Romulus and Remus: The Founding Myth of Rome
Whereas other nations prefer to attribute their birth to heroic deeds and selfless acts, the Romans took pride in a very different beginning. Can you imagine an origin story in which a 6-year-old George Washington butchered his own father with a hatchet because he inquired about the proverbial cherry tree? If you think this sounds crazy, you aren’t familiar with the tale of Romulus and Remus.
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Table of Contents
Romulus and Remus
Trouble in Alba Longa
Remember King Ascanius of the Latins, the founder of Alba Longa? Four centuries later, King Numitor ruled the city-state. However, his brother wasn’t happy with the setup.
Thus, Amulius seized the throne, sidelined Numitor, and murdered his son. Moreover, the usurper forced his niece, Rhea Silvia, to become a Vestal Virgin, hoping to end his dethroned brother’s lineage.
“These things happen in royal families,” I hear you say. Wait until you read about what happened next.
The Twins’ Conception
One day, Rhea Silvia went to a sacred grove to fetch water for the temple. There, she met Mars, the god of war.
For some reason or another, Mars attempted to have sex with her. She managed to escape to a nearby cave but was followed by the horny god, who eventually raped her. His yearnings sated, Mars left but not before observing that the resulting children would turn out well. I mean, they were his, right?
I will stop here for a moment to clarify one thing. Romans liked to talk in riddles. It is possible that the account of the divine rape was a wink-wink way of saying the princess wasn’t a saint. And why would she? Her power-hungry uncle forced her to take the virginity pledge; it wasn’t her choice.
Irrespective of the circumstances, Vesta wasn’t pleased with Rhea Silvia breaking her oath. As a result, the goddess extinguished the Sacred Fire in the temple, among other things, signaling the city of Alba Longa lost her favor. This was bad, alright? I mean, very, very bad! The Sacred Fire was supposed to burn eternally or else….
Hearing that his niece gave birth to twins, King Amulius threw her in the dungeons. Then, he ordered a servant to get rid of the children. Being a nice guy, the servant set the helpless newborns adrift on the Tiber instead of murdering them—as if one-day-old babies were likely to survive such an ordeal.
The She-Wolf
The river carried the twins into a shallow pool on the bank, where a she-wolf found them. The wild beast lost her cubs recently, so she took the human babies to a nearby cave and suckled them. Lupa is the Latin word for she-wolf, so the cave was subsequently called the Lupercal.
In case you wonder, Rhea Silvia was released at some point but eventually threw herself into the Tiber.
According to the legend, the shepherd Faustulus happened upon the she-wolf and the babies. He took them home to his wife, Acca Larentia, and they raised them as their own.
Allow me to pause and reveal another piece of the riddle. Lupa was also the word for prostitute. So, whoever recounted the story first could have implied that the boys were cared for by a less reputable lady (not an actual wolf). Perhaps the twins’ adoptive mother had a side job.
Reclaiming Their Heritage
Unaware of their true identity, the boys grew up to be natural leaders, and numerous supporters flocked to them. I guess the young men were running a gang, rustling cattle and robbing travelers.
During their questionable activities, the twins tangled with the king’s men. The guards captured Remus and took him to Alba Longa. However, Romulus rescued his twin, and the boys discovered their true identity.
Then, they joined Numitor, their grandfather, and—with the help of their adoptive father, Faustulus, and his brother, Pleistinus—got rid of the usurper, reinstating the rightful king.
One would think the twins would be happy to take their place alongside King Numitor. Alas, the young brothers had different plans.
The Foundational Murder
The twins decided to build their own city. The only problem was that they couldn’t agree on where to erect it.
Romulus preferred the Palatine Hill above the Lupercal, the cave where the she-wolf suckled them as babies. Remus, though, advocated for the Aventine Hill because it was more defensible. Since they couldn’t agree, the brothers decided to ask the gods.
Communicating with divinity was never a straightforward enterprise. One possible course of action was to take auspices.
Basically, an augur—the person taking the auspices—watched the sky, looking for birds. Depending on the kind of birds he saw and their movements, the augur decided whether the omens were auspicious.
On that faithful day, Remus and Romulus sat on the ground, apart from each other, and took the auspices. Remus saw six vultures, while Romulus saw twelve. Unfortunately, the art of augury didn’t come with a user’s manual.
Remus claimed the gods favored his choice because he saw the vultures first. Romulus objected, claiming he won because he saw twice the number of birds.
Convinced of his victory, Romulus plowed a square furrow around the Palatine to demarcate the walls of the future city. Remus made fun of his brother’s “wall” and jumped over it mockingly. Enraged, Romulus struck him down, killing Remus on the spot.
According to other ancient sources, Romulus’ and Remus’ supporters clashed. Several people died in the fighting, including Remus, Faustulus, and Pleistinus.
I am not sure which version is worse. The one in which Romulus murders his brother for a childish reason, or the one in which he also massacres his adoptive father and uncle.
Either way, the city of Rome was born in 753 B.C., and Romulus became its first king.
What does it say about the Romans?
The fact that the whole founding myth is probably just that, a myth, should give us pause. It is one thing to have deranged forefathers, and it is another to wish you had. So, what does this tell us about the Romans?
In my view, the story of the twins personifies Rome’s unbridled ambition above all else. Nothing and no one could stand between its people and their destiny! Not even a cheeky twin brother or a beloved parent.
In the words of Tacitus: “Great empires are not maintained by timidity.”
