The rape of the Sabines
After the foundation of the town, the problem was to people it. Romulus gathered the local shepherds but there were no women. What could he do?
He thought to organize a feast, and invited the Sabines with their wives and daughters.
During the feast, at a given sign, the young Romans kidnapped the women and put to flight the men.But some time later the Sabines, lead by Titus Tazio king of Curiti a Sabine tribe,came back to free their women and to take revenge for the insult.
A young girl,Tarpea, opened the town gates to the Sabines: but she immediately paid for her deed with a terrible death. She was crushed by the shields of the Roman soldiers. Future generations gave her name to the Tarpeian rock. From this rock it became practice to throw down all the people condemned to death.
The Sabines entered the town, and fought against the enemy warriors; but as soon as the battle began, the women intervened to ask for an armistice. Many young girls had fallen in love with the young Romans and could not accept to see their fathers and husbands fighting. The peace was restored: Romulus and Titus Tazio ruled the town together; Sabines and Romans became one people.
