ROMULUS AND REMUS

THE ORIGINS OF ROME

• Who? Romulus and Remus (mythology)
• What? Early Rome was governed by kings, Rome was a republic.
• The Romans praised many different gods.
• When? Rome was thought to be founded in 753 BC.
• Where? Located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula

ROMULUS AND REMUS

• Numitor was the ruler of Alba Longa
• His brother, Amulius, took over Alba Longa
• Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia, was made a vestal virgin by Amulius
• Mars came to Rhea Silva in the temple and conceived Romulus and Remus despite being forbidden to marry
• When the twins were born, Amulius was scared about being overthrown by the boys

ROMULUS AND REMUS

• Legend of how Rome came to be
• They were twin brothers and sons of Mars
• They were abandoned by Mars and placed in the tiber river
• They were raised by a wolf and wood pecker after being abandoned
• They were later raised by a shepherd named Faustulus

ROMULUS AND REMUS

• The two boys were building a city
• They started building the city where the wolf found them
• Remus disagreed with Romulus on the location of where go build the city
• Romulus then killed Remus

ROMULUS AND REMUS

• Once they were men, they killed Amulius and reinstated Numitor as king of Alba Longa
• Romulus began to build walls on Palatine hill but Remus didn't approve
• The walls were so short Remus could jump over them
• Then Remus jumped over the wall and Romulus killed him
• Romulus continued to build Rome in the same place

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• First citizens were outlaws and fugitives
• There was not enough women for the men
• Romulus stole women from the Sabines, an Italian tribe
• He proclaimed a festival and invited many Sabines to it
• While the Sabine men partied, Romulus and the Romans stole the women

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• The Sabine men, led by King Titus Tatius declared war on Romulus
• During the war, the women stood between the ranks and begged for peace
• Romulus and King Titus ruled together

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• King Titus dies in battle
• Romulus rules alone for the rest of his life
• Romulus never died but disappeared in a storm
• They believe he was taken to heaven
• The Romans worship him under the name Quirinus