#faustulus

[illustratus]

Romulus and Remus by Joseph Binder

[thepastisalreadywritten]

By Jane von Mehren

11 January 2023

The highly civilized Etruscans had a huge impact on the city’s eventual geography, architecture, government, trade, and agriculture.

They created excellent schools to which rich Romans sent their sons, much as they would later send them to Greek institutes.

By the sixth century B.C., some of Rome’s most famous institutions, from the Forum to the Senate, were in existence but even the most reputable historians — including Fabius, Livy, and Plutarch — started their accounts of the empire in legend.

Legendary beginnings

The story of Rome’s founding begins in Alba Longa, the first “city” of Latium, a region in central western Italy, occupied by Latins.

The area had been inhabited since the Bronze Age by farming communities and was known to the ancient Greeks, which is perhaps why Aeneas, a Trojan prince, is said to have established it around 1150 B.C.

According to legend, in Alba Longa, two of Aeneas’s descendants, the brothers Amulius and Numitor, fought over who would rule.

Amulius triumphed, killing Numitor’s sons and exiling his daughter, Rhea Silvia, to become a Vestal Virgin.

Through divine intervention, she gave birth to the twins Romulus and Remus.

Threatened by these potential claimants to his throne, Amulius beheaded Rhea Silvia and abandoned the babies in the river Tiber.

Miraculously, a she-wolf rescued and cared for the boys until a shepherd, Faustulus, adopted them, raising them on the Palatine Hill, located in modern-day Rome.

The legend goes on to say that the brothers established the city of Rome on the banks of the Tiber River, where it was narrow enough for crossing and the hills provided a good defensive position.

The land between the hills, however, was quite marshy and not all that fertile.

The twins soon quarreled about the city’s exact boundaries and Romulus killed Remus.

Romulus, along with the outlaws and criminals he recruited, invited neighboring tribe the Sabines, who had resisted intermarrying with the Romans, to a fête.

During the merriment, Romulus raised his cloak signaling his men to seize and abduct the young Sabine women.

As the origin story goes, being Roman wives suited the women and they stopped the Sabine men from battling the Romans when they came to recapture them.

In the end the Sabines remained in Rome as part of the new city.

Influences in the area

Archaeological evidence tells us that Rome’s actual origins were less dramatic.

The first Romans were Latin farmers and shepherds living in small village huts on the Esquiline and Palatine hills.

The Sabines, a tribe living to the north, divided soon after the city’s founding, and some of them came south and united with Rome’s people.

Rome remained relatively primitive until the 600s B.C., when the Etruscans, who controlled a series of city-states to the north, began taking control of the city.

Kingdom of Rome

While modern scholars discount some of the accounts of ancient Roman historians, they agree that during the first phase of its history — from approximately 753 to 509 B.C. — Rome was ruled by kings.

According to these writers, Romulus was the first, succeeded by Numa Pompilius, a Sabine, and in 616 B.C., by an Etruscan named L. Tarquinius Priscus.

Kings had almost absolute power, serving as administrative, judicial, military, and religious leaders. A senate acted as an advisory council.

The king chose its members, who became known as patricians, from the city’s leading families.

Unlike later monarchs, Roman kingship was not inherited.

After a king died, there was a period known as an interregnum, when the Senate chose a new ruler, who was then elected by the people of Rome.

The king-elect needed to obtain approval of the gods and the imperium, the power to command, before assuming his throne.

Etruscan influences

The Etruscans ruled a loose confederation of city- states that stretched from Bologna to the Bay of Naples.

It remains unclear where they originated, but they used a version of the Greek alphabet and some ancient sources describe them as coming from Asia Minor.

Around 650 B.C., they were already dominant in the region and took control of Rome, wanting its strategic position on the Tiber.

Under Etruscan kings, Rome grew from a series of villages into a proper city.

The Etruscans drained the marshes around the city, constructed underground sewers, laid out roads and bridges.

They established the cattle market, Forum Boarium, as well as Forum Romanum, the central market and meeting place that evolved into the heart of the empire.

Toward the end of this period of Etruscan influence, the first temple of Jupiter was built on the Capitoline Hill.

This temple, although rebuilt many times, became the symbol of Rome’s power.

Founding the Republic

The era of Roman kings ended in 509 B.C., when the Romans supposedly expelled the last Etruscan king, L. Tarquinius Superbus, in another mythicized event.

As recounted by historians, including Livy, the son of Tarquinius Superbus, Sextus, raped at knifepoint the noblewoman Lucretia, wife of the king’s great nephew.

Lucretia, feeling that her honor and virtue had been lost, committed suicide.

Her uncle Brutus swears to avenge her and commits to revolution and the expulsion of the monarchy.

To the Roman people, her story represents the tyrannical powers of the monarch on the state, and so the saga of Lucretia is cited as the event that spurred the Roman Republic into being.

In place of the monarchy, Romans established a republic, which lasted until 30 B.C.

Over the course of nearly five centuries, Rome became a dominant Western power, seizing territory throughout the Mediterranean, creating an enormous and efficient army, and learning how to administer its vast provinces.

NOTE:

The traditional date for the founding of Rome is 21 April 753 BC.

[ancientcharm]

Understanding Roman Legend

Numitor, king of Alba Longa, was dethroned and taken prisoner by his younger brother, Amulius, who, after killing his nephews, forced his niece Rhea Silvia to enter the temple of the Vestal Virgins so that she could not have offspring. But the god Mars and Rhea Silvia fell in love. Mars fathered the twins Romulus and Remus.

Mars and Rhea Silvia (1617) by Rubens. Liechtenstein Museum

Amulius, fearing that he would have two rivals in the future, ordered the newborns to be killed. The man in charge of the infanticide did not dare to do it but he placed the babies in a basket and left them to their fate in the Tiber River. The current carried the basket to a swamp called Velabrum, between the Palatine and Capitoline hills.

In the cave known as Lupercal they were suckled by a wolf called Luperca. According to Plutarch in 'Parallel Lives: Romulus', Luperca was the sacred animal of Mars.

Shortly afterwards they were found by the shepherd Faustulus, who was working for Amulius, so he knew very well who those babies were. He decided to secretly care for the children together with his wife Acca Larentia.

The Shepherd Faustulus bringing Romulus and Remus to his wife.  Nicolas Mignard (1654) Dallas Museum of Art.

When they grew up did he reveal his true identity to them and they decided to do justice. They killed Amulius and freed their grandfather from prison, who was reinstated on his throne.

Why sons of Mars and not of another god or a king?

Mars was the god of war and the army, virility, violence, revenge, and courage: all these attributes was the essence of Ancient Rome, rather the Roman army.

On the other hand, if the twins had been the sons of a man, even a king or a great warrior, they would have been ordinary men. That was a clear message to the Romans: they were not like the others; their army was not to be one among many.

Why a she-wolf?

