ROMAN MYTHOLOGY (Remus and Romulus)
After the Trojan War, Aneas led Trojan people through many wanderings to settle in Italy
along the banks of the Tiber. Taking in marriage in Lavinia, the daughter of the king of
Latian.
Aneas set about building a new city which he called Lavinia in honor of his wife Aneas
had a son he named Ascanius. When Ascanius came of age he desired to found a new city
of his own. He therefore travelled south and when he found a suitable place at the door of
the elven mount.
He began to build this city which he named Alba longa after the death of Ascanius, his
son. Aeneas Silvius ruled Alba longa as did Latinus Silvius after him, thus all members of
that family bore the name. For many generations the Sylvian family ruled the Alba longa
until Proca.
Proco had two sons Amulius and Numator. Numator is the eldest son it is obvious that he
will take the throne but Amulius is power hungry and greedy so he self thrust Numator
from his throne and took the rule of Alba longa for himself. Amulius killed all the sons of
Numator then took his brother's daughter—Rhea Silvia to be appointed at the temple of
goddess Vesta. When she would live as a virgin and serve the goddess of hearth and
home that she might never marry and never bear a son having a rightful owner to the
throne.
One day, Mars came down and took to himself Rhea Sillvia, she soon found out that she
was pregnant although she strove to keep it secret for the penalties against vessels who
broke her vows were severe . She could not stay hidden forever and in time she gave
birth to two twin boys. When Amulius discovered this, he fell into a rage; he locked away
Rhea Sillvia and he ordered a servant to put the two boys into a basket and drown them
in the river Tibet. The servant could not drown the twins and so the basket drifted and
finally rested at the river banks beneath the fig tree. A she-wolf and a woodpecker
helped to keep the twins alive until a shepherd Faustulus saw them. He took the twins
and brought them back home to his wife Laurentia to be taken care of together with their
12 sons.
they both grow very quickly and become exceedingly manly and fearless. They were
greatly talented in all things, and Romulus especially excelled in sagacity and judgment,
herding and hunting. However, they got into a dispute with the herdsmen of Numitor,
who dwelt on the opposing Aventine Hill. When some of Numitor's herdsmen took the
, cattle, Romulus and Remus retrieved them and defeated the thieves in combat. But later,
when Romulus was away to make sacrifices to the gods, for he was said to be greatly
fond of sacrifice and divination. Remus was set upon by the rival herdsmen captured and
brought before Numitor
They end up learning that Numitor is their grandfather and they vow to return him to
the kingship, leading an assault against Ammulius They defeat him, kill him and restore
Numitor to the throne of Alba Longa, fulfilling the fears that Amulius had before they
were even born.
Romulus and Rhaemos are not content to be princes of Alba Longa, but decide to set out
and found their own community. The idea that these sons of Mars are the ones to
undertake such a venture likely has its roots in ancient European practice of the young
warrior bands. These young men, expelled from the community due to lack of food or
women or other social issues, would take on the persona of the wolf, living in the wilds
according to their own specific laws and following their own god, a fierce god of the
outcast, of the wilds, of the warrior band.
To prove who is the one destined to rule and to decide, they have a contest. Not sparring,
nor racing, nor a game of wit or skill, augury. The gods, through the flights of birds, will
decide which one of them shall choose the place. Romulus sets himself up on the
Palatine Hill, and Remus on the Aventine Hill. Whoever sees the most auspicious bird
sign first is to be the winner. Remus spots 6 vultures, and Romulus at first spots nothing,
or lies and says that he has spotted 12 vultures. When Ramus comes, 12 vultures appear,
and Romulus points them out and says, you see, I have won. However, it is actually
unclear who has won, as Ramus has spotted them first. But Romulus has spotted the
same bird in a greater amount. The 2 sides fight and Ramus ends up dead, along with
their foster father and many others.
He invited the Sabines to the festival, and when they were unarmed and unaware, he and
his cohorts set upon them, grabbing their daughters away at Swordpoint and driving off
the fathers and brothers. Through trickery and abduction, Rome had acquired its first
women. The act of carrying a woman over the threshold of a house on her wedding night
originates from the capture of the Sabine women.
After the capture of the Sabine women, the Sabine men eventually make war on Romulus
and his people. He faced Akron, king of the Kynanenses, and defeated him in single
combat, dedicating his victory to Jupiter. After the victory he sought a way to honor the
god and the people, so he cut down a giant oak tree and carved it into the shape of a
After the Trojan War, Aneas led Trojan people through many wanderings to settle in Italy
along the banks of the Tiber. Taking in marriage in Lavinia, the daughter of the king of
Latian.
