Download Rome`s legendary beginnings

Rome’s legendary beginnings
Romulus and Remus
Undoubtedly the best known and most popular story of Rome’s origins is Romulus and Remus. Rhea
Silvia, daughter of the current king, Numitor, was forced to become a vestal virgin (a woman
dedicated to the gods and would never marry or have children) by her uncle, Amulius, who took the
throne from Numitor. As a vestal virgin she gave birth to Romulus and Remus after the war god Mars
impregnated her. Amulius ordered the twins to be drowned in the Tiber River.
The twins survived, rescued by a she-wolf who nursed them until a shepherd, Faustulus discovered
them. Faustulus and his wife raised the boys until their true identity was discovered. They then
reclaimed the throne for their grandfather and decided to found a town on 21 April 753 BCE in the
spot where they been rescued by the she-wolf.
After an argument Romulus killed Remus naming the
town Rome after himself.
The Creation of Rome
Figure 1 The she-wolf nurses Romulus and Remus
Rome grew from a small town housing fugitives,
exiles and the kidnapped Sabine women to eventually
become a major trading thoroughfare for both water
and land trade. As the routes became more
frequently used Rome expanded into a city.
Romulus was said to have reigned Rome for 40 years before dying and was thought to have become
a god by the people.
Rise and Fall of the Republic
In 509 BCE Rome was ruled by its last king, Tarquin the Proud until Lucius Junius Brutus removed
Tarquin from power. Brutus formed a system of government that formed the Roman Republic.
Rome’s main trading rival became the North African city of Carthage. Eventually Rome and Carthage
went to war during 264-146 BCE (known as the Punic Wars). Rome won and dominated trade in the
Western Mediterranean.
As Rome grew, corruption and greed took hold of the city. Patricians (the wealthy upper class),
became increasingly wealthy leaving the Plebeians (the working lower class) at their mercy.
In the 2nd century BCE Tiberius and Gaius Gracchi led a movement for
land and political reform. The brothers were killed for leading the
cause, however legislative reforms and political corruption was
reduced due to their movement.
Out of the Gracchi cause the First Triumvirate (a rulership of three
parties) was created with Marcus Licinius Crassus, Gnaeus Pompeius
Magnus (Pompey the Great) and Gaius Julius Caesar as leaders. These
men were quite powerful and ambitious, however Crassus wanted
the same military success and respect as Pompey and Caesar had
received. In 53 BCE this led Crassus to lead an army into Carrhae
(now modern Turkey) where he was killed during peace negotiations.
Figure 2 Julius Caesar
The First Triumvirate broke down leading to Pompey and Caesar to
declare war on each other. Caesar defeated Pompey.
Rise of the Roman Empire
Caesar became the ultimate ruler over Rome, the Senate declaring him a dictator. Although he was
popular with the people, in 44 BCE he was assassinated by Roman senators. This assassination of
Caesar forced Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony); Caesar’s right-hand man and cousin, Gaius Octavius
Thurinus (Octavian); Caesar’s nephew and heir and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus; Caesar’s friend to war
with Brutus and Cassius, two of the Senator assassins in 42 BCE.
Octavian, Antony and Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate after winning the Battle of Phillippi.
Antony ruled over lands in the east and became involved with the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra VII
which created an imbalance of power between the three rulers. Antony and Cleopatra combined
forces against Octavian in 31 BCE, they were defeated by Octavian and took their own lives.
In 27 BCE Octavian was granted power over the Roman Empire by the Senate and became Augustus,
the first Emperor of Rome.
For more information, check out History Channel, History Today or Ancient History Encyclopaedia. It
is good to have these extra resources.