SS. Servius Tullius

Comte de Gabalis [1913], at sacred-texts.com

SERVIUS TULLIUS.

SS"The birth of Servius Tullius was as marvellous as it was humble. Ocrisia, a handmaid of the queen, and one of the captives taken at Corniculum, when bringing some cakes as an offering to the household genius, saw an apparition of the god in the fire on the hearth: Tanaquil commanded her to array herself as a bride and shut herself up in the chapel. She became pregnant by a god: many Romans called the household genius the father of Servius, others Vulcan (God Of Fire)." HISTORY OF ROME BY B. G. NIEBUHR. TRANSLATED BY J. C. HARE, M.A., AND C. THIRLWALL, M.A., VOLUME I, PAGE 311.

"At that time, a prodigy occurred in the palace, wonderful both in its appearance and in its result. They relate, that the head of a boy, called Servius Tullius, as he lay fast asleep, blazed with fire in the sight of many persons. That by the very great noise made at so miraculous a phenomenon, the royal family

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were awakened; and when one of the servants was bringing water to extinguish the flame, that he was kept back by the queen, and after the confusion was over, that she forbade the boy to be disturbed till he should awake of his own accord. As soon as he awoke the flame disappeared. Then Tanaquil, taking her husband into a private place, said, 'Do you observe this boy whom we bring up in so mean a style? Be assured that hereafter he will be a light to us in our adversity, and a proteIor to our palace in distress. From henceforth let us, with all our care, train up this youth, who is capable of becoming a great ornament publicly and privately.' From this time the boy began to be treated as their own son, and instruCted in those arts by which men's minds are qualified to maintain high rank. The matter was easily accomplished, because it was agreeable to the gods." TITUS LIVY, HISTORY OF ROME, BOOK I, CHAPTER 39.