The story of Romulus and Remus is the best-known foundational narrative of ancient Rome.
Through this story, the Romans explained the birth of their city, its vocation for power, and the values that would mark their civilization.
However, this narrative combines legend, symbolism, and historical elements, making it necessary to differentiate between the traditional myth and what historical and archaeological research has been able to confirm.
The legend of Romulus and Remus
According to Roman tradition, Romulus and Remus were the sons of Rhea Silvia, a Vestal Virgin, and the god Mars.
Rhea Silvia belonged to the royal family of Alba Longa, descended from the Trojan hero Aeneas. Her uncle Amulius, a usurper of the throne, forced Rhea Silvia to become a Vestal Virgin to prevent legitimate offspring. Thus, when the twins were born, he ordered them to be abandoned in the Tiber river.
The legend tells that the children survived thanks to a she-wolf who suckled them in the Lupercal cave, at the foot of the Palatine hill.
Later, they were found by the shepherd Faustulus and raised with his wife Larentia.
As adults, the brothers discovered their origin, defeated Amulius, and decided to found a new city.
The dispute arose when choosing the location and leadership.
After consulting the auguries, Romulus prevailed and drew the sacred boundary of the city.
Remus crossed it as a sign of defiance and was killed, according to some versions by Romulus himself, and according to others, by one of his followers.
Thus, Rome is said to have been founded in 753 BC, according to traditional chronology.
The symbolic meaning of the myth
The myth expresses central values of Roman thought: the supremacy of the state over the individual, the legitimacy of foundational violence, and obedience to sacred laws.
The fratricide of Remus symbolizes that the order of the city is above even family ties.
Romulus embodies the strong founder, capable of imposing authority to ensure collective survival.
The consultation of auguries and the brothers' origin as sons of gods grants a mythical value that reflects the strength and importance of beliefs, traditions, myths, and religion in their daily lives, and their norms and decisions.
The historical and archaeological reality
From a historical point of view, there is no evidence of the actual existence of Romulus and Remus.
However, archaeology has provided relevant data.
Excavations on the Palatine hill have revealed remains of huts and human settlements dating to the 8th century BC, coinciding with the mythical date of Rome's founding.
These findings indicate that Rome emerged as a cluster of Latin villages, probably united for defensive, economic, and religious reasons.
The figure of Romulus could represent a tribal leader or a collective process of unification, later personified in a legendary hero.
Romulus as a political construct
Literary sources, such as Livy and Plutarch, describe Romulus as the organizer of the first Roman institutions: the Senate, the army, and social division.
Although these accounts are not literally verifiable, they reflect Rome's early evolution towards a structured and militarized community.
The later deification of Romulus as Quirinus reinforces his symbolic character.
This process was common in antiquity and served to legitimize the power and exceptional destiny of the city.
