The Rape of the Sabine Women
If you read my previous article about Romulus and Remus but are still unconvinced of Rome’s anything-goes ethos, let me regale you with the sequel, the Rape of the Sabine Women. Be warned! It is an R-rated tale.
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The Rape of the Sabine Women
Within a year of the founding of Rome, Romulus realized there weren’t enough women around to sustain it. Most inhabitants were the twins’ former gang members, completed by newly arrived criminals, fugitives, and escaped slaves.
In short, Rome was nothing more than a collection of walled-off huts brimming with hormonally unbalanced males inclined toward wanton violence.
Eager to stabilize his settlement, Romulus contacted the neighboring towns, hoping to seal wedding agreements. Understandably, no self-respecting father offered his daughters to a bunch of degenerates. So, the Romans had to go with Plan B.
A Desperate Plan
For the upcoming festival of Neptune Equester, Romulus organized a set of games to attract people from nearby settlements.
Just north of early Rome, on the banks and beyond the Anio River, lay the lands of the Sabines, a subgroup of the ancient Umbrians—their nearest towns of Caenina, Antemnae, and Crustumerium were within walking distance.
Curious to check out their new neighbors and enjoy the games, many Sabines came, and their families were in tow. At a sign from Romulus, the Romans kidnapped the visiting women and fought off their men. Then, the Romans tried to convince their victims that forced marriage would be the best way forward.
Needless to say, war followed.
Rome’s First War
First, the Romans routed the invading band of Caeninenses and then assaulted their town. Romulus organized the first Roman Triumph in history to celebrate his success on 1st March 752 B.C.
Next, the Antemnates and the Crustumini were defeated. Roman colonists moved into their towns, and their original inhabitants were relocated to Rome.
Finally, the Sabine king, Titus Tatius, had enough. He marched his warriors to Rome and captured the citadel on the nearby Capitoline Hill due to the treason of Tarpeia, daughter of the local Roman commander.
Fun fact! Instead of rewarding her betrayal, the invading Sabines crushed Tarpeia with their shields and threw her body from a rock that would forever bear her name, the Tarpeian Rock.
Subsequently, the Romans counterattacked under the command of Hostus Hostilius. The Sabines, however, had slain Hostilius and broke the Roman line.
Fortunately, Romulus rallied his fleeing gang at Rome’s gates and led them back to battle.
The Ladies Save the Day
At this moment, the kidnapped Sabine women threw themselves between the warring men. The poor souls begged their fathers, brothers, and new husbands to stop killing each other. I dare say this was the first recorded instance of Stockholm syndrome.
As a result, the Sabines and Romans agreed to unite and become one nation, with Titus Tatius and Romulus jointly ruling over them. The new Sabine residents retained the Capitoline Hill; thus, the city of Rome expanded.
To avoid any future misunderstandings, I would add a couple of points:
- Tatius led only a fraction of the Sabine people. Ergo, not all the Sabines joined the Romans. On the contrary, many remained in their mountain tribal lands.
- When Romulus and Tatius’ followers joined, the resulting nation retained the Roman name (Romans = the inhabitants of the city of Rome). Read more about the tribal structure of the early Romans here.
The Meaning of the Story
Once again, the fact that later Romans devised this story as part of their broader origin myths says a lot about them. I believe the message was that Romans were entitled to take whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it, and if someone took an exception, they were destroyed without mercy.
We are also introduced to the famous Roman practicality. To avoid extinction, they mingled with their neighbors, including through forced population exchanges. Concurrently, sending Roman colonists to occupied towns ensured the cultural assimilation of those places.
Historical Interpretation
Lastly, reading between the lines of the gory details, we can glimpse the details of actual historical processes.
We can see how the area’s early inhabitants assembled in hilltop settlements and developed a shared economic and cultural sphere. For instance, they often celebrated religious festivals alongside their neighbors.
Political unity was the next logical step once economic interests converged and cultural differences vanished. By force or by persuasion, the villages of the seven hills were condemned to merge into one. I think the joining of Romulus and Titus Tatius’ folks is an allegory for the consolidation process that gave birth to historical Rome.
Whether my interpretation of the legend is correct, you have to admit the source material is Hollywood stuff. Stay tuned for more!
