1. Romulus and Remus

2. Numitor was king of Alba Longa
Numitor was king of Alba Longa. His younger brother, Amulius, betrayed him and took the throne from him.

3. Numitor had only one child, Rhea Silvia
Numitor had only one child, Rhea Silvia. In order to prevent her from marrying and having a child that might one day overthrow him, Amulius forced her to join the vestal virgins.

4. The vestal virgins were a sacred group of priestesses that were not permitted to get married.

5. However, Mars the god of war visited Rhea Silvia and she had twin boys, Romulus and Remus.

6. When Amulius found out, he was furious!

7. He ordered servants to drown the boys in the Tiber River so they would not grow up to be a threat to him.

8. The servants could not bring themselves to drown the babies so they put the boys in a basket and floated them down the river.

9. The babies’ basket came to a rest down the river where a she-wolf found them and nursed them.

10. Later, the boys were found by a shepherd named Faustulus
Later, the boys were found by a shepherd named Faustulus. Faustulus and his wife raised the boys as if they were their own children.

11. When the boys grew up, they learned their true identity
When the boys grew up, they learned their true identity. They returned to Alba Longa where they overthrew Amulius and returned Numitor to his throne.

12. In honor of their victory, Romulus and Remus decided to build a city of their own in 753 B.C.E. at the location where the she-wolf discovered them.

13. Romulus and Remus settled on separate hills at their new city
Romulus and Remus settled on separate hills at their new city. In a classic case of sibling rivalry, they got into an argument over which one of them to name the city after.

14. The argument escalated into a fight wherein Romulus killed Remus
The argument escalated into a fight wherein Romulus killed Remus. He then named the city “Rome” after himself.

15. Out of this sibling rivalry came one of the most powerful civilizations in history.