Dionysius carried out extensive research for his Roman history, selecting among authorities, and preserving (for example) details of the
Servian Census. Dionysius is thus one of the primary sources for the accounts of the Roman foundation myth, and that of
Romulus and Remus, and was relied on in the later publications of
Plutarch, for example. He writes extensively on the myth, sometimes attributing direct quotations to its figures. The myth spans the first two volumes of his
Roman Antiquities, beginning with Book I chapter 73 and concluding in Book II chapter 56.
Romulus and Remus Origins and survival in the wild Dionysius claims that the twins, Romulus and Remus, were born to a
vestal named
Ilia Silvia (sometimes called Rea), descended from
Aeneas of Troy and the daughter of
King Latinus of the
Original Latin tribes, thus linking Rome to Trojans and Latins both. Dionysius lays out the different accounts of her pregnancy and the twins' conception, but declines to choose one over the others. Citing
Fabius,
Cincius,
Porcius Cato, and
Piso, Dionysius recounts the most common tale, whereby the twins are to be tossed into the
Tiber; are left at the site of the
ficus Ruminalis; and rescued by a she-wolf who
nurses them in front of her lair (the
Lupercal) before being adopted by
Faustulus. Dionysius relates an alternate, "non-fantastical" version of Romulus and Remus' birth, survival and youth. In this version,
Numitor managed to switch the twins at birth with two other infants. The twins were delivered by their grandfather to Faustulus to be fostered by him and his wife, Laurentia, a former
prostitute. According to Plutarch,
lupa (Latin for "wolf") was a common term for members of her profession and this gave rise to the she-wolf legend.
Falling out and Foundation of Rome The twins receive a proper
education in the city of
Gabii, before eventually winning control of the area around where Rome would be founded. Dispute over the particular hill upon which Rome should be built, the
Palatine Hill or the
Aventine Hill for its strategic advantages saw the brothers fall out and Remus killed. When the time came to actually construct the city of Rome, the two brothers disputed over the particular hill upon which Rome should be built, Romulus favoring the
Palatine Hill and Remus favoring what later came to be known as
Remoria (possibly the
Aventine Hill). Eventually, the two deferred their decision to the gods at the advice of their grandfather.
Using the birds as omens, the two brothers decided "he to whom the more favourable birds first appeared should rule the colony and be its leader." Since Remus saw nine vultures first, he claimed that the gods chose him and Romulus claimed that since he saw a greater (the "more favorable") number of vultures, the gods chose him. Unable to reach a conclusion, the two brothers and their followers fought, ultimately resulting in the death of Remus. After his brother's death, a saddened Romulus buried Remus at the site of Remoria, giving the location its namesake. Before the actual construction of the city began,
Romulus made sacrifices and received good omens, and he then ordered the populace to ritually atone for their guilt. The city's fortifications were first and then housing for the populace. He assembled the people and gave them the choice as to what type of government they wanted - monarchy, democracy, or oligarchy - for its constitution. After his address, which extolled bravery in war abroad and moderation at home, and in which Romulus denied any need to remain in power, the people decided to remain a kingdom and asked him to remain its king. Before accepting he looked for a sign of the approval of the gods. He prayed and witnessed an auspicious lightning bolt, after which he declared that no king shall take the throne without receiving approval from the gods.
Institutions Dionysus then provided a detailed account of the 'Romulus' constitution, most probably based on the work of
Terentius Varro. Romulus supposedly divides Rome into 3
tribes, each with a
Tribune in charge. Each tribe was divided into 10
curiae, and each of those into smaller units. He divided the kingdom's land holdings between them, and Dionysus alone among our authorities insists that this was done in equal lots. A
separation of power and measures to increase manpower were also instituted, as were Rome's religious customs and practices, and a variety of legal measures praised by Dionysius. Again, Dionysius thoroughly describes the laws of other nations before contrasting the approach of Romulus and lauding his work. The Roman law governing marriage is, according to his
Antiquities, an elegant yet simple improvement over that of other nations, most of which he harshly derides. By declaring that wives would share equally in the possessions and conduct of their husband, Romulus promoted virtue in the former and deterred mistreatment by the latter. Wives could inherit upon their husband's death. A wife's adultery was a serious crime, however, drunkenness could be a mitigating factor in determining the appropriate punishment. Because of Romulus' laws, Dionysius claims that not a single Roman couple divorced over the following five centuries. Romulus' laws governing parental rights, in particular, those that allow fathers to maintain power over their adult children were also considered an improvement over those of others; while Dionysius further approved of how, under the laws of Romulus, native-born free Romans were limited to two forms of employment: farming and the army. All other occupations were filled by slaves or non-Roman labor. Romulus used the trappings of his office to encourage compliance with the law. His court was imposing and filled with loyal soldiers and he was always accompanied by the
12 lictors appointed to be his attendants.
The Rape of the Sabine Women and death of Romulus , 1799 Following his institutional account, Dionysus described the famous
abducting of the Sabine women and suggesting thereby that the abduction was a pretext for alliance with the
Sabines. Romulus wished to cement relations with neighboring cities through intermarriage, but none of them found the fledgling city of Rome worthy of their daughters. To overcome this, Romulus arranged a festival in honor of Neptune (the
Consualia) and invited the surrounding cities to attend. At the end of the festival, Romulus and the young men
seized all the virgins at the festival and planned to marry them according to their customs. In his narrative, however, the cities of
Caecina,
Crustumerium, and
Antemnae petition for
Tatius, king of the
Sabines to lead them to war; and it is only after the famous intervention of the Sabine women that the nations agreed to become a single kingdom under the joint rule of Romulus and Tatius, both declared
Quirites. After the death of Tatius, however, Romulus became more dictatorial, until he met his end, either through actions divine or earthly. One tale tells of a "darkness" that took Romulus from his war camp to his father in heaven. Another source claims that Romulus was killed by his Roman countrymen after releasing hostages, showing favoritism, and excessive cruelty in his punishments. == Impact ==