Romulus and Remus Many years after the disappearance of Aeneas, on the throne of Alba Longa reigned Numitor who had several children. Amulio, Numitor's brother, one day decided to overthrow him, and so that his nephews would not claim the throne, he decided to eliminate them all but the only female daughter, Rea Silvia. She was locked up in the vestal temple dedicated to the goddess Vespa to become a priestess.

Priestesses were to be caste and pure, and the one who did not comply with this precept ran the risk of being buried alive. One day when Rea Silvia was resting next to a fountain in the sacred forest, passed the god Mars, who, seeing her so beautiful, fell in love with her and left her pregnant.

Months later, two twins were born: Romulus and Remo.

When Amulio found out, he had Rea Silvia thrown into the river Tiber and the two twins were placed in a basket and let the current carry them far away.

The god Tiberno, who saw what was happening, took pity on Rea Silvia, married her and granted her immortality.

The basket with the two little twins, slipped over the river and, as this one was very grown, due to an unusual flood, instead of reaching the sea, it was stuck on the shore.

In that place lived a wolf who, when he saw the little ones, weeping from hunger, sucked them. The children grew up next to the wolf healthy and strong, but their father, the god Mars, soon understood that the twins needed human warmth to develop and entrusted them to the care of a shepherd named Faustulo and his wife Laurence. They were delighted because they had no children, and they gave them by name: Romulus and Remus.

The children were healthy, beautiful and vigorous but very restless. While they collaborated with their adoptive parents caring for the herds, the monotony quickly bored them.

Seeking to give new emotions to their life and have fun, they began to steal from thieves the fruit of their plunder. Very soon, another group of young people associated with them forming no more and no less than a band.

The thieves of the region were very displeased with the band of the twins and one day when they were in the middle of the feast dedicated to the god Pan, they attacked them by surprise, and while the band of the twins tried to defend themselves bravely, the bandits took Remo prisoner.

After several days, they brought Remo before Amulio, blaming him for looting in the lands of Numitor, to what Amulio, now that he was the sovereign and cared little about what happened to Numitor, replied: “If the looting occur in the lands of Numitor, let him punish them.

When the bandits brought Remo to Numitor, accusing him of stealing from his lands, far from getting angry, Numitor recalled the misfortunes suffered and thought that these twins could be the sons of his daughter Rea Silvia, since the age coincided with that of his missing grandchildren. He said to the bandits, “Go home.” I want to interrogate the defendant alone. - and the bandits obeyed immediately.

Soon Romulus and Faustulus arrived, who upon learning about what happened, ran to help Remo.

Before Numitor, Romulus told the story of his life, so Numitor recognized that they were his rightful grandchildren and welcomed them with joy. Romulus and Remus, seeing that all their torments were due to the tyrant Amulio, decided that their grandfather should be restored to the throne that belonged to him.

Very soon they armed a small army with which they attacked Amulio's palace by surprise and killed him without giving him a chance to defend himself.

Romulus and Remo stayed for a long time with their grandfather and then decided to found a new city where they were found by the wolf. They were hesitant about the exact place and also about which of the two should be the monarch as they considered that both were equally worth.

Numitor advised them to be attentive to omens.

Meanwhile Romulus settled on the top of the Palatine and Remo on the top of the Aventine.

Remo saw six vultures flying over the place, and interpreted this as the sign of the indicated place, but Romulus saw twelve vultures flying over the Palatine. Without a doubt the hill of the Palatine should be the right place for the foundation of the new city, and he would be the monarch.

Romulus quickly took a plow and traced the city boundaries and began to build a wall around him. Remo, scorned for not being the chosen one, got drunk and started mocking Romulus: -You are ridiculous! - I was yelling at him laughing. - And your wall too. Look at how he leap- and he went through the wall.

Romulus became so angry that he could not restrain himself, took a sword and in the heat of the fight killed Remo.

Then he cried with all his might, “This will happen to anyone who dares to jump the wall of my city. But Romulus was not happy about what happened, but in his desperation for killing his twin brother even thought of taking his own life.

He soon understood that there was nothing he could do and buried his brother with all the honors on the top of Mount Aventine.

Later, he took possession of his new city. In honor of his brother he called it Rome.

The date of its foundation is 753 BC.

It is said that Romulus reigned for thirty-three years.

Rome expanded and prospered so much that Romulus was awarded the title of Father of the Fatherland.

When his final hour came, the god Mars asked Jupiter for a place among the gods and, as Romulus had built beautiful temples dedicated to Jupiter, he agreed without hindrance.

Legend has it that one day when Romulus was on Mount Palatine, Mars descended from the sky in his winged chariot and flew him away. Jupiter, at that time triggered a strong storm whose thunder and lightning made those present tremble.

Romulus, before leaving, had ordered that a temple be built on Mount Quirinal in his memory, and when Romulus ascended into heaven they gave him the name of god Quirinus.

Romulus thus achieved a place among the gods, but he missed his wife Hersila and asked for her the Gift of Immortality.

The gods granted her the order and Hersila became the goddess Hour.

por Mirta Fernandez