...In Roman mythology, Romulus and his twin brother Remus were the children of Rhea Silvia and Mars (or in some variations the demi-god hero Hercules). Romulus and Remus are best known for being the founders of the city of Rome. Their story is recorded by many authors including Virgil who claims their birth and adventures were fated in order for Rome to be founded. The Birth & Parentage of Romulus & Remus Romulus and Remus were the direct descendants of Aeneas, whose fate-driven adventures to discover Italy are described by Virgil in The Aeneid. Romulus and Remus were related to Aeneas through their mother's father, Numitor. Numitor was a king of Alba Longa, an ancient city of Latium in central Italy, and father to Rhea Silvia. Before Romulus' and Remus' conception, Numitor's reign was usurped by Nimitor's younger brother, Amulius. Amulius inherited control over Alba Longa's treasury with which he was able to dethrone Numitor and become king. Amulius, wishing to avoid any conflict of power, killed Nimitor's male heirs and forced Rhea Silvia to become a Vestal Virgin. Vestal Virgins were priestesses of Vesta, patron goddess of the hearth; they were charged with keeping a sacred fire that was never to be extinguished and to take vows of chastity. There is much debate and variation as to whom was the father of Romulus and Remus. Some myths claim that Mars appeared and lay with Rhea Silvia; other myths attest that the demi-god hero Hercules was her partner. However, the author...
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...started with Remus and Romulus, while others say it started when the republic formed and Julius Caesar was dictator. There’s even a few people that claim it started with the Etruscan rule. Today, I’m writing about one specific origin story- Romulus and Remus. They were brothers who, according to the myths, were wanted dead by the king of that time. The king’s name was Amulius. He overthrew his brother who was actually the king before him. The old king’s daughter was the mother of the twins, and the father was the god Mars. Amulius was worried the twins would overthrow him, so he ordered for them to be drowned in the Tibris river.. The gods showed favor to them, because like I said earlier,...
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...identity, community and belonging. This passage emphasises the idea of the ‘Res Publica’, that there is more than one contributor to the construction of the city state that came to be. The Aeneid states that they are direct descendants of Aeneas as their grand-father Numitor was later the king of Alba Longa, which Aeneas’ son Ascanius found. In agreement with Livy, it is clear that Vergil sees Romulus as the main founder of Rome. However, it is by the people that his opinion is based upon as the Roman people chose Romulus as their founder, possibly as a result of the meaning of his name. Therefore, we cannot believe that these events are historically true. Further evidence to prove why this foundation story is a fabrication is that there is no archaeological evidence to prove Romulus’ existence (Cornell, 1995). There is the hut of Romulus that was found on the Palatine Hill (Ibid), but as the date of 753 BC is not an accurate date of the founding, it is highly unlikely that the hut belonged to Romulus. What is certain is that Augustus made it known to the Roman populous that the hut belonged to Romulus through means of propaganda. Therefore, the stories cannot be used as historical evidence for Rome’s...
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...The mythological accounts of the founding of Rome are: Aeneas as Founder of Rome: The Trojan prince Aeneas is sometimes credited with the founding of Rome as the culmination of his post-Trojan War adventures, but the version of the Roman foundation myth that is most familiar is that of Romulus, the first king of Rome. Birth of Romulus and Remus Romulus and Remus were twin brothers, the sons of a virgin named Rhea Silvia ( also called Ilia) and the god Mars, according to legend. The grandfather, Numitor, and the great-uncle, Amulius, who between them divided the wealth and kingdom of Alba Longa, a city founded by Aeneas’ son Ascanius, but then Amulius seized Numitor’s share and became sole ruler. To prevent retaliation by offspring of his brother, Amulius made his niece a vestal virgin. When Rhea became pregnant, her life was spared because of the special pleading of Amulius’ daughter Antho. Although she kept her life, Rhea was imprisoned. Exposure of the Infants Contrary to plan, the virgin Rhea was impregnated by the god Mars. When the twin boys were born, Amulius wished to have them killed, and so bid someone, perhaps Faustulus, a swineherd, expose the boys. Faustulus left the twins on the river bank where a she-wolf nursed them, and a woodpecker fed and guarded them until Faustulus took them into his care again. The two boys were well educated by Faustulus and his wife, Acca Larentia. They grew up to be strong and attractive. "They say that his name was Faustulus; and...
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...1: Discuss one of the two founding myths of Rome (You choose which), how did this affect the Roman attitude about themselves? In reference to Rome’s ancient mythology, the founding of Rome was based on two stories that empower their predecessor Romulus and Remus. Moreover, Romulus and Remus were the son of Rhea Silvia and Mars the God of war – which is a way to show that their blood came directly from a great leader. In other words, they were born to give orders and reign. Now, we came bring the implications of the myths; they had two myths which were related to the incident of their birth. Romulus and Remus’s mother Rhea Silvia was destined to be a priestess which requires her to be a virgin, due to the fact that she was no longer a virgin,...
