1. From the Trojan war to 753BC
The foundation of Rome
From the Trojan war to 753BC

2. Troy
The Romans believed that their city was founded by a descendant of Aeneas, a noble Trojan. The gods commanded Aeneas to leave Troy at the end of the Trojan War and take his followers to the land of the Western Star. There he was to establish a new Troy.

3. Aeneas’ journey
His journey took a long time due to the opposition of Queen Juno. She tried to keep Aeneas from fulfilling his destiny by having him fall in love with Queen Dido of Carthage.
faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Aeneas.gif homepage.mac.com/.../aeneid02liebig.jpg

4. Aeneas and Dido
Aeneas was eventually called by Jupiter to go on to Italy.
He sailed away secretly at night.
Dido was bereft when she saw that he had abandoned her. She cursed the race he was to establish before committing suicide.
homepage.mac.com/.../aeneid02liebig.jpg

5. Aeneas fights many battles
Aeneas was wounded while fighting
the Rutuli, a tribe in Italy. His mother,
the goddess Venus, cured him, and he
returned to battle to fight with new
vigour and emerged victorious. Here
Venus watches as a physician
attends to Aeneas's wound.

6. Aeneas is victorious
Aeneas finally defeated Turnus, married Lavinia, an Italian princess, and founded the city of Lavinium. His son Ascanius succeeded him as king and transferred his capital to Alba Longa.
After a number of centuries, there was a ruler called Numitor on the throne. He was overthrown by his brother, Amulius, who ruled in his place. This brother shut Numitor’s daughter, Rhea Silvia, up in a tower to ensure that she would remain childless.

7. Romulus and Remus
However, the god Mars fell in love with Rhea Silvia. He visited her in her tower and she gave birth to twin sons, Romulus and Remus.
In an attempt to get rid of the boys the king had them thrown into the river Tiber, but they were washed ashore at the base of the Palatine Hill. There they were looked after by a shewolf.

8. A new city! Later a shepherd discovered the twins and brought them up.
When they were grown up they decided to found a new city. Because they argued about where the city should be built they looked for a sign from the gods. Remus saw 6 vultures, but later Romulus saw 12 vultures!

9. Rome
The brothers began to argue about the meaning of the vultures. In a rage Romulus killed Remus.
Then he began to build the city on the Palatine Hill, the place he had chosen. He named the city after himself – Rome.
The Romans believed that the city began in 753BC

10. Archaeological evidence:The cave of Lupercal
This newly discovered cave (8m high and 7m wide) is believed to be the site where the Ancient Romans worshipped Romulus and Remus. It is buried below the Palatine Hill.

11. Archaeological evidence: Palatine Hill
The early Romans
lived in huts that
looked something
like this. The Hut of Romulus
was preserved as a shrine
on the Palatine Hill
for hundreds of years.