THE GREAT TWIN BRETHREN IO9 



— the ides of Quintilis, we call it — the equites 

 hold a festival in honor of the Great Twin Breth- 

 ren, the patrons of their order. Two hundred 

 times or more have we thus celebrated the anni- 

 versary of the victory which they won for the 

 Roman people in the hard-fought battle of Lake 

 Regillus." 



We ask him to tell us all about the Twins, and 

 his astonishment at our ignorance is greater than 

 before. Nevertheless, as we sit beside him on 

 the floor of the portico, he kindly relates this 

 story : 



It happened a very long time ago, only twelve 

 years after the Roman republic had been founded. 

 The last of the kings, old Tarquin the Proud, was 

 still living — an exile among our enemies, the 

 Latins — and he was all the time plotting to get 

 back. Thirty cities had finally united and raised 

 a great army in order to force our people to re- 

 store him to the throne. It was, indeed, a trying 

 time, and the fate, not only of Rome, but of the 

 world hung upon the issue. Thirty against one 

 was great odds, so far as numbers were con- 

 cerned — but what are thirty jays against a royal 

 eagle? 