The first food was not mother's milk or the milk of a tame animal but of a fearsome predator; A powerful message to the Romans about who they were, where they came from and where they should go. Engendered by the war, fed by ferocity; Their duty was to always be aggressive and feared by their enemies. Roman soldiers remembered at every step: “ We are sons of Mars and the Capitoline she-wolf”. And Rome, like the she-wolf called Luperca, was also capable of protecting its allies.

The foundation of Rome

The twins left their hometown of Alba Longa as they wanted to rule without overthrowing their grandfather. Romulus wanted to build a new city called Rome on the Palatine Hill, but Remus wanted to call it Remoria on the Aventine Hill. They decided that whoever saw the most vultures would win the dispute. Remus saw six and Romulus twelve.

According to tradition, Romulus founded Rome by drawing its sacred border on the afternoon of 21 April 753 BC.

Romulus had declared that no one could cross the borders of the city in arms; his brother disobeyed and crossed the limits carrying a sword, thus violating the sanctity of Rome. Romulus became enraged and a heated argument and subsequent armed confrontation began between the twins. Remus was seriously wounded and died hours later. Romulus held a funeral for his brother and buried his remains at the place where Remus had wanted to found his city Remoria.

Why a story about twins?

Romulus and Remus (1615) by Rubens. Capitoline Museums

The fact that they were twins, and not an older and a younger brother, was to make it clear that the god Mars was the father of both, and that they were 100% brothers.

So there was no doubt that Romulus and Remus represented all Romans, both in good times, when they were united and fighting for a common cause, and in times of division and conflict.

The fratricide was not premeditated. The fight was not for ambition or for a woman, it was for Rome. This story taught that, for the good of Rome, civil wars could be fought, as many as necessary.

Romulus and Remus. Silver didrachm (6.44 g). c. 269–266 BC. Photo: Curtius http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

[whencyclopedia]

The Legend of Romulus

Despite allegedly founding Rome and being hailed a hero, Romulus’ legacy is complex and his biography is even disturbing at times. He was supposedly guilty of committing many terrible deeds that still make readers recoil, but according to legend, his transgressions often led to positive outcomes – at least from the Romans’ point of view. Thanks to his efforts' results, the Romans largely celebrated their fabled founder, and it seems that they recognized valuable lessons hiding within his biography: greatness sometimes stems from disgrace, and the path to redemption is often close at hand.

Lineage & Birth

According to Rome's canonical foundation myth, Romulus was born sometime in the 700s BCE. His parents were supposedly a priestess – called Rhea Silvia – and the god of war Mars, which provided Romulus with a pedigree second to few in the ancient world. To some, this might have intimated that he would enjoy a lifetime of opulence, without serious challenges, and he would be a paragon of morality. On the contrary, Romulus was fated for a life marked by instances of ignominy and egregious misdeeds.

Romulus’ maternal grandfather was known as Numitor, and he was king of Alba Longa, which was an influential settlement nestled in the Alban Hills of central Italy. Ancient historians traced its foundation to none other than one of Aeneas’ descendants. However, sometime after Numitor ascended to the throne, his jealous brother Amulius conspired to overthrow Numitor’s rule, and somehow, he succeeded in his endeavors and became Alba Longa’s king. In order to further secure his grasp on power, Amulius treacherously ordered the murder of Numitor’s son, Aegestus, and forced Numitor’s daughter, Rhea Silvia, to become a priestess to Vesta who was the goddess of the hearth. Since such priestesses were required to be chaste during their tenure under the pain of death, Amulius assumed that Rhea would not mother any potential rivals to the throne. But as the Romulus tale goes, Mars ravaged her one day. This led to her pregnancy, and she later gave birth to twins: Romulus and Remus.

Even though Rhea attempted to conceal the truth, Amulius learned of Rhea’s pregnancy, and shortly after Romulus and Remus’ births, the rogue, tyrannical king of Alba Longa condemned the infants to death by drowning. Yet by a dispensation of fate, they survived. Initially, a wolf named Lupa allegedly protected them until a shepherd called Faustulus rescued the boys and raised them as his own children. Around 18 years or so after their abandonment, Romulus and Remus returned to Alba Longa, led an armed revolt, and freed the Alba Longans from the despot's control, killing Amulius and placing the gentle Numitor back on the throne.

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[ducktoonsfanart]

Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit as Romulus and Remus, as the founders of Rome - Toon History - History in Duckverse and Mouseverse - Happy Birthday to the Best City!

Yes, it's time to change my plans now with my new project called Toon Historia, also History in Duckverse and Mouseverse in which our famous cartoon and comic characters play famous historical figures and will play in important historical events . And first I drew Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse as the founders of Rome, as Romulus and Remus. Romulus and Remus, according to Roman mythology and Roman tradition, were the sons of Rhea Sylvia and the god Mars and grandsons of King Numitor. Numitor's brother Amulius overthrew his brother and ordered the execution of his children, including the sons of Sylvia who were thrown into the Tiber River. However, according to legend, a she-wolf found them and raised them until the shepherd Faustulus came along and adopted them. Afterwards they grew up and when they heard the truth, they went to overthrow Amulius and succeeded and restored their grandfather Numitor to be king of the city of Alba. Afterwards, Romulus and Remus went to seven hills in the valley of the Tiber River and there on April 21, 753 BC they founded the eternal city, which will be called Rome. Yes, there was a conflict between the two in which Romulus killed his brother (a tragic event) and thus took the title of the first king of Rome.

Oswald and Mickey who were created by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney in 1927 and 1928 also became the first Disney icons, however the conflict between Iwerks and Disney resulted in Oswald being part of Universal, until in 2006 Disney bought the rights to Oswald. Yes, that's why I drew Mickey and Oswald as Romulus and Remus, because of that parallel, but don't worry, Mickey won't kill his brother, even though mice and rabbits are not the same species, they are still considered brothers because of Epic Mickey. As Romulus and Remus were the founders of Rome, so Oswald and Mickey were the founders of the new world.

I drew this last year, but I waited for this moment to publish now and I drew it as a redraw from an illustration by Tancredi Scarpelli (1866–1937) for Storia d'Italia by Paolo Giudici (Nerbini, 1929). I drew Mickey in my own style, while I left the old look for Oswald, because I still like him better with dot eyes. And yes, I drew this on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the creation of Disney as well as the 75th anniversary of Topolino magazine, which is published in Italy, and the capital of Italy is definitely Rome. Yes, Rome, the eternal city and capital of one of the greatest empires and greatest civilizations of all time. As well as related to the birthday of the City of Rome, which is celebrated on April 21 every year. Happy Rome Day! Roma Aeterna!

I hope you like this drawing and this idea and if you want to support feel free to like and reblog this! I just ask that you don't copy my same ideas without mentioning me and without my permission. Thank you! Happy Rome Day, my favorite city in the world!

