Oct 15, 2026 · 24 min · 11 segments
The Vestal Virgins were right at the heart of Rome's self-image. The mother of Romulus and Remus was a Vestal, and throughout Romes thousand-year history, the Vestals were charged with guarding the…
He seized the throne, banished his brother, and murdered his brother's sons.
Amulius wanted to show mercy to his niece, but he also wanted to be sure that his brother could have no male heirs whatsoever, so he bestowed a great honor on Rhea Silvia.
Not coincidentally, such a dedication included an ironclad 30-year commitment to virginity.
There would be no heirs.
But the gods had other ideas.
As Rhea Silvia tended the sacred flame of Vesta, Mars, the god of war, came down into the fire, and in that form deflowered Rhea by force.
Nine months later, she gave birth to twin boys.
That is to say, she gave birth to two potential heirs of the rightful king.
Her sons were thrown into the River Tiber, but the river carried them away to safety, where they were found and suckled by a she-wolf.
The kingdom of Alba should have been theirs, but because they had been forced out of it, they founded the great and glorious city of Rome.
If any elements of the story caused you to feel just a little skeptical, you are not alone.
Even as he tells this story, he points out that the word for wolf was also used to describe a prostitute, which sounds more anatomically possible.
He also suggests that Rhea Silvia was either deluded or just plain lied about the paternity of her sons.
Even so, he assures us that in his opinion, quote, "The origin of so great a city and the establishment of an empire next in power to that of the gods was due to the Fates," end quote.
In Livy's time, the Roman Republic had ended, and the Roman Empire was expanding rapidly.
Livy had every reason to flatter Emperor Augustus with this next-in-power-to-that-of-the-gods stuff.
He seized the throne, banished his brother, and murdered his brother's sons.
Amulius wanted to show mercy to his niece, but he also wanted to be sure that his brother could have no male heirs whatsoever, so he bestowed a great honor on Rhea Silvia.
Not coincidentally, such a dedication included an ironclad 30-year commitment to virginity.
There would be no heirs.
But the gods had other ideas.
As Rhea Silvia tended the sacred flame of Vesta, Mars, the god of war, came down into the fire, and in that form deflowered Rhea by force.
Nine months later, she gave birth to twin boys.
That is to say, she gave birth to two potential heirs of the rightful king.
Her sons were thrown into the River Tiber, but the river carried them away to safety, where they were found and suckled by a she-wolf.
The kingdom of Alba should have been theirs, but because they had been forced out of it, they founded the great and glorious city of Rome.
If any elements of the story caused you to feel just a little skeptical, you are not alone.
Even as he tells this story, he points out that the word for wolf was also used to describe a prostitute, which sounds more anatomically possible.
He also suggests that Rhea Silvia was either deluded or just plain lied about the paternity of her sons.
Even so, he assures us that in his opinion, quote, "The origin of so great a city and the establishment of an empire next in power to that of the gods was due to the Fates," end quote.
In Livy's time, the Roman Republic had ended, and the Roman Empire was expanding rapidly.
Livy had every reason to flatter Emperor Augustus with this next-in-power-to-that-of-the-gods stuff.
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