Note 96 — THE AGRARIAN LAW. SP. CASSIUS. EMIGRATION OF THE FABII. THE PUBLILIAN ROGATIONS.

Livy says of the Fabii that they had gone infelici via, porta Carmentali, dextro Jano; and Ovid, Carmentis portæ dextro via proxima Jano est: Ire per hanc noli, quisquis es: omen habet. This is to be understood as follows. All the Roman gates had a double arch, by one of which people went out, and by the other they came in; the former was termed Janus dexter, the latter, Janus sinister. The Carmental gate was situated between the Capitoline and the Quirinal hills. Since therefore those, who wanted to go out, could not pass through the left Janus, they had to make a great round, even if they wanted to go to a place quite close to it; for the right Janus was ominous, as the Fabii had passed through it on their last journey out.