Seven Kings of Rome - Romulus
Romulus was the first king of Rome and the founder of the city of Rome.
- The god Mars impregnates a Vestal Virgin.
- When she gives birth to twins, Romulus and Remus, the king orders them to be left to die in the Tiber River.
- When the basket in which Romulus and Remus were placed washes up on shore, a wolf suckles them and a woodpecker named Picus feeds them until
- The shepherd Faustulus finds Romulus and Remus and brings them into his home.
- When they grow up, Romulus and Remus restore the throne of Alba Longa to its rightful ruler, their maternal grandfather, and
- Set out to found their own city.
- Sibling rivalry leads Romulus to slay his brother and
- Become the first king and founder of the city of Rome.
- Rome is named after Romulus.
The Vestal Virgin
The Vestal Virgin and mother of the twins Romulus and Remus was named Rhea Silvia, in most accounts. She was the daughter of Numitor and niece of King Amulius of Alba Longa. Numitor was the rightful king -- appointed by Proca, the father of Numitor and Amulius. Usurper Amulius feared a future challenge from Numitor's descendants. To prevent their being born, King Amulius forced the daughter of his brother Numitor to become a Vestal Virgin. The penalty for violating the vow of chastity was supposed to be a cruel death, but Rhea Silvia survived long enough to give birth to twins, Romulus and Remus. Rhea Silvia may have been burned alive. Later Vestal Virgins paid for their transgressions by being buried alive.Alba Longa
Aeneas, son of the goddess Venus and the mortal Anchises, left the burning city of Troy with his son Ascanius. After many adventures, which the Roman poet Vergil describes in the Aeneid, Aeneas and his son arrived at the city of Laurentum on the west coast of Italy. Aeneas married Lavinia, the daughter of the king of the area, Latinus, and founded the town of Lavinium in honor of his wife. Ascanius, son of Aeneas, decided to build a new city, which he named Alba Longa, under the Alban mountain.
Timeline of Events Before the Founding of Romec. 1184 - Fall of Troyc. 1176 - Aeneas founds Lavinium c. 1152 - Ascanius founds Alba Longa c. 1152-753 - Kings of Alba Longa |
Kings of Alba Longa
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Aeneas vs. Romulus
There were two traditions on the founding of Rome. According to one, Aeneas was the founder of Rome and according to the other, it was Romulus. Cato, in the early second century B.C., combined the two stories to come up with what is the generally accepted version, with Aeneas coming to Italy and Romulus founding the actual seven-hilled (Palatine, Aventine, Capitoline or Capitolium, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline and Caelian) city of Rome, according to Jane Gardner.The Fratricide - Romulus Kills His Brother Remus
How and why Romulus or his companions killed Remus is also unclear. Was Remus killed by accident or out of sibling rivalry for the throne?One story about Romulus killing Remus begins with the brothers using augury to determine which brother should be king. Romulus looked for his signs on the Palatine Hill and Remus on the Aventine. The sign came to Remus first -- six vultures. When Romulus later saw 12, the brothers' men ranged themselves against each other, the one claiming precedence because the favorable signs had come to their leader first, and the other claiming the throne because the signs were greater. In the ensuing altercation, Remus was killed -- by Romulus or another.
Another story of the killing of Remus has each brother building the walls for his city on his respective hill. Remus, mocking the low walls of his brother's city, leaped over the Palatine walls, where an angry Romulus killed him. The city grew up around the Palatine and was named Rome for Romulus, its new king.
