Happy Birthday to the City of Rome

Rome was a city on the south-east bank of the Tiber River, in the region called Latium. Roma was often called Roma, which is the proper name for the city. The site was prominently situated on the seven hills. Romulus was the legendary founder of the famed Rome. Romulus was descendant of Trojan hero, Aeneas, one of two surviving leaders to escape the fall of Troy. His tale began…..

In Alba Longa, Numitor was their thirteenth king after Ascanius, the son of the hero Aeneas and founder of the city. Numitor was the father of Ilia (Rhea Silvia; this may have been her name when she became a Vestal Virgin). Amulius, Numitor's brother, plotted to have him remove. Amulius deposed Numitor and imprisoned his brother. Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia, was made a Vestal Virgin by Amulius - which meant that she was made a priestess of the goddess Vesta and therefore forbidden to marry. However, the Mars, God of War, came to her in her temple and with him she conceived her twin sons, Romulus and Remus.

Mars: God of War

Upon leaning of the news of Ilia's sons, Amulius would have killed the helpless infants. Amulius had the twin infants placed in a basket; they were thrown into the Tiber, in the hope the infants would drown. At that time the river was flooded and when the waters fell, the trough still containing the two boys, came ashore. They were found by a she-wolf named Lupa, who instead of killing them, looked after them and fed them with her milk. Lupa was helped by a woodpecker that brought them food as well. Interesting enough these animals are sacred to Mars.

Romulus and Remus were then discovered by Faustulus, a shepherd, who brought the children to his home. Faustulus and his wife, Acca Larentia, raised the boys as their own. Upon reaching adulthood, Romulus and Remus killed Amulius and reinstated Numitor, their grandfather, as King of Alba Longa, and then they decided to found a town of their own. Romulus and Remus chose the place where the she-wolf had nursed them. Romulus began to build walls on the Palatine Hill, but Remus jeered at them because they were so low. He leaped over them to prove this, and Romulus in anger killed him. Romulus continued the building of the new city, naming it Roma (Rome) after his own name. It's first citizens were outlaws and fugitives, to whom Romulus gave the settlement on the Capitoline Hill.
Romulus and his small group of followers first settled on the Palatine Hill. The city grew larger, due to the people flocking to the city. Romulus realized that he doesn't have enough people in his new city, offered asylum for refugees. Most of them were runaway slaves and outlaws seeking refuge. But it was the city without women.

Romulus tried to persuade his neighbor, the Sabines, to allow his people to marry their women.  They said Hell to Fucking No. Romulus devised a plan, where he invited the Sabines to a festival. He proclaimed a festival and invited many Sabines to it. While the attention of the Sabine men was elsewhere Romulus' men rushed in and carried off the beautiful women. This was the famous "Rape of the Sabine women". The Sabine men were furious and, led by their king Titus Tatius, declared war on Romulus. When the fighting had reached its peak, the Sabine women, who had grown fond of their Roman husbands, rushed between the ranks and begged both sides to make peace. So the battle was stopped, Romulus and Titus Tatius ruled together over the two peoples until Titus Tatius was killed in battle. For the rest of his life Romulus ruled alone, proving himself a great leader in peace and war. He did not die but disappeared one day in a violent storm. The Romans believing he had been taken up to heaven, worshiped him under the name of Quirinus. He was succeeded by Numa Pompilius.