Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of Rhea Silvia who, as legend had it, was seduced by Mars, the god of war. The birth of the twins caused great consternation for King Amulius of Alba Longa who had deposed his brother Numitor, father of Rhea Silvia, and wanted no rivals who could challenge his rule. When Amulius learned of the twins' birth, he ordered that they be abandoned to die in the wilderness, but, as you can see in today's painting, they were rescued by a shepherd. When they grew up, the boys returned to Alba Longa, killed their great-uncle Amulius and restored their grandfather Numitor to the throne. They then went on to found a new city of their own: Rome.
You can also find more myths and legends for the week of June 3-9 here. For more information and links to the actual javascript code, see the Myths & Legends Widget Reference Page.
