Romulus

771–716 BC

A SHE-WOLF, COMING TO THE EDGE OF THE RIVER TO DRINK, HEARD THEIR CRIES.

Romulus was the founder, and first king of the city of Rome. According to legend, he was the son of Mars, and descended from Aeneas on his mother's side. As a baby, he was cast into a river, along with his twin brother Remus, by their jealous uncle, but found and nursed by a she-wolf, then raised by a shepherd. After avenging themselves on their uncle, they founded the city of Rome on the hill where they were discovered as infants. Romulus accidentally killed Remus, becoming Rome's first king. He offered sanctuary to exiles, refugees, criminals, and runaway slaves if they became citizens of his new city. He and his men acquired wives by kidnapping them from neighboring tribes. Nonetheless, Rome grew into a thriving city under his reign.

Key events during the life of romulus:

Year	Event
771	Birth, adoption by she-wolf
753	Founding of Rome
	Capture of Sabine women
	War with Sabine nation
716	Disappearance

Other Resources

Story Links	Book Links
Twins  in	Romulus  by  Jacob Abbott
How Rome Was Founded  in	Thirty More Famous Stories Retold  by  James Baldwin
Romulus and Numa  in	Stories From Livy  by  Alfred J. Church
Beginnings of a State in	Stories from Ancient Rome  by  Alfred J. Church
Of Romulus and Remus  in	Stories from Roman History  by  Lena Dalkeith
Twins  in	Tales of the Romans: The Children's Plutarch  by  F. J. Gould
Wolf and the Twins  in	The Story of the Romans  by  H. A. Guerber
Death of Romulus  in	The Story of the Romans  by  H. A. Guerber
Romulus  in	Famous Men of Rome  by  John H. Haaren & A. B. Poland
Romulus  in	Our Young Folks' Plutarch  by  Rosalie Kaufman
Twin Boys  in	The Story of Rome  by  Mary Macgregor
How Rome Was Founded  in	Historical Tales: Roman  by  Charles Morris
Story of Romulus and Remus  in	On the Shores of the Great Sea  by  M. B. Synge
How Rome was Founded  in	Old World Hero Stories  by  Eva March Tappan

Book Links
Romulus  by  Jacob Abbott

Image Links
Rhea Silvia  in Romulus	Faustulus and the Twins  in Romulus	The Death of Romulus  in Romulus
The wolf and the twins  in Thirty More Famous Stories Retold	What a fine strong wall it is!'  in Thirty More Famous Stories Retold	The wolf and the twins  in Stories From Livy
Romulus and Remus  in Stories from Roman History	Romulus and Remus, Rubens  in Famous Men of Rome	The Finding of Romulus and Remus  in Greatest Nations - Rome
The Sabine Women Interfere between their Husbands and Kinsmen  in Greatest Nations - Rome	A she-wolf, coming to the edge of the river to drink, heard their cries.  in The Story of Rome	The Finding of Romulus and Remus.  in Old World Hero Stories

Contemporary	Short Biography
Remus	Twin brother of Romulus, killed in a conflict over who should rule the new city.
Rhea Silvia	Mother of twins, Vestal Virgin
Faustulus	Shepherd who raised the twins
Numitor	Deposed king of Alba Longa, restored to his throne by his grandsons, Romulus and Remus.