[lionofchaeronea]

Denarius of the magistrate Sextus Pompeius Fostlus, minted in 137 BCE to advertise a purported family connection to Faustulus, the legendary shepherd who served as Romulus and Remus' foster-father. On the obverse, the helmeted head of the goddess Roma, with a capis (cup or bowl used for ritual purposes). On the reverse, the she-wolf suckles Romulus and Remus, while Faustulus looks on. Behind them is the fig tree known as the Ficus Ruminalis, marking the spot beside the Tiber where the twins' cradle came to rest. Photo credit: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com

[a-d-nox]

romulus, adventurer and founder (asteroid 10386)

Romulus was thought to have co-found Rome with his brother, Remus. They were the sons of Mars, the god of war, and a virginal princess. When the princess's uncle discovered she had birthed twins, he order that they be drowned in the Tiber River. No one could bring themselves to do such a thing, so they were floated down the river where they were left nature to dispose of them. They were washed to shore under a sacred fig tree and from there the twins were raised by a woodpecker and a she-wolf, eventually they were found by a shepherd named Faustulus. The twins grew up to become adventurers and found the infamous metropolis. But Romulus and Remus could not agree on which hill to create this new city - they fought and Remus was killed. Romulus proceeded to name the city Rome after himself. IN MY OPINION Romulus in your chart can represent a) perseverance, b) discovering the unknown, c) where you frequently disagree with others, and/or d) where you overrule your family (or a family member).

i encourage you to look into the aspects of romulus along with the sign, degree, and house placement. for the more advanced astrologers, take a look at the persona chart of romulus AND/OR add the other characters involved to see how they support or impede romulus!

OTHER RELATED ASTEROIDS/PLANETS: MARS!

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[ancientrome]

Opaque blue glass oval engraved gem. Roman 1st century BCE. x

According to tradition, Rome was founded in 753 B.C. by the twins Romulus and Remus. Sons of the god Mars and a mortal woman named Rhea Silvia, a direct descendant of Aeneas, the twins were abandoned by their uncle in the Tibur river. A she-wolf discovered them on the banks of the river and suckled them until they were taken in by a passing sheperd, Faustulus. Faustulus raised the boys together with his own twelve children until they decided to found a city of their own. They chose the spot by the Tibur where they had been rescued by the wolf, which was near the base of the Palatine hill in Rome. The representation of the wolf suckling the twins became a popular subject in Roman Republican and Imperial art. Here the sheperd Faustulus leans on his staff and watches the Roman she-wolf suckling the twins under a vine.

[arlechinav-blog]

Interpreting the Stories of Romulus & Remus Through Ovid

This is going to be long but I promise that it will also be interesting. I'm going to use an English translation of Ovid's Fasti, Books 3 & 4, to make it easier for reading. You can read the whole thing over on Theoi. I'm just taking excerpts to keep this just a touch shorter than it otherwise would be but reading the whole thing together will provide you with more context. The thing to remember through all of this is that Ovid is clever and he leans heavily on what was common knowledge in his time. As such, he doesn't come out and translate himself for you...

"Languid she rose, nor knew why she rose so languid, and leaning on a tree she spake these words: “Useful and fortunate, I pray, may that turn out which I saw in a vision of sleep. Or was the vision too clear for sleep? Methought I was by the fire of Ilium, when the woolen fillet slipped from my hair and fell before the sacred hearth. From the fillet there sprang a wondrous sight – two palm-trees side by side. Of them one was the taller and by its heavy boughs spread a canopy over the whole world, and with its foliage touched the topmost stars. Lo, mine uncle wielded an axe against the trees; the warning terrified me and my heart did throb with fear. A woodpecker – the bird of Mars and a she-wolf fought in defense of the twin trunks, and by their help both of the palms were saved.” She finished speaking, and by a feeble effort lifted the full pitcher; she had filed it while she was telling her vision. Meanwhile her belly swelled with a heavenly burden, for Remus was growing, and growing, too, was Quirinus."

In this scene, Silvia the Vestal Virgin has just become pregnant with the twins by the god Mars. She dreams of two palm trees, which is meant to be a bit of foreshadowing because date palms are the sacred trees of Artemis & Apollo--another set of sacred twins with deep connections to lycanthropy traditions in the context of the Roman month of February. Red is also the color of both Mars and Artemis, and Artemis is also the Phoinix--a creature that will rise again in holy fire after its death. Artemis will also assist in the birth of the boys, tying it all back together neatly. Her uncle is the current king and he will seek to murder the twins to secure his own line, which is implied by the chopping of the palm trees. Doing this will offend the god Mars. The woodpecker and she-wolf will try to protect them and succeed. This is a divine prophetic vision that Silvia has.

" When now two heavenly signs remained for the bright god to traverse, before the year could complete its course and run out, Silvia became a mother. The images of Vesta are said to have covered their eyes with their virgin hands; certainly the altar of the goddess trembled, when her priestess was brought to bed, and the terrified flame sank under its own ashes."

Ovid assumes that the reader knows that fire is used heavily in death rituals to drive away the dead. Silvia is a Vestal Virgin, a tender of the holiest fire in Rome. Ordinarily an upright torch signifies life, the first light a child sees when born is represented by this holy fire. Life is the opposite of death. So when the most sacred fire in Rome burns down beneath its coals... that is seriously significant. Also a bit of foreshadowing because the events of the twins' lives will lead them to becoming half alive and half dead, half mortal and half god.

"When Amulius learned of this, scorner of justice that he was (for he had vanquished his brother and robbed him of power), he ordered the twins to be sunk in the river. The water shrank from such a crime, and the boys were left on dry land. Who knows not that the infants throve on the milk of a wild beast, and that a woodpecker often brought food to the abandoned babes? Nor would I pass thee by in silence, Larentia, nurse of so great a nation, nor the help that thou didst give, poor Faustulus. Your honour will find its place when I come to tell of the Larentalia; that festival falls in December, the month dear to the mirthful spirits."

Amulius is the uncle King and he does not want rivals to his throne. He killed his brother, Silvia's father, and that fratricide automatically makes him the worst of villains. Now he moves to murder more family members because he is scum. Because he rejects the babies, they won't bear the family name and they won't be acknowledged as living beings.

River water, running water, represents the journey to the underworld in some cases--it really depends on the context in which it is used. The river refuses to murder the babies, meaning that they don't cross over yet. But the river does bring them to the She-Wolf, which begins their transformation into something other than human. Ovid assumes that readers know that drinking the milk of another person will make you also that person's child. To the point that milk-siblings were not permitted to marry. Drinking the milk of the She-Wolf will make these children officially half-wolf and therefore half-dead. Wolves symbolically represent the spirits of dead warriors. So not only are they half-dead... they are also set on a path that will make them great warriors.

Larenta is a figure that has survived to the modern day as St. Lucia, and Larentalia survives as the very creepy feast of St. Lucia. That hadn't happened yet as Ovid was writing so his Larenta was the human-ish woman who found and adopted Romulus & Remus and raised them back into human society. A Larenta who may also have connections to an Artemis-like goddess of transformation and monsters. I'll have to do a separate blog post on Larenta & St. Lucia, there's too much to unpack there.

"Thrice six years old was the progeny of Mars,"

I don't know if it is relevant but with Ovid peppering everything with massive amounts of symbolism, I feel like mentioning here that:

3 + 6 = 9

3 x 6 = 18 (which is 2 nines)

It might be a bit of a stretch but it was something I noticed. Number symbolism often plays a major role in Mediterranean life. 9 is frequently used as the number of transformation, specifically in lycanthropy traditions, which is why it stood out to me.

