What do twin boys and a wolf have to do with this great city?

On a recent trip to Rome, I saw the image of the wolf nursing two little boys. I’ve seen this before and am aware that it symbolizes the founding of Rome. But I thought it might be interesting to delve a little deeper into this unusual story.

Romulus (one of the twins) is credited with being the founder of Rome; But what happened to the other boy, and how did they end up with a wolf for a mother? Let’s find out…

Twin boys, called Romulus and Remus, were born around 771 BC just outside the current city of Rome. But they were strapping young men before they learned the truth about who they really were… 

Descended from Royalty

“Sit down, boys, I need to tell you something,” Faustulus said. This humble shepherd and his wife were the only parents the boys had ever known. But now he was telling them that he and his wife weren’t really their birth parents. And there was more… Romulus and Remus were descended from royalty….

Sons of a Royal Vestal Virgin

The boys looked at each other, then gazed at their father in shocked silence. 

Faustulus went on to tell them about their original, dysfunctional family. Their real mother, Rhea Silvia, was a princess and a Vestal Virgin. The current king was their great uncle, who had stolen the throne from their grandfather. The king wanted to make sure there was no challenge to his crown from his brother’s lineage, so he sent his brother’s only child, Rhea Silvia (their mother) to become a Vestal Virgin.

The boys were shaking their heads in confusion. How could their mother be a Vestal Virgin? They knew – as did everyone else – that Vestal Virgins were holy women. They lived in a secluded compound and served the goddess, Vesta. And Vestal Virgins were not supposed to have children because… well, because of the virgin part.

Descended from the Gods

Faustulus saw their confusion and continued:

“Your mother went down to the river one evening to fetch water for washing the holy laundry. But she was tired from all her vestal chores, and she just wanted to close her eyes for a minute.

“While she slept, the god Mars came down and had his way with her – and because of his magical powers, she didn’t even know it… At least that was her story. And as a result of that “nap” by the river, she was pregnant. So, if her story is to be believed, you boys are also descendants of the gods.”

After processing that bit of news, the boys looked back up at Faustulus, “So, what happened to our mother?”

How to Punish a Vestal Virgin

Everyone knew that the punishment for a Vestal Virgin breaking her vow of chastity was to be starved to death; sealed up in a chamber and left to die. Shedding the blood of a Vestal was a serious crime, but starving them was okay – that was considered a death by natural causes.

Faustulus patted the boys on the shoulders. “Your great uncle, the king, wanted her dead. But his daughter, Antho, begged him to let her cousin live. The king couldn’t say no to his little princess, so he just locked your mother up in prison. 

A Rough Start

“And several months later, you two were born. The king wanted to get rid of you as well, but he was afraid that killing you might bring down the wrath of the gods. So he ordered a servant to take you down to the Tiber River and leave you to die of exposure.” Again, this was considered as death by natural causes. 

“But the servant didn’t want the wrath of the gods on him either, so he took you to the river, put you in a little tub and set you afloat.

Adopted by a Wolf Then a Shepherd

“Then one day when I was walking by the river, I saw a little tub under a fig tree, and heard a sound like babies giggling coming from a cave. When I looked in, I was amazed to see a female wolf nursing two human babies. She must have found you in the tub and adopted you. What a sight that was! And when the wolf saw me, she gently nudged you out towards me.

“I brought you home to my wife, and we raised you as our own. We heard the story of the twins abandoned on the river, and we were certain that you were the same boys, but to keep you safe, we didn’t tell anyone.”

A New City for the Twins

All this new information was life-changing for Romulus and Remus. They were part human royalty and part god! Working as shepherds for Faustulus would no longer do. They felt the need to rule over something. 

So they went back to the place where Faustulus (and the wolf) had found them and made plans to build a new city – a modern city – it was 753 BC, after all! 

But, just like their ancestors, the boys couldn’t get along; Romulus thought the perfect place for the city was on one hill and Remus was sure another hill was better. They decided to part ways, and each build their own city.

Brotherly Discord Ends in Disaster

Romulus began to build a wall around his space. Remus laughed at his brother’s puny wall and leapt right over it. “Anyone could come over your wall,” he taunted. 

Romulus was enraged and ran his brother through with his sword. “And this is what I’ll do to anyone who dares come over my walls,” he shouted. And that was the end of Remus.

Romulus on His Own

So, Romulus became the sole ruler of the city he named after himself. He made Rome a place of refuge; a place for anyone wanting a fresh start. The city grew quickly and lots of houses and public buildings were built. 

Romulus Disappears in a Cloud

Despite Romulus’ dysfunctional family and unusual upbringing, he led Rome for many years and built it into a powerful city. Then one day when he was reviewing the troops, a sudden storm came up and completely covered him in a thick cloud. When it cleared, Romulus was gone – simply gone.

“He’s been caught up to heaven!” everyone exclaimed. “He’s become a god, like his father!” The people began to pray to Romulus to protect them and show favor to Rome. 

Romulus Speaks 

But that’s not the last we hear from Romulus. Proculus Julius, the local spiritualist, claimed that Romulus’ ghost appeared to him and said, “Tell the good citizens of Rome that their city will become so great that it will one day rule the world!” And so it did. The Roman civilization ruled vast parts of the world for nearly 1,000 years.

Today, Rome no longer rules the world, but it’s still a pretty impressive city. And Romans still proudly tell the story of Romulus and Remus, the squabbling siblings, born to a virgin, rescued by a wolf, raised by a shepherd who went on to found one of the greatest civilizations the world has ever known.

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The story of Romulus and Remus is generally considered to be a foundation myth. The first written version of the story we have is from the third century BC.