She-wolf (Roman mythology)
The Roman foundation myth centers on a she-wolf who nursed the twins Romulus and Remus after they were abandoned in the wild by King Amulius of Alba Longa. This creature cared for the infants at her den, a cave known as the Lupercal, until they were discovered by a shepherd named Faustulus. Romulus would later become the founder and first king of Rome while both twins became famous throughout history as the founders of the city we know today. The image of the She-Wolf suckling the twins has been a symbol of Rome since ancient times and is one of the most recognizable icons of ancient mythology.
There is evidence that the wolf held a special place in the world of the ancient peoples of Italy. One legend claims that the Hirpini people were so-called because when they set out to find their first colony, they were led to its location by a wolf from the Osco-Umbrian word hirpus. The tale of the Lupercal is central to that of the twins and probably predates theirs. To the Roman god Mars, the wolf is a sacred animal. There is an ongoing debate about a connection to the ancient Roman festival of the Lupercalia.
In Greek mythology, Apollo's mother Leto is reported to have given birth to him as a she-wolf to evade Hera. The three canonical versions of the myth, those of Livy, Plutarch and Dionysius of Halicarnassus, all draw heavily on Quintus Fabius Pictor. He is considered one of Rome's earliest historians and his now lost work describes the She-Wolf and her episode with the twins. Some tales claim that the twins were to be left along the riverbank while others say they were to be cast into the water. The servant charged with the task either thought better of it or could not get close enough to do the deed because of the flooding. Instead he left them in the standing water that had formed at the foot of Palatine Hill.
Dionysius reports that the rains had raised the water so much so that Amulius' servant had to abandon the twins before the intended spot where the current was stronger. The basket containing the twins gently went with the receding water until it struck a stone flipping the twins and the basket into the mud. The She-Wolf then arrived and lowered her teats to the crying babes and licked them clean of the mud. After a shepherd happened upon the scene in the course of tending his flock he ran to tell his companions and a group gathered to witness the remarkable sight. The twins were clinging to her as she was their true mother. The She-Wolf was nonplussed when the men began making a ruckus to scare her off. She withdrew into a cave that was sacred to the Greek colonists who had formerly lived in the area and held an altar to the nature god Pan.
The Etruscan Bolsena Mirror features a depiction of the She-Wolf and the twins surrounded by human and animal figures. Differences in interpretation have precluded virtually any consensus regarding many of its features including its age. However it is consistent with other such mirrors made as bridal gifts in 4th century BC Euritria perhaps circa 330, 340. The famous Capitoline Wolf may be of Etruscan or Old Latin origin but a discovery during its restoration in 2000 and radiocarbon dating has cast doubt on an ancient origin.
An Etruscan stele from Bologna dated to between 350 and 400 BC depicts an animal possibly a wolf nursing a single infant. By 269 BC the silver didrachm is the earliest depiction of the complete icon with the characteristic turning of the She-Wolf's head backward and downward at the twins. The distinctive imagery of the She-Wolf and the twins made it more recognizable than other symbols of the city such as Roma the patron deity of the city or the Roman eagle. That was useful as the Roman world expanded and symbols of Rome became more important in maintaining unity.
By the 1st century AD the She-Wolf was common in both Rome and the provinces. She and the twins were featured on the elaborate Ara Pacis built in honor of Augustus and dedicated to Pax the goddess of peace. Coins with their depiction were minted and widely circulated. They were also produced in Roman Colonies as a way to express their own Roman-ness. They have been found on personal items such as swords buckles lamps and statuettes as well as monuments mosaic floors and funerary stones that date from the 1st through the 3rd centuries AD.
The Franks Casket an ornately carved Anglo-Saxon chest from the 8th, 9th century probably crafted in Northumbria features the She-Wolf and twins along with a Runic account of the Romulus and Remus story. Other Anglo-Saxon artifacts and coins from the same period also feature them. The Byzantines continued to use the image and coins attributed to them have been found in various locations in central Asia at sites located in modern Tajikistan and Uzbekistan along with an 8th-century Sogdian painted mural with a she-wolf head turned back and down suckling two infants.
