ch. 51.5 [Note] It is said that the festival of the
Lupercalia, which is still observed, was even in those days celebrated on the Palatine hill.
This hill was originally called Pallantium from a city of the same name in Arcadia; the name
was afterwards changed to Palatium. Evander, an Arcadian, had held that territory many
ages before, and had introduced an annual festival from Arcadia in which young men ran
about naked for sport and wantonness, in honour of the Lycaean Pan, whom the Romans
afterwards called Inuus. The existence of this festival was widely recognised, and it was
while the two brothers were engaged in it that the brigands, enraged at losing their plunder,
ambushed them. Romulus successfully defended himself, but Remus was taken prisoner
and brought before Amulius, his captors impudently accusing him of their own crimes. The
principal charge brought against them was that of invading Numitor's lands with a body of
young men whom they had got together, and carrying off plunder as though in regular
warfare. Remus accordingly was handed over to Numitor for punishment.
Faustulus had from the beginning suspected that it was royal offspring that he was
bringing up, for he was aware that the boys had been exposed at the king's command and
the time at which he had taken them away exactly corresponded with that of their exposure.
He had, however, refused to divulge the matter prematurely, until either a fitting
opportunity
occurred or necessity demanded its disclosure. The necessity came first. Alarmed for
the safety of Remus he revealed the state of the case to Romulus. It so happened that
Numitor also, who had Remus in his custody, on hearing that he and his brother were
twins, and comparing their ages, and the character and bearing so unlike that of one in a
servile condition, began to recall the memory of his grandchildren, and further inquiries
brought him to the same conclusion as Faustulus; nothing was wanting to the recognition
of Remus. So the king Amulius was being enmeshed on all sides by hostile purposes.
Romulus shrunk from a direct attack with his body of shepherds, for he was no match for
the king in open fight. They were instructed to approach the palace by different routes and
meet there at a given time, whilst from Numitor's house Remus lent his assistance with a
second band he had collected. The attack succeeded and the king was killed.
