Romulus and Remus - The Story of the Founding of Rome - Roman Mythology - See u In History

Rhea Silvia was the daughter of Numitor, king of Alba Longa, when her father was deposed by Amulus the usurper. Rhea was forced to serve among the Vestal Virgins, so that she would not continue her father's lineage. But Rhea Silvia was seduced by Mars, the Roman god of war. She gave birth to twins Romulus and Remus, but the children were born condemned to death. Amulius ordered the two children to be thrown into the Tiber. Rhea Silvia was imprisoned, and the children were put in a basket and thrown into the river. The children were carried by water to certain death, but this was not the will of the gods. As fate would have it, the basket was left stranded on the banks of the river, where a she-wolf was quenching her thirst. Contrary to expectations, the she-wolf did not devour the babies. She took them from the riverbanks, near the Capitoline and Palatine hills. In her cave, the she-wolf suckled the two boys. Thanks to the she-wolf's milk, one of the most important cities in the world arose. Pastor Faustulus found the children under a fig tree. On the branch of the tree was a woodpecker, a bird sacred to the Latins. The shepherd rescued the children and raised them together with his wife. The brothers grew up to be strong and daring young men. They were hunters, and robbed travelers who crossed their land. One of these raids did not end well for Remus, who was captured and taken to Alba Longa. Romulus wanted to rescue his brother, but before that, his adoptive father revealed the truth about his noble ancestry. Upon learning that his grandchildren were still alive, Numitor supported Romulus' attack, giving him warriors to help him in battle. Romulus led the attack on Alba Longa. During the battle, Amulius, the usurper of the throne, was killed, and Remus was rescued. Romulus and Remus returned the crown of Alba Longa to their grandfather, but found that their fate was not in the city. They gathered some men to found a new one, close to the place where the she-wolf rescued them. Romulus and Remus disagreed on where the city should be founded. Romulus wanted to choose the name Rome, and found it near the Palatine Hill. Remus wanted to name the city Remora, and found it on the Aventine Hill. The brothers began to build their respective settlements. But when Romulus began to set the sacred boundaries of his territory, the dispute between the brothers reached a critical level. Remus again disagreed with his brother. In an act of provocation, Remus overstepped the borders of Rome. Romulus attacked his brother in a fit of rage. Even though Rome was founded in a brotherly tragedy, it grew and prospered over time. Romulus reigned over the city for 38 years. At the end of his life, Romulus was raptured by the gods and divinized. Rome's founder came to be idolized as the warrior god Quirinius. In the following centuries, Rome became the most important city in the ancient world. A great empire emerged from Romulus's founded city.