Towards the end of the third century BC when Roman history began to be written, there grew up a literary tradition about the early history of the city. It was systemised by authors such as Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC), Virgil (70-19 BC), Livy (59-00-17) and Dionysius of Halicarnassus (c.60-after 7 BC).
For the Romans the beginnings of Rome were associated with the fall of Troy (c.1200 BC). Aeneas, son of Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite, escaped from the burning city with others and after long wanderings landed in Africa, where he met and loved the Carthaginian queen Dido. However, he soon left and abandoned Dido, who was so distraught that she killed herself, thus sowing the seeds of conflict between Carthage and the descendents of Aeneas.
Latinus was the king of Latium ruling from the city of Laurentium, near the mouth of the Tiber River. When Aeneas arrived with some Trojans, he married Latinus’ daughter Lavinia. After the king’s death Aeneas ruled over the Trojans and indigenes. Aeneas died and was succeeded by his son Ascanius (also known as Julus), who founded Alba Longa in the Alban Hills (20 km southeast of Rome).
After him twelve kings reigned in Alba until a prince Amulius seized the throne in place of his elder brother Numitor, whose daughter he forced to become a Vestal Virgin to prevent her having children of royal blood. But she bore to Mars the twins Romulus (54; r.753-715 BC) and Remus (770-753 BC), who were taken by the king’s men and thrown into the Tiber River. Fortunately, the children were washed up on a riverbank, still in their cradle. A passing she-wolf, who had lost her cubs in the flood, suckled the twins until they were found and adopted by the shepherd Faustulus.
The children grew up among shepherds, unaware of their noble ancestry. Following a skirmish involving stolen cattle, Remus was brought before Numitor. While questioning the young man, Numitor realised that he might be his grandson. Seeing the chance to regain his throne, Numitor initiated a rebellion against Amulius. Romulus, meanwhile, had gathered a mass of men from the country and was marching on the city to rescue his brother. Surprised by these internal and external attacks, Amulius had no time to organise a defence. He was killed, and Numitor resumed his throne.
The twins, having tasted power, decided to found a city on the spot where they had been saved. But while Romulus wished to build on the Palatine, Remus preferred the Aventine, the omens favoured Romulus’ choice, but Remus leapt over his brother’s rising wall and was slain by him. Thus was Rome founded as tradition records on 21 April 753 BC.
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