"Amulius fell, pierced by the sword of Romulus, and the kingdom was restored to their aged grandfather."

The boys set right the wrong that was done to their grandfather, Silvia's father. Making peace between the dead and the living.

"Mars was the god to be revered by Latium, for that he is the patron of the sword; ‘twas the sword that won for a fierce race empire and glory."

Naturally, they made their dad the most important god in their new society. Ovid was being a bit of a stinker in driving home this historical point. By his time, the chief god rank of Rome had been given to Jupiter and the hierarchy of priests was being rewritten to reduce the influence of the hereditary old priesthoods (the Flamen). Supporting the traditional role of the Flamen was a political move and it probably wasn't well received when Emperor Augustus got wind of it--which may be why Fasti was never completed and Ovid was sent into exile.

"If you would convince yourself that the Kalends of March were really the beginning of the year, you may refer to the following proofs: the laurel-branch of the flamens, after remaining in its place the whole year, is removed (on that day), and fresh leaves are put in the place of honour; then the king’s door is green with the tree of Phoebus, which is set at it; and at thy portal, Old Chapel of the Wards, the same things is done; the withered laurel is withdrawn from the Ilian hearth, that Vesta also may make a brave show, dressed in fresh leaves. Besides ‘tis said that a new fire is lighted in her secret shrine, and the rekindled flame gains strength."

Not directly related to Romulus & Remus but I would like to point out that by going into such detail as to why March is the old traditional beginning of the new year cycle, Ovid is also telling us that February is the month when the year itself dies. This provides a bit of support for some of the other posts I have made about February, the twins, and the symbolism of the Roman wolf cult.  March was the opening of war season and it was also the beginning of the agricultural cycle--of which Mars was closely tied to through his marriage to Ceres. As the sons of Mars, this means that Romulus & Remus had symbolic roles to play throughout the full year--February and March especially.

Now we are going to switch over to Book 4 of Fasti, starting at the 807 mark on Theoi.

"Already the brother of Numitor had suffered punishment, and all the shepherd folk were subject to the twins. The twins agreed to draw the swains together and found a city; the doubt was which of the two should found it. Romulus said, “There needs no contest. Great faith is put in birds; let’s try the birds.” The proposal was accepted. One of the two betook him to the rocks of the wooded Palatine; the other hied at morn to the top of the Aventine. Remus saw six birds; Romulus saw twice six, one after the other: they stood by their compact, and Romulus was accorded the government of the city."

In this part, Ovid establishes that the origin of the Roman people come from shepherd stock. This establishes links to goat-based pastoral traditions that form some of the oldest Roman rituals, combining both Sabine and Etruscan practices. Mars' mother, Juno, was based upon the Etruscan/ Sabine goat-milk goddess Uni--whom I mentioned in another post. Birds are also associated with prophecy and, once again, that Artemis-Larentia-St. Lucy like goddess of transformation.

The brothers are trying to figure out who should be the leader of their people and the decide to perform a bird-based divination. Remus is always depicted as the brother destined to belong wholly to the underworld. The number 6 has many meanings, two of which are disaster or death. Not as bad as 13 BUT 6 is also a lesser number to 12, which is the number of perfection and wholeness. Remus is made to to be simultaneously the death brother and the lesser brother to Romulus.

"Glad at the augury, the citizens laid the foundations, and in short time the new wall stood. The work was urged on by Celer, whom Romulus himself had named and said, “Celer, be this thy are; let no man cross the walls nor the trench which the share hath made: who dares to do so, put him to death.” Ignorant of this, Remus began to mock the lowly walls and say, “Shall these protect the people?” And straightway he leaped across them. Instantly Celer struck the rash man with a shovel. Covered with blood, Remus sank on the stony ground. When the king heard of this, he smothered the springing tears and kept his grief locked up within his breast. He would not weep in public; he set an example of fortitude, and “So fare,” quoth he, “the foe who shall cross my walls.”

Aw, poor Remus. Doomed from the start. In this story, Romulus' hands are not stained with the blood of his own brother and thus Romulus maintains his purity and connection to life. That is Celer's only purpose. Remus crosses the wall and is killed for it. Remus was always meant to be the dead brother and Remus' descendants were always meant to symbolize death. Remus crossing the wall here is also death crossing the wall to invade Rome and that can't be allowed to happen, not even in jest. Not even from your own kin. There are several dance-based rituals in Rome that took place this time of year that pitted stand ins for the two brothers against each other. Remus' place in those rituals is to represent the death of the fields while Romulus' purpose is to secure the safety of those same fields. The brother love each other and are both important but only one can live.

" Yet he granted funeral honours, and could no longer bear to check his tears, and the affection which he had dissembled was plain to see. When they set down the bier, he gave it a last kiss, and said, “Snatched from they brother, loath to part, brother, farewell!” With that he anointed the body before committing it to the flames. Faustulus and Acca, her mournful hair unbound, did the same. Then the Quirites, though not yet known by that name, wept for the youth, and last of all a light was put the pyre, wet with their tears."

In this we see the funeral of Remus and the love his family still had for him. Also, this is why the dead do not like fire.

"On that day, as I was returning from Nomentum to Rome, a white-robed crowd clocked the middle of the road. A flamen was on his way to the grove of ancient Mildew (Robigo), to throw the entrails of a dog and the entrails of a sheep into the flames. Straightway I went up to him to inform myself of the rite. Thy flamen, O Quirinus, pronounced these words: “Thou scaly Mildew, spare the sprouting corn, and let he smooth top quiver on the surface of the ground. O let the crops, nursed by the stars of a propitious sky, grow till they are ripe for the sickle. No feeble power is thine: the corn on which thou hast set thy mark, the sad husbandman gives up for lost. Nor winds, nor showers, nor glistening frost, that nips the sallow corn, harm it so much as when the sun warms the wet stalks; then, dread goddess, is the hour to wreak thy wrath. O spare, I pray, and take thy scabby hands from off the harvest! Harm not the tilth; ‘tis enough that thou hast the power to harm. Grip not the tender crops, but rather grip the hard iron. Forestall the destroyer. Better that thou shouldst gnaw at swords and baneful weapons. There is no need of them: the world is at peace. Now let the rustic gear, the rakes, and the hard hoe, and the curved share be burnished bright; but let rust defile the arms, and when one essays to draw the sword from the scabbard, let him feel it stick from long disuse. But do not thou profane the corn, and ever may the husbandman be able to pay his vows to thee in thine absence.”

This establishes the role the Quinctiliani  (descendants of Romulus) play in the agricultural cycle. As the husband of Ceres, Mars protects the fields. This is physical and warlike in some instances, but also spiritual and ritualistic, as in this case. The robigo, or red spot, reference relates to a type of plant fungus that could wreck an entire crop. This prayer is intended to divert the plant plague from the soil and leaves onto implements of iron, transferring the red spot into a red rust. Mars was a protector of the fields first and a warrior second and this prayer reinforces that idea very much. Stating clearly that is it preferable for a sword to stick in its sheath from disuse rather than for the grain to be profaned with illness.  

