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There were many myths and legends surrounding the founding of ancient Rome which the Roman Plutarch examined thoroughly in his 75 ACE writing Romulus. Some people believed that after wandering around the livable areas of the planet, the Pelasgians, who were skilled warriors, settled there calling their city Rome. Other people believed that winds drove the ships of the Troy refugees upon the coasts of Tuscany where they set anchor at the mouth of the Tiber River. Roma, the wife of Aneneas, persuaded the weary women to burn the ships. Angry at first, the men soon rejoiced in finding such a fine country and considerate people. In their gratitude, they honored Roma by naming the city after her. The most popular legend of all; however, was that of "Romulus and Remus". There were also many stories written regarding the twin brothers that differed on the details of their birth and family. The most believable story among them was that Numitor and Amulius, who were the last of the Alba kings descended from the lineage of Aeneas, decided to divide the kingdom into two equivalent shares.
Amulius chose the treasure brought from Troy, while, Numitor chose the kingdom. Amulius soon used the gold to take the kingdom away from Numitor. After usurping the throne, he murdered Numitor's sons and forced his daughter Rhea Silvia to become a Vestal Virgin so she would not have children. The Roman god Mars was enthralled with the charms of Rhea Silva and took advantage of her while she slept. Shortly thereafter she discovered that she was with child. Amulius' daughter Antho intervened to have her confined rather than entombed alive which was the normal punishment for such a serious transgression by one of the Vestal Virgins. Rhea Silvia gave birth to twin boys who were then set adrift on the swollen river in a reed basket which floated downstream until it lodged in the branches of a fig tree. A shepherd whose wife had just had a stillborn child found them and he brought them to her to suckle, naming them Romulus and Remus. Her twin sons were raised in secret and with the help of Numitor went to a good school at Gabii. When they had grown into manhood, Romulus and Remus were told of their true origins. Afterwards Amulius was killed in battle and Numitor regained his throne.
Romulus and Remus then decided to
found a new city close to where their reed basket had landed. The brothers
disagreed on the exact placement of the city. Both of them wanted to build it on
different pieces of land.
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Rome Rom Roma Background Beliefs ArticlesAbundantia, Aeneas Depiction, Amulius and Numitor, Apollo, Attis, Bacchus, Baths, Belenus, Belisama, Bread and Circuses, Carpe Diem, Ceres, Ceres Depiction, Chariot Races, Chariot Team Depiction, Cicero Depiction, Circus Maximus, Collegia, Collegium Augeres, Collegium Pontificum, Decima, Diana, Epimetheus, Epona, Equestrians, Essus, Faerie Festivals, Flamines, Fortuna, Founding of Rome, Freedmen, Gladiators, Gladiators Categories, Gladiators Depiction, Góntia, Grannos, Hercules, Historia Naturalis, Historians, Janus Quirinus, Jove, Juno, Justitia, Justitia Depiction, Lares and Penates, Legionnaire Miles , Lenus Aesculapius, Manumission, Mars, Mercury, Merlin, Midspring, Midsummer, Midwinter, Minerva, Nantosuelta, Nantosuelta Depiction, Nature Spirits, Neptune, Nimue, Numen and Numina, Ovid, Ovid's Metamorphoses, Palatine Hill, Paterfamilias, Patrician and Plebian Pontiffs, Patricians, Pax Romano, Plebians, Pliny the Elder and the Younger, Pontifices, Pontifex Maximus, Princeps Senatus, Priests and Priestesses, Quid Pro Quo, Rex Sacrorum, Rhadamanthos, Rhea Silvia, Roman Forum, Roman Social Classes, Roman Timeline Dates, Romulus and Remus, Romulus and Remus Depiction, Rosmerta, Senators, Seneca, Sirona, Silvanus, Slaves, Soldiers, Spes Ianuaria, Spiritual Beliefs, Spring Equinox, Sucellos, Sucellos Depiction, Summer Solstice, Tacitus, Tellus Mater Depiction, Temple of Vesta, Terra, Venus, Venus Depiction, Vesta, Vestal Virgins, Via Appia, Virgil, Virgil's Eclogues, Vulcan, Winter Solstice |
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