Roman legend Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. One of a wide variety of genres of Roman folklore, ''Roman mythology'' may also refer to the modern study of these represen ...

, Philotis, also known as Tutula, was a slave ''(ancilla)'' whose plan resulted in an important victory of the Romans over the Latins in the late 4th century BC. Weakened by the

Gallic sack of Rome The Battle of the Allia was a battle fought between the Senones – a Gallic tribe led by Brennus, who had invaded Northern Italy – and the Roman Republic. The battle was fought at the confluence of the Tiber and Allia rivers, 11 Roman mi ...

in 390 BC, the Romans had suffered a stinging defeat by the

Fidenates Fidenae ( grc, Φιδῆναι) was an ancient town of Latium, situated about 8 km north of Rome on the '' Via Salaria'', which ran between Rome and the Tiber. Its inhabitants were known as Fidenates. As the Tiber was the border between Etr ...

, who demanded that they hand over their wives and virgin daughters as hostages to secure a peace. Recounted in

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...

's ''Life of Romulus'' (ca. AD 75), Philotis proposed that she and other slave girls pretend to be the wives and daughters of the Roman families and present themselves to the hostile Latins. After the

Roman senate The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...

agreed to the plan, the women dressed up elegantly, wearing golden jewelry, and visited the enemy camp. There they seduced the Latins into revelry and drinking. After they had fallen asleep, Philotis and the other slaves stole the enemy's swords. Philotis climbed a wild

fig tree ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending ...

''( caprificus)'', hiding a torch within her mantle, then brandished it to signal the Romans. The Romans then invaded the Latin camp and killed them in their sleep. The women were rewarded with freedom and a dowry at public expenses.Plutarch, ''Camillus'
33
and ''Romulus'

Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...

, ''De Lingua Latina'' VI 18; Macrobius, ''Saturnalia'
I.11.35-40

Nonae Caprotinae

For the

festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival ...

known as the Nonae Caprotinae, both free and slave Roman women picnicked and celebrated together near the site of the wild fig ''(caprificus)'' to commemorate the victory.

References

{{Reflist Characters in Roman mythology Ancient Roman slaves and freedmen

Nonae Caprotinae

See also

References