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...When observing the founding of ancient Rome, one must inquire the authenticity of each and every claim made. This practice is necessary because the history of the birth of Rome and early stages are unconditionally riddled with myth. For this analysis to remain objective and truthful, the author ought to focus on what can be proven, not myth, and the reader should remain cognizant that this is ancient history and the ancient peoples of Rome had little knowledge on how Rome was founded, except for the folklore of their day. Many historians to this day are bewildered by this fragment of civilized history. With this mystery, however, there comes a certain strange, enchanting world to explore. When archeologists discovered the traces of the...
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...Discuss the extent to which Roman ideas about their gods and the foundation of their city were influenced by Greek mythology. Ancient Rome is filled with history of great wars and heroes, the mighty and the fallen. They were renowned conquers becoming one of the largest empires of their time. The romans were skilled finding their strengths in the engineering industry as well as the law. Although this ancient civilisation existed millenniums ago, they still effect the times of today. A prime example of this is the language, English. Romans spoke Latin and as they conquered and settled through Europe, “Latin fused with the native languages,” creating the romance languages of today; “Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese… and Catalan.” The vocabulary of English has also largely derived from the Latin language. Although the current times of today have been influenced by the times of the ancients, the Romans however were influenced to an extent by the ancient Greek’s civilisation. By the 2nd century BC, Rome had a very evident impact from the culture of the Greeks. Greeks had begun to settle on the south then later migrating further north of Italy’s peninsula, and occupying the city of Sicily. There is neither exact date nor event that stipulates the cross of two nations however events such as the Macedonian and Carthage wars of Roman conquest would have aided in the direct contact to Greek colonization. The influence of Greece can be seen throughout every aspect of a Romans...
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...holdings around the Mediterranean in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Population: 56.8 million (25 BC) Capitals: Rome, Constantinople, Ravenna Area: 1.062 million sq miles Founded: 27 BC Continent: Europe Government: Autocracy, Stratocracy The Founding of Rome The Founding of Rome is very much embroiled in myth. Traces found by archaeologists of early settlements of the Palatine Hill date back to ca 750 BC. This ties in very closely to the established legend that Rome was founded on 21 April 753 BC, which was traditionally celebrated in Rome with the festival of Parilia. Two founding legends exist - Romulus and Remus and Aeneas. Rather than contradict each other, the tale of Aeneas adds to that of Romulus and Remus. King Numitor of Alba Longa was ejected by his younger brother Amulius. To do away with any further possible pretenders to his usurped throne, Amulius murdered Numitor's sons and forced Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia, to become a vestal virgin. However Mars, the god of war became enchanted by her beauty and had his way with Rhea Silvia while she slept. As a result of this Rhea Silvia bore twins, Romulus and Remus. An enraged Amulius had Rhea Silvia thrown into the river Tiber where she was caught beneath the waves by the river god who married her. The twins were set adrift on the river in a reed basket. They floated downstream until the basket was caught in the branches of a fig tree. This was where they were found by a she-wolf who suckled...
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...Mythology: “The body of myths (sacred stories) of a particular culture; the study and interpretation of such myths.” A long time ago mythology was something treated with respect. People respected and believed in it. The two major mythologies known are Greek and Roman. What are the similarities and differences between these two famous mythologies? The Roman mythology has two types of creation. Certain people believe it was created around the 12th century BC, after the war between Greece and Asia. The legend says that after the war, Aeneas, a very strong and popular soldier of the Greek royal army, won the battle against Asia but then decided to leave for Carthage. There, the Queen Dido fell in love with him but Aeneas left her to travel to Italy, where he found Rome. From there, Aeneas knowing the gods from his culture decided to create a new mythology with new gods. The other type of creation of the Roman mythology consists of two men from Greece, Romulus and Remus, who were the sons of the God Mars and a mortal woman named Rhea Silvia. These two brothers lived with their uncle. When their parents died the uncle decided to kill the two brothers so he could receive the power of their father, the God Mars. In the conflict, Remus died but Romulus escaped to a new city named Rome, where he became its first king. “The date that Romulus founded Rome was 753 BC” (Varro). There were several more gods in the Roman Mythology. There were 21 considered very important for the people...
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...One of the most famous Roman myths is the story of Romulus and Remus also known as Rome’s foundation myth. It is the story of two young boys left by their mother and given to a she-wolf because the other gods were jealous of them and wanted to kill them. Then it became time for the wolf to release them into the world so she placed them where a lonely shepherd would find them. When they finally grew up they decided to build a city. They decided to have a contest to surface the first king of their city. During the contest Romulus realized Remus was gaining the upper hand and this made him extremely frustrated. So frustrated that he ended up brutally murdering his brother with a rock. Since he was the only one left standing he was dubbed the first king of...
