The Sabine men had a custom of wearing heavy gold and silver bracelets on their left arms. Tarpeia saw these and was dazzled by them. She planned to get possession of them all. One night she crept down to the gate and promised the leader of the Sabines that she would open it and give up the hill to them, if they would give her what they wore on their left arms.
The Sabines agreed to this, and Tarpeia opened the gate. The Sabines seem to have been brave, honorable men, and although they believed all was fair in war, yet they hated a traitor. Besides the bracelets they carried their shields on their left arms; so they kept their promise to Tarpeia by throwing these shields on the girl and crushing her to death.
The hill was afterward spoken of as “Mons Tarpeius,” meaning the “Hill of Tarpeia.” It was after this traitorous girl also that the rock from which traitors were hurled was named the “Tarpeian Rock.”
The Sabines held Capitoline Hill for a time; but finally decided to unite with the Romans, and the women were divided between the two nations by lot.
The Capitol was in reality that part of Capitoline Hill occupied by the Temple of Jupiter; but included the Piazza del Campidoglio, with the palaces that face it on three sides. In this depression was situated the “Asylum” of Romulus. In the early days of Rome the founders wished to attract people to settle there, and they issued invitations to all neighboring cities; but not many accepted. So Romulus conceived the brilliant idea of receiving all fugitives from other towns as citizens of Rome and guaranteeing them protection. For this purpose he converted the depression in Capitoline Hill into a place of refuge, or “Asylum.” In this way the new city was peopled.
Capitoline Hill has been the scene of many historical events. In 1251, during the senatorship of Brancaleone, who destroyed 140 private castles in Rome, the Capitol was besieged and taken by the partizans of the pope and the nobility. Petrarch was crowned poet laureate there in 1341.
The entire Capitoline Hill is undermined with large and excessive artificial caverns. These caverns are apparently ancient and mostly the work of medieval quarry men.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 1, No. 45, SERIAL No. 46
COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
