1.5
It is said that the
festival of the Lupercalia, which is still observed,
was even in those days celebrated on the Palatine
hill. This hill was originally called Pallantium
from a city of the same name in Arcadia; the name
was afterwards changed to Palatium. Evander, an
Arcadian, had held that territory many ages before,
and had introduced an annual festival from Arcadia
in which young men ran about naked for sport and
wantonness, in honour of the Lycaean Pan, whom the
Romans afterwards called Inuus. The existence of
this festival was widely recognised, and it was
while the two brothers were engaged in it that the
brigands, enraged at losing their plunder, ambushed
them. Romulus successfully defended himself, but
Remus was taken prisoner and brought before Amulius,
his captors impudently accusing him of their own
crimes. The principal charge brought against them
was that of invading Numitor's lands with a body of
young men whom they had got together, and carrying
off plunder as though in regular warfare. Remus
accordingly was handed over to Numitor for
punishment. Faustulus had from the beginning
suspected that it was royal offspring that he was
bringing up, for he was aware that the boys had been
exposed at the king's command and the time at which
he had taken them away exactly corresponded with
that of their exposure. He had, however, refused to
divulge the matter prematurely, until either a
fitting opportunity occurred or necessity demanded
its disclosure. The necessity came first. Alarmed
for the safety of Remus he revealed the state of the
case to Romulus. It so happened that Numitor also,
who had Remus in his custody, on hearing that he and
his brother were twins and comparing their ages and
the character and bearing so unlike that of one in a
servile condition, began to recall the memory of his
grandchildren, and further inquiries brought him to
the same conclusion as Faustulus; nothing was
wanting to the recognition of Remus. So the king
Amulius was being enmeshed on all sides by hostile
purposes. Romulus shrunk from a direct attack with
his body of shepherds, for he was no match for the
king in open fight. They were instructed to approach
the palace by different routes and meet there at a
given time, whilst from Numitor's house Remus lent
his assistance with a second band he had collected.
The attack succeeded and the king was killed.