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numa pompilius-第6部分

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called from Juno; some; however; derive them from the two ages; old
and young; majores; being their name for older; and juniores for
younger men。 To the other months they gave denominations according
to their order; so the fifth was called Quintilis; Sextilis the sixth;
and the rest; September; October; November; and December。 Afterwards
Quintilis received the name of Julius; from Caesar; who defeated
Pompey; as also Sextilis that of Augustus; from the second Caesar; who
had that title。 Domitian; also; in imitation; gave the two other
following months his own names; of Germanicus and Domitianus; but;
on his being slain; they recovered their ancient denominations of
September and October。 The two last are the only ones that have kept
their names throughout without any alteration。 Of the months which
were added or transposed in their order by Numa; February comes from
februa; and is as much a Purification month; in it they make offerings
to the dead; and celebrate the Lupercalia; which; in most points;
resembles a purification。 January was also called from janus; and
precedence given to it by Numa before March; which was dedicated to
the god Mars; because; as I conceive; he wished to take every
opportunity of intimating that the arts and studies of peace are to be
preferred before those of war。 For this Janus; whether in remote
antiquity he were a demigod or a king; was certainly a great lover
of civil and social unity; and one who reclaimed men from brutal and
savage living; for which reason they figure him with two faces; to
represent the two states and conditions out of the one of which he
brought mankind; to lead them into the other。 His temple at Rome has
two gates; which they call the gates of war; because they stand open
in the time of war; and shut in the times of peace; of which latter
there was very seldom an example; for; as the Roman empire was
enlarged and extended; it was so encompassed with barbarous nations
and enemies to be resisted; that it was seldom or never at peace。 Only
in the time of Augustus Caesar; after he had overcome Antony; this
temple was shut; as likewise once before; when Marcus Atilius and
Titus Manlius were consuls; but then it was not long before; wars
breaking out; the gates were again opened。 But; during the reign of
Numa; those gates were never seen open a single day; but continued
constantly shut for a space of forty…three years together; such an
entire and universal cessation of war existed。 For not only had the
people of Rome itself been softened and charmed into a peaceful temper
by the just and mild rule of a pacific prince; but even the
neighbouring cities; as if some salubrious and gentle air had blown
from Rome upon them; began to experience a change of feeling; and
partook in the general longing for the sweets of peace and order;
and for life employed in the quiet tillage of soil; bringing up of
children; and worship of the gods。 Festival days and sports; and the
secure and peaceful interchange of friendly visits and hospitalities
prevailed all through the whole of Italy。 The love of virtue and
justice flowed from Numa's wisdom as from a fountain; and the serenity
of his spirit diffused itself; like a calm; on all sides; so that
the hyperboles of poets were flat and tame to express what then
existed; as that…

        〃Over the iron shield the spiders hang their threads;〃

or that…

        〃Rust eats the pointed spear and double…edged sword。
         No more is heard the trumpet's brazen roar;
         Sweet sleep is banished from our eyes no more。〃