[seewetter]

Mythic Creatures by Culture & Region

Part 3: Europe (Basque, Rome, Viking, Great Britain)

This list documents mythological and folkloric creatures of Ancient Europe, the British Isles and Scandinavia as found on Wikipedia.

European creatures from Eastern Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Greece etc. will be listed in a separate post. The same goes for Biblical creatures or creatures from Abrahamic religions and Goetia literature. The full list of creatures is here.

Basque

Basque people live in what is today northern Spain. Their language is the only surviving language in Europe that isn't part of the Indo-European family tree, likely because the Basques live in secluded mountain areas. I have listed some deities alongside creatures, but this is a full list of Wikipedia's Basque creatures, not a full list of Wikipedia's gods/goddesses/deities for Basque culture.

Aatxe; Aide air goddess; Akerbeltz; Amalur; Basajaun; Eate (Basque god); Egoi; Eki (Basque goddess); Fountain Women; Gaizkiñ; Gaueko; Herensuge; Ilargi; Inguma; Iratxo ; Iratxoak; Jentil; Lamignak; Mairu; Minairó also Catalan; Odei; Olentzero; Orko; San Martin Txiki; Tartalo

Proto-Indo-European

Proto-Indo-European (or PIE) is the reconstructed ancestor to all major European languages, excluding Basque and languages from later diasporas.

Dʰéǵʰōm; Proto-Indo-European Myth; Double-headed eagle maybe not PIE but Bronze Age

Roman

Abarimon (Pliny the Elder, whose source is supposedly a land surveyor of Alexander the Great); Aborigines_Roman myth\; Achlis (Pliny the Elder); Caligo, see Achlys; Aegipan (Pliny the Elder locates them in Libya); Albruna Germanic seeress attested by Tacitus; Amazons, Amazons (List); Anguiped also Greek and Iranian.; Antichthones; Astomi Pliny the Elder; Aura; Bonnacon Pliny the Elder; Caca; Caeneus; Caladrius; Calingae Pliny the Elder; Camilla; Catoblepas Pliny the Elder; Cimbrian seeresses mentioned by Strabo; Crocotta Strabo and Pliny the Elder; Cupid; Di Penates; Echeneis Pliny the Elder; Ethiopian pegasus Pliny the Elder; Faun, Faunus ; Faunae, Fauni; Faustulus; Forest Bull Pliny the Elder; Fraus; Genius; Genius loci; Gorgades; Hellusians Tacitus claims they live beyond the Finns; Hircocervus; Hooded Spirits; Hydrus Pliny the Elder; Ichneumon Pliny the Elder; Ichthyophagoi; Indus worm; Iphis; Kings of Alba Longa; Lampedo Amazon; Lares; Lares Familiares; Lemures; Mandi; Manes; Manticore; Monoceros Pliny the Elder; Monopod; Odontotyrannus; Orcus; Pandi; Phoenix; Phthisis; Pyrausta Pliny the Elder; Querquetulanae; Remora; Salamander; Seps; Silvanus; Strix; Syrbotae Pliny the Elder; Tarand; Theow Pliny the Elder; Unicorn; Wild Man, Wild Woman ; Wild Men, Wild Women; Yale

Etruscan

Charun; Orcus; Tuchulcha; Vanth; Vegoia

Britain

Apple Tree Man; Ascapart giant from chivalric romance dating to 1300s; Asrai Cheshire and Shropshire; Barghest north England; Beast of Dean; Beithir; Billy Blind England and Scottish Lowlands; Black Annis; Black Dog; Black Shuck; Bluecap; Blunderbore; Bogeyman; Boggart; Bogle Northumbrian; Brag Northumbrian; British Wild Cats; Brown Man of the Muirs anglo-scottish border; Brownie ; Brownies; Bucca Cornish; Bugbear; Burryman; Butter Sprite; Calygreyhound; Cat-sìth; Cauld Lad of Hylton; Inspiration/Directories/Bestiary (Myth and Legend)/A-Z/Changeling|Changeling; Christchurch Dragon; Cirein-cròin; Cock Lane Ghost; Cockatrice (explicitly British); Cofgod; Colbrand (giant); Colt pixie; Cormoran (giant); Dando's Dogs; Drummer of Tedworth; Dun Cow; Dunnie Northumbrian; Elder Mother; English Fairies; Ettin; Fairy story (Northumbria); Fetch; Finfolk Orkney; Girt Dog of Ennerdale; Goram and Vincent (giants); Grendel; Grendel's Mother; Grimalkin; Grindylow; Gytrash; Habetrot (Northumbrian?? border counties between England and Scottish Lowlands); Hob; Hobbididance; Hobgoblin ; Hobgoblins; Imp; Jack and the Beanstalk; Jack Frost; Jack in the Green; Jack o' Legs; Jack o' the bowl; Jack the Giant Killer; Jack-In-Irons; Joan-in-the-Wad; Kilmoulis Anglo-Scottish border; Knocker; Knucker; Korred; Krabat; Lambton Worm; Lantern Man; Lazy Laurence; Lubberfiend; Martlet; Mary Lakeland (accused witch); Mermaid of Zennor; Morgan le Fay; Morgawr; Nanny Rutt; Nelly Longarms; Nuckelavee Orkney; Nuggle Shetland; Pantheon_the_creature; Peg Powler; Penhill Giant; Pictish Beast Picts; Pillywiggin; Pixie; Portunes; Púca; Puck; Puck_Shakespeare; Queen of Elphame (Northumbrian?? border counties between England and Scottish Lowlands); Redcap English-Scottish border; Screaming skull; Sea Mither Orkney; Sebile; Sheela na Gig; Shug Monkey; Simonside Dwarfs; Sockburn Worm; Spriggan ; Spriggans; Sprite ; Sprites; Stoor worm; Sweet William's Ghost; Tangie Orkney and Shetland; The Black Dog of Newgate; The Elder Mother also Scandinavian; The Hedley Kow Northumberland; The King of the Cats; The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh Northumbrian; The Queen of Elfan's Nourice; Thunderdell Cornish; Tiddalik; Tom Hickathrift; Tooth Fairy; Tree Elves; Trow; Unicorn; Wight; Wild Man, Wild Woman ; Wild Men, Wild Women; William of Lindholme; Worm of Linton; Wyvern; Yallery Brown

Isle of Man

Adene, elves?; Arkan sonney "lucky piggy"; Ben-Varrey see "Mermaid"; Buggane; Cailleach; Fenodyree; Glashan; Glashtyn; Jimmy Squarefoot; Moddey Dhoo; Mooinjer Veggey; Sleigh Beggey; Tree Elves; Water Bull

