the fourth son of Pompilius Pompo, an illustrious Sabine. He had married Tatia, the daughter of King Tatus, and together with her remained in his native country, preferring the tranquillity of a private life to the splendour of a court. Upon the death of his wife, with whom he had lived thirteen years, he gave himself up entirely to the study of wisdom; and, leaving the city of Cures, confined himself to the country, wandering from solitude to solitude, in search only of those woods and fountains which religion had made sacred. His recluse life gave rise to the fable, which was very early received among the Sabines, that Numa lived in familiarity with the nymph Egeria. Upon the death of Romulus, both the senate Numa. senate and people strongly solicited him to be their king. They despatched Julius Proculus and Valerius Volesus, two senators of distinction, to acquaint Numa with their resolution, and make him an offer of the kingdom. The Sabine philosopher rejected at first their proposal; but being at last prevailed upon by the arguments and entreaties of the deputies, joined with those of his father and of Martius his near relation, he yielded; and having offered sacrifices to the gods, set out for Rome, where he was received by all ranks of people with loud shouts of joy. Spurius Vottius, the interrex for the day, having assembled the curiae, he was elected in due form, and the election was unanimously confirmed by the senate.

The beginning of his reign was popular; and he dismissed the 300 bodyguards which his predecessor had kept around his person, and observed, that he did not distrust a people who had compelled him to reign over them. He was not, like Romulus, fond of war and military expeditions, but he applied himself to tame the ferocity of his subjects, to inculcate in their minds a reverence for the Deity, and to quell their dissensions by dividing all the citizens into different classes. He established different orders of priests, and taught the Romans not to worship the Deity by images; and from his example no graven or painted statues appeared in the temples or sanctuaries of Rome for the space of 160 years. He encouraged the report that was spread of his paying regular visits to the nymph Egeria, and made use of her name to give sanction to the laws and institutions which he had introduced. He established the college of the vestals, and told the Romans that the safety of the empire depended upon the preservation of the sacred ancyle or shield, which, as was generally believed, had dropped from heaven. He dedicated a temple to Janus, which, during his whole reign, remained shut as a mark of peace and tranquillity at Rome. After a reign of 42 years, in which he had given every possible encouragement to the useful arts, and in which he had cultivated peace, Numa died in the year of Rome 82. Not only the Romans, but also the neighbouring nations, were eager to pay their last offices to a monarch whom they revered for his abilities, moderation, and humanity. He forbade his body to be burnt according to the custom of the Romans; but he ordered it to be buried near Mount Janiculum, with many of the books which he had written. These books were accidentally found by one of the Romans, about 400 years after his death; and as they contained nothing new or interesting, but merely the reasons why he had made innovations in the form of worship and in the religion of the Romans, they were burnt by order of the senate. He left behind him one daughter called Pomplilia, who married Numa Marcius, and became the mother of Ancus Marcius the fourth king of Rome. Some say that he had also four sons; but this opinion is ill founded. The principal laws of King Numa, mentioned by different authors, are, 1. That the gods should be worshipped with corn and a salted cake. 2. That whoever knowingly killed a free man, should be held as a parricide. 3. That no harlot should touch the altar of Juno; and if she did, that she should sacrifice a ewe-lamb to that goddess, with dishevelled hair. 4. That whoever removed a land-mark should be put to death. 5. That wine should not be poured on a funeral pile, &c.