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Numa PompiliusAccording to legend, Numa Pompilius was the second of the Kings of Rome, succeeding Romulus. The Romans in the city, after Romulus died, elected a Sabine man to be King, so as to make him loyal to both races in Rome. His father was called Pomponius and Numa was the youngest of four sons, being born on the day of the foundation of Rome. He lived a severe life of discipline and he banished all luxury from his home. Tatius, colleague of Romulus married his only daughter, Tatia, to Numa. She died after being married to Numa for 13 years and Numa took up a country life. This lead to stories about him having retired to a country life because of the goddess Egeria who met him by a spring in a sacred grove and taught him how to be a wise legislator. He had one daughter, Pompilia (who some say was his first wife Tatia's daughter and some say she was his second wife Lucretia's daughter), who married Marcius II and had the future King Ancus Marcius. He is also said to have had four sons: Pompo, Pinus, Calpus and Mamercus and that from them descended the noble families of Pomponii, Pinarii, Calpurnii and Mamercii but that was probably invented by an author trying to get in favour with them. Numa was around fourty when he was offered the kingdom and he at first, refused but his father and Marcius I (Marcius II's father) took him aside and perusaded him to accept. He was later celebrated for his piety. Wishing to show his favour, the god Jupiter caused a shield to fall from the sky on the Palatine Hill, which had letters of prophecy written on it, and in which the fate of Rome as a city was tied up. Recognizing the importance of this sacred shield, King Numa had eleven matching shields made. These shields were the ancilia, the sacred shields of Jupiter, which were carried each year in a procession by the Salii priests. Numa Pompilius died in 673 BC when he was older than eighty. He died of old age and by a gentle and gradual decline. Egeria is said to have changed him into a well, located in the forest of Aricia, holy to Artemis, in Latium. He was succeeded by Tullus Hostilius. External links
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