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51-468: Remus is the twin brother of the mythical founder of Rome. Remus may also refer to: Remus In Roman mythology , Romulus and Remus ( Latin: [ˈroːmʊlʊs] , [ˈrɛmʊs] ) are twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the founding of the city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, following his fratricide of Remus. The image of
102-527: A she-wolf suckling the twins in their infancy has been a symbol of the city of Rome and the ancient Romans since at least the 3rd century BC. Although the tale takes place before the founding of Rome around 750 BC, the earliest known written account of the myth is from the late 3rd century BC. Possible historical bases for the story, and interpretations of its local variants, are subjects of ongoing debate. Romulus and Remus were born in Alba Longa , one of
153-424: A city named Remuria, five miles from Rome, and outlives his brother Romulus. Roman historians and Roman traditions traced most Roman institutions to Romulus. He was credited with founding Rome's armies, its system of rights and laws, its state religion and government, and the system of patronage that underpinned all social, political and military activity. In reality, such developments would have been spread over
204-483: A company of supporters from the community. When they were young adults, they became involved in a dispute between supporters of Numitor and Amulius. As a result, Remus was taken prisoner and brought to Alba Longa. Both his grandfather and the king suspected his true identity. Romulus, meanwhile, had organized an effort to free his brother and set out with help for the city. During this time, they learned of their past and joined forces with their grandfather to restore him to
255-495: A considerable span of time. Some were much older and others much more recent. To most Romans, the evidence for the veracity of the legend and its central characters seemed clear and concrete, an essential part of Rome's sacred topography. One could visit the Lupercal , where the twins were suckled by the she-wolf, or offer worship to the deified Romulus-Quirinus at the " shepherd's hut ", or see it acted out on stage, or simply read
306-411: A contest of augury . Remus saw 6 auspicious birds, but Romulus saw 12 and claimed to have won divine approval. They disputed the result; Remus insulted Romulus' new city and was killed, either by Romulus or by one of his supporters. Romulus then went on to found the city of Rome, its institutions, government, military, and religious traditions. He reigned for many years as its first king. The origins of
357-511: A fig tree, and never any birds ( Dionysius of Halicarnassus ). The twins and the she-wolf were featured on what might be the earliest silver coins minted in Rome. The Franks Casket , an Anglo-Saxon ivory box (early 7th century AD) shows Romulus and Remus in an unusual setting, two wolves instead of one, a grove instead of one tree or a cave, four kneeling warriors instead of one or two gesticulating shepherds. According to one interpretation, and as
408-592: A large educated public in Italy, Greece and elsewhere in the Mediterranean world. The Latin annales ascribed to a Fabius are thus most likely a later translation of his history, or perhaps a draft of his work in Latin later edited posthumously. In the words of Arnaldo Momigliano , "under the impact of Hellenisation the natives of many countries were persuaded to rethink their national history and to present it in
459-481: Is an ongoing debate about how and when the "complete" fable came together. Some elements are attested earlier than others, and the storyline and the tone were variously influenced by the circumstances and tastes of the different sources as well as by contemporary Roman politics and concepts of propriety. Whether the twins' myth was an original part of Roman myth or a later development is the subject of an ongoing debate. Sources often contradict one another. They include
510-895: Is not mentioned. Instead, Romulus, upon being told of his true identity and the crimes suffered by him and his family at the hands of the Alban king, simply decided to avenge them. He took his supporters directly to the city and killed Amulius, afterwards restoring his grandfather to the throne. Modern scholarship approaches the various known stories of Romulus and Remus as cumulative elaborations and later interpretations of Roman origin myth . Particular versions and collations were presented by Roman historians as an authoritative, official history trimmed of contradictions and untidy variants, to justify contemporary developments, genealogies and actions in relation to Roman morality . Other narratives appear to represent popular or folkloric tradition; some of these remain inscrutable in purpose and meaning. Wiseman sums
561-507: The decemviri sacris faciundis , although we have no direct evidence that he was a member of priestly colleges. It seems likely that Fabius was also sent there to sound out Greek public opinion regarding the alliance between Hannibal and Philip V of Macedon . His later life remains unknown, and it is unclear whether Fabius lived long enough to witness the end of the Second Punic War (218–201 BC). Quintus Fabius Pictor , who
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#1732776265807612-450: The Fasti . The legend as a whole encapsulates Rome's ideas of itself, its origins and moral values. For modern scholarship, it remains one of the most complex and problematic of all foundation myths, particularly in the manner of Remus's death. Ancient historians had no doubt that Romulus gave his name to the city. Most modern historians believe his name a back-formation from the name Rome;
