Acca Laurentia

, the wife of Faustulus shepherd of king Numitor’s flocks, who brought up Romulus and Remus, who had been exposed on the banks of the Tiber. From her wantonne , she was called Lupa , prostitute, whence the fable that Romulus was suckled by a she-wolf. Dionysius of Halicarna us , bk. 1 , ch. 18 .— Livy , bk. 1 , ch. 4 .— Aulus Gellius , bk. 6 , ch. 7 .――The Romans yearly celebrated certain festivals [ See: Lauren tali a ] in honour of another prostitute of the same name, which arose from this circumstance: the keeper of the temple of Hercules, one day playing at dice, made the god one of the number, on condition that if Hercules was defeated, he should make him a present, but if he conquered he should be entertained with an elegant feast, and share his bed with a beautiful female. Hercules was victorious, and accordingly Acca was conducted to the bed of Hercules, who in reality came to see her, and told her in the morning to go into the streets, and salute with a ki the first man she met. This was Tarrutius, an old unmarried man, who, not displeased with Acca’s liberty, loved her, and made her the heire of all his po e ions. These, at her death, she gave to the Roman people, whence the honours paid to her memory. Plutarch , Quæstiones Romanæ , Romulus .――A companion of Camilla. Virgil , Æneid , bk. 11 , li. 820 .