Page:The history of Rome. Translated with the author's sanction and additions.djvu/89

Rh Thus "the august blessing of the gods, with which renowned Rome was founded," was transmitted from its first regal recipient in regular succession to his followers in office; and the unity of the state was preserved unchanged, notwithstanding the personal change of the holders of power. This unity of the Roman people, represented in the field of religion by the Roman Diovis, was in the field of law represented by the prince, and therefore his costume was the same as that of the supreme god; the state chariot even in the city where every one else went on foot, the ivory sceptre with the eagle, the vermilion-painted lace, the chaplet of oaken leaves in gold, belonged alike to the Roman god and to the Roman king. It would be a great error, however, to regard the Roman constitution on that account as a theocracy: among the Italians the ideas of god and king never faded away into each other, as they did in Egypt and the East. The king was not the god of the people; it were much more correct to designate him as the proprietor of the state. Accordingly the Romans knew nothing of special divine grace granted to a particular family, or of any other sort of mystical charm by which a king should be made of different stuff from other men: noble descent, and relationship with earlier rulers were recommendations, but were not necessary conditions; the office might be lawfully filled by any Roman come to years of discretion, and sound in body and mind. The king was simply an ordinary burgess, whom merit or fortune, and, above all, the necessity of having one as master in every house, had placed as master over his equals—a husbandman set over husbandmen, a