The Traditional Founding of Rome

What happened

According to Roman legend, the city was founded on 21 April 753 BCE by Romulus, who — raised with his twin Remus by a she-wolf on the banks of the Tiber — killed his brother in a quarrel and named the city after himself. Archaeology instead points to villages on the Palatine Hill from around the 9th century BCE that gradually grew together into a city.

Why it matters

The 753 BCE founding legend became central to Roman identity and is still marked as Rome's birthday, even though the city's real origins lie in earlier Iron Age settlement.

How we know

The founding date and the Romulus story come from much later Roman writers and are legendary; archaeological remains attest to early settlement on the site.

753 BCE is a traditional foundation date; the Romulus story is legend, and archaeology shows earlier settlement.

Sources

• World History Encyclopedia. Romulus and Remus · Reputable source
• British Museum. Introduction to ancient Rome · Reputable source