Romulus, suffering those that were left to make their escape, led
his forces against the city; they, having suffered such great
losses, did not venture to oppose, but, humbly suing him, made a
league and friendship for an hundred years; surrendering also a
large district of land called Septempagium, that is, the seven
parts, as also their salt-works upon the river, and fifty noblemen
for hostages. He made his triumph for this on the Ides of October,
leading, among the rest of his many captives, the general of the
Veientes, an elderly man, but who had not, it seemed, acted with
the prudence of age; whence even now, in sacrifices for victories,
they led an old man through the market-place to the Capitol,
appareled in purple, with a bulla, or child's toy, tied to it, and
the crier cries, "Sardians to be sold;" for the Tuscans are said
to be a colony of the Sardians, and the Veientes are a city of
Tuscany.

This was the last battle Romulus ever fought; afterwards he, as
most, nay all men, very few excepted, do, who are raised by great
and miraculous good-haps of fortune to power and greatness, so, I
say, did he: relying upon his own great actions and growing of a
haughtier mind, he forsook his popular behavior for kingly
arrogance, odious to the people; to whom in particular the state
which he assumed was hateful. For he dressed in scarlet, with the
purple-bordered robe over it; he gave audience on a couch of
slate, having always about him some young men called "Celeres,"
from their swiftness in doing commissions. He suddenly disappeared
on the Nones of July, as they call the month which was then
Quintilis, leaving nothing of certainty to be related of his
death; the senators suffered the people not to search, or busy
themselves about the matter, but commanded them to honor and