Romulus and Remus
In the ancient Latin city of Alba Longa, a Vestal Virgin named Rhea Silvia bore twin sons. Her father was Numitor, the former king who had been displaced by his brother Amulius. Some accounts state that Mars visited her in a sacred grove to conceive them. Other versions claim Amulius himself raped his niece while wearing armor to hide his identity. This dual parentage created a threat to Amulius's rule and set the stage for the twins' tragic fate.
King Amulius ordered the infants killed and cast them into the river Tiber to die. They were saved by the god Tiberinus, Father of the River, and survived with care at the site of future Rome. In the best-known episode, a she-wolf suckled the twins in a cave now known as the Lupercal. Later sources mention a woodpecker bringing food during their time abandoned in the wild. Eventually, they were adopted by Faustulus, a shepherd who raised them unaware of their true identities.
As young adults, the brothers became involved in a dispute between supporters of Numitor and Amulius. Remus was taken prisoner and brought back to Alba Longa. Romulus organized an effort to free his brother and set out with help for the city. During this time, they learned of their past and joined forces with their grandfather to restore him to the throne. Amulius was killed and Numitor was reinstated as king of Alba before the twins set out to build a new city.
After arriving back in the area of the seven hills, the brothers disagreed about which hill to choose for building. Romulus preferred the Palatine Hill above the Lupercal while Remus chose the Aventine Hill. They agreed to seek divine approval through a contest of augury. Remus saw six auspicious birds but Romulus claimed twelve and won. When Remus insulted the new city, he was killed either by Romulus or by one of his supporters named Celer.
Roman historians dated the founding of Rome around 753 BC yet the earliest known written account dates from the late third century BC. Quintus Fabius Pictor wrote history in Greek during the third century BC that became authoritative for later works. Livy discussed the myth in chapters four through six of his first book while Plutarch dedicated nearly half his Life of Romulus to the conflict with Amulius. Dionysius of Halicarnassus spent nine chapters discussing their struggle against Amulius before addressing their survival in the wild.
Current scholarship offers little evidence to support any particular version of the Roman foundation myth including historical figures named Romulus or Remus. The archaeologist Andrea Carandini is one of very few modern scholars who accept them as real people based on an ancient wall discovered in 1988. He dates this structure called the Murus Romuli to the mid-eighth century BC on the north slope of the Palatine Hill. Most historians believe the name Romulus may be a back-formation from the word Rome itself rather than proof of existence.
The twins and the she-wolf appeared on what might be the earliest silver coins minted in Rome around 266 BC. An Anglo-Saxon ivory box known as the Franks Casket from the early seventh century AD shows two wolves instead of one. In the late 16th century, the Magnani family commissioned frescoes by Ludovico Annibale and Agostino Carracci depicting Histories of the Foundation of Rome. Modern films like The First King released in 2019 continue to reinterpret these ancient stories for contemporary audiences using reconstructed Old Latin language.
Common questions
Who were the parents of Romulus and Remus according to Roman myth?
Rhea Silvia was a Vestal Virgin who bore twin sons in Alba Longa. Some accounts state that Mars visited her in a sacred grove to conceive them while other versions claim Amulius raped his niece.
What happened to Romulus and Remus after King Amulius ordered their death?
King Amulius cast the infants into the river Tiber but they survived with care at the site of future Rome. A she-wolf suckled the twins in a cave now known as the Lupercal before Faustulus adopted them.
Why did Romulus kill Remus during the founding of Rome?
The brothers disagreed about which hill to choose for building because Romulus preferred the Palatine Hill while Remus chose the Aventine Hill. When Remus insulted the new city he was killed either by Romulus or by one of his supporters named Celer.
When was Rome founded according to Roman historians and what is the earliest written account date?
Roman historians dated the founding of Rome around 753 BC yet the earliest known written account dates from the late third century BC. Quintus Fabius Pictor wrote history in Greek during the third century BC that became authoritative for later works.
Is there archaeological evidence supporting the existence of Romulus and Remus as real people?
Current scholarship offers little evidence to support any particular version of the Roman foundation myth including historical figures named Romulus or Remus. The archaeologist Andrea Carandini accepts them as real people based on an ancient wall discovered in 1988 called the Murus Romuli.
All sources
16 references cited across the entry
- 2webDio's Roman HistoryDio Cassius et al. — Harvard University Press — 1914
- 3bookA History of Roman Literature: From Livius Andronicus to BoethiusMichael von Albrecht — BRILL — 1997
- 4bookRoman History I p.12-18Dio Cassius — 1914
- 5bookThe City of God Against the PagansSaint Augustine — 1957
- 6bookThe world of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene : royal scholarship on Rome's African frontierDuane Roller — Routledge — 2003
- 7bookTadjikistan : au pays des fleuves d'orMusée Guimet, Snoek — 2021
- 8bookHistory of Humanity: From the seventh to the sixteenth centurySigfried J. de Laet — UNESCO — 1 January 1994
- 9bookTerzo contributo alla storia degli studi classici e del mondo anticoArnoldo Momigliano — Edizioni di storia e letteratura — 2007
- 10bookThe classical foundations of modern historiographyArnoldo Momigliano — University Presses of California, Columbia and Princeton — 1990
- 11bookThe Cambridge Companion to the Roman HistoriansDillery — Cambridge University Press — 2009
- 12bookOrigo Gentis RomanaeBanchich — Cansius College — 2004
- 13journalReading CarandiniT. P. Wiseman — 2001
- 14webRomulus and Remus
- 15bookImagining Ancient Cities in Film: From Babylon to CinecittàMarta Garcia Morcillo et al. — Routledge — 11 February 2015