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The Myth of Romulus and Remus

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Shyanne Burns Vandermast Hum 2220 Nov. 30th The Myth of Romulus and Remus A tale can have a number of different reasons within in, but the idea has to come from somewhere, whether it is fact or nonfiction. Although the myth of Romulus and Remus depicts a starting point for Roman history, the more remarkable fact of this story is that it portrays the origination of three most treasured Roman values: pietas, dignitas, and gravitas. Due to this tale being passed through many generations there is no surprise that the citizens admired the actions taken and thus incorporating these values into their daily lives.
The myth is about two twin brothers that were descendants of the god Aeneas that later on discovered the land we know today as Rome (Garcia). Before their birth, their mother Rhea Silvia was forced to become a Vestal Virgin, which meant taking a vow to be abstinent. Some versions of the story claim the father to be unknown while most versions say Rhea had been raped. Being that she was a Vestal Virgin, rules were that if the vows had been broken, the female was sentenced to death. Due to King Amulius, who at the time did not want to be liable if the paternal gods were to discover the death of the children, he incarcerated Rhea and ruled that the twins be put to death but for it to appear from natural causes, in hope that he will not feel the wrath of the gods (Garcia). King Amulius then ordered one of his servants to take the twins and dispose of them into the Tiber River, the servant, however, felt sorry for the twins and instead of throwing them into the river, he places them in a basket and gently sets them into the river. According to Garcia, the god Tibernus had soothed the river and made sure the boys were safe, the first discovery of the boys was made by a she-wolf, that cared for them until a shepherd and his wife discovered the boys and took

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