  For during the whole reign of Numa; there was neither war; nor
sedition; nor innovation in the state; nor any envy or ill…will to his
person; nor plot or conspiracy from views of ambition。 Either fear
of the gods that were thought to watch over him; or reverence for
his virtue; or divine felicity of fortune that in his days preserved
human innocence; made his reign; by whatever means; a living example
and verification of that saying which Plato; long afterwards; ventured
to pronounce; that the sole and only hope of respite or remedy for
human evils was in some happy conjunction of events which should unite
in a single person the power of a king and the wisdom of a
philosopher; so as to elevate virtue to control and mastery over vice。
The wise man is blessed in himself; and blessed also are the
auditors who can bear and receive those words which flow from his
mouth; and perhaps; too; there is no need of compulsion or menaces
to affect the multitude; for the mere sight itself of a shining and
conspicuous example of virtue in the life of their prince will bring
them spontaneously to virtue; and to a conformity with that
blameless and blessed life of good…will and mutual concord;
supported by temperance and justice; which is the highest benefit that
human means can confer; and he is the truest ruler who can best
introduce it into the hearts and practice of his subjects。 It is the
praise of Numa that no one seems ever to have discerned this so
clearly as he。
  As to his children and wives; there is a diversity of reports by
several authors; some will have it that he never had any other wife
than Tatia; nor more children than one daughter called Pompilia;
others will have it that he left also four sons; namely; Pompo; Pinus;
Calpus; and Mamercus; every one of whom had issue; and from them
descended the noble and illustrious families of Pomponii; Pinarii;
Calpurnii; and Mamerci; which for this reason took also the surname of
Rex; or King。 But there is a third set of writers who say that these
pedigrees are but a piece of flattery used by writers who; to gain
favour with these great families; made them fictitious genealogies
from the lineage of Numa; and that Pompilia was not the daughter of
Tatia; but Lucretia; another wife whom he married after he came to his
kingdom; however; all of them agree in opinion that she was married to
the son of that Marcius who persuaded him to accept the government;
and accompanied him to Rome; where; as a mark of honour; he was chosen
into the senate; and after the death of Numa; standing in
competition with Tullus Hostilius for the kingdom; and being
disappointed of the election; in discontent killed himself; his son
Marcius; however; who had married Pompilia; continuing at Rome; was
the father of Ancus Marcius; who succeeded Tullus Hostilius in the
kingdom; and was but five years of age when Numa died。
  Numa lived something above eighty years; and then; as Piso writes;
was not taken out of the world by a sudden or acute disease; but
died of old age and by a gradual and gentle decline。 At his funeral
all the glories of his life were consummated; when all the
neighbouring states in alliance and amity with Rome met to honour
and grace the rites of his interment with garlands and public
presents; the senators carried the bier on which his corpse was
laid; and the priests followed and accompanied the solemn
procession; while a general crowd; in which women and children took
part; followed with such cries and weeping as if they had bewailed the
death and loss of some most dear relation taken away in the flower
of age; and not an old and worn…out king。 It is said that his body; by
his particular command; was not burnt; but that they made; in
conformity with his order; two stone coffins; and buried both under
the hill Janiculum; in one of which his body was laid; and the other
his sacred books; which; as the Greek legislators their tables; he had
written out for himself; but had so long inculcated the contents of
them; whilst he lived; into the minds and hearts of the priests;
that their understandings became fully possessed with the whole spirit
and purpose of them; and he therefore bade that they should be
buried with his body; as though such holy precepts could not without
irreverence he left to circulate in mere lifeless writings。 For this
very reason; they say; the Pythagoreans bade that their precepts
should not be committed to paper; but rather preserved in the living
memories of those who were worthy to receive them; and when some of
their out…of…the…way and abstruse geometrical processes had been
divulged to an unworthy person; they said the gods threatened to
punish this wickedness and profanity by a signal and wide…spreading
calamity。 With these several instances concurring to show a similarity
in the lives of Numa and Pythagoras; we may easily pardon those who
seek to establish the fact of a real acquaintance between them。
  Valerius Antias writes that the books which were buried in the
aforesaid chest or coffin of stone were twelve volumes of holy writ
and twelve others of Greek philosophy; and that about four hundred
years afterwards; when P。 Cornelius and M。 Baebius were consuls; in
a time of heavy rains; a violent torrent washed away the earth; and
dislodged the chests of stone; and; their covers falling off; one of
them was found wholly empty; without the least relic of any human
body; in the other were the books before mentioned; which the
praetor Petilius having read and perused; made oath in the senate;
that; in his opinion; it was not fit for their contents to be made
public to the people; whereupon the volumes were all carried to the
Comitium; and there burnt。
  It is the fortune of all good men that their virtue rises in glory
after their deaths; and that the envy which evil men conceive
against them never outlives them long; some have the happiness even to
see it die before them; but in Numa's case; also; the fortunes of
the succeeding kings served as foils to set off the brightness of
his reputation。 For after him there were five kings; the last of
whom ended his old age in banishment; being deposed from his crown; of
the other four; three were assassinated and murdered by treason; the
other; who was Tullus Hostilius; that immediately succeeded Numa;
derided his virtues; and especially his devotion to religious worship;
as a cowardly and mean…spirited occupation; and diverted the minds
of the people to war; but was checked in these youthful insolences;
and was himself driven by an acute and tormenting disease into
superstitions wholly different fro
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