The Founding of Rome

By pallin

Rome was a great city, the mecca of its time, which came from humble beginnings.

King Numitor ruled over Alba Longa, a city in Italy. Amulius, Numitor’s brother, was hungry for power and therefore overthrew Numitor, becoming king. To prevent any unwanted heirs from taking over his throne, Amulius forced Rhea Silvia, Numitor’s daughter, to became a Vestal Virgin. This converted Rhea Silvia into a priestess devoted to Vesta (Hestia in Greek mythology), the goddess of the hearth and home. This also prevented Rhea Silvia from giving birth to any children. However, she broke the code by having twin children with Mars (Ares).

After Amulius heard of Romulus’s and Remus’s birth, he ordered them to be killed at once. The servant commanded to do the task took pity on the twins and put them into the Tiber. Found by a she-wolf, the twins were brought up by the wolf under a fig tree. A woodpecker also provided nuts and berries. Eventually discovered by the shepherd, Faustulus and his wife, Acca Larentia, Romulus and Remus had a proper upbringing.

Romulus and Remus with the she-wolf.

Upon reaching manhood, Romulus and Remus returned to Alba Longa, where they vowed to return their grandfather to his rightful place on the throne. Overthrowing and killing Amulius, Numitor once more ruled. Instead of wanting to take a portion of Alba Longa, Romulus and Remus wanted to start their own city. This lead to a severe fight, when they decided to let the gods decide. Each of them looked for birds, messengers of the gods, flying across the sky. Although Remus saw the first bird, Romulus saw the most.

Romulus created the boundaries of the city ‘Roma’ on the Palatine Hill and stated that no one would be able to venture into Roma without first consulting him. Remus mocked Romulus, jumping over the line, and laughing at him. Angered by Remus, Romulus killed him. On April 21, 753 BC., Rome was founded.

‘Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primo ab oris Italiam fato profugus’ – “Arms, and the man I sing, who, forced by fate, And haughty Juno’s unrelenting hate, Expelled and exiled, left the Trojan shore.”

So begins the Aeneid, the tale of Aeneas, a Trojan hero. He was the son of Anchises and Venus, and an important character in Roman history. During the Trojan War, circa 1180 BC., Aeneas is the leader of the Dardans, allies of the Trojans. Upon the sacking of Troy by the Greeks, Aeneas must flee. Although his wife perished during the flight, Aeneas brought his father and son. In his dreams, the gods told Aeneas that he must go to Italy and found a new city. The group that fled was known as the Aeneads, consisting of Aeneas, Anchises, his son Ascanius, their guide Mimus, his trumpeter Misenus, and his friends Achates, Sergestus, and Acmon. Aeneas first came to Carthage, where he met Dido, also known as Elissa. Dido was the queen of Carthage and loved Aeneas, even proposing a joint rulership with him over Carthage. Mercury came to Aeneas to remind him of his quest, to found the new city. As Aeneas left Carthage, Dido stayed back and committed suicide.

After reaching Italy, Aeneas allied himself with Latinus, king of the Latins. Latinus let the Trojans live in Latium while recovering. Latinus also heard a prophecy that his daughter, Lavinia, would be married to a foreigner, not a native Italian. At the time, Lavinia had been promised to Turnus, king of the Rutuli. However, Latinus went back on his decision and promised Lavinia to Aeneas. Angered by this act, Turnus declared war on Aeneas. After Aeneas and his forces killed Turnus and his armies, Aeneas founded Lavinium, bearing the name of his wife.

Through the long line of lineage laid out by Virgil in the Aeneid, Romulus and Remus were direct descendants of Aeneas by their mother, Rhea Silvia. Julius Caesar’s family (Gens Julia) also claimed relation to Ascanius, Aeneas’s son, and also Venus.

Sources:

http://www.iol.ie/~coolmine/typ/romans/romans9.html
http://www.unrv.com/culture/romulus-and-remus.php
Wikipedia