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Romulus and the Sabine Women The legend of how Rome was settled gave rise to the March festival of Roman motherhood.
set shortly after 753 BC
Music: Elias Parish Alvars

© Rob Campbell, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0. Source

About this picture …

Vibia Sabina (83–136/137) was the wife of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. This statue of her was found in the Roman theatre at Vaison la Romaine, a beautiful town in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of southeastern France.

Romulus and the Sabine Women
Romans began March, the month of the war-god Mars, by celebrating the ‘Matronalia’, a kind of mothers’ day with presents for the ladies and a day off for slaves. The strange juxtaposition of war and love was said to go back to the legend of how Romulus’s Rome was settled.

THE first inhabitants of Romulus’s city were mostly desperate outlaws from outlying states, and no father would give them his daughter in marriage.

So on the advice of his grandfather Numitor, Romulus held a great feast in honour of Neptune, with music and dancing.

As anticipated, young women of the neighbouring Sabine tribe came to it, and when it was in full swing the Roman youths snatched six hundred and eighty-three of their fair guests.

For two years, the Sabines protested at this outrage, until Tatius, their chieftain, came with arms to recover his women. The Sabines fought fiercely, and things might have gone ill for Romulus.

But the women of Rome rushed out of their houses, their hair flying and their children in their arms, crying that they had never been dishonoured, but had married willingly, and begging their Sabine fathers not to slay their Roman husbands.

A peace was agreed, and Romulus and Tatius thereafter reigned together at Rome.

Précis

When Romulus founded Rome it was peopled by outlaws, and no women would dwell with them. So Romulus threw a party to attract the women of the neighbouring Sabines, and snatched them for Roman wives. When the Sabines came to rescue their maidens, the women assured them that they had married willingly, and peace was made. (56 / 60 words)

Source

Based on Young Folk’s History of Rome by Charlotte Yonge, and Τα Μυστικά του Μαρτίου by Nektaria Karantzi.

Suggested Music

Concertino for Harp and Piano in D minor

1: Allegro

Elias Parish Alvars (1808-1849)

Performed by Marielle Nordmann (harp), Francois-René Duchable (piano) and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, conducted by Theodor Guschlbauer.

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