At night the girls stole the daggers
of the enemies, and Tutula or Philotis climbed up a wild fig-tree,
stretched out her cloak behind her, and raised a torch as a signal,
which had been agreed upon between her and the magistrates, though no
other citizen knew of it. Wherefore, the soldiers rushed out of the
gates with a great clamour and disturbance, calling to one another and
scarcely able to keep their ranks as their chiefs hurried them along.
When they reached the enemy's camp, they found them asleep and not
expecting an attack, so that they took their camp and slew most of
them. This took place on the nones of the month Quintilis, now called
July, and the festival which then takes place is in memory of the events
of that day. First they march out of the gates in a mass, calling out
the common names of the country, such as Caius, Marcus, or Lucius, in
imitation of their hurried calling for each other on that occasion.
Next, female slaves splendidly dressed walk round laughing and romping
with all whom they meet. These girls also perform a sort of fight among
themselves, like those who on that day took their share in the fight
with the Latins: and afterwards they sit down to a feast, under the
shade of fig-tree boughs. They call this day the _nonae caprotinae_,
probably from the wild fig-tree from which the slave girl waved the
torch; for in Latin a wild fig-tree is called _caprificus_.
Pages:
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384