The Tale of rome

Here i am gonna post my article "the tale of rome- from the fall of troy to the death of augustus" enjoy!!!

Chapter 1- Lady Roma

thousands of years ago, Troy, arguably the greatest city on the continent of asia minor, fell to the greeks. Many of the native Trojans had defended their city walls with fierce competitiveness and comendable bravery, but nobody fighted as bravely or as efficiently as the Trojan prince Aeneas. But, as Aeneas saw the once great city of Troy burning, he fled, carrying his father on his shoulders, and holding his son Ascanius' hand. Also, such was the religous signifacance to him was the sacred image of the goddess Pallas that he too saved this from the raging inferno that used to be Troy.

The gods, pleased with his reverance, decided to reward Aeneas by helping him in his journey by building a magnificent ship for him. When Aebeas reached the coast, he and his fellow Trojans that survived the attack embarked upon this ship, and set sail, searching for a land to build the new Troy.

A short way into this journey, Aeneas noticed that a sign from the gods was always visible in the sky whether it was the dark of mudnight or the bright of noon. Aeneas, percepting this as a way of giving directions, order the captain of the ship to sail in the direction of this Deity-induced star.

After sailing for several weeks, the Trojans finally spotted the land they were to call home. They disembarked the ship at a port called Latium, on the western coast of Italy. The Trojans' wifes were very weary of the sea, and no sooner had they built a small colony in Italy, they were devising several schemes to make sure they did not have to travel further, and that their husbands could be persuaded to build the new Troy here, in the pleasant country they had discovered.

For several weeks, the wives tried plan after plan, but alas none worked. In the end, it was a woman of noble birth and infinite wisdom called Roma to propose a scheme that would work. Roma's plan was to burn the ship they had sailed to Italy in, so that their husbands could not travel any further, and would be forced to settle in this heavenly land.

After much deliberation over a period of several weeks, the other women agreed to her plan. And so, with mingled hope and fear, the women set the ship alight. When the men returned from hunting to see the raging inferno that was swiftly engulfing the ship, they were fairly unhappy, but when they found out that their own wives were the cause behind the fire, they were furious.

But soon they realised that anger and frustration could not bring their ship back, the men slowly began to settle down into live in Italy. They chose a settling palce near a hill they named Palatine, and built a city.

This is where their is dispute between historians and archaelogists alike. Some sources say that the city built there was Rome, named after the woman who had first thought up the idea of settling in Italy.

Other sources tell a totally different tale. These state that when Aeneas and his Trojan followers landed at Latium, they were greeted by King Latinus, the king of Italy. King Latinus welcomed the Trojans into his kingdom, gifting them Land to build their city on. Latinus even permitted Aeneas to marry his daughter, Princess Lavinia, and named the city they built Lavinium in her honor.

Soon after this, King Latinus was killed in battle with the Etruscans, who now ruled Italy. Aeneas soon became king of what little land Latinus had retained, and ruled with amazing courage and wisdom, not only over his loyal Trojans, but also his father-in-laws royal subjects for three years. He called his subjects the Latins, in memory of his father in law.

But after these three years, war broke out with the Etruscans again, and Aeneas and the Latins fought fiercely against the Etruscans. One day, a terrible storm swept over the battlefield so that both armies could not see each other, as the sky was so dark.

When the storm lifted, Aeneas was nowhere to be seen, and never walked the earth again. The Latins believed the Gods had taken him up to join them, so they built a temple to Jupiter (who the Latins Believed Aeneas had become) on the site of the battlefield.

Ascanius, who had fled the fire and flames of Troy with his father, now ruled over the kingdom at Lavinium. But, as legend states, he found that Lavinium was not big enough for his subjects, so he left Lavinium and buitl a new city called Alba Longa (the long white city), in the midst of the Alban Hills, not far from where Rome was soon to be built.

I like it.

Is this not mainly myth that the Trojans were the Roman's ancestors? Also, did I miss something or is Romulus/Remus not mentioned?

Sure, most of the Trojan story is a myth, but the Etrusk or Tusci did have some connection with the ancient Greeks it seems. Some of it might be true.

And we have to wait another few generations in the story before Mars fathers Romulus and Remus.

Diablodelmar, yes romulus and remus do occur in this article.Ill include both chapters two and three as romulus and remus' legend is told in these.

Chapter 2- The she-wolf


After the death of Ascanius, it is rather a dark age for historians until three centuries later. This was the death of a King Proca, leaving behind two sons. The elder one was Numitor, the younger Amulius.

The Throne belonged to Numitor by right as he was the elder son, but Amulius, who was ambitious and jealous of Numitor, was adamant that Numitor should not reign. So he issued his brother with an ultimatam. "one of us shall reign the kingdom, and one of us shall have the treasures and riches of the kingdom". Numitor however was not a man of dependance on earthly possesions and he chose the first option. So it was that Amulius got all the acres of treasure and riches of the kingdom. But he too shared his brothers wisdom. Amulius Bribed all of the followers of Numitor to rise up against him, and install Amulius as king.

Soon enough, because of the greed of the followers, Numitor was soon banished from Alba Longa and Amulius became King. Soon however,l Amulius realised that the crown rested uneasily on his head. he had a lingering suspicion that one of Numitor's children would rise up against him and take the crown. So that this fate would never befall Amulius, he ordered Numitor's son, also called Amulius, to be slain, and that Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia, should be enslaved in the temple of the godess Vesta, keeping the altar fire forever burning.