Coins with their depiction were minted and widely circulated. They were also produced in Roman Colonies as a way to express their own Roman-ness. They have been found on personal items such as swords buckles lamps and statuettes as well as monuments mosaic floors and funerary stones that date from the 1st through the 3rd centuries AD. The distinctive imagery of the She-Wolf and the twins made it more recognizable than other symbols of the city such as Roma the patron deity of the city or the Roman eagle. That was useful as the Roman world expanded and symbols of Rome became more important in maintaining unity.
The Fascist government of Benito Mussolini used the She-Wolf as a symbol while in power. This political appropriation transformed an ancient mythological creature into a tool for national identity and regime legitimacy. The image served to connect the modern Italian state directly to its legendary origins under Romulus and Remus. By invoking the she-wolf, Mussolini sought to establish a lineage of strength and divine favor for his administration.
The Sienese have a traditional tale that the city was founded by Senius and Aschius another pair of twins who were also suckled by a she-wolf. They were
the sons of Remus and fled Rome after his death at the hands of their uncle Romulus. The legend cannot be attested to prior to the Renaissance. However depictions of a she-wolf and twins are common in the city and some can be dated earlier. This local variation provided additional depth to the broader symbolic usage across different regions of Italy during the fascist era.
The Italian football clubs A.S. Roma and S.S. Robur Siena use the imagery in their respective team logos. This modern adoption continues the tradition of using the wolf as a powerful emblem of civic pride and historical continuity. The image appears on coins minted in 269 BC which is the earliest depiction of the complete icon with the characteristic turning of the She-Wolf's head backward and downward at the twins.
The She-Wolf and twins appeared on what may have been the earliest silver coin ever minted in Rome. Coins with their depiction were minted and widely
circulated. They were also produced in Roman Colonies as a way to express their own Roman-ness. They have been found on personal items such as swords buckles lamps and statuettes as well as monuments mosaic floors and funerary stones that date from the 1st through the 3rd centuries AD. The distinctive imagery of the She-Wolf and the twins made it more recognizable than other symbols of the city such as Roma the patron deity of the city or the Roman eagle. That was useful as the Roman world expanded and symbols of Rome became more important in maintaining unity.
Common questions
Who nursed the twins Romulus and Remus in Roman mythology?
A she-wolf nursed the twins Romulus and Remus after they were abandoned by King Amulius of Alba Longa. The creature cared for the infants at her den, a cave known as the Lupercal, until they were discovered by a shepherd named Faustulus.
When was the earliest depiction of the She-Wolf and twins on a coin minted?
The earliest depiction of the complete icon with the characteristic turning of the She-Wolf's head backward and downward at the twins appeared on silver didrachm coins minted in 269 BC. This imagery became more recognizable than other symbols of the city such as Roma or the Roman eagle as the Roman world expanded.
Where did the servant leave the basket containing Romulus and Remus before the wolf arrived?
The servant left the basket in standing water that had formed at the foot of Palatine Hill because flooding prevented him from reaching the intended spot where the current was stronger. Dionysius reports that rains raised the water so much that the servant had to abandon the twins there before the current receded.
Why is the She-Wolf considered sacred to the Roman god Mars?
To the Roman god Mars, the wolf is a sacred animal within ancient mythology. There is an ongoing debate about a connection between this sacred status and the ancient Roman festival of the Lupercalia which centers on the tale of the Lupercal.
How did Benito Mussolini use the image of the She-Wolf during his rule?
The Fascist government of Benito Mussolini used the She-Wolf as a symbol while in power to transform an ancient mythological creature into a tool for national identity and regime legitimacy. By invoking the she-wolf, Mussolini sought to establish a lineage of strength and divine favor for his administration connecting the modern Italian state directly to its legendary origins under Romulus and Remus.
All sources
5 references cited across the entry
- 1journalThe Lupercalia and the Remus and Romulus LegendP. Tennant — 1988
- 2journalHistory of AnimalsAristotle — 1965
- 5webRobur Siena