Irish

Abarta either Tuatha or Fomorian (depends on account); Abcán the poet and musician of the Tuatha, a dwarf (in stature?); Abhartach; Aes Sidhe; Aibell, an elf queen (banshee, ruler of a fairy mound); Aillen, the "burner" a monstrous Tuatha; Aos Sí; Badb; Balor; Bánánach; Banshee; Baobhan Sith; Biróg a lheannan sidhe; Bodach also Scottish; Bran and Sceólang; Brendan the Navigator; Cailleach; Carman; Cas Corach; Cat-sìth also Scottish; Cathbad; Cethlenn; Cichol Gricenchos; Clíodhna; Clurican; Conand; Crom Cruach; Cù-sìth; Dobhar-chú; Donn Cúailnge; Dullahan; Each-uisge; Echtra; Elatha; Ellén Trechend; Enbarr; Ethniu; Failinis; Fear Doirich; Fear gorta; Finvarra; Fionn mac Cumhaill; Fionnuala; Fir Bolg; Fir Darrig; Fomorian; Gancanagh; Garb mac Stairn; Glas Gaibhnenn; Immram; Irish Mythic Creatures; Iubdan; Joint-eater; Kelpie; Leprechaun; Les Lavandières; Lhiannan-Sidhe; Liban; Inspiration/Directories/Bestiary (Myth and Legend)/A-Z/Manannán mac Lir|Manannán mac Lir; Medb (Queen Maeve); Merrow ; Merrows; Mongfind; Muckie; Mug Ruith; Nel; Niamh; Oilliphéist; Onchú; Pillywiggin; Púca; Sadhbh; Salmon of Knowledge; Scáthach; Selkie; Sengann; Seonaidh; Sheela na Gig; Sidhe; Sìth also Scottish; Sluagh also Scottish; Sovereignty goddess; Sreng; Swan Maiden; Tethra; The Morrígan; The Voyage of Bran; The Voyage of Máel Dúin; The Voyage of the Uí Chorra; Tlachtga; Tuatha dé Danaan; Werewolf; Werewolves of Ossory; Wild Man, Wild Woman ; Wild Men, Wild Women; Wyvern allegedly Irish; Cymidei Cymeinfoll

Scotland

Am Fear Liath Mòr; Red Cap; Bauchan; Bean-nighe; Beast of Beinn a' Bheithir; Betram de Shotts; Biasd Bheulach; Billy Blind lowlands and England; Blue Men of the Minch; Bodach also Irish; Boobrie west coast Scottish lochs; Broichan wizard of Pictland (north Scotland); Brown Man of the Muirs anglo-scottish border; Brownie ; Brownies; Cailleach; Cain bairns; Ceasg; Cù-sìth; Each-uisge; Fachan; Fuath; Ghillie Dhu; Gigelorum; Glaistig; Gormshuil Mhòr na Maighe; Kelpie also Irish; Lavellan; Les Lavandières; Ly Erg; Maggy Moulach; Morag; Muc-sheilch; Nicnevin; Pech; Red Cap; Seelie; Shellycoat; Sìth also Irish; Sithchean Hebrides; Sluagh; Spey-wife; Tam Lin; The Green Man of Knowledge; Water Bull; Water Horse; Wild Haggis; Wirry-cow; Wulver

Welsh

Adar Llwch Gwin; Adar Rhiannon birds from Mabinogi and Welsh Arthurian tales; Aderyn y corff, corpse bird, portent of death; Afanc; Arawn; Bendith y Mamau see Tylwyth Teg; Blodeuwedd; Brenin Llwyd; Bres Tuatha; Buwch Frech; Bwciod; Cath Palug; Ceffyl Dŵr; Coblynau; Cŵn Annwn; Cyhyraeth; Cymidei Cymeinfoll; Cythraul; Dormarch; Gwagged Annwn or Gwragedd Annwn; Gwrgi Garwlwyd; Gwyllgi; Gwyllion; Gwyn ap Nudd; Henwen; Idris Gawr; Jack o' Kent; Les Lavandières; Llamhigyn Y Dwr; Maelor Gawr; March Malaen; Mari Lwyd; Morgen; Sleigh Beggey also Manx; Swan Maiden; Twrch Trwyth; Tylwyth Teg; Welsh Dragon; Welsh Giant; White dragon; Wild Hunt; Wyvern; Y Ladi Wen; Ysbaddaden; Ysgithyrwyn

Scandinavian (Viking, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland)

Æsir; Æsir–Vanir War; Alberich in Thidrekssaga written in 1250 in Norway, possibly based on a Plattdeutsch original (also appears in German Nibelungenlied from 1200 in Passau, Bavaria and Ortnit from 1230s Germany, Strassburg; Álfablót sacrifice to elves; Alvaldi jotun; Askafroa German "Eschenfrau"; Bergsrå; Berserker; Bøyg; Brokkr dwarf; Brunnmigi; Bysen; Church grim; Dagr; Death; Deildegast; Di sma undar jordi; Disir; Dökkálfar; Draugr; Dvalinn; Dwarf ; Dwarfs, Dwarves; Eikþyrnir; Einherjar; Elder Mother; Elli; Endill jotun; Fenrir; Fin; Fjölvar; Fjörgyn and Fjörgynn; Fossegrim; Fylgiar; Gangr; Garmr; Gjenganger; Glenr; Gríðr; Grýla and Leppalúði; Gulon; Hábrók; Hafgufa; Half-elf; Hamingja; Hati Hróðvitnisson; Helhest; Hervör alvitr; Hildr; Hlaðguðr svanhvít; Hljod; Hlökk; Hræsvelgr; Hrímgerðr; Hrímgrímnir; Hroðr; Hrymr; Hulder; Huldufólk; Humli; Hyrrokkin; Iði; Ím (joetunn); Járnsaxa; Jörmungandr; Jötunn; Katie Woodencloak; Kraken; Lagarfljótsormur; Landdisir; Landvættir; Leikn; Ljósálfar; Lyngbakr; Marmennill; Móðguðr; Mögþrasir; Mound Folk; Myling; Nafnaþulur; Níðhöggr; Niß Puck; Nisse; Norns; Norse_Nude_Snake_Witch; Nótt; Nykken; Odin; Púca; Rå; Rådande; Ratatoskr; Sæhrímnir; Selkolla; Selma; Sjörå; Skogsrå; Sköll; Skrat; Skuld (half-elf princess); Skvader; Slattenpatte; Sleipnir; Storsjöodjuret; Sumarr and Vetr; Surtr; Svaðilfari; Svartálfar; Swan Maiden; The Elder Mother also English; The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body; Tilberi; Tooth Fairy; Tree Elves; Troll; Troll Cat; Vættir; Valkyrie; Valravn; Vanir; Vardøger; Veðrfölnir; Viðfinnr; Vittra; Vǫrðr; Vörnir (joetunn); Vosud; Werewolf; Wight; Wild Hunt; Wild Man, Wild Woman ; Wild Men, Wild Women; Worm of Linton; Wurm; Ysätters-Kajsa; Yule cat; Þorbjörg lítilvölva; Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and Irpa; Þrívaldi; Þuríðr Sundafyllir

Note: Although most European lore is easily implemented into art and fiction without causing lasting cultural damage, there may be some European cultures (from Basque to Welsh) whose cultures have been subject to cultural suppression. Notify me if there are mistakes or if I need to add disclaimers or revisions concerning these creatures.

