Romulus and Remus
Romulus and Remus are central figures in Roman mythology, credited with the founding of the city of Rome in 753 B.C.E. According to legend, they were twin brothers born to the Roman god of war, Mars, and were linked to the hero Aeneas, a figure from Greek mythology celebrated for his role in the Trojan War. Orphaned at birth, the twins were famously raised by a she-wolf, a narrative that has inspired numerous artistic representations throughout Roman history. As they grew, Romulus and Remus each claimed distinct territories in what would become Rome, with Romulus eventually establishing a settlement on the Palatine Hill. A conflict emerged between the brothers, culminating in Romulus killing Remus after a dispute over the city's borders. This act solidified Romulus's role as the first king of Rome, leading to a lineage of seven kings before the establishment of the Roman Republic. Romulus and Remus are remembered not only as mythological figures but also as symbols of Rome's origins, embodying themes of sibling rivalry and the complexities of leadership. Their story reflects the cultural significance of Rome's founding and its connections to wider Greek and Roman traditions.
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Romulus and Remus
Related civilization: Prerepublican Rome
Major role/position: Legendary founders of the city of Rome
Life
Roman legend held that the twin brothers Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome in 753 b.c.e. According to the legend, Mars, the Roman god of war and the most important of the Roman deities in the early republic, had sired the twins. The twins were alleged to be the grandsons of Aeneas, a Greek warrior in Homer’s Iliad (c. 800 b.c.e.; English translation, 1616), whom the Romans believed settled in Italy after the Trojan War. Aeneas linked the founding of Rome to the Greeks, whom the Romans greatly admired.
According to legend, the twins, orphaned at birth, were adopted and suckled by a female wolf. Images of the twins suckling beneath the female wolf became a common theme in Roman art. As adults, the twins founded the city of Rome. Romulus settled on the Palatine hill, and Remus settled on the Aventine. Remus became jealous of Romulus’s settlement and showed his contempt by jumping over the unfinished walls. Romulus killed his brother in a rage and vowed, “So will die whoever else shall leap over my walls.”
Influence
Romulus and Remus are remembered and honored as the legendary founders of Rome. Roman historians traced back to Romulus the seven kings who ruled until the founding of the Republic around 508 b.c.e. These kings, except for Romulus, are believed to have been actual historical figures.
Bibliography
Grant, Michael. History of Rome. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1978.
Hibbert, Fernand. Romulus. Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Editions H. Deschamps, 1988.
Wiseman, Timothy P. Remus, a Roman Myth. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1995.