BOOK III. V. 65-67 



pertinent to add at this point an instance of old 

 religion established especially to inculcate this silence: 

 the goddess Angerona, to whom sacrifice is ofFered 

 on December 21, is represented in her statue with a 

 sealed bandage over her mouth. 



Romulus left Rome possessing three or, to accept Torngraphy 

 the statement of the authorities putting the number 

 highest, four gates. The area surrounded by its 

 walls at the time of the principate and censorship 

 of the Vespasians," in the 826th year ^" of its foundation, 

 measured 13 miles and 200 yards in circumference, 

 embracing seven hills. It is itself divided into 

 fourteen regions, with 265 crossways v/ith their 

 guardian Lares.<^ If a straight Hne is drawn from 

 the milestone standing at the head of the Roman 

 Forum to each of the gates, which to-day number 

 thirty-seven (provided that the Twelve Gates "^ be 

 counted only as one each and the seven of the old 

 gates that exist no longer be omitted), the result 

 is a total of 20 miles 765 yards in a straight line. 

 But the total length of all the ways through the 

 districts from the same milestone to the extreme 

 edge of the buildings, taking in the Praetorians' 

 Camp, amounts to a Httle more than 60 miles. If 

 one were further to take into account the height of 

 the buildings, a very fair estimate would be formcd, 

 that would bring us to admit that thcre has been no 

 city in the wholc world that coukl be compared to 

 Rome in magnitude. On the east it is bounded by 

 the Dyke of Tarquinius Superbus, a work among 

 the leading wondcrs of the world, for he made it as 

 high as the walls where the approach was flat and the 

 city lay most open to attack. In other directions 

 it had the protection of lofty walls or else of precipi- 



51 



