The Rape of the Sabine Women is a mythological event set at the beginning of Roman history. The newly founded city of Rome granted citizenship to criminals and lawless persons in order to grow its population quickly. This enabled it to win wars againgst its neighbours. But a lack of women meant that the city would fall within a generation or two due to lack of male offspring. The Romans requested neighbouring Sabines to let them marry some of their women but they were refused. The Romans then invited all their neighbours to a huge religious celebration in honour of Neptune. And they came, men, women and children. In the middle of the party, the younger Romans rushed in and carried off the Sabine women who were then raped to ensure the production of offspring. The Sabines were horrified at this open breach of the rules of hospitality, and went home and prepared for war. When, some time later (and it must have been quite some time later), they returned to take back the women by force, they found the Sabine women had reconciled with their now husbands and had given birth to children. The Sabine women stopped the battle before it started by placing themselves in between the two battle-ready groups. The Romans and the Sabines were reconciled and the city of Rome continued to grow.