The Myth Of Romulus And Remus, The Founders Of The Empire

The myth of Romulus and Remus narrates the origin and foundation of the Roman Empire, which according to historians took place in 753 BC. This story has a lot of legend, but it is recorded in the annals of the time. However, their bases are confusing and contradictory, so they are not given full credibility.

There are great historians who have made reference to the myth of Romulus and Remus. Among them are Plutarco, Dionisio, Tito Livio and Lucio Aneo, among others. There is still no consensus among experts on whether the legend has a real basis.

It should be noted that the myth of Romulus and Remus is Roman, as is obvious, but there is also a Greek version of it. According to the latter, Rome would have been founded by the Greeks. However, such a version is full of inconsistencies and did not survive even as a legend.

The origin of the myth of Romulus and Remus

The myth of Romulus and Remus says that it all began with Aeneas, hero of the Trojan War, who escaped from it after 10 years of conflict. In his escape, he lost his wife Creúsa, but managed to save his father and son Ascanio. The latter founded a city called Alba Longa and was its first king.

Of his descendants, four centuries later, a man named Numitor reigned. He was betrayed by his brother, who dethroned him and killed all his male children. Only one female daughter was left alive. The murderer, fearing that she might beget a son who would avenge the affront, consecrated her to the goddess Vesta. In doing this, the young woman was required to make a lifetime vow of chastity.

According to the myth of Romulus and Remus, Mars, god of war , fell in love with the girl. On one occasion the young woman was visiting a garden dedicated to the god and he took advantage of an oversight and took her by force. From that union the woman, named Rea Silvia, became pregnant.

The Twins

Rea Silva was expecting twins. When the man who had betrayed her father found out that she was pregnant, he locked her up and ordered the servants to kill the children as soon as they were born. However, they disobeyed the order and instead put the twins  in a cradle and left it floating in the river.

When the water level rose, the crib reached a dry area. A she-wolf named Luperca came over to drink and saw the little ones. She collected them and nursed them in her lair, which was located on Palatine Hill. In this way, the twins survived. It should be noted that in Latin the term “she-wolf” or “lupa” was also used to designate prostitutes.

Soon after, the twins were found by a pastor who adopted them as his own children, along with his wife. The children also became shepherds and, in their tasks, one day Remo was kidnapped and brought before the man who had dethroned his grandfather. There the young man learned of his true origin. Once freed, his brother told him and between the two they fought and returned the throne to his grandfather.

The founding of the Roman Empire

The myth of Romulus and Remus points out that the twins, knowing that they were sons of a god, decided to found their own city. They marched to the point where they had been found by the she-wolf to start a kingdom of their own there. However, they could not agree on where the new city should be and who should reign first.

To end the discussion, they resorted to an Etruscan custom: whoever saw the most vultures in flight would be the winner. Romulus sighted 12 vultures, while Remus only saw 6. Romulus, then, decided that the new city would be erected on the Palatine Hill and drew the limits, ordering that no one should cross them.

Remo, who had been dissatisfied with the situation, disobeyed his brother’s order and crossed the border. It was then that Romulus killed his brother and became the first ruler of what would from that moment be the eternal city.