ROMULUS, rom'ii-lfis, mythical founder H and first king of Rome. lie is said to have been the son of Sylvia, generally, but incor rectly called Rhea Silvia, daughter of Numitor, king of Alba, and one of the priestesses of Vesta. By the god Mars. she became the mother of male twins, whom Amulius, who had usurped the throne of Numitor, ordered to be thrown into the Anio, but the basket contain ing the two boys, Romulus and Remus, was stranded at the foot of the Palatine Hill. Here a she-wolf,going down to the river to drink, was attracted by their cries, carried them to her cave, and suckled them. Some time afterward chance brought thither Faustulus, the king's herdsman, who took them home and educated them. With him Romulus and Remus spent their youth. When they had grown up Amulius was deprived of his usurped throne by Romulus who reinstated his grandfather Numitor in his dominions. After this the brothers resolved to build a city. • Romulus wished to place it on the Palatine, Remus on the Aventine, or on another hill three or four miles down the Tiber. Determining to reach a decision by consulting the augurs, each took his station on his favorite hill; the night passed away, and at the first streak of dawn Remus saw six vultures; but at sunrise, when this news was brought to Romulus, 12 vultures flew by him. Each claimed the augury in his favor ; but as their companions decided for Rom ulus his brother was forced to yield. Romulus, to outline the boundary of the city, yoked a bul lock and a heifer to a plow, marked a deep furrow around tne base of the Palatine, and guided by this line began to raise the wall.
Remus leaped over the rude rampart in scorn, whereupon the enraged Romulus slew him. Ac cording to another tradition Remus fled from the anger of his brother beyond the Alps, and founded Rheims. Romulus was immediately struck with remorse, and could obtain no rest till he appeased his brother's shade by institut ing the festival of the Lemuria for the souls of the departed. Thus is Rome said to have been founded in the year 753 (or according to others 752 or 751) a.c. The small number of friends who had followed Romulus were insuffi dent to people his city. Men enough were gained by making the city a refuge for exiles; but the Roman citizens soon wanted women. Romulus thereupon instituted a religious festi val, to which he invited the Sabines with their wives and daughters. In the midst of the festi val the unarmed strangers were suddenly at tacked, and the Sabine women borne away as captives. The two states thus became engaged in war; but the entreaties of the ravished fe males, who threw themselves between the con tending parties, at length effected a peace, and Rome gained by her union with the Sabines an important addition. According to tradition Romulus ascended to heaven into the company of the gods, after he had completed the work of founding the eternal city; and, until the introduction of Christianity, Rome worshipped its founder in temples expressly dedicated to him.