Traditionally, the credit for being the founders of Rome is given to the Roman mythological twins, Romulus and Remus, who were born to the Vestal Virgin Rhea Silvia and the god of war, Mars. According to ancient historians Plutarch and Livy. Romulus was the first king of Rome. What happened to Remus? In this article, you will learn more about his fate, as well as information regarding other early Roman kings.
Romulus
During an argument over which one of the brothers had the support of local deities regarding who would rule the new city and lend it his name, Romulus killed Remus. After his death, the city was given the name Rome. Another legend claims that the two brothers both stood on a hill and that a circle of birds flew over Romulus , a sign that he should become king.
After the founding of Rome, Romulus kept busy by creating the Roman Legions (the heavy infantry of the ancient Roman army) and the Roman Senate (which survived many periods of time in Roman history), as well as added citizens to the new city. Unfortunately, he accomplished this by stealing away the women of neighboring Sabine tribes. A mixture of the Sabines and Romans took place and they become one people. In the ancient world of Rome, Romulus is regarded as one of the greatest conquerors. He was successful in increasing the number of territories and people that belonged under the control of Rome.
Following the passing of Romulus, he was deified as the god Quirinus , known as the divine persona of the Roman people. However, now , he is seen as a mythological character associated with the name of Rome.
Numa Pompilius
Succeeding Romulus as the king of Rome, Numa Pompilius ruled from 717 until his death in 673 BC. According to Plutarch, Numa was the youngest of Pomponius’ four sons with a birth date on the same day of the founding of Rome, which is traditionally celebrated on April 21, 753 BC. Throughout his life, he was known to abandon all luxury in his household and decided to live under strict discipline.
Numa took as his wife, the only daughter of the king of Sabines (Titus Tatius), who was also a colleague of Romulus. Her name was Tatia and they remained married for 13 years until she died. Following her death, Numa chose to retire in the country. Right before he was elected as king of Rome, he is recorded as living at Cures. Thanks to the Roman Senate, he was chosen to become the next ruler.
Plutarch states that at first, Numa refused the honor, but his father and other family members were successful in urging him to take the position.
When tracing his lineage, there are discrepancies as to how many children he fathered. Plutarch states that some historians state that he only had one daughter (Pompilia), while others said he had five sons, which led to the establishment of many noble families.