Mythology of Rome

In mythology it was believed that Aeneas, a Trojan hero and son of Venus, was in part responsible for the founding of Rome. Having fled from the ruined city of Troy, Aeneas led a group of Trojans to Lazio (Rome Province), where they settled and inter-married with the Latin people. Aeneas's son, Ascanius, later founded the city of Albalonga. Unfortunately Ascanius's decendants, Numitor and Amulius, became involved in a heated battle, for the position of king. In the end Amulius won out and as a act of spite, dedicated Numitor's only surviving child, Rhea Silvia, to the goddess Vesta, as a Vestral Virgin. Thus denying Numitor any future heirs. Rhea, however, fell in love with Mars (god of wars) and conceived twin sons, Romulus and Remus, and thus breaking the vow of chastity. As punishment she was imprisoned and the twins were left on the banks of the Tiber River, to die. The twins, however, were discovered by a she-wolf, who raised the children as her own. You can find many statues throughout Rome depicting the twins suckling from the she-wolf. When the brothers grew up they set about to create their own city on the banks of the Tiber, where they had been abandoned as children. Romulus would eventually kill his brother, Remus, during an argument over who would establish and rule the city. Romulus then declared himself the first king of Rome.