ROMULUS From whom, and for what reason, the city of Rome, a name so great inglory, and famous in the mouths of all men, was so first called, authorsdo not agree. Some are of opinion that the Pelasgians, wandering overthe greater part of the habitable world, and subduing numerous nations,fixed themselves here, and, from their own great strength in war,called the city Rome. Others, that at the taking of Troy, some few thatescaped and met with shipping, put to sea, and, driven by winds, werecarried upon the coasts of Tuscany, and came to anchor off the mouth ofthe river Tiber, where their women, out of heart and weary with the sea,on its being proposed by one of the highest birth and best understandingamongst them, whose name was Roma, burnt the ships. With which act themen at first were angry, but afterwards, of necessity, seatingthemselves near Palatium, where things in a short while succeeded farbetter than they could hope, in that they found the country very good,and the people courteous, they not only did the lady Roma other honors,but added also this, of calling after her name the city which she hadbeen the occasion of their founding. From this, they say, has come downthat custom at Rome for women to salute their kinsmen and husbands withkisses; because these women, after they had burnt the ships, made use ofsuch endearments when entreating and pacifying their husbands.
Some again say that Roma, from whom this city was so called, wasdaughter of Italus and Leucaria; or, by another account, of Telephus,Hercules's son, and that she was married to Aeneas, or, according toothers again, to Ascanius, Aeneas's son. Some tell us that Romanus, theson of Ulysses and Circe, built it; some, Romus the son of Emathion,Diomede having sent him from Troy; and others, Romus, king of theLatins, after driving out the Tyrrhenians, who had come from Thessalyinto Lydia, and from thence into Italy. Those very authors, too, who,in accordance with the safest account, make Romulus give the name to thecity, yet differ concerning his birth and family. For some say, he wasson to Aeneas and Dexithea, daughter of Phorbas, and was, with hisbrother Remus, in their infancy, carried into Italy, and being on theriver when the waters came down in a flood, all the vessels were castaway except only that where the young children were, which being gentlylanded on a level bank of the river, they were both unexpectedly saved,and from them the place was called Rome. Some say, Roma, daughter ofthe Trojan lady above mentioned, was married to Latinus, Telemachus'sson, and became mother to Romulus; others, that Aemilia, daughter ofAeneas and Lavinia, had him by the god Mars; and others give you merefables of his origin. For to Tarchetius, they say, king of Alba, whowas a most wicked and cruel man, there appeared in his own house astrange vision, a male figure that rose out of a hearth, and stayedthere for many days. There was an oracle of Tethys in Tuscany whichTarchetius consulted, and received an answer that a virgin should giveherself to the apparition, and that a son should be born of her, highlyrenowned, eminent for valor, good fortune, and strength of body.Tarchetius told the prophecy to one of his own daughters, and commandedher to do this thing; which she avoiding as an indignity, sent herhandmaid. Tarchetius, hearing this, in great anger imprisoned themboth, purposing to put them to death; but being deterred from murder bythe goddess Vesta in a dream, enjoined them for their punishment theworking a web of cloth, in their chains as they were, which when theyfinished, they should be
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