Tradition has it that Rome was founded on 21 April, 753 BC by the twin brothers, Romulus and Remus.
According to legend, they were born in Alba Longa the sons of Rhea Silvia, a vestal virgin and daughter of Numitor, the King of Alba who had been deposed by his brother, Amulius. According to mythology, Mars, the god of war was attracted to Rhea Silvia and swooped down in the night and raped her thus violating her vow of celibacy as a vestal virgin. Her uncle, King Amulius ordered her to be buried alive as punishment.
Fearing the twins posed a threat to his rule, Amulius also ordered them killed and they were abandoned on the River Tiber and left to die. They were rescued by the god Tiberinus, Father of the River and suckled by a she-wolf before they were adopted by a shepherd, Faustulus and they grew up unaware of their true identity.
Eventually, they discovered the truth of their birth and were involved in a dispute between Amulius and Numitor in which Amulius was killed and their grandfather, Numitor restored as king of Alba.
The brothers decided to found a city of their own and chose a site of seven hills alongside the Tiber. They disagreed on which of the seven hills to build the settlement - Romulus favoured the Palatine and Remus preferred the Aventine - and in the ensuring dispute Remus was killed. Romulus then named the city Roma after himself. Thus Rome was born out of fratricide, treachery and bloodshed which became the hallmarks of Roman life.
There are other versions of the founding of Rome. Some say it was established by the Greeks while another version credits the city's foundation to the Trojan Prince Aeneas and survivors after the fall of Troy. What we do know from archaeological findings is that humans had used the site for 14,000 years prior to Romulus and Remus.
From its humble beginnings almost three millennia ago, Rome still endures and it very existence still impacts on Western Civilisation to this day.
What a wonderful and very learned post, dear Chris.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
I like especially the very right reflection: “ROME WAS BORN OUT OF FRATRICIDE, TREACHERY AND BLOODSHED WHICH BECAME THE HALLMARKS OF ROMAN LIFE”; and let’s not forget that, according to several other legends about the first times of the City and of the Roman people, its first inhabitants were bandits, criminals and fugitive slaves …… who kidnapped and raped not only the girls of the nearby populations but even their own noble ladies ….. who practiced human sacrifices at least up to the 4th century BC etc.etc.
In the historical times at the climax of the glory, splendours and highest wealth of the City and of its Empire, those haughty and cruel Roman Senators and Patricians, now dominating the world and who were the descendants of those primitive bandits, criminals and fugitive slaves …….. seemed very proud of their ancestors and of those ancient legends about the origins of their civilization and had no shame of recalling that history of full of crimes, atrocities and depravities.
What a hypocrisy !
How sadistically they treated their helpless slaves and how atrociously their punished in particular their fugitive slaves ……. when they themselves were boasting of being the descendants of a primitive gang of fugitive slaves and criminals !
There is something “slightly illogical” in all this behaviour. Isn’t it ?
Karel