Rome’s foundation and its Lupercal

Author: Holmes, S., (2007), “Digging into the myths of Rome”, BBC News, first published in The Imperial Courier, Volume 2, Issue 11, THE RMRS, pp. 2-3.

Discovery In 2007 the discovery in Rome of a vaulted cavern, studded with coloured mosaics and buried deep beneath the ruins of an emperor's palace, suggested that the story of how the city was founded might be more than a mere myth. Archaeologists were thrilled saying that the colourful underground domed structure might prove to be the venerated site of the Lupercal. The grotto was built on what was thought to be the cave of the she-wolf who, according to Rome’s foundation myth, suckled Romulus and Remus. As the sons of the god Mars and the priestess Rhea Silvia it would be these two brothers who would later establish Rome on the Palatine Hill in 753 BC. Archaeologists, like Professor Andrea Carandini of Rome's La Sapienza University, are on record saying the find illustrates the way that fictional myths can shape the search for solid structures and historical facts.

Rescued hero Although the myth lived on, the original site of the Lupercal was soon swallowed up by a rapidly expanding and transforming city. Ancient Rome, like its modern successor, was a big city that underwent redevelopment all the time. So much rebuilding took place, especially around the Palatine, that even Dionysius, writing in 1 BC, said it was difficult to know where the cave of the Lupercal was.

Restoration work on Emperor Augustus’ palace in the very heart of the city revealed an ancient cave 16 m (52 ft) underground in a previously unexplored area beneath the Palatine Hill. Investigation of the cave was hampered by fears that it might collapse and damage the foundations of the surrounding ruins. Archaeologists therefore used endoscopes and laser scanners to study it, ascertaining that the circular structure was 8 m (26 ft) high and 7.5 m (24 ft) in diameter. A camera probe later sent into the cave revealed a ceiling covered in shells, mosaics and coloured marble, with a white eagle at the centre (see right).

While Romulus may have existed, the details of his survival are improbable at best. In the Roman foundation myth, it was a female wolf, or lupa, that nursed and sheltered the twins Romulus and Remus after they were abandoned in the wild by order of King Amulius of Alba Longa. The she-wolf cared for the infants at her den, a cave known as the Lupercal, until they were discovered by a shepherd, Faustulus. Romulus would later become the founder and first king of Rome, and one of the most recognizable icons of ancient mythology, the image of the she-wolf suckling the twins, has been a symbol of Rome ever since. Even though Rome’s foundation story certainly contains complete fictions, the myth does accord with the typical tales of rescued heroes. Moreover, it is inescapable that the Lupercal, the wall of the Palatine, and the centