Romulus and Remus: The Founding of Rome

The Most Famous Abandoned Babies in History

Eight centuries before Christ, a wicker basket floated down the flooded Tiber River. Inside were two infant boys, screaming against the storm. They were supposed to be dead.

Their uncle Amulius had ordered them drowned. He'd stolen the throne from their grandfather Numitor and wanted no heirs who might one day reclaim it. Their mother Rhea Silvia, forced into service as a Vestal Virgin, had somehow become pregnant — she claimed the god Mars himself had visited her.

Whether divine intervention or simply human conscience, the servant tasked with killing them couldn't do it. He left the basket at the river's edge and walked away.

The She-Wolf

According to Roman legend, a she-wolf found the twins tangled in the roots of a fig tree. Instead of seeing prey, she saw something else — perhaps her own recently lost pups. She nursed them. Kept them alive.

This image — two infants suckling a wolf — became Rome's most recognizable symbol. It appears on coins, sculptures, and monuments throughout Roman history.

Eventually, a shepherd named Faustulus discovered the strange sight: two human babies being raised by wolves. He took them home and raised them as his own sons, naming them Romulus and Remus.

The twins grew up thinking they were shepherd's sons. Just two boys who happened to be good at fighting. They had no idea they were princes.

The Murder

The brothers learned their true identity as young men and returned to overthrow Amulius, restoring their grandfather Numitor to his throne. Then they decided to found a new city on the banks of the Tiber — the same river that was supposed to have claimed their lives.

But which brother would rule? They agreed to let the gods decide through augury — watching for signs in the flight of birds. Remus saw six vultures. Romulus saw twelve.

Both claimed victory. The argument escalated. According to tradition, when Remus mockingly jumped over Romulus's newly built wall, Romulus killed him.

"So perish anyone who leaps over my walls," Romulus supposedly declared.

Rome was built on fratricide. Perhaps that explains much of what came after.

The Legacy

Romulus became Rome's first king. The city took his name. He ruled for nearly forty years before mysteriously vanishing during a storm — some said he ascended to become a god, others whispered that senators had torn him apart.

The murder of Remus haunted Roman consciousness. Was it just? Necessary? The act of a ruthless founder or a jealous brother? Romans debated this for centuries. It was their origin story, and like all origin stories, it revealed uncomfortable truths about who they were.

From two abandoned babies and a wolf's mercy came an empire. And it started with two small refusals — a servant who couldn't drown children, a wolf who chose to nurture instead of hunt.

Frequently Asked Questions

1Were Romulus and Remus real people?

Romulus and Remus are legendary figures, and there's no archaeological evidence they existed as described in myth. However, Rome was likely founded around 753 BCE, and the legend may contain echoes of actual events — power struggles, foundational violence, and the city's humble beginnings.

2Why did Romulus kill Remus?

According to legend, Remus mocked Romulus by jumping over the walls of his new city. Romulus killed him either in rage or as a symbolic act — declaring that anyone who violated Rome's boundaries would die. It may reflect ancient beliefs about the sacred nature of city walls.

3Did a wolf really raise Romulus and Remus?

The she-wolf legend is mythology. However, the Latin word 'lupa' meant both 'wolf' and was slang for 'prostitute.' Some scholars suggest the twins may have been nursed by a woman of low status, with the wolf story emerging as a more noble origin.

4What happened to Romulus?

After ruling Rome for about 37 years, Romulus disappeared during a sudden storm. Official accounts claimed he ascended to heaven and became the god Quirinus. Other accounts suggest Roman senators, tired of his increasingly autocratic rule, murdered him and disposed of the body.

Hear the Full Legend

Experience the story of Rome's founding told by Lumo — the wolf who claims he was there that night on the Tiber.