[blog-aventin-de]

Romulus und Remus

Romulus und Remus · Römische Sage · Schicksal

Einer der königlichen Nachkommen aus des Äneas Stamm war der Albanerkönig Prokas, der bei seinem Tod zwei Söhne, Numitor und Amulius, hinterließ. Selten sah man so große Unterschiede zwischen zwei Brüdern; Numitor, der ältere, hatte ein sanftes und gutmütiges Wesen, während Amulius aufbrausend und herrschsüchtig war. Ehrgeiz und diese Herrschsucht trieben Amulius dazu, den Bruder vom Thron zu stoßen und aus dem Land zu verbannen. Aus Furcht vor der Vergeltung ließ er des Bruders Sohn auf der Jagd meuchlings töten. Die Tochter Numitors, Rhea Silvia, machte er zur Priesterin der Vesta, in deren Dienst sie unvermählt bleiben musste. So schien jede Bedrohung seines Thrones beseitigt. Da begab es sich, dass der Kriegsgott Mars die schöne vestalische Jungfrau erblickte und sich heimlich mit ihr vermählte. Als Rhea Silvia ein Zwillingspaar gebar, kannte der Zorn ihres Oheims Amulius keine Grenzen; denn er fürchtete, dass die Kinder, Enkel des rechtmäßigen Königs Numitor, sich einst an ihm rächen könnten. Nach dem strengen Gesetz der Göttin Vesta musste Rhea Silvia wegen ihres Vergehens mit dem Tode bestraft werden. Die Zwillinge aber sollte ein Diener nach des Königs Gebot in den Tiber werfen. Nun war der Fluss gerade in jenen Tagen über seine Ufer getreten, und so überließen des Königs Beauftragte die Kinder ihrem Schicksal in einem Körbchen, das sie in das strömende Wasser setzten. Der Korb schaukelte auf den Wellen dahin und gelangte in eine Landschaft, die von sieben Hügeln gekrönt war. Dort blieb er im Geäst eines Feigenbaumes hängen, und als das Wasser gefallen war, stand er mit seiner wimmernden Fracht auf dem Trockenen. Der Kriegsgott Mars war besorgt um das Schicksal seiner Söhne und sandte ihnen die ihm geheiligten Tiere. Von der Höhe des Berges Palatinus kam eine Wölfin, die ihren Durst im Fluss löschen wollte, und bemerkte die hilflosen Kinder; sie schleppte sie in ihre Höhle, bettete sie weich und säugte sie. Später brachte der Specht, der heilige Vogel des Mars, Körner und wohlschmeckenden Samen. So wurden die Zwillinge mit kräftiger Nahrung am Leben gehalten. Eines Tages kam Faustulus, ein einfacher Ziegenhirt, auf der Suche nach einem seiner Tiere des Weges und gewahrte das wundersame Schauspiel in der Höhle. Er empfand Mitleid mit den Knaben und brachte sie zu seiner Frau, die eben ihr Söhnchen durch den Tod verloren hatte. Aus Mitleid nahm Acca Larentia, die Hirtenfrau, sich der Zwillinge an. Die Pflegeeltern gaben ihnen die Namen Romulus und Remus. Als die Kunde von dem Schicksal Rhea Silvias und ihrer Kinder auch in diese Einsamkeit gelangte, wurde es Faustulus offenbar, wie es mit der Herkunft der beiden Knaben bestellt sei. Er erkannte, dass er Numitors Enkel gerettet hatte; doch aus Furcht vor der Rache des Königs Amulius behielt er sein Geheimnis bei sich. In der ländlichen Freiheit wuchsen die Zwillinge zu kräftigen Jünglingen heran, durchstreiften mit ihren Altersgenossen Wald und Flur und bauten sich auf dem Palatinischen Berg ihre Hütten. Häufig mussten sie, jeder an der Spitze einer Schar von Getreuen, ihre Kraft mit wilden Tieren messen, welche die Herden bedrängten. Oft lagen sie auch im Streit mit anderen Hirten, besonders mit denen des vertriebenen Königs Numitor, der auf einem kleinen Gehöft ein zurückgezogenes, stilles Leben führte. Einst geschah es bei solchen Streitigkeiten, dass Remus sich der Übermacht der feindlichen Hirten nicht erwehren konnte und von ihnen gefangen weggeschleppt wurde. Sie brachten ihn vor ihren Herrn, den greisen Numitor. Tief betroffen blickte dieser auf den Jüngling, die Ähnlichkeit mit seinem Sohn schien ihm unverkennbar. Bald darauf stellten sich auch, getrieben von der Sorge um Remus, der treue Faustulus und Romulus ein, um den Gefangenen freizubitten. Faustulus offenbarte dem Alten nun die ganze Wahrheit, und überglücklich umarmte Numitor, der rechtmäßige König, seine beiden jungen Enkel. Vor allem Volk, das herbeigeströmt war, schworen Romulus und Remus den Eid, die ihnen zustehende Herrschaft zu gewinnen. Die beiden Jünglinge riefen ihre Gefährten und die anderen Männer zum Vergeltungsfeldzug auf, zogen nach Alba Longa und drangen mit List in die Königsburg ein. Im Kampf um die Burg fand Amulius den Tod, und unter dem Jubel des Volkes setzten Romulus und Remus ihren greisen Großvater wieder in seine königlichen Rechte ein. Numitor liebte seine Enkel zärtlich, und er war glücklich bei dem Gedanken, dass sie nach seinem Tod als Doppelkönige die Geschicke Alba Longas lenken würden. Doch die Götter fügten es anders. Romulus und Remus · Römische Sage Read the full article

[webkinztherapy]

So completely in love with how my Andron turned out (which is an ancient Greek drinking/party room btw) and every one is here!

Starting in the left most corner, we have Pausanias the Begal Tiger, Agathon the Signature Marble Cat, Lukon the Wolf, and Orestes the Colorsplash Tiger.

In the upper corner with the white column we have Antony the Signature Lion, Cleopatra the Endangered Dama Gazelle, Caesar the White Lion and Faustulus the Lion Cub.

Lastly in the right corner we have the adorable couples, Alexander the Leo Lion and Hephaestion the Carmel Lion and Achilles the Curly Lion and Patroclus the Signature White Persian Cat.

All of these cuties are going to have their profiles uploaded at some point in the future so you can learn more about them then!

[ancientcharm]

When the Greeks sacked Troy, Aeneas retreated to Mount Ida, carrying his father Anchises on his shoulders and carrying his son Ascanius. His wife Creusa died in flight. He reigned for a time in Ida, then undertook a long voyage across the Mediterranean.

This Trojan hero went through several adventures in which different deities participated including his mother, Venus (Afrodita) . After his father's death in Sicily, a storm blew him astray and washed him onto the shores of Carthage.

