According to legend, twin boys, Romulus and Remus, were born to the Vestal Virgin, Rhea Silvia and Mars, the god of war. Their grandfather's brother wrested control of the city where they were born, from the boy's grandfather, and, fearing the consequences of male heirs, he had them thrown in a trough into the river. The trough drifted to shore, where legend says, a she-wolf found the twin babies and suckled them until a shepherd adopted them and they grew into manhood. Years later, having taken back control of the city for their grandfather, Mars directed the boys to build a city of their own, and they chose the riverside site where the wolf had found them. Romulus decided to wall the city in, and Remus jeered at the idea, going so far as to leap over the wall. Romulus then killed him and went on to complete the building himself. Living on for many years after as a great leader, he vanished one night into a storm. The building of Rome started in about 753 BC, placing Rome on a major trade route, which made it one of the world's oldest cities. Ruled initially by seven kings, Rome eventually became a republic, ruled by a Senate, where Senators had specific duties. There were Dictators. Julius Caesar, who was Consul of the Senate from 49-44 BC, was rumoured to desire to become Emperor of Rome, therefore several of his Senators murdered him. Had he been born 20 years later, he would have had his way, as the political structure of Rome changed, and Augustus, the first Emperor, was installed in 27 BC as Emperor Of Rome. The Praetorian Guard was created, just to protect the Emperor. By the third century, the Roman Empire made up a good portion of the "civilized" world, and the city of Rome had about 2 million residents. Over the centuries Rome has never lost its position as a cultural center of Europe. We were there in August of 1999.
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| The Colosseum Exterior | The Colosseum Interior |
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| Basilica Of St. Peter Interior | Sistine Chapel, "Universal Judgement" |
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| The Roman Forum | The Roman Forum |
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| The Pantheon | The Arch Of Constantine |
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| Trevi Fountain | Venezia Square (The Wedding Cake) |
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| Novana Square | St. Peter Square |
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| Saint Angel Castle | Audrey & George At A Roman Party |
| Rome Page Two
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