Romulus in Roman Biography

Rom'u-lus. called also QuI-ri'nus, the founder of Rome, a semi-fabulous personage, supposed to have lived about 750 B.C. According to tradition, Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia, who was a daughter of Numitor, King of Alba. Amulius dethroned Numitor and ordered the young twins to be exposed to destruction ; but they were suckled by a wolf and educated by Faustulus, a shepherd of the king. After they were grown up and informed of the secret of their birth, they killed Amulius, restored Numitor, and founded the city of Rome. Remus was punished with death by Romulus for jumping, in derision, over the wall of the new city, and Romulus became the first and sole king of Rome, the population of which was increased by exiles, outlaws, and fugitive slaves invited from adjacent states. The deficiency of wives was remedied by the abduction of Sabine maidens who assembled at Rome as spectators of a public festival. The Sabines waged war against Rome on this account, but peace was restored by the mediation of the Sabine wives, and the Romans and Sabines were united into one state, which Romulus and the Sabine Tatius ruled jointly. Romulus reigned about thirty-seven years, and, after death, was worshipped under the name of Quirinus. According to tradition, he disappeared mysteriously during a thunder- storm which occurred as he was reviewing his army in the Campus Martins, and the opinion prevailed that he was carried up to heaven. See Niebuhr, "History of Rome;" Tanneguv-Lefevre, " Discours sur Romulus," 1666; Plutarch, "Life of Romulus;" J. Ghonovius, " Oratio de Origine Romuli," 1684.