Aeneas tells Dido the misfortunes of the Trojan city. Oil on canvas by Pierre-Narcisse Guérin (1815) Louvre, Paris.

With the intervention of the goddess Venus, queen Dido of Carthage fell in love with Aeneas and wanted them to marry, uniting their lineages. But Jupiter opposed it and sent Mercury to warn him that he must continue his journey and fulfill his destiny.

Dido, outraged at being abandoned , cast a curse declaring that her people and the people descended from Aeneas would be enemies. After this, she stabbing herself with a sword on a pyre.

Death of Dido. Oil on canvas by Guercino (1631)

Back in Sicily, Aeneas celebrated great funeral games in memory of his father, who appeared to him to tell him that he must go to Cumae and descend into the underworld. In Cumae, Aeneas succeeded in having the Sibyl open the gates of Hades for him.

There he met the shadow of Dido, but he also saw his father, who in the Elysian Fields revealed to him the glorious destiny of the people he was to found in Italy.

Aeneas and the Cumaean Sibyl. Oil on canvas by François Perrier (1646)

He reached the mouth of the Tiber and finally entered a city called Pallantium on the Palatine Hill. There, after going through several epic situations, he married Lavinia, only daughter of Latinus, king of the Latins, and founded the city of Lavinium, named after his wife.

Aeneas disappeared in the middle of a storm and was taken to Olympus and crowned by his mother Venus. His eldest son Lullius, from whom the Julii descend, founded Alba Longa the hometown of Romulus and Remus.

According to Livy, Lullius is the son of Aeneas and Lavinia, and seems to distinguish him from Ascanius son of Aeneas and Creusa. Silvius, son of Lullius, succeeded him on the throne of Alba Longa. Dionysius of Halicarnassus is the one who says that Silvius was the son of Aeneas and Lavinia, and therefore half-brother of Lulilus (Ascanius)

Years later, Numitor, maternal grandfather of Romulus and Remus and direct descendant of Silvius would be king of Alba Longa

Roman bas-relief, 2nd century: Aeneas lands in Latium leading his son Lullius (Ascanius); the sow identifies the place to found his city : Alba Longa

Over time, coming into contact with civilizations in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Romans realized that while everyone else had legends of heroes, epic wars, and several divinities interacting with humans at each event, they only had Mars in their founding story; twins thrown into a river, suckled by a wolf in a cave, adopted by a humble shepherd. And one of the twins ends up dying in a fight with the other.

Romulus and Remus, suckled by the wolf, found by Faustulus on banks of Tiber. Fresco by Giuseppe Cesari (1568-1640)

Augustus commissioned the great Roman poet Virgil to create a epic worthy of Rome, but without annulling its legendary founding history.

Through the Aeneid, Rome acquired a prestigious past; a mystical explanation of the three Punic Wars and the destruction of Carthage. Julia gens obtained a divine origin, giving even more legitimacy to the ruling dynasty. Furthermore, this epic exalts the Roman virtues that Augustus so wanted to restore and impose by law.

According to Roman historians, Augustus' sister Octavia faint from emotion upon hearing Virgil reading the Aeneid.

Virgil Reading the Aeneid to Augustus and Octavia. Neoclassical painting by Jean-Joseph Taillasson, 1787

In the story of the Trojan War as told by Homer, Aeneas appears as a secondary character, after heroes such as the Greek Achilles or the Trojan Hector. Meanwhile Virgil made him a protagonist in an epic that linked the fall of Troy and the founding of Rome.

The Siege of Troy. Oil on canvas by French School ( 17th century)

[gc-appreciationweek]

After the Trojan War, Trojan refugees led by Aeneas escaped to the Apennine peninsula, where they assimilated with the locals. In Alba Longa the descendants of Aeneas for years to come, until the times of Numitor and Amulius.

Amulius usurped his older brother, and Rhea Silvia, his niece, was to become a Vestal – virgin priestess of Vesta. But Rhea Silvia was already pregnant and the father was none other than Mars – the god of war.

Symbolic representation of the Rhea Silvia myth on a sarcophagus in the Palazzo Mattei.

After Rhea Silvia gave birth to twin boys, Romulus and Remus, the newborns were abandoned at the bank of river Tiber. There they were looked after by a she-wolf and a woodpecker, which are the sacred animals of their father Mars, until they were found by the shepherd Faustulus.

Romulus, Remus and the she-wolf

Faustulus and his wife Larentia raised the twins. When they were of age, and found out the truth of their origin, they dethroned their uncle Amulius and Numitor became the ruler once more.

Since the two brothers had no desire to stay in Alba Longa or rule it as long as their grandfather was alive, they departed to the place where they once were found and decided to build a city there.

But disputes between the brothers soon arose. Romulus, accordingly, built Roma Quadrata (which means square), and wished to have the city on that site; but Remus laid out a strong precinct on the Aventine hill, which was named from him Remonium, but now is called Rignarium. The brothers decided to settle this by taking auspices – a form of divination that uses birds. But that didn’t settle the disputes, until in a fight, Romulus killed Remus. He buried him brother, and then went on to build his city – Rome.

Reconstruction of Rome in 320AD - more than a thousand years after its founding. Credit: Danila Loginov

*This is the most common version of the myth, one can find alternative versions.

[romulusmarius]

who: @amalasingh

where: palace of pluto 

when: late 

Six centuries before the reckoned year of the birth of Christ, Romulus gathered the supernatural citizens of Rome in the Comitium, a place of political assembly on the north side of the Forum and declared that all magical life was sacred. This early credence forbid the Senate from conducting executions, but no matter his power, Romulus could not stave off Death for long. Crossing the littered remains of Pluto’s outer courtyard almost three millennia on, it was clear that neither could his vampire brethren. 

Met by a chauffeur at Fiumicino Airport, Romulus had travelled straight to the site of the recent massacre, bypassing his medieval home in the city centre. Running a hand through his messy hair, a frown transformed the magister’s usual jovial appearance. Gothic towers cast a long shadow over the disturbed ground, but the scent of rotting flesh was not so easily obscured. 

His return to Rome was overdue. Several events now warranted closer inspection, including the disappearance of the Alstroemeria Coven. He’d genuinely believed the Senate would capture those responsible without magisterial intervention. Guilt nagged the edge of his ancient conscious—he swore to protect Faustulus and Acca Larentia’s ancestors, and failed.

Coming to rest on his heels, the vampire gently pressed his fingertips into the stained stone. There was enough blood here to fill a person thrice over. Sensing someone approach, he stood to face the palace. “Amala, I presume?” 

[cma-drawing]

Romulus and Remus Found by Faustulus (recto) Concentric Circles (verso), Romanino , c. 1535, Cleveland Museum of Art: Drawings

Size: Sheet: 16.3 x 24.8 cm (6 7/16 x 9 3/4 in.); Secondary Support: 23.6 x 31 cm (9 5/16 x 12 3/16 in.) Medium: pen and brown ink, with point of brush and brown wash over black chalk (traces of red chalk and purple wash unrelated to composition)

https://clevelandart.org/art/1963.87