Romulus Flashcards
Lived between
753BCE -716BC
Ruled for (Livy)
37 years
Parents
Son of Mars (god of war)
who raped Rhea Silvia
How he shows roman qualities
Leading shepherds shows good leadership
Kills his brother, the Romans shouldn’t be messed with
Captured women- ruthless and disrespectful
His mother raped- violent and warlike
Learns from other cultures (lictors)
Takes the army leaders army to Jupiter- dutiful to the gods, proud of his achievements
Stuff he built
Made big walls round rome “lofty walls of Rome” Virgil
Made Rome bigger- opened it up to asylum seekers (everyone without distinction, slaves of freemen, looking for a new start)
Provided a council for his forces
Worships he set up
Alban style worships
As well as the worship of Hercules
What he gave the people
Laws
Men that helped him rule
Lictors- 12 body guards (from the Etruscans)
Senators- 100 men to help govern the people ‘fathers’
Shows good organisation and leadership
Plan to get women
Set up sacred games for Neptune god of horses (the consulia)
Advertised to neighbouring people
Lots of people came to see the new city
(Caenineses, crustimini, antemnates, Sabines)
Were treated well, amazed how quickly the romans had developed
A planned riot signal was given all the roman men grabbed the unmarried girls
Caeninenses tribe( same happened to antemnates and Crustimini)
Romulus defeated them as they were spread out and looting
Captured their city
And took their leaders armour
Carried the armour to the top of Capitol Hill and hung it on a frame
Romulus built a temple to Jupiter (Jupiter Ferrerius)there
-First temple in rome
-increased roman territories
How is Romulus a skill full leader
Cunning
Ruthless
Inspires his men through piety
Learns from other cultures
Battle against the Fidenates
He hides men in the undergrowth
Takes most of his men + cavalry up to the city disorderly
Pretend to run away
The Fidenates come out of the city believing they can defeat the Romans
The fall directly into the trap(Romans spring on them from all sides)
Battle against the Veii
defeated them in battle”just the strength of his war hardened army”
Destroyed their farms
Gave them a 100yr peace treaty when they asked for it in exchange for SOME of their lands
Livy, Romulus and Women
Livy shifts the sensitive side to the women so Romulus doesn’t look soft
The abducted women stop the battle
His wife Hersilia asks for a peace treaty
Death of Romulus (Livy)
Was reviewing the army
A storm and great thunder claps
A thick cloud covered him
Never seen again
Deification of Romulus (Livy)
He’s deeds were so great that he was almost immortal
A rumour started that he was a god he was named king and father of the city of Rome
Beliefs about his death (Livy)
The senators who were standing nearest said he was carried away to heaven
Some suggested the senators had torn him apart
Julius Proculus’s dream (Livy)
He was very wise told everyone that Romulus had appeared to him in a dream and told him that the gods wanted Rome to be the Capitol of the world so an unbeatable army had to be built
Birth and death links (Livy)
Very mysterious and unusual
His actions reflect Rome- strong, ruthless and warlike
“Capitol of the world”
Descended from a god and deserved to be a god after he died
King Tatius’s death
His relatives attacked Laurantine ambassadors
He did not believe the Laurantines because he was biased
He went to Lavinium for a religious festival and was killed in the riot he created
What live sais about him
This was what Romulus achieved while he was king at home and at war all of it shows that he was descended from a god Nd deserved to be a god after he died”
“He made Rome so strong that it was safe for the next 40yrs”
