IntheearlydaysofRome,thecityfounditselffullofstrongbravemenbutfewwomen.TheSabines,whopopulatedthearea,refusedRomanrequeststomarrytheirwomen.ThecleverRomanstheninvitedtheSabinestoagrandcelebrationinhonourofNeptune.Inthemiddleoftheparty,theypouncedontheSabines,scaringthemenoffandtakingtheyoungmaidens.
TheSabineswerefurious.Theywenthomeandpreparedforwar.Whentheylaterreturnedinarmstotakebacktheirdaughters,theSabinewomen,whonowhadchildrenbytheirRomanhusbands,threwthemselvesbetweenthetwoarmies."Stop,"theycried."Killusbeforeyourselves.Betterforustodiethantolivewithoutoneortheotherofyou."
TheRomansandtheSabinesweremoved.Thebattlewasstopped,andpeacewasmade.
羅馬建立初年，壯健勇敢的男人多，女人卻很少，而當地塞賓人拒絕羅馬人的通婚要求。聰明的羅馬人於是舉辦盛大的海神納普敦慶典，邀請塞賓人參加。慶典上，羅馬人突然向塞賓人動手，把男的嚇跑，把少女搶去。
塞賓人十分憤怒，回家準備開戰。後來，他們出兵要把女兒領回。這時那些塞賓少女已為羅馬丈夫產下孩子。她們走到兩軍之間高喊：「住手。要廝殺，先殺我們吧。我們寧願死去，都不願失去你們任何一方。」
羅馬人和塞賓人大為感動，罷兵講和。
【附注】羅馬神話的海王Neptune，等於希臘神話的波賽頓（Poseidon）。藍色的海王星就叫Neptune。