Parker, John Henry: The archaeology of Rome (1,text): I. The primitive fortifications (Oxford [u.a.], 1874)

The Lupercal.

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into it. When they drew near, and perceived that the Tiber, swelled by con-
tinual rains, had exceeded its natural bed and overflowed the plains, they came
down from the top of the Palatine Hill to that part of the water that lay nearest
(for they could advance no further), and set down the cradle upon the flood,
where it washed the foot of the hill : the cradle floated for some time ; then, as
the waters retired by degrees from the utmost verge, striking against a stone, it
overturned and threw out the children, who lay crying and wallowing in the mud.
Upon this a she-wolf that had just whelped appeared, and, her teats being dis-
tended with milk, gave them her paps to suck, and with her tongue licked off
the mud with which they were besmeared. In the meantime, some shepherds
happened to be driving their flocks to pasture (for the place was now become
passable), and one of them, seeing the wolf thus cherishing the children, was for
some time struck dumb with astonishment and disbelief of what he saw
For there was not far off a holy place, covered with a thick wood, and a hollow
rock from whence springs issued : this wood was said to be consecrated to Pan,
and there was an altar dedicated to that god : when she came to this place she
hid herself. This grove is no longer extant, but the cave from whence the fountain
flows is contiguous to the Palatine buildings, and to be seen in the way that leads
to the circus, and near it stands a temple in which a statue is placed representing
this incident; It is a wolf suckling two children, they are in brass {or bronze), and
of ancient workmanship ; this place is said to have been consecrated by the Arca-
dians, who, with Evander, formerly built their habitations there. As soon as
the wolf was gone, the shepherds took up the children, and, as the gods seemed
to interest themselves in their preservation, were very desirous to bring them up.
There was among them an overseer of the king’s swineherds whose name was
Faustulus, a man of humanity, who had been in town upon some necessary
business at the time when the deflowering of Ilia and her delivery were made
public ; and after that, when the children were carrying to the river, he, going to
Palantium, by divine appointment, went the same road with those who were
carrying them; this man, without giving the least notice to the rest that he
knew anything of the affair, desired the children might be delivered to him, and
having received them by general consent, he carried them home to his wife,
where, finding her just brought to bed, and grieving that the child was dead,
he comforted her, and gave her these children to substitute in its room, inform-
ing her, from the beginning, of all the circumstances relating to them. And
as they grew up he gave to one the name of Romulus, and to the other that of
Remus. When they came to be men, they shewed themselves, both in dignity
and aspect and elevation of mind, not like swineherds and neatherds, but such
as we might suppose those to be who are born of royal race and looked upon as
the offspring of the gods, and as such they are still celebrated by the Romans
in the hymns of their country. But their life was that of herdsmen ; they lived
by their own labour, and generally on the mountains in cottages of one story,
which they built with wood and reeds d, of which one called the cottage of Romu-
lus remains even to this day, in the corner as yoti turn from the Palatine Hill to
the Circus, which is preserved holy by those to whom the care of these things is
committed, who add to it no ornament to render it more august; but if any
part of it is injured either by storms or time they repair that injury, and observe
to restore it as near as possible to its former condition. When Romulus and
d Similar huts are still inhabited by the Italian peasants, as may be seen in
the village among the ruins of Gabii.