663-525: The Palazzo Trinci . Quintus Fabius Pictor Quintus Fabius Pictor (born c. 270 BC, fl. c. 215–200 BC) was the earliest known Roman historian . His history, written in Greek and now mostly lost besides some surviving fragments, was highly influential on ancient writers and certainly participated in introducing Greek historiographical methods to
714-474: The Second Punic War , although it is unclear whether he survived long enough to record it entirely. Fabius' history has not survived, but it is partially known today through quotations and allusions by later authors. It is not certain whether the work was annalistic , recounting events year by year, although citation of his work by other historians may imply that it was. According to Beck, however,
765-525: The feral children of ancient mythography . Current scholarship offers little evidence to support any particular version of the Roman foundation myth, including a historical Romulus or Remus. Starting with Fabius Pictor, the written accounts must have reflected the commonly-held history of the city to some degree. The archaeologist Andrea Carandini is one of very few modern scholars who accept Romulus and Remus as historical figures, and dates an ancient wall on
816-517: The runic inscription ("far from home") indicates, the twins are cited here as the Dioscuri , helpers at voyages such as Castor and Polydeuces . Their descent from the Roman god of war predestines them as helpers on the way to war. The carver transferred them into the Germanic holy grove and has Odin 's second wolf join them. Thus the picture served—along with five other ones—to influence " wyrd ",
867-607: The 230s. In 233, he was presumably a junior officer under the consulship of his cousin Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus . He most likely served as praetor some time prior to 218. Fabius joined the Senate before the outbreak of the Second Punic War in 218, but seems to have been a rather undistinguished senator. He may have also fought in the Battle of Lake Trasimene in 217. In 216 BC, during
918-517: The Greek language to the educated readers of a multinational society." Some scholars have also argued that his history of Rome may have been primarily intended for an Hellenist audience. Fabius' work, which is variously called the Annales Graeci or the Romaika (≈ Romaion ) praxeis by ancient authors, comprised three large sections: one on the ktisis (creation story), which included
969-418: The Greek states, more concerned with the continuity of political institutions than most of the Greek general histories we know. The Romans could not remain bound to the notion of contemporary history because they had a profound sense of tradition and continuity. They might be uncritical about their own past, but they felt they had to narrate their own history ab urbe condita , from the beginnings. The annals from
1020-597: The Roman world. However, the work was highly partisan towards Rome, blaming the Second Punic War (218–201 BC) on Carthage and idealizing the Roman Republic as a well-ordered state loyal to its allies. Fabius probably served as praetor , was a member of the Senate , and participated in a delegation sent to the oracle at Delphi in 216 BC. Some scholars consider him one of the earliest annalists , although this conclusion has been criticized. Quintus Fabius Pictor
1071-422: The Second Punic War, dismissing Hannibal's attack as sweeping "injustice", soon became the dominant view among ancient historians. In the early 2nd century BC, Roman historians Lucius Cincius Alimentus and Gaius Acilius were highly influenced by Fabius in matters of language, form, and theme. The annals [Fabius] produced inaugurated a new type of national history, less antiquarian than the local chronicles of
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#17327762658071122-468: The Second Punic War, he was appointed to travel to the oracle at Delphi , the religious centre of Greece , in order to seek guidance after the disastrous Roman defeat to Hannibal at Cannae . He certainly obtained this role at the suggestion of his cousin Fabius Verrucosus, probably aided by his expert knowledge of the Greek language and culture, and possibly in his capacity as member of
1173-483: The arrival of the legendary Trojan refugee Aeneas in Latium . He dated the founding of Rome to the "first year of the eighth Olympiad ", that is 747 BC. According to historian Hans Beck , "the calculation of the city's foundation date that matched with Olympiad chronologies attests both to the call for accuracy and to the desire to stress an analogy to Greek culture." Fabius' work ended with his own recollections of
1224-457: The augury and fratricide. Plutarch relates the legend in chapters 2–10 of the Life of Romulus . He dedicates the most attention, nearly half the entire account, to conflict with Amulius. Fasti , the epic Latin poem by Ovid from the early 1st century AD, contains a complete account of the twins' tale. Notably, it relates a tale wherein the ghost of Remus appears to Faustulus and his wife, whom
1275-519: The background of their birth in Alba, he dedicates a total of 9 chapters to the tale (79–87). Most of that is spent discussing the conflict with Amulius. He goes on to discuss the various accounts of the city's founding by others, and the lineage and parentage of the twins for another 8 chapters until arriving at the tale of their abandonment by the Tiber. He spends the better part of the chapter 79 discussing
