Who was Rhea Silvia and what was her family background?
Rhea Silvia was the daughter of Numitor, king of Alba Longa. Her bloodline traced back to Aeneas, the Trojan hero who fled the burning city of Troy.
Questions about Rhea Silvia
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How did Mars father the twins Romulus and Remus according to myth?
Mars encountered Rhea Silvia in a grove sacred to him while she fetched water for temple duties. He raped her as she ran into a cave to escape, and Somnus poured juice from a horn to put her to sleep during the encounter.
What happened to the newborn twin boys after Amulius ordered their death?
A servant showed mercy instead of killing the infants and set them adrift on the overflowing river Tiber. They floated until they reached a pool by the bank where a she-wolf suckled the human infants after losing her own cubs.
When did Dionysius of Halicarnassus say Romulus and Remus reinstated Numitor as king?
Dionysius of Halicarnassus noted that Romulus and Remus reinstated Numitor as king in 752 BCE before founding Rome.
Which modern authors have written stories featuring Rhea Silvia?
David Drake wrote a science fiction story called To Bring the Light featuring a human Rhea Silvia. Rick Riordan introduced her in The Mark of Athena as a character meeting Annabeth Chase. Debra May Macleod published a historical fiction novel titled Rhea Silvia in 2022 making her the central character.