and their estates, as well as the estates of those who were put to death, publicly divided in their absence. Out of these the gifts and plunder were distributed. By the sweets of private gain the sense of public calamities became extinguished. At last the state of Gabii, destitute of counsel and assistance, surrendered itself without a struggle into the power of the Roman king.
1 Livy, i, 51.
1 The original of this story is found in Herodotus where it is told of the tyrant Thrasybulus. See page 54.
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Chicago: "The Affair at Gabii," History of Rome in Readings in Early European History, ed. Webster, Hutton (Boston: Ginn and Company, 1926), 160. Original Sources, accessed December 26, 2024, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=UN1W46B6MUW2BQS.
MLA: . "The Affair at Gabii." History of Rome, Vol. i, in Readings in Early European History, edited by Webster, Hutton, Boston, Ginn and Company, 1926, page 160. Original Sources. 26 Dec. 2024. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=UN1W46B6MUW2BQS.
Harvard: , 'The Affair at Gabii' in History of Rome. cited in 1926, Readings in Early European History, ed. , Ginn and Company, Boston, pp.160. Original Sources, retrieved 26 December 2024, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=UN1W46B6MUW2BQS.
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