12/24/2023 0 Comments Roman rulers timeline![]() Numa Pompilius came to power following the controversy surrounding the death of Romulus. Given later Roman history the legend of Romulus proved indeed ominously prophetic. So it was indeed suspected that the senators had ceased him and stabbed the tyrant to death. Especially as in his later life Romulus was said to have grown unpopular. If the official version suggested he had been swept up to the heavens by his father Mars in a chariot, this sounded just a little too far fetched, even to the Romans. ![]() The people ran for cover from the rain, leaving Romulus and the senators behind. ![]() While he was performing a ritual sacrifice to the gods at the river a thunderstorm struck. Naturally Romulus death is also wrapped up in legend. So too in the rarely used alternative name the Romans would use for themselves, the quirites. For example, Quirinus was the Sabine equivalent of the Roman god Mars and we found his name reflected in the Quirinal Hill. If all this sounds very much like a string of fairy tales and legends, there are hints to underlying truths. Once the Sabine king died, sole rule fell to Romulus until his death at the age of 54. The two kings thereafter ruled jointly, Titus Tatius from the Capitoline and Romulus from the Palatine. Further legend has it that it was the Sabine women who intervened to stop the fighting between their Sabine relatives and their new found Roman husbands.Ī peace was agreed and the Sabines of Cures and the Romans united and henceforth became one people. In the resulting fight the Sabines managed to capture the Capitoline Hill, due to the treachery of Tarpeia who opened a gate (and who gave name to the Tarpeian Rock on the Capitoline). The Sabine town of Cures, ruled by king Titus Tatius, quite understandably declared war. Romulus himself came by his wife Hersilia by this very method. But in mid-celebration the festival was brought to a sudden end, when Romulus and his Romans revealed their true intentions, taking possession of the unmarried Sabine women by force and claiming them as brides. Many of the neighbouring Sabines were invited. The story goes that he staged extravagant celebrations for the festival of Consus (the god of the granary and the storehouse), inviting the neighboring tribes to attend. With Rome’s populace enlarged with runaway slaves and criminals, king Romulus found himself ruling a nation with too few women. If Romulus’ reign was infamous, this impression is only further reinforced with an episode widely known as the ‘Rape of the Sabine women’. He expanded the city’s boundaries to encompass four hills Capitoline, Aventine, Caelian and Quirinal. He is also said to have ruthlessly pursued a policy of expanding the population, granting refuge and acceptance to criminals on the run at the asylum on the Capitoline Hill. To him is attributed the foundation of the senate. Romulus and Remus suckling at the she-wolf
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