ighbors, the Sabines. While they were at the games, some of theRomans sneaked off and stole the Sabine women (Burrell 14-15). Realizing what hadhappened, the Sabines prepared their army. Expecting this, the Romans were ready andthe two forces lined up preparing to fight. Surprisingly, some of the women ran into theno-man's-land in between the armies. This is what their leader said: "We were justdaughters a short while ago, now we are both wives and daughters. We did not chooseour husbands - they chose us. We want this fighting to stop. If it goes ahead, many will beslain. When our fathers are dead, we shall be orphans, but if our husbands die, we shall bewidows. We lose either way." (Burrell, 14-15) Surprisingly, the two armies listened andput down their weapons. Since anyone was allowed to reside, Rome had great diversity inits people. There were three main ethnic groups: the Romans, who were first generation,the Sabines, and the Latins, who Romulus is descended from. The Sabines lived in themountains east of the Tiber and north of the Latins. Later on, another group of peoplecalled the Etruscans started moving in. They were unique in that their language had norelation to any other known language, the only one like that. Romulus established agovernment with a king, who was imperium, "Over all persons and in all causes supreme"(Adcock 6). Romulus chose one hundred fathers to form the Senate. These people andtheir descendants are known as Patricians, from the Latin word pater, meaning father. Hedivided the people into three tribes, mentioned above, and each tribe was divided intosmaller curiae. The succession of kings wasn't hereditary. The previous king appointedsomeone, and that person had to show the good will of heaven. Once king he had to keepthe pax deorum, Latin for peace of the gods. Romulus created an army that was to havethree thousand infantry and three hundred horsemen, one-third from each tribe. This was anational guard, wit...