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...Name: Jimmenia Hewitt Date: 1/12/2014 Instructor’s Name: Assignment: HUMA215 Individual Project Unit 1 Title: Compare/Contrast Greek and Roman Cultures Assignment: Part 1: Fill in the below table with both similarities and differences of the Greek and Roman cultures. Indicate if you are describing a similarity or a difference. If you are describing a similarity then place your research information under both the Greek and Roman culture. If you are describing a difference list the difference between the two cultures under each culture. Please fill in all 10 lines within the table, each row will expand as you type in your information. | Similarity/Difference | Greek Culture | Roman Culture | 1 | Difference | The Greek Culture was older than the Roman culture | The Greek Culture was older than the Roman culture. | 2 | Similarity | The Roman was great admirers of Greek cultures they copied their gods and specific ranks and Romanized it. | The Roman was great admirers of Greek cultures they copied their gods and specific ranks and Romanized it. | 3 | Difference | Roman did gladiatorial games and Greeks did not. The Greeks did theatricals plays | Roman did gladiatorial games and Greeks did not. The Greeks did theatricals plays | 4 | Difference | The Greek developed democracy and Roman had a republican for class later ruled by emperors. | The Greek developed democracy and Roman had a republican for class later ruled by emperors. | 5 | Similarity...
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...Coming to the shapes, the people in the painting itself depict shapes. The twins are small and there can be seen women which are almost the same size. Proportional figures make the painting look real. Furthermore, there are birds which show us the symbol of peace. The author tries to make us see the twins in the center, Romulus and Remus who founded Rome and they were saved by the shepherd and she wolf in the painting. The white birds displayed also reflect a story in which the birds Settled a quarrel between the twins as a symbol of peace. Coming to the space, the artist has made it look layered. The women wearing white dress is displayed in front and the women in blue is shown in the front of the women at the...
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...its finest, at rest (Frank, 2002-2011). The colors used vary; from the beginning it was marble and also bronze as well as terra cotta was used (Lapatin). The subject matter is the human form and I think it can be representational and abstract art. Representational because it does represent the human form and it is a form we can recognize from the everyday world and abstract because although it is of the human form, no subject was used, it was a vision; therefore meaning it was the essence or an object or idea (Frank, 2002-2011). She-Wolf is the topic chosen for the Roman Art. She-wolf is a bronze sculptor of two infants suckled by a she-wolf. The infants, found by a shepherd were raised by him and his wife; whom named the twins Romulus and Remus (Joe, 2008). It was said to be constructed around 500 BCE, with the twins added in the late 15th century (Sullivan, 2006). The materials used were bronze. Just like the Doryphoros, the material used was bronze and it would be considered representational and the meaning of this piece of art is showing the wolf, nursing and protecting the infants. The message is showing how motherhood comes in different forms. The Doryphoros and the Roman Art were constructed between 450 and 500BCE and both were created using bronze. They each show strength, while the She-wolf also shows protection. Reference Frank, P....
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...Topic Compare Contrast Volcanic Eruption Roman- Vesuvius Volcano Buried Pompeii (Sonneborn) Archeological digs have been able to help us to know more about the people of Pompeii. The remains are virtually unchanged. Very detailed information has been gathered about Roman Life at that time. Greek- Island of Thera Buried Minoan settlement of Akrotiri (Thera Eruption ) Archeological digs have been able to help us to know more about the people of Akrotiri buildings. Roman The exact date of the eruption of Pompeii is widely known and accepted as fact. That is because the blast was so huge, that it caused tree rings to change showing that a significant event occurred. (Archaeology's Interactive Dig, 2001-2003) Greek We don’t have a clear picture of the date of the Eruption of Thera. There is a lot of controversy about the date. Because they are unable to link it to another event to establish the chronology with sufficient proof and the carbon dating has been inconsistent. However it is thought to be around 1630 to 1780’s . (The Eruption of Thera: Date and Implications, 2006) The eruption of Thera brought life to an end for the Cyclades culture. Although there are virtually no artifacts left there to help us understand the life there, we have uncovered buildings. Most of what we know of this region was found through the burial sites where we have found art and artifacts. (Sayre, 2010) Philosophy Greek: Homer- 800 BCE Socrates & Plato...
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...known as the “Bishop of Rome.” “For those who have visited her, it is unquestionably the most magnificent city in the world. Like the memory of a lost love, she will haunt you, stealing your senses one by one while hastening your return. For those who have not yet experienced her magic, the thrill awaits… (Roman Homes Website)” Rome is one of the most ancient and mystifying cities, full of majesty and splendor because it is a place of myth, antiquity, and spectacle. Rome is a city full of legend, history, and wonder. Its history includes classical myths of vengeful gods, blatant foolishness of Roman emperors, Bacchanalian excess around Renaissance courts while fast-forwarding to pompous Fascism during the reign of Mussolini in the twentieth century. Emperors, Popes and dictators have been at the forefront of domestic and international battles as they stamped out heresies while crushing infiltrating foes. As legend goes, Rome actually had its beginnings on April 21, 753 B.C. when the mythical twins, Romulus (Rome is named for him) and Remus, founded the city. (Seindal and Derito, 2011) This is disputed by most historians but archaeological discoveries do confirm a settlement on the Palatine hills about this time. This great city flourished for about a thousand years until it started its decline between 200 and 300...
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