1326-493: The bank of the river Tiber to die. They were saved by the god Tiberinus , Father of the River, and survived with the care of others at the site of future Rome. In the best-known episode, the twins were suckled by a she-wolf in a cave now known as the Lupercal . Eventually, they were adopted by Faustulus , a shepherd. They grew up tending flocks, unaware of their true identities. Over time, they became natural leaders and attracted
1377-465: The basis for Remus's name and role remain subjects of ancient and modern speculation. The myth was fully developed into something like an "official", chronological version in the Late Republican and early Imperial era; Roman historians dated the city's foundation to between 758 and 728 BC, and Plutarch reckoned the twins' birth year as 771 BC. A tradition that gave Romulus a distant ancestor in
1428-551: The beginning the Greeks themselves also wrote like our Cato, Pictor, and Piso. History was nothing more than a compilation of yearly chronicles..." An anonymous Account of the Roman History of Fabius Pictor was published in 1749, claiming that a manuscript in the " Carthaginian language " had been discovered in the ruins of Herculaneum near Pompeii . In fact, it was a political satire on English religion and politics at
1479-489: The creation of national consciousness itself, such as we understand it. Fabius was used as a source by Polybius , Livy , Gellius , Quadrigarius , Plutarch , and Dionysius of Halicarnassus . Despite his use of Fabius's history, Polybius complained about the quality of his work, saying that he had been biased towards the Romans and inconsistent. Cicero spoke harshly of early Roman historians: "Let me remind you that in
1530-428: The different elements in Rome's foundation myth are a subject of ongoing debate. They may have come from the Romans' own Italic origins, or from Hellenic influences that were included later. Definitively identifying those original elements has so far eluded classicists . Roman historians dated the founding of Rome around 753 BC, but the earliest known written account of the myth is from the late 3rd century BC. There
1581-643: The first years of the Republic; a second part on "the antiquities after the foundation phase", that is the period from the Decemvirate (ca. 450) to the Pyrrhic War (280–275); and a third on the contemporary history from the outbreak of the First Punic War onwards. Fabius' account of early Rome mixed historical elements with mythology. His story began with the "coming of Herakles into Italy" and
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1632-422: The fortune and fate of a warrior king. The myth has been an inspiration to artists throughout the ages. Particular focus has been paid to the rape of Ilia by Mars and the suckling of the twins by the she-wolf. In the late 16th century, the wealthy Magnani family from Bologna commissioned a series of artworks based on the Roman foundation myth. The artists contributing works included a sculpture of Hercules with
1683-405: The histories of Livy, Plutarch, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, and Tacitus as well as the work of Virgil and Ovid. Quintus Fabius Pictor 's work became authoritative to the early books of Livy's History of Rome , Dionysius of Halicarnassus 's Roman Antiquities , and Plutarch 's Life of Romulus . These three works have been among the most widely read versions of the myth. In all three works,
1734-542: The infant twins by Gabriele Fiorini, featuring the patron's own face. The most important works were an elaborate series of frescoes collectively known as Histories of the Foundation of Rome by the Brothers Carracci: Ludovico , Annibale , and Agostino Carracci . The Loggia di Romolo e Remo is an unfinished, 15th century fresco by Gentile da Fabriano depicting episodes from the legend in
1785-534: The label "annalistic" should be avoided to describe Fabius' work, for the surviving fragments "make it plain that the conceptual assumptions of this model (lack of style, a mere compilation of people, places and prodigies) are not accurate." Fabius was influenced by Greek historiographical methods, especially that of the Sicilian Greek historian Timaeus . Other Greek authors such as Antiochus of Syracuse and Diocles of Peparethus had already written about
1836-502: The many ancient Latin cities near the Seven hills of Rome . Their mother Rhea Silvia , also known as Ilia, was a Vestal Virgin and the daughter of former king Numitor , who had been displaced by his brother Amulius . In some sources, Rhea Silvia conceived them when the god Mars visited her in a sacred grove dedicated to him. Seeing them as a possible threat to his rule, King Amulius ordered them to be killed and they were abandoned on
1887-407: The mythical origins of Rome, and Fabius was also influenced by them. For instance, his narrative of the legendary overthrow of Amulius by Romulus and Remus was taken from Diocles. His views of Roman history as a closed unity in search for social meaning were biased towards his nation, and probably emerged as a nationalistic reaction influenced by the conflict between Rome and Carthage, especially
1938-522: The need to defend Roman policy to the Greek world." However, Momigliano contends that the available Fabius's fragments recounting contemporary events appear "objective and serene ... [and show] that Fabius was in no hurry to present the Carthaginians to the Greek public as collectively responsible for the beginning of the Second Punic War." Fabius' portrayal of the Siege of Saguntum as the cause of
