1.33
After handing over the
care of the various sacrificial rites to the Flamens
and other priests, and calling up a fresh army,
Ancus advanced against Politorium a city belonging
to the Latins. He took it by assault, and following
the custom of the earlier kings who had enlarged the
State by receiving its enemies into Roman
citizenship, he transferred the whole of the
population to Rome. The Palatine had been settled by
the earliest Romans, the Sabines had occupied the
Capitoline hill with the Citadel, on one side of the
Palatine, and the Albans the Caelian hill, on the
other, so the Aventine was assigned to the
new-comers. Not long afterwards there was a further
addition to the number of citizens through the
capture of Tellenae and Ficana. Politorium after its
evacuation was seized by the Latins and was again
recovered; and this was the reason why the Romans
razed the city, to prevent its being a perpetual
refuge for the enemy. At last the whole war was
concentrated round Medullia, and fighting went on
for some time there with doubtful result. The city
was strongly fortified and its strength was
increased by the presence of a large garrison. The
Latin army was encamped in the open and had had
several engagements with the Romans. At last Ancus
made a supreme effort with the whole of his force
and won a pitched battle, after which he returned
with immense booty to Rome, and many thousands of
Latins were admitted into citizenship. In order to
connect the Aventine with the Palatine, the district
round the altar of Venus Murcia was assigned to
them. The Janiculum also was brought into the city
boundaries, not because the space was wanted, but to
prevent such a strong position from being occupied
by an enemy. It was decided to connect this hill
with the City, not only by carrying the City wall
round it, but also by a bridge, for the convenience
of traffic. This was the first bridge thrown over
the Tiber, and was known as the Pons Sublicius. The
Fossa Quiritium also was the work of King Ancus, and
afforded no inconsiderable protection to the lower
and therefore more accessible parts of the City.
Amidst this vast population, now that the State had
become so enormously increased, the sense of right
and wrong was obscured, and secret crimes were
committed. To overawe the growing lawlessness a
prison was built in the heart of the City,
overlooking the Forum. The additions made by this
king were not confined to the City. The Mesian
Forest was taken from the Veientines, and the Roman
dominion extended to the sea; at the mouth of the
Tiber the city of Ostia was built; salt-pits were
constructed on both sides of the river, and the
temple of Jupiter Feretrius was enlarged in
consequence of the brilliant successes in the war.