Plutarch's Romane Questions · Plutarch
35.
_Why honoured the Romans this_ Acca Larentia _so highly, considering she was no better than a strumpet or courtisan_? FOR you must thinke, that the histories make mention of another _Acca Larentia_, the nurse of _Romulus_, unto whom they do honour in the moneth of Aprill. As for this courtizan _Larentia_, she was (as men say) surnamed _Fabula_, and came to be so famous and renowmed by such an occasion as this. A certeine sexton of _Hercules_ his temple, having little els to doe, and living at ease (as commonly such fellowes doe) used for the most part to spend all the day in playing at dice and with cokall bones: and one day above the rest, it fortuned, that meeting with none of his mates and play-fellowes who were woont to beare him company at such games, and not knowing what to do nor how to passe the time away, he thought with himselfe to challenge the god whose servant he was, to play at dice with him, upon these conditions: That if himselfe woon the game, _Hercules_ should be a meanes for him of some good lucke and happy fortune; but in case he lost the game, he should provide for _Hercules_ a good supper, and withall, a pretie wench and a faire, to be his bedfellow: these conditions being agreed upon and set downe, he cast the dice, one chance for himselfe, and another for the god; but his hap was to be the loser: whereupon minding to stand unto his challenge, and to accomplish that which he had promised, he prepared a rich supper for _Hercules_ his god, and withall, sent for this _Acca Larentia_, a professed courtisan and common harlot, whom he feasted also with him, and after supper bestowed her in a bed within the very temple, shut the doores fast upon, and so went his way.
Now the tale goes forsooth, that in the night, _Hercules_ companied with her, not after the maner of men, but charged her, that the next morning betimes she should go into the market-place, and looke what man she first met withall, him she should enterteine in all kindnesse, and make her friend especially. Then _Larentia_ gat up betimes in the morning accordingly, and chanced to encounter a certeine rich man and a stale bacheler, who was now past his middle age, and his name was _Taruntius_; with him she became so familiarly acquainted, that so long as he lived, she had the command of his whole house; and at his death, was by his last will and testament instituted inheritresse of all that he had. This _Larentia_ likewise afterward departed this life, and left all her riches unto the citie of _Rome_: whereupon this honour abovesaid was done unto her.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.