1989-528: The north slope of the Palatine Hill to the mid-8th century BC and names it the Murus Romuli . Ancient pictures of the Roman twins usually follow certain symbolic traditions, depending on the legend they follow: they either show a shepherd, the she-wolf, the twins under a fig tree, and one or two birds ( Livy , Plutarch ); or they depict two shepherds, the she-wolf, the twins in a cave, seldom
2040-589: The origins of Rome were the most characteristic product of their historiography ... Roman traditionalism had inspired the Annals of the Pontiffs. Fabius Pictor kept it alive while accepting the methods, and to a great extent the contents, of Greek political history. Fabius invented national history for the Latin West. Thereby he created the form for the expression of national consciousness: possibly he contributed to
2091-401: The poet calls "Acca". In the story, Remus appears to them while in bed and expresses his anger at Celer for killing him and his own, as well as Romulus' unquestioned fraternal love. Roman History by Cassius Dio survives in fragments from various commentaries. They contain a more-or-less complete account. In them, he mentions an oracle that had predicted Amulius' death by a son of Numitor as
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2142-477: The political turmoil that followed the defeat of Cannae in 216 BC. Beck writes that "the work’s apologetic tone, its idealization of the republic as a well-ordered state, and the emphasis on Rome’s loyalty to its allies all seem to support this view, suiting an effort at damage-control immediately after Cannae." According to scholar John Briscoe, "his reasons for writing in Greek were both literary—the possibility of writing in Latin did not occur to him—and political,
2193-409: The reason the Alban king expelled the boys. There is also a mention of "another Romulus and Remus" and another Rome having been founded long before on the same site. This work contains a variety of versions of the story. In one, there is a reference to a woodpecker bringing the boys food during the time they were abandoned in the wild. In one account of the conflict with Amulius, the capture of Remus
2244-452: The same subjects as interested outsiders, and include founder-traditions not mentioned by Livy, untraceable to a common source and probably specific to particular regions, social classes or oral traditions. A Roman text of the late Imperial era, Origo gentis Romanae (The origin of the Roman people) is dedicated to the many "more or less bizarre", often contradictory variants of Rome's foundation myth, including versions in which Remus founds
2295-410: The semi-divine Trojan prince Aeneas was further embellished, and Romulus was made the direct ancestor of Rome's first Imperial dynasty . Possible historical bases for the broad mythological narrative remain unclear and disputed. The image of the she-wolf suckling the divinely fathered twins became an iconic representation of the city and its founding legend, making Romulus and Remus pre-eminent among
2346-427: The survival in the wild. Then the end of 79 through 84 on the account of their struggle with Amulius. 84 with the non-fantastical account of their survival 294. Finally, 295 is the augury, 85–86, 87–88, the fratricide. Livy discusses the myth in chapters 4, 5, and 6 of his work's first book. p. 7 parentage 4 p. 8 survival. p. 8 the youth. 5 9–10 the struggle with Amulius. 6 p. 11 (the beginning only)
2397-623: The tales of the lupercal and the fratricide are overshadowed by that of the twins' lineage and connections to Aeneas and the deposing of Amulius. The latter receives the most attention in the accounts. Plutarch dedicates nearly half of his account to the overthrow of their uncle. Dionysius cites, among others, the histories of Pictor , Lucius Calpurnius Piso , Cato the Elder , Lucius Cincius Alimentus . The first book of Dionysius' twenty-volume history of Rome does not mention Remus until page 235 (chapter 71). After spending another 8 chapters discussing
2448-591: The throne. Amulius was killed and Numitor was reinstated as king of Alba. The twins set out to build a city of their own. After arriving back in the area of the seven hills, they disagreed about the hill upon which to build. Romulus preferred the Palatine Hill , above the Lupercal; Remus preferred the Aventine Hill . When they could not resolve the dispute, they agreed to seek the gods' approval through
2499-431: The whole as the mythography of an unusually problematic foundation and early history. The three canonical accounts of Livy, Dionysius, and Plutarch provide the broad literary basis for studies of Rome's founding mythography. They have much in common, but each is selective to its purpose. Livy's is a dignified handbook, justifying the purpose and morality of Roman traditions of his own day. Dionysius and Plutarch approach
2550-649: Was born ca. 270 BC to a prestigious patrician family of the Roman Republic , the gens Fabia . The cognomen Pictor ( Latin for 'painter') was inherited from his grandfather, Gaius Fabius Pictor , who had decorated the temple of Salus in 304. His father, Gaius Fabius Pictor , was consul in 269. Fabius participated in Roman campaigns against the Gauls and the Ligurians in Cisalpine Gaul during
2601-479: Was praetor in Sardinia in 189 and died in 167 BC, was presumably his homonymous son. Fabius wrote a history of Rome some time between 215 and 200 BC. His work was certainly published before 192 BC, either during or shortly after the Second Punic War. Bruce W. Frier has proposed a publication date no later than 213. Fabius' history was written in Greek, which was at that time the only language suitable to reach
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