The god Mars, furious with the lack of love that Amulius showed to his blood relatives, sent Rhea twin sons to keep her spirits up. Such was the beauty and strengh of these twins, that no twins have ever been so divine and strong as these again.

Amulius, when heard of these twins, he was both angry and afraid, should they grow into strong men, they might try to wrestle the kingdom form his grip.

In his fear, the king ordered his niece to be locked up in prison for the rest of her live, and the twins to be thrown into the mighty River Tiber. Their had been very heavy rain that period, and the banks of the River Tiber had burst on several occasions, and one flood was to be his undoing.

Under cover of darkness, two of Amulius' slaves placed the twins into a basket, and threw the basket into the Tiber. The basket floated like a boat until a flood occured, washing it up onto Palatine hill. It was here, under the cover of a fig tree, that the basket overturned, and the twins lay safe and dry while the flood subsided.

Before long, the twins awoke, and cried with hunger and fright. A she wolf, going to the banks of the river to drink, heard the cries and carried them with the utmost care to her cave, where she fed them as she would have fed her cubs. She also washed them like she would her cubs, licking them with her tongue.


Chapter 3- Romulus and Remus.

The twins were guarded over by their creator, Mars, and as they grew older, he sent woodpeckers to feed the children. these birds visted every day, carrying berrys and fruit for the consumation of the twins.

But soon mars realised that Romulus and Remus needed to be looked after by their own kind, as the wolf and woodpeckers, could not do all the things humans could do. So Mars sent Faustulus to their aid. Faustulus was one of King Amulius' herdsman. he had often noticed, while herding his sheep, the she wolf and woodpeckers going in and out of the cave. So one day, when the wolf went off to hunt, Fausulus ventured bravely into the cave, where he found two beautiful, well fed boys. he took the boys into his arms, and carried them home to his wife. His wife, as she was a noble and kind lady, welcomed the twins into her home, naming them Romulus and Remus, and bringing them up as though they were her own sons.

As the years passed, the boys became more beautiful and stronger, and full of bravery that even Faustulus could comprehend, so brave in fact, that the herdsman who they worked with along with Faustulus called them princes of the earth. Soon Romulus and Remus began to lead the herdsmen, defended the flocks with great integrity and fantastic skill. if ever a wolf or robber tried to steal any of the flock, Romulus and Remus were the first to attack and to defeat them in a blink of an eye.

Faustulus, however, resided on Palatine hill, which Amulius owned, and the boys had unwillingly defended their evil great uncles property.

However, their was another neighbouring hill, the Aventine hill, which also had herdsmen defending flocks. These herdsmen,however, worked for the dethroned king Numitor, who was now living in disguise in the city. The two groups of herdsmen were enemies, and one night, when the Palatine shepherds were at a Festival to the god Pan, the Aventines attacked ruthlessly and captured Remus, and took him to their master Numitor.

Chapter 4- Numitor recognises his grandsons.

Remus was brought before mumitor in the city. No sooner had Numitor seen the prisoner, he began to gaze more intently at him.

"no herdsman this." muttered the old king to himself " he is a prince of earth."

Scanning the face before him, Numitor noticed he had seen the features before. Dreams of His Daughter came to his mind, and gladdened his weak heart.

Gently the old man tried to win the confidence of Remus, asking him who he was, and where he came from.Remus was touched by the kindness of Numitor, and answered: " I will hide nothing from you sir, for you seem of a princely temperement, verified by the fact you give a hearing and examination before you punish"

Then Remus recounted the whole story, about the She Wolf, Faustulus and the woodpeckers. But most of this was unnesscesary, for long before Remus finished his story, Numitor knew that he was his grandson, his daughter silvia's son, who stood before him, and his old heart jumped with joy, for this man standing before him would help fight to rid amulius from this world.

At that moment, Romulus and a gang of herdsman approached the city gate, determined to save Remus. many people in the city of Alba Longa goraned under the tyranny of Amulius' reign, and upon hearing Romulus was attcking the city gates, went to join him. Meanwhile, Romulus had divided his followers into Legions of a hundred men. At the head of each legion was a captain, carrying a small bundle of grass and shrubs tied to a pole. those rough standards were called Manipuli and it was because they carried these manipuli, that captains in future roman armies were called Manipulares.

When Amulius heard that both Numitor and one of the twins were in the city, he was afraid.Then hearing of Romulus attacking the gate, he became hysterical. He rushed down to the gate, to make sure that although one twin was in the city, another would not enter. However, Romulus did enter, and slew the king. Then he found Remus, no longer a prisoner, but the recognised grandson of Numitor, and he was pleased. Pleased to have found his brother and Grandfather.

Numitor was also pleased that he had found his other grandson, and welcomed him as cheerfully as he had Remus. Soon, the twins realising how happy it would make him, placed Numitor back on the throne as King. And the three of them then went to free Silvia, who was pleased to have found her family again.

Time to post...

1st-Amulius did place Rhea Silva in the Temple of Vesta to be a Vestal Virgin. There is some debate that she was raped by Amulius or had intercourse with someone else, and became pregnant. The penalty was being buried alive, and she claimed that Mars had impregnated her. Afraid, Amulius had them cast into the river, etc.

2nd-She-Wolf is up to debate. The title lupus (if I remember correctly) can also be translated as prostitute. This coming from 'night-worker' or some such title. So there is also discussion that a prostitute raised the twins.

3rd-Last part on Chapter 4 was confusing.

4th-Careful about the truthfulness of this subject. Some is Livy, and other scholars. Ovid (?) I think wrote about the founding of Rome to please Augustus.

Keep up the work!