THE LEGEND
After the fall of Troy the Trojan Aeneas – son of the goddess Aphrodite and prince Anchises - together with his son Ascanius (also known as Julus, Julius) escaped and settled in Latium. The king of Latins - Latinus marry his daughter Lavinia to Aeneas. Afters Aeneas death, his son Ascanius Julus founded the city of Alba Longa and became a king. Few generations after Julus, the king of Alba Longa became Numitor. He was overthrown by his brother Amulius who killed his son and forced his daughter Rhea Silvia to become Vestal Virgin. But Rhea Silvia conceived twins from the god Mars and was buried alive by Amulius orders. Amulius ordered his servants to kill the twins but they set them adrift in a basket in the river Tiber. Their cry was heard by a she-wolf who came to the river and nursed them. Soon the twin brothers were discovered by Faustulus – Amulius’ shepherd. He took them home and together with his wife Larentia raised the boys. They were named Romulus and Remus. As grown-ups they were hunting and also attacking brigands and share their taking between shepherds. In some time the secret was revealed, the boys killed Amulius and restore the kingship to Numitor, their grandfather. The boys refuse to stay in Alba Longa and decided to found a new city. During the foundation Romulus killed Remus and named the city after his own name - Rome. According to the history it happened in 754/53 BC.
THE ORIGIN OF THE LEGEND
The above mentioned was the most popular version of the legend according to Titus Livius, Dionysius and Plutarchus. But history says that it comes much earlier and not from Italy but from Greece.It happened in 5th BC and the author was Hellanicus of Lesbos. In that version the founder of Rome was Aeneas himself. With years the legend evolved introducing new characters. In the beginning there was only one founder of the city – Rhomos. Later it became Romulus. During the traveling of the legend between Italy and Greece, the founders became two – Romulus and Remus. This is how the two twin brothers were created. According to history data the legend was formed in its final version and accepted in 3rd BC. In 1st BC the legend was officially recognized in order to prove the divine origin of the gens Julia which claimed to descent from Julus, son of the legendary Trojan prince Aeneas (supposedly the son of the goddess Aphrodite and prince Anchises) from which the first dynasty of the Roman emperors came.
THE SEVEN KINGS
The history and tradition say about seven Roman kings using always the same names and putting them in the same order. The order is as follows: Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius, Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius and Tarquinius Superbus.
ROMULUS
Romulus selected 100 noble men to serve as senators, divided the people of Rome into three tribes (Romans, Sabines and Others) , created the Comitia Curiata etc. The legend says that in order to provide wives to Roman men, Romulus invited the Sabine tribe to a festival and then young Romans abducted the Sabine women (known also as The Rape Of The Sabine Women). A year later the Sabines went to war with Romans but by then the women had become attached to their husbands and ran between the battle lines begging for a reconciliation. Then the battle was stopped. During Romulus reign the Sabines became Roman citizens.
After the fall of Troy the Trojan Aeneas – son of the goddess Aphrodite and prince Anchises - together with his son Ascanius (also known as Julus, Julius) escaped and settled in Latium. The king of Latins - Latinus marry his daughter Lavinia to Aeneas. Afters Aeneas death, his son Ascanius Julus founded the city of Alba Longa and became a king. Few generations after Julus, the king of Alba Longa became Numitor. He was overthrown by his brother Amulius who killed his son and forced his daughter Rhea Silvia to become Vestal Virgin. But Rhea Silvia conceived twins from the god Mars and was buried alive by Amulius orders. Amulius ordered his servants to kill the twins but they set them adrift in a basket in the river Tiber. Their cry was heard by a she-wolf who came to the river and nursed them. Soon the twin brothers were discovered by Faustulus – Amulius’ shepherd. He took them home and together with his wife Larentia raised the boys. They were named Romulus and Remus. As grown-ups they were hunting and also attacking brigands and share their taking between shepherds. In some time the secret was revealed, the boys killed Amulius and restore the kingship to Numitor, their grandfather. The boys refuse to stay in Alba Longa and decided to found a new city. During the foundation Romulus killed Remus and named the city after his own name - Rome. According to the history it happened in 754/53 BC.
THE ORIGIN OF THE LEGEND
The above mentioned was the most popular version of the legend according to Titus Livius, Dionysius and Plutarchus. But history says that it comes much earlier and not from Italy but from Greece.It happened in 5th BC and the author was Hellanicus of Lesbos. In that version the founder of Rome was Aeneas himself. With years the legend evolved introducing new characters. In the beginning there was only one founder of the city – Rhomos. Later it became Romulus. During the traveling of the legend between Italy and Greece, the founders became two – Romulus and Remus. This is how the two twin brothers were created. According to history data the legend was formed in its final version and accepted in 3rd BC. In 1st BC the legend was officially recognized in order to prove the divine origin of the gens Julia which claimed to descent from Julus, son of the legendary Trojan prince Aeneas (supposedly the son of the goddess Aphrodite and prince Anchises) from which the first dynasty of the Roman emperors came.
THE SEVEN KINGS
The history and tradition say about seven Roman kings using always the same names and putting them in the same order. The order is as follows: Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius, Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius and Tarquinius Superbus.
ROMULUS
Romulus selected 100 noble men to serve as senators, divided the people of Rome into three tribes (Romans, Sabines and Others) , created the Comitia Curiata etc. The legend says that in order to provide wives to Roman men, Romulus invited the Sabine tribe to a festival and then young Romans abducted the Sabine women (known also as The Rape Of The Sabine Women). A year later the Sabines went to war with Romans but by then the women had become attached to their husbands and ran between the battle lines begging for a reconciliation. Then the battle was stopped. During Romulus reign the Sabines became Roman citizens.