The Legendary and Mysterious Origins of Rome: Fact, Myth, and the Birth of an Empire

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February 11, 2025
7 min read

The Legendary and Mysterious Origins of Rome: Fact, Myth, and the Birth of an Empire

Rome, the Eternal City, has captivated historians, poets, and storytellers for centuries. Its legendary origins, dating back to 753 BC, are woven with tales of heroic twins, divine intervention, and battles that shaped a civilisation. But how much of this foundation story is historical fact, and how much is myth-making by later Romans seeking to define their empire’s grandeur?

According to tradition, Rome was founded by the twins Romulus and Remus, abandoned on the banks of the Tiber River, only to be saved by a she-wolf who nurtured them. Raised by a shepherd, the brothers later set out to build a city on Palatine Hill, but their partnership was short-lived—Romulus killed Remus in a dispute over the city’s boundaries and named the settlement Rome.

1657049314 — The Capitoline Wolf statue depicting the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

This mythological narrative, first written down in the 4th century BC, became central to Rome’s identity. But early Romans, particularly historians like Livy and Virgil, also linked their city’s origins to Aeneas, the Trojan warrior who, after the fall of Troy, journeyed to Italy to establish a lineage that would one day lead to Rome.

While much of Rome’s legendary past is rooted in myth, historical analysis suggests that early settlements on Palatine Hill date back to at least 1000 BC, with small pastoral communities gradually merging into a single urban centre. These findings, alongside Roman historians’ accounts, provide a more nuanced picture of the city’s foundation. According to historical research, Rome’s foundation was not just a singular event, but a process of gradual expansion and cultural amalgamation, shaped by influences from Etruscan, Latin, and Greek settlers.

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But Rome’s rise was not without controversy. Early kings ruled the city, but in 509 BC, the monarchy was overthrown, ushering in the Roman Republic, where governance shifted to elected officials.

The city’s violent foundations—from Romulus’ fratricide to the abduction of the Sabine women—mirrored its later history of conquest, civil wars, and imperial ambition.

The Sabine Women: A Violent Episode in Rome’s Early Days

One of the most unsettling episodes in Rome’s legendary origins is the abduction of the Sabine women, an event that allegedly shaped the city’s future population. According to legend, after establishing Rome, Romulus realised the city lacked women, making it impossible to sustain future generations. To solve this, he devised a bold and ruthless plan—inviting the neighbouring Sabines, an Italic tribe living north of Rome, to a grand festival. As the Sabine men let down their guard to enjoy the celebrations, Romulus gave a pre-arranged signal for the Roman men to seize the Sabine women by force.

The Abduction of the Sabine Women by Nicolas Poussin. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

A long and bitter war followed, as the Sabine men, led by King Titus Tatius, fought to reclaim their daughters and sisters. However, the war came to an unexpected resolution—not through battle, but through the intervention of the very women who had been abducted. By this time, many of them had borne children with their Roman husbands, and they pleaded with their fathers and brothers to end the conflict, fearing the destruction of both their past and present families. Their actions led to a peace treaty between the Sabines and Romans, with Romulus and Titus Tatius ruling together as co-kings.

This tale, however shocking by modern standards, was retold throughout Roman history as a foundational moment of unification, showcasing the city’s ability to integrate different peoples into one society. In reality, it also highlighted Rome’s brutal pragmatism, a trait that would define its military and political strategies for centuries.

Aeneas and the Trojan Connection: Rome’s Destiny in the Stars

Alongside the Romulus and Remus legend, another dominant origin story emerged in Rome’s history—the myth of Aeneas, a Trojan prince who fled the burning city of Troy after its destruction by the Greeks. This story, most famously told in Virgil’s Aeneid, portrayed Aeneas as a hero chosen by fate to lay the foundations of Rome. After years of wandering, Aeneas arrived in Latium, where he fought a war against the local ruler Turnus, eventually marrying the Latin princess Lavinia and establishing a kingdom that would give rise to Rome.

15bd69b9f4e907705f095e5a73df0379 — The destruction of Troy, a pivotal event that led to Aeneas’ legendary journey and the mythological foundation of Rome. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons / Art institutions

For the Romans, this myth was political propaganda. Written during the reign of Emperor Augustus, The Aeneid framed Rome’s imperial expansion as a divinely ordained mission, drawing a direct line from Aeneas to Augustus. By linking the empire’s foundation to a noble Trojan warrior, Virgil reinforced the idea that Rome was destined to rule the world, a belief that underpinned Roman ideology for centuries.

A City Built on Conflict: Rome’s Monarchy and the Birth of the Republic

For much of its early history, Rome was ruled by a series of kings, culminating in the infamous Tarquinius Superbus (“Tarquin the Proud”), whose tyrannical rule led to his downfall. According to legend, the final straw came when his son, Sextus Tarquinius, raped a noblewoman named Lucretia, who, consumed by shame, took her own life. This act sparked a rebellion, led by the senator Lucius Junius Brutus, who overthrew the monarchy and established the Roman Republic in 509 BC.

A surviving fragment of the Forma Urbis Romae, a monumental marble map of ancient rome commissioned by Emperor Septimus Severus.

Under the Republic, Rome adopted a system where power rested with elected officials—though, in practice, it remained dominated by aristocratic families. The transition marked a turning point in Roman history, paving the way for its expansion into a Mediterranean superpower.

Rome’s Legacy: Myth, Memory, and the Eternal City

Rome’s legendary origins were carefully crafted narratives used to shape identity, inspire citizens, and justify conquests as well as stories. The image of Romulus as a warrior-king, the Sabine women as unifiers, and Aeneas as a noble exile all played crucial roles in defining what it meant to be Roman.

Even today, Rome’s legendary origins is commemorated on 21st April, with modern-day celebrations that honour its history. From mock battles near the Circus Maximus to re-enactments of Rome’s early years, these traditions keep the ancient city’s spirit alive.

So, was Rome founded by divinely blessed twins, or was it simply a successful merging of ancient hilltop villages? The truth may be somewhere in between, but what is certain is that its legacy endures.

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