The Sabines were an ancient Italian tribe. They lived northeast of Rome, and were among the ancestors of the Romans. The Sabines are famous for a legend told about them. According to the legend, few women lived in Rome when Romulus founded the city. Romulus asked neighboring cities to allow Romans to choose wives from among their women. When the cities refused, Romulus invited all the surrounding people to attend a great festival. During the festival games, the Romans carried off young Sabine women by force. The Sabines went to war with the Romans, but the women persuaded the two tribes to stop fighting and unite as one nation.