Aneas set about building a new city which he called Lavinia in honor of his wife Aneas
had a son he named Ascanius. When Ascanius came of age he desired to found a new city
of his own. He therefore travelled south and when he found a suitable place at the door of
the elven mount.
He began to build this city which he named Alba longa after the death of Ascanius, his
son. Aeneas Silvius ruled Alba longa as did Latinus Silvius after him, thus all members of
that family bore the name. For many generations the Sylvian family ruled the Alba longa
until Proca.
Proco had two sons Amulius and Numator. Numator is the eldest son it is obvious that he
will take the throne but Amulius is power hungry and greedy so he self thrust Numator
from his throne and took the rule of Alba longa for himself. Amulius killed all the sons of
Numator then took his brother's daughter—Rhea Silvia to be appointed at the temple of
goddess Vesta. When she would live as a virgin and serve the goddess of hearth and
home that she might never marry and never bear a son having a rightful owner to the
throne.
One day, Mars came down and took to himself Rhea Sillvia, she soon found out that she
was pregnant although she strove to keep it secret for the penalties against vessels who
broke her vows were severe . She could not stay hidden forever and in time she gave
birth to two twin boys. When Amulius discovered this, he fell into a rage; he locked away
Rhea Sillvia and he ordered a servant to put the two boys into a basket and drown them
in the river Tibet. The servant could not drown the twins and so the basket drifted and
finally rested at the river banks beneath the fig tree. A she-wolf and a woodpecker
helped to keep the twins alive until a shepherd Faustulus saw them. He took the twins
and brought them back home to his wife Laurentia to be taken care of together with their
12 sons.
they both grow very quickly and become exceedingly manly and fearless. They were
greatly talented in all things, and Romulus especially excelled in sagacity and judgment,
herding and hunting. However, they got into a dispute with the herdsmen of Numitor,
who dwelt on the opposing Aventine Hill. When some of Numitor's herdsmen took the
, cattle, Romulus and Remus retrieved them and defeated the thieves in combat. But later,
when Romulus was away to make sacrifices to the gods, for he was said to be greatly
fond of sacrifice and divination. Remus was set upon by the rival herdsmen captured and
brought before Numitor
They end up learning that Numitor is their grandfather and they vow to return him to
the kingship, leading an assault against Ammulius They defeat him, kill him and restore
Numitor to the throne of Alba Longa, fulfilling the fears that Amulius had before they
were even born.
Romulus and Rhaemos are not content to be princes of Alba Longa, but decide to set out
and found their own community. The idea that these sons of Mars are the ones to
undertake such a venture likely has its roots in ancient European practice of the young
warrior bands. These young men, expelled from the community due to lack of food or
women or other social issues, would take on the persona of the wolf, living in the wilds
according to their own specific laws and following their own god, a fierce god of the
outcast, of the wilds, of the warrior band.
To prove who is the one destined to rule and to decide, they have a contest. Not sparring,
nor racing, nor a game of wit or skill, augury. The gods, through the flights of birds, will
decide which one of them shall choose the place. Romulus sets himself up on the
Palatine Hill, and Remus on the Aventine Hill. Whoever sees the most auspicious bird
sign first is to be the winner. Remus spots 6 vultures, and Romulus at first spots nothing,
or lies and says that he has spotted 12 vultures. When Ramus comes, 12 vultures appear,
and Romulus points them out and says, you see, I have won. However, it is actually
unclear who has won, as Ramus has spotted them first. But Romulus has spotted the
same bird in a greater amount. The 2 sides fight and Ramus ends up dead, along with
their foster father and many others.
He invited the Sabines to the festival, and when they were unarmed and unaware, he and
his cohorts set upon them, grabbing their daughters away at Swordpoint and driving off
the fathers and brothers. Through trickery and abduction, Rome had acquired its first
women. The act of carrying a woman over the threshold of a house on her wedding night
originates from the capture of the Sabine women.
After the capture of the Sabine women, the Sabine men eventually make war on Romulus
and his people. He faced Akron, king of the Kynanenses, and defeated him in single
combat, dedicating his victory to Jupiter. After the victory he sought a way to honor the
god and the people, so he cut down a giant oak tree and carved it into the shape of a
