Romulus opened Rome as a place of refuge for refugees, runaway slaves, exiles and murderers and there was soon a large number of men living in the city but there was a shortage of women. Romulus realised that the city would die if this problem was not amended and so, on the advice of the senate, he sent envoys off to the neighbouring countries asking for an alliance and the rights of intermarriage for his new community. This proposal was not met with a favourable reception as the neighbouring towns were concerned by the rapid growth of the city and had no intention of aiding her.

Rape of a Sabine By Giovanni Bologna

Romulus decided to organise a celebration of games in honour of Neptune and invited the people from the neighbouring towns to attend. The local towns were very interested in attending not only because of the games as a spectacle but also because it would give them a chance to see the new town that was Rome. The people of Caenina, Antemnae, and Crustumerium came to the festival as well as the whole Sabine population, with their wives and families.

When the games were due to begin a signal was given and the Roman youths ran out and carried off the young unmarried women who were present. This was largely indiscriminate but some particularly beautiful girls had been marked out by the leading patricians and were carried off to their houses by plebians who had been assigned that task. Naturally this caused a large amount of chaos and the parents of the maidens fled, upset and confused, appealing to Neptune to who's games they had been invited only to be the victim's of this crime.

The abducted women were also quite upset by the events and Romulus went from house to house and tried to persuade the women that what had happened was alright. He first argued that it was only due to the pride of their parents in denying intermarriage of their neighbours that this situation had arisen. Each woman would live in honourable wedlock, they would have civil rights, be able to own property and their children would be born as free men. He also pointed out their husbands would be even more affectionate then normal husbands as they had the guilt of knowing that they had separated each woman from her parents and country. The new husband would then beg for forgiveness and plead that it was a crime driven by his great passion for his new wife.

This plan seemed to have worked and th abducted women were now reasonably happy with their new circumstances but their parents weren't feeling quite the same way. They mourned the loss of their daughters and tried to rouse their countrymen to help them get them back. They approached neighbouring towns for help and sent deputations to Titus Tatius the king of the Sabines asking for help. The Caeninensians felt that the Sabines were moving too slowly in getting their daughters back and so they sent an army to attack the Roman territory by themselves. Romulus led his army and after a brief encounter the Caeninensians fled but Romulus followed them and killed their king and captured their city.

While Romulus and his army was busy fighting and then celebrating their victory the army of the Antemnates raided the unoccupied Roman territory. Romulus led his army out and surprised the Antemnates while their forces were spread out. The Roman's won this battle and captured their city as well.

After these battle the abducted woman pleaded with Romulus's wife Hersilia to pardon their parents and give them citizenship. Romulus quickly agreed to this idea and both the conquered cities became colonies of Rome. Romulus then attacked the Crustuminians who's eagerness for war had faded after seeing the fall of their two allies and this city became a colony as well. Rome's population also grew during this time as a large number of the families of the abducted women had moved to Rome to be nearer their daughters.

Intervention of the Sabine Women By Jacques-Louis David

The final war was with the Sabines and was a much more serious affair. The daughter commander of the citadel of Rome, Spurius Tarpeius, was outside the fortifications of the citadel fetching water when Tatius (the king of the Sabines) bribed her to let his army inside the citadel. Once inside, they crushed her to death beneath their shields, either that the citadel might appear to have been taken by assault, or that her example might be left as a warning that no faith should be kept with traitors.

The Sabines now controlled the Roman citadel the Roman army formed up between the Palatine and Capitoline hill the Sabines refused to come out and so the Romans attacked. Advancing before the rest, the Sabine Mettius Curtius and the Roman Hostius Hostilius engaged in single combat, Hostius, fighting on disadvantageous ground (I like that bit), fought bravely but lost and the Roman line broke and fled to what was then the gate of the Palatine. Romulus was a little upset by this with a small host of men ran to attack Mettius Curtius who was now taunting the Roman troops, inspired by the bravery of their king the rest of the Roman troops attacked and were soon looking like they would defeat the Sabines.

It was at this point that the abducted Sabine women ran between the two armies and tried to end the fight by pleading with their fathers in one army and their husbands in the other to not bring a curse upon themselves by spilling the blood of a father-in-law or son-in-law. This appeal seemed to work and the generals met to form a treaty, they decided not to make a peace treaty but instead to unite into one state, the two kings then ruled jointly over their newly formed state.