The Legend of the Sabine Women Kidnapping

753 - 716 a.c.

Romolo, the first King of Rome, fortified and expanded the city including the villages on the outskirts of Rome. But this generated a problem. Rome was mostly inhabited by men and the bordering villagers did not want their daughters to marry the violent and ignorant Romans.
Therefore Romolo decided to lured them into a trap, he invited the Sabine population to the celebrations that were taking place outside the walls of the city and upon his specific signal the Romans kidnapped the young women and brought them into the city against their will. The Sabines reacted to the offence; they returned to their villages, chose their weapons and returned to Rome to claim what was theirs.

A furious battle took place in the city and continued until all the kidnapped women, dressed in black, appeared at the battle site to ask for peace.
The memory of the "kidnapping" impressed the Romans so deeply that from then on all weddings were celebrated re-enacting the historical event.
As of today, the groom that enters the newly weds home with the bride in his arms recalls the momert in which the young Sabine women were forced into the city by the Roman men.