Romulus

Romulus. According to ancient Roman mythology, he was the legendary founder and first King of Rome. The traditional date for the city's founding is April 21, 753 BC, an event central to Roman identity and historiography. His life, from miraculous birth to mysterious disappearance, embodies themes of fratricide, political foundation, and divine favor that were fundamental to Roman culture.

Mythological origins and birth

The story of his origins is rooted in the royal lineage of Alba Longa, a city founded by Ascanius, son of the Trojan hero Aeneas. His mother, Rhea Silvia, was a Vestal Virgin and daughter of Numitor, the deposed king of Alba Longa. She was impregnated by the god Mars, leading to the birth of twin brothers. The usurper Amulius, fearing the twins would threaten his rule, ordered them to be drowned in the Tiber River. They were saved by divine intervention, with the river deity Tiberinus causing the basket to wash ashore at the site of future Rome, near the Palatine Hill. There, they were suckled by a she-wolf and later discovered by the shepherd Faustulus and his wife Acca Larentia, who raised them.

Founding of Rome

As adults, the brothers learned their true heritage and restored their grandfather Numitor to the throne of Alba Longa. They then decided to found a new city near where they had been saved. A dispute arose over the location and who should rule; Remus favored the Aventine Hill, while his brother chose the Palatine Hill. They sought augury, the interpretation of divine will through bird signs. When Remus claimed to see six vultures first, his brother later claimed to see twelve, leading to a conflict over the interpretation. During the subsequent marking of the city's sacred boundary, the pomerium, Remus contemptuously jumped over the nascent walls, and in response, he killed him, declaring that so would perish anyone who breached Rome's defenses. He then proceeded to found the city alone, naming it after himself and instituting its first institutions.

Reign and government

His reign is characterized by the establishment of Rome's fundamental political and social structures. To populate the city, he established an asylum on the Capitoline Hill, granting citizenship to outcasts and refugees. To procure wives for these settlers, he orchestrated the Rape of the Sabine Women, abducting women from the neighboring Sabines during a festival. This led to war with the Sabines, notably under King Titus Tatius, which ended with a treaty and the joint rule of the two leaders over a united populace. He organized the early Roman populace into three tribes—the Ramnes, Tities, and Luceres—and created the first Roman Senate, appointing one hundred patres, or fathers, as advisors. His military innovations included the establishment of a personal guard, the Celeres.

Death and apotheosis

The end of his rule is shrouded in supernatural mystery. After a reign of thirty-seven years, he suddenly disappeared during a violent storm while reviewing his army at the Campus Martius. Some senators claimed he had been torn apart by them, while others reported he had been swept into the heavens. The prominent senator Julius Proculus later claimed to have witnessed his apotheosis, declaring that the founder had become the god Quirinus and would forever watch over Rome. This divine ascension solidified his cult and provided a powerful precedent for the deification of later Roman leaders, most notably Julius Caesar.

Legacy and historical analysis

His legacy is foundational to the Roman Empire's self-conception. The narrative provided a heroic, divinely sanctioned origin that rivaled the mythic histories of Ancient Greece. Modern scholarship, influenced by the work of historians like Barthold Georg Niebuhr and Theodor Mommsen, generally views him as a purely legendary figure, a syncretic construct who likely amalgamated earlier folk heroes and Etruscan influences. Archaeological evidence, including early settlements on the Palatine Hill, suggests a more gradual process of urbanization in the 8th century BC. Nevertheless, the story of the city's founding remained a potent ideological tool, referenced by authors from Livy to Plutarch, and celebrated in annual festivals like the Parilia. His myth ultimately served to legitimize Roman power, militarism, and the authority of the Roman state for centuries.

Category:Roman mythology Category:Roman kings Category:Founders of cities