Gods, Goddesses, and Ancient Legends
Romulus built Rome with a sword. Numa built it with a calendar, a priesthood, and a nymph he met in a grove at night. The Romans remembered both kings, but they credited Numa with something Romulus could not give them: the gods’ cooperation.
Tarpeia is one of the few figures in Roman mythology told entirely without sympathy. She opened Rome’s gates for gold, died under a pile of Sabine shields, and gave her name to the cliff from which the Republic threw its traitors. Her story was never meant to be complicated — it was meant to be remembered.
Tarpeia is one of the few figures in Roman mythology told entirely without sympathy. She opened Rome’s gates for gold, died under a pile of Sabine shields, and gave her name to the cliff from which the Republic threw its traitors. Her story was never meant to be complicated — it was meant to be remembered.
Romulus built Rome with a sword. Numa built it with a calendar, a priesthood, and a nymph he met in a grove at night. The Romans remembered both kings, but they credited Numa with something Romulus could not give them: the gods’ cooperation.