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Romulus and Remus

Rome Foundation myth Twins Omen Fratricide

Twin sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia, Romulus and Remus survive infanticide, are suckled by a she-wolf, and found Rome—until rivalry ends in blood.

Story beats

  1. 1) Threatened by their usurping great-uncle, the twins are set adrift on the Tiber and rescued by a she-wolf, then raised by the shepherd Faustulus.
  2. 2) They overthrow the usurper, restore their grandfather Numitor, then seek a site for a new city.
  3. 3) Augury dispute: Remus favors Aventine, Romulus Palatine. Signs favor Romulus; Remus mocks the low walls.
  4. 4) Romulus kills Remus after he leaps the boundary (versions differ: heated argument, omen contest). Romulus fortifies the Palatine and names the city Rome.
  5. 5) Rome’s early growth includes the “rape of the Sabines” (abduction for wives) and political innovations; Romulus later disappears in a storm, rumored to become the god Quirinus.

Context & symbolism

The myth legitimizes Rome with divine ancestry and survival against odds. The she-wolf (lupa) symbolizes feral nurture and perhaps a pun on “prostitute,” linking to Rome’s gritty origins. Fratricide marks boundary sanctity—crossing walls is deadly. Augury underscores Roman religious politics.

Romulus’s apotheosis justifies ruler cults. The Sabine episode highlights Rome’s pragmatic, often brutal expansion.

Motifs

  • Foundlings nursed by animals
  • Augury to decide leadership
  • Boundary violation punished
  • Fraternal rivalry shaping destiny
  • Founder’s divine ascent

Use it in play

  • Deciding a capital via omens; disputes can turn lethal.
  • A sacred wall that kills those who cross uninvited.
  • Twins with diverging omens lead to factional split.
  • Kidnapping for population growth—moral and political fallout.
  • A founder vanishes in a storm; cult forms around their deification.

Comparative threads

  • Animal-nursed founders: Similar to Cyrus (saved by a dog) and medieval legends of feral nurture.
  • Fratricide foundations: Echoes Abel/Cain and other sibling rivalries birthing nations.
  • Augury disputes: Mirrors Greek colonial omens and Delphi consultations.

Hooks and campaign seeds

  • Players interpret conflicting omens to found a stronghold; factions may clash.
  • A city boundary enforces lethal divine law; negotiation or appeasement needed.
  • A founder’s disappearance sparks rumors of ascension; proof could unify or divide citizens.