Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/304

ROMNEY. 276 RONCADOR. Life of George liomncy (London. 1809); John Konincy (son of the painter), Meinoirsi. of the Life and Writings of George Romney (London, 1830). BOMNY, rAm'ue. A town in the Government of Poltava, Russia, 110 miles northwest of Pol- tava (Jlap: Russia, D 4). It has extensive manufactures of tobacco and flour. Its fairs arc also important. Population, in 1879, 22,539. ROM'OLA. A novel by George Eliot (1863), which appeared in the Uornhill Magazine, 1802-63. The scene is laid in Florence in the fifteenth cen- tury, the time of Savonarola, who plays an im- liorlant ])art in the story. His influence is sharply contrasted with the spirit of the Renaissance, then in its glory mder the Medici. These two forces stir the soul of the heroine, the daughter of the blind scholar, Bardi. One attracts her to the beau- tiful Greek, Tito Melema, brilliant but false; and the other, after the disastrous failure of her marriage, leads her to a life of devotion to the unfortunate. ROMORANTIN, r6'md'raN'ta?f'. The capital of an arrondissement in the Department of Loir- et-Cher, France, 39 miles southwest of Orleans (Map: France, H 4). It has important manufac- tures of cloth. The edict issued from here in 1560 ])revented the establishment of the Inquisi- tion in France. Population, in 1901, 8130. EOM'ULUS. The mythical founder of the city of Rome. His name indicates that he is to be regarded rather as a symbolical representation of the Roman people than as an actual individual. According to the legend there had ruled at Alba Longa, in Latium, a line of kings descended from the Trojan ])rinee .Eneas. One of the latest of these at his death left the kingdom to his eldest son, Nuniitor. Amulius, a younger brother of Xmnitor, deprived the latter of the sovereignty, murdered his only son, and compelled his only daughter, Silvia (generally called Rhea Silvia), to become a vestal virgin. Silvia having become the mother of twins by the god Mars, the fears of Anuilius were aroused, and he caused the cradle containing the babes to be thrown into the Anio, whence it was carried into the Tiber. The cradle was stranded at the foot of the Palatine, and the infants were saved from death by a she-wolf which carried them into her den, near at hand, and suckled them, while a woodpecker brought them whatever food they wanted. Faustulus, the King's shepherd, who bore the infants home to his wife, Acca Larentia, had them brought up with his own children. In a quarrel between them and the herdsmen of Kumitor, Remus, one of the twins, was taken prisoner, and carried off to Numitor. Romulus soon made his appearance, accom- panied by his foster-father: their story was re- lated, and Numitor recognized the boys as the sons of his daughter Silvia. They immediately proceeded to avenge the family wrongs by slay- ing Amulius and placing their grandfather on the throne. But Romulus loved their old abode on the banks of the Tiber, and resolved to build a city there. The Palatine was chosen (by au- gury) for the site, and Romulus, yoking a bul- lock and a heifer to a plowshare, marked out the pomwrium, or boundary, on which he proceeded to build a wall. Remus, to show its inefficiency, • scornfully leaped over it, whereupon Romulus slew- him, but was immediately struck with romor.se, and could obtain no rest till he had ap- peased the shade of his brother by instituting the Icmuria, or festival for the souls uf the de- ])arlcd. Romulus next erected a sanctuary on the Capitoline for runaway slaves and homicides. But wives were nmch wanted; and this led to the "Rape of the Sabine Women" — a wholesale abduction of virgins, the consequence of which was a series of wars, in which, however, Rom- ulus was invariably victorious, until Titus Tatius, at the head of a large army of Sabines, forced him to take refuge in his city on the Palatine. The tieachery of Tarpeia, a daugh- ter of a lieutenant of the fort, placed the Capi- tol ium in the hands of his adversaries. In the battle the next day between the two hills. Sabines and Romans fought till they were exluuisted, wlicn the Sabine women rushed in between their husbands and fathers and implored them to be reconciled. This was agreed to, and henceforth they resolved to unite and to form one people — the followers of Romulus dwelling on the Pala- tine, those of Titus Tatius on the Capitoline and Quirinal, On the death of Titus Tatius Romulus became sole sovereign, and subsequently made successful war against the Etruscan cities of Fidenoe and Veii, After a reign of thirty-seven years Romulus was miraculously removed from earth. While he was standing near the "Goat's Pool," in the Campus Martins, reviewing his militia, the sun was eclipsed, and he was carried up to heaven in a chariot of fire by Mars. Some time after he reappeared, announced the future glorj' of the Roman people, and told them that henceforth he would watch over them as their guardian god, under the name of Quirinus. The festival of the Quirinalia, February 17th, was instituted in his honor: but the nones of Quin- tilis (July 7th) was the day on wdiich he was believed to have departed from earth. As early as the end of the Republic a sacred spot, marked by a 'black stone,' by or upon the Comitium, near the Rostra, was pointed out as the grave of Faustulus, or, as some said, of Romulus. Ex- cavations in the Forum in the year 1898-99 brought to light in this place a rectangular pave- ment of black marble, about ten by thirteen feet in dimensions, which for various reasons it seems safe to identify with this monument. See FoBUM. RON'ALDSHAY, North and South. Two of the Orkney Islands (q.v.). RONCADOR (Sp., snorer, gruntcr), or RoN- co. A name in California for several fishes of the family Sciamida" (see Drum), which furnish both food and sport. The principal one is Ron- {' ^ RONCADOR (Itoncador Stearnsii). cador Stearnsii. from two to three feet long when full-sized, and highly esteemed. Another species is the 'red' roncador (Corvina iSaturna).