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Romulus AND Remus. Mythology: The Founding of Rome. Aeneas. As the Greeks were destroying Troy at the end of the Trojan War, some of the Trojans managed to escape. These Trojans were lead by Aeneas, the son of Venus.
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Romulus AND Remus Mythology: The Founding of Rome
Aeneas • As the Greeks were destroying Troy at the end of the Trojan War, some of the Trojans managed to escape. • These Trojans were lead by Aeneas, the son of Venus. • After sailing around the Mediterranean, they landed in Italy. The Trojans joined with the Latins, a local people living there.
The Descendents of Aeneas • Ascanius, Aeneas’ son, founded a city in Italy. He named this city Alba Longa and ruled as a king. For hundreds of years Aeneas’ descendents ruled in Alba Longa. • Five hundred years later, the princes Numitor and Amulius were born. The twins were supposed to rule Alba Long together, but Amulius was greedy and wanted all the power for himself. Amulius took over as the sole king, locking up his brother Numitor.
Rhea Silvia • Amulius was afraid that Numitor’s descendents would take back the throne. • He killed Numitor’s sons and made his daughter, Rhea Silvia, a Vestal Virgin. • Vestal Virgins were women in charge of the sacred fire. They had to make sure that the fire always stayed lit and part of their duty was to remain a virgin.
Mars visits Rhea Silvia • However, the god Mars fell in love with Rhea Silvia. • When she gave birth to twin boys, Amulius ordered that they be drowned in the Tiber River. • He then locked Rhea Silvia in a dungeon.
The She-Wolf (Lupa) • A slave was sent to drown the boys in the Tiber, but he pitied the children. He instead put them in a basket and watched them float away, hoping that someone would find and care for them. • The basket landed on the shore by the foot of a hill. A passing she-wolf heard the babies crying and nursed them.
Romulus and Remus • Later the shepherd Faustulus found the boys. He took them home and raised them as his own children. He named them Romulus and Remus.
A she-wolf? You’re kidding. • Even the Romans found this part of the story hard to believe at times. • The historian Livy wrote a book called AbUrbe Condita (From the Founding of the City). In it he discusses Roman history from Romulus and Remus to his time (Caesar’s death). • In it, he tells the traditional story, then gives an alternate explanation. He says that they were indeed nursed by a lupa… but this word can have a different meaning!
Romulus and Remus • Years later, the brothers found out they were Numitor’s grandsons. • They went to Alba Longa and killed Amulius. They free their grandfather and their mother, then made Numitor king again.
Rome • The brothers now wanted their own city to rule. They went to the hill where the she-wolf had nursed them and began to build a city. Other men came to help build the city and to start a new nation. • The two brothers, however, could not agree on who should be king of this city. They did not want to share the city but they did not want the other one to be sole king. They decided they would watch for omens to see who should become king.
Omens • They each went in different directions and watched the sky for a sign from the gods. • Remus was the first to see a sign – at dawn he saw six vultures fly across the sky. • Later in the day Romulus saw a sign as well – twelve vultures fly by. • Both thought they had won the contest – Remus because he had received his omen first, and Romulus because he had seen more birds.
Rome, not Reme • Romulus and Remus began to fight over the omens they had seen, each thinking they should be king. • In a rage, Romulus killed his brother. • He then named the new city Rome, after himself. This is why today the city is called “Rome” instead of “Reme.”
Myth or Legend? • What is a myth? • A myth is a story based on tradition or legend, which has a deep symbolic meaning. A myth 'conveys a truth' to those who tell it and hear it, rather than necessarily recording a true event. Although some myths can be accounts of actual events, they have become transformed by symbolic meaning or shifted in time or place. Myths are often used to explain universal and local beginnings and involve supernatural beings. The great power of the meaning of these stories, to the culture in which they developed, is a major reason why they survive as long as they do - sometimes for thousands of years
Myth or Legend? • What is a Legend? • A legend is a semi-true story, which has been passed on from person-to-person and has important meaning or symbolism for the culture in which it originates. A legend usually includes an element of truth, or is based on historic facts, but with 'mythical qualities'. Legends usually involve heroic characters or fantastic places and often encompass the spiritual beliefs of the culture in which they originate.
