shared the same fate. 6.  There now remained but the last Curia’tius to conquer, who, fatigued and disabled by his wounds, slowly advanced to offer an easy victory.  He was killed, almost unresisting, while the conqueror, exclaiming, “Two have I already sacrificed to the manes of my brothers, the third I will offer up to my country,” despatched him as a victim to the superiority of the Romans, whom now the Alban army consented to obey.[3]

7.  But the virtues of that age were not without alloy; that very hand that in the morning was exerted to save his country, was, before night, imbrued in the blood of a sister:  for, returning triumphant from the field, it raised his indignation to behold her bathed in tears, and lamenting the loss of her lover, one of the Curia’tii, to whom she had been betrothed.  This so provoked him beyond the powers of sufferance, that in a rage he slew her:  but the action displeased the senate, and drew after it the condemnation of the magistrate.  He was, however, pardoned, by making his appeal to the people, but obliged to pass under the yoke; an ignominious punishment, usually inflicted on prisoners of war.[4]

8.  Tullus having greatly increased the power and wealth of Rome by repeated victories, now thought proper to demand satisfaction of the Sab’ines for the insults which had been formerly offered to some Roman citizens at the temple of the goddess Fero’nia, which was common to both nations A war ensued, which lasted some years, and ended in the total overthrow of the Sab’ines.

[Illustration:  The victorious Horatius killing his sister.]

Hostil’ius died after a reign of thirty-two years; some say by lightning; others, with more probability, by treason.

Questions for Examination.

1.  On whom devolved the government on the death of Numa, and what is the character of his successor?

2.  What opportunity first offered of indulging the new king’s inclinations?

3.  What proposal was offered, and accepted for deciding the dispute?

4-6.  Relate the circumstances which attended the combat, and the result of it.

7.  What act followed the victory?

8.  What conquest was next achieved?

FOOTNOTES: 

[1] It seems to have been part of the compact between the Romans and Sabines, that a king of each people should reign alternately.

[2] The Hora’tii and Curia’tii were, according to Diony’sius of Halicarnas’sus, the sons of two sisters, daughters of Sequin’ius, an illustrious citizen of Alba.  One married to Curia’tius, a citizen of Alba, and the other to Hora’tius, a Roman:  so that the champions were near relatives.

[3] This obedience of the Albans was of short duration; they soon rebelled and were defeated by Tullus, who razed the city of Alba to the ground, and transplanted the inhabitants to Rome, where he conferred on them the privileges of citizens.