Most of us learned in schooldays that Romulus was the son of a god; he was left for dead until a she-wolf rescued him; sometime later, he murdered his brother Remus and ultimately established Rome. Few people know much more about Rome's purported founding father than this because historians have in large part disregarded him and there are at least 60 different extant histories of Rome's founding. The book is presented not as history but as the myth that later Romans knew well and the kernel of truth within the Romulus legend. Born to a Vestal Virgin and left for dead as an infant near the Tiber River, his early life nearly ended as quickly as it began. A humble shepherd rescued the child and helped raise him into manhood. As Romulus grew older, he fearlessly engaged in a series of perilous adventures that ultimately culminated in Rome's founding, and he became its fabled first king. Establishing a new city had its price, and Romulus was forced to defend the nascent community. He tirelessly safeguarded Rome and proved that he was a competent leader and talented general, yet he also harboured a dark side which tainted his legacy. But despite all his misdeeds, redemption and subsequent triumphs were usually within his grasp. 'A delicious book that will satisfy any Roman/Latin language lover.' 284pp, maps.
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