the deity, and himself a deity, had, during his abode on earth, held the government, a slave, the son of a slave, should now get possession of it. They looked on it as a disgrace to the Roman name in general, and particularly to their own house, if, while there was male issue of King Ancus surviving, the government of Rome should be prostituted not only to strangers, but to slaves. They determined, therefore, to prevent this dishonour by the sword. But resentment for the injury which they had suffered stimulated them strongly to attack Tarquinius himself, rather than Servius; and also the consideration that the king, if he survived, would be able to take severer vengeance for any murder committed than a private person could; and that, besides, were Servius put to death, it was to be expected that whatever other son-in-law he might choose, would be made heir of the kingdom: for these reasons, they formed a plot against the king himself; for the execution of which, two of the most undaunted of the shepherds were chosen, who, armed with the iron tools of husbandmen, which they were used to carry, pretended a quarrel in the porch of the palace, and attracted by their outrageous behaviour the attention of all the king's attendants: then both appealing to the king, and their clamour having reached the palace, they were called in, and brought before him. At first, they both bawled aloud, and each furiously abused the other, until, being rebuked by a lictor, and ordered to speak in their turns, they desisted from railing. Then, as they had concerted, one began to explain the affair; and while the king, attentive to him, was turned quite to that side, the other, raising up his axe, struck it into his head, and leaving the weapon in the wound, they both rushed out of the house.

41. Whilst the persons present raised up Tarquinius, who scarcely retained any signs of life, the lictors seized the assassins, who were endeavouring to escape. An uproar immediately ensued, and the people ran together in crowds, surprised, and eager to be informed of what had happened. Tanaquil, during this tumult, turned out every person from the palace, and ordered the doors to be shut, and at the same time appeared to be very busy in procuring such things as were necessary for the dressing of the wound, as if there were reason to hope; nor did she neglect to provide other means of safety, in case her hopes should fail. Sending instantly for Servius, and showing him her husband just expiring, she laid hold of his right hand, besought him that he would not suffer the death of his father-in-law to pass unrevenged, nor his mother-in-law to be exposed to the insults of their enemies. "Servius," said she, "if you act as a man, the kingdom is yours, and not theirs, who, by the hands of

others, have perpetrated the basest of crimes. Call forth your best exertions, and follow the guidance of the gods, who, formerly, by the divine fire which they spread around your head, gave an evident indication that it would afterwards be crowned with glory. Now let that heavenly flame rouse you. Now awake to real glory. We, though foreigners, have reigned before you. Consider your present situation, not of what family you are sprung. If the suddenness of this event deprive you of the power of forming plans of your own, then follow mine." When the clamour and violence of the populace could hardly be withstood, Tanaquil addressed them from the upper part of the palace, through the windows facing the new street: for the king resided near the temple of Jupiter Stator. She desired them 66 not to be disheartened:" told them that "the king had been stunned by a sudden blow; that the weapon had not sunk deep into his body; that he had come to himself again; that when the blood was wiped off, the wound had been examined, and all appearances were favourable; that she hoped he might be able to show himself to them again in a few days; and that, in the meantime, he commanded the people to obey the orders of Servius Tullius; that he would administer justice, and supply the king's place in other departments." Servius came forth in

the robe of state, attended by the lictors, and seating himself on the king's throne, adjudged some causes, and, concerning others, pretended that he would consult the king. Thus, though Tarquinius had already expired, his death was concealed for several days; while Servius, under the appearance of supplying the place of another, strengthened his own interest. Then, at length, the truth being made public, and loud lamentations raised in the palace, Servius, supported by a strong guard, with the approbation of the senate, took possession of the kingdom, being the first who attained the sovereignty without the orders of the people. The sons of Ancus, as soon as they found that the instruments of their villany were seized, and understood that the king was alive, and that the interest of Servius was so strong, had gone into exile to Suessa Pometia.

42. And now Servius laboured to confirm his authority, [A. U. C. 176, B. C. 576] not only by schemes of a public, but by others of a private nature. And lest the sons of Tarquinius should entertain the same sentiments of resentment against him, which had animated the sons of Ancus against Tarquinius, he joined his two daughters in marriage to the young princes, the Tarquinii, Lucius and Aruns. But by no human devices could he break through the unalterable decrees of fate, or prevent envy of the sovereign power from raising discord and animosity, even among those of his own family. Very seasonable for preserving LIV. VOL. 1.—F*

stability to the present establishment, war was undertaken against the Veientians, the truce with them having expired, and against the Etrurians. In that war, both the valour and the good fortune of Tullius were very conspicuous: and, after vanquishing a powerful army of the enemy, he returned to Rome, no longer considering his authority as precarious, whether it were to depend on the disposition of the patricians toward himself, or on that of the commons. He then entered on an improvement in civil polity of the utmost importance, intending that, as Numa had been the founder of such institutions as related to the worship of the gods, so posterity should celebrate Servius, as the author of every distinction between the members of the state; and of that subordination of ranks, by means of which, the limits between the several degrees of dignity and fortune are exactly ascertained for he instituted the census, an ordinance of the most salutary consequence, in an empire that was to rise to such a pitch of greatness; according to which, the several services requisite in war and peace were to be discharged, not by every person indiscriminately, as formerly, but according to the proportion of their several properties. He then, according to the census, formed the plan of the classes and centuries, and the arrangement which subsists at present, calculated to preserve regularity and propriety in all transactions either of peace or

war.

:

43. [A. U. C. 197, B. C. 555.] Of those who possessed a hundred thousand asses,* * or more, he formed eighty centuries; forty elder, and the same number of younger.† The collective body of these was denominated the first class. The business of the elder was to guard the city; that of the younger, to carry on war abroad. The arms which they were ordered to provide were, a helmet, shield, greaves, coat of mail, all of brass-these for the defence of the body: their weapons of offence were, a spear and a sword. To this class were added two centuries of artificers, who were to serve without arms: the service allotted to them was to attend the machines in war. The fortune fixed for the second class was from a hundred down to seventy-five thousand asses of these, elder and younger, were formed twenty centuries: the arms for these were, a buckler instead of a shield, and all the rest, except the coat of mail, the same with the former. The fortune of the third class he fixed at fifty thousand asses : the number of centuries was the same, and these regulated by the same distinctions of age; nor was any

3221. 18s. 4d. according to Dr. Arbuthnot's calculation.

↑ The elder consisted of those who had attained to forty-six years of age; the younger, from seventeen to forty-six.

2421. 3s. 9d.

§ 1611. 99. 2d.

difference made in their arms, only the greaves were taken from them. In the fourth class the fortune was twenty-five thousand asses: the same number of centuries was formed: their arms were different; they were allowed none but a spear and a buckler. The fifth class was larger; it contained thirty centuries: these carried slings and stones, which they were to throw. Among these, the extraordinaries, trumpeters, and fifers, were distributed into three centuries: this class was rated at eleven thousand asses. The rest of the populace were comprehended under an estimate lower than this, and of them was formed one century, exempted from military service. The foot forces being thus distinguished and armed, he enrolled twelve centuries of horsemen from among the principal persons of the state. He formed, likewise, six other centuries, out of the three instituted by Romulus; preserving still the original names under which they had been incorporated. Ten thousand asses‡ were given these out of the public funds, to purchase horses; and certain widows were appointed, who were to pay them annually two thousand asses each, towards the maintenance of their horses. In all these instances, the burden was taken off from the poor, and laid on the rich. To make the latter some amends, additional honours were conferred on them: for henceforth suffrages were given, not according to the mode established by Romulus, and retained by the other kings, man by man promiscuously, with equal weight, and equal privileges; but degrees of precedency were established in such a manner, that, while no one appeared to be excluded from giving his suffrage, still the whole power was lodged in the chiefs of the state the knights being first called, then the eighty centuries of the higher class. If there was a difference of opinion among these, which seldom happened, then the centuries of the second class were to be called; and scarcely ever did an instance occur of their descending beyond this, so as to come to the lowest classes. Nor ought it to be wondered at that the arrangement, which subsists at present, after the tribes had been increased to thirty-five, and the number of them almost doubled, does not agree in the number of centuries younger and elder, with the amount of those instituted by Servius Tullius: for the city being laid out into four divisions, according to the several quarters and hills, (the parts that were inhabited,) these were what he called tribes, I suppose from the tribute; for the mode of the people's paying their shares of this, in an equal proportion to their rated property, took its rise also from him: nor had these tribes any relation to the number and distribution of the centuries.

44. When the census was completed, which he had expedi* 801. 14s. 7d. † 35l. 10s. 5d. 321. 58. 10d. § 61. 98. 2d.

ted by the terrors of a law passed concerning such as should neglect to attend it, with denunciations of confinement and death, he issued a proclamation, that all citizens of Rome, horse and foot, should assemble in the Campus Martius at the dawn of day, each in his respective century: and having there drawn up the whole army in order, he performed the lustration or purification of it, by the ceremonies and sacrifices called Suovetaurilia. This was called the closing of the lustrum, because it was the conclusion of the census. In that survey, eighty thousand citizens are said to have been rated. Fabius Pictor, the most ancient of our writers, adds, that this was the number of those who were able to bear arms. To accommodate so great a multitude, it was found necessary to enlarge the city in proportion: he added to it, therefore, two hills, the Quirinal and Viminal; and immediately adjoining the latter, extended the limits of the Esquiliæ, and there fixed his own residence, in order to bring the place into repute. He surrounded the city with a rampart, trenches, and a wall, and thus extended the Pomarium. Those who consider merely the etymology of the word, explain Pomarium as denoting a space on the outside of the wall, Postmarium: but it is a space rather on each side of the wall, which the Etrurians, formerly, on the founding of cities, consecrated with the ceremonies used by augurs, in the direction wherein they intended the wall should run, of a certain breadth on both sides of it; with the intention that, on the inside, no buildings should be erected close to the walls, though now they are, in many places, joined to them; and also that, on the outside, a certain space of ground should lie open and unoccupied. This space, which it was unlawful either to inhabit or to till, the Romans called Pomarium; not because it was on the outside of the wall, any more than because the wall was on the outside of it and always, on occasion of an addition being made to the city, as far as they intended that the walls should advance outward, so far these sacred limits were extended.

45. Having increased the power of the state by this enlargement of the city, and made every internal regulation that appeared best adapted to the exigencies both of war and peace, the king, who wished that the acquisition of power should not always depend on the mere force of arms, laid a scheme for extending his dominions, by the wisdom of his councils, and raising, at the same time, a conspicuous ornament to the city. The temple of Diana, at Ephesus, was at that time universally celebrated; and it was commonly believed that it had been

* So called from the victims, sus, ovis, taurus, a swine, a sheep, and bull: which, after being three times led round the army, were offered in sacrifice to Mars.