“And near Tarpeia, by the Capitol
      That dwelt, betrayer of the walls of Rome. 
    She loved the chieftain of the Gauls too well,
      To guard from treachery her father’s home.”

And a little afterwards he speaks of her death.

    “Her did the Boians and the Celtic tribes
      Bury, but not beside the stream of Po;
    From off their warlike arms their shields they flung,
      And what the damsel longed for laid her low.”

XVIII.  However, as Tarpeia was buried there, the hill was called the Tarpeian hill until King Tarquinius, when he dedicated the place to Jupiter, removed her remains and abolished the name of Tarpeia.  But even to this day they call the rock in the Capitol the Tarpeian Rock, down which malefactors used to be flung.  When the Sabines held the citadel, Romulus in fury challenged them to come down and fight.  Tatius accepted his challenge with confidence, as he saw that if overpowered his men would have a strong place of refuge to retreat to.  All the intermediate space, in which they were about to engage, was surrounded by hills, and so seemed to make a desperate battle necessary, as there were but narrow outlets for flight or pursuit.  It chanced, also, that the river had been in flood a few days before, and had left a deep muddy pool of water upon the level ground where the Forum now stands; so that men’s footing was not certain, but difficult and treacherous.  Here a piece of good fortune befell the Sabines as they heedlessly pressed forward.  Curtius, one of their chiefs, a man with a reputation for dashing courage, rode on horseback far before the rest.  His horse plunged into this morass, and he, after trying to extricate him, at last finding it impossible, left him there and saved himself.  This place, in memory of him, is still called the Gulf of Curtius.  Warned of their danger, the Sabines fought a stout and indecisive battle, in which many fell, amongst them Hostilius.  He is said to have been the husband of Hersilia and the grandfather of Hostilius, who became king after the reign of Numa.  Many combats took place in that narrow space, as we may suppose; and especial mention is made of one, which proved the last, in which Romulus was struck on the head by a stone and like to fall, and unable to fight longer.  The Romans now gave way to the Sabines, and fled to the Palatine hill, abandoning the level ground.  Romulus, now recovered from the blow, endeavoured to stay the fugitives, and with loud shouts called upon them to stand firm and fight.  But as the stream of fugitives poured on, and no one had the courage to face round, he lifted his hands to heaven and prayed to Jupiter to stay the army and not to allow the tottering state of Rome to fall, but to help it.  After his prayer many were held back from flight by reverence for the king, and the fugitives suddenly resumed their confidence.  They made their first stand where now is the temple of Jupiter Stator, which one may translate “He who makes to stand firm;” and then forming their ranks once more they drove back the Sabines as far as what is now called the Palace, and the Temple of Vesta.