Romulus and Remus - Founding of Rome

The Divine Twins

Rhea Silvia, a Vestal Virgin and daughter of the usurped King Numitor of Alba Longa, was visited by Mars, the god of war, and conceived twin sons. When they were born, her uncle Amulius (who had stolen the throne) ordered the infants drowned in the Tiber River to prevent them from growing up to challenge him.

But the servants took pity on the boys, or perhaps the river god Tiberinus interceded. They placed the twins in a basket which floated downstream and caught in the roots of a fig tree (the Ficus Ruminalis). There, a she-wolf (Lupa) destined by Mars found them. Instead of devouring them, she suckled them, and a woodpecker (picus) brought them food, until they were discovered by the royal shepherd Faustulus.

The Restoration

Faustulus and his wife Acca Larentia raised the boys, naming them Romulus and Remus. They grew up to be strong, charismatic leaders of a band of shepherd warriors. Eventually, they discovered their true identity, killed the usurper Amulius, and restored their grandfather Numitor to the throne of Alba Longa.

The Fatal Quarrel

Not content to wait for a throne, the twins decided to found their own city at the site where they had been saved. However, they disagreed on the exact location: Romulus favored the Palatine Hill, while Remus chose the Aventine. To settle the dispute, they consulted augury (watching for birds).

Remus saw six vultures first, but Romulus saw twelve soon after. Each claimed victory—Remus by priority, Romulus by number. The dispute turned violent. Romulus began building the city walls on the Palatine. Remus, mocking his brother's efforts, leaped over the low wall. Enraged by this act of disrespect and invasion, Romulus struck his brother dead, shouting, "So perish everyone that shall hereafter leap over my wall!"

Romulus became the sole ruler, giving his name to the new city: Rome. To populate it, he declared it an asylum for refugees and outlaws, ensuring its future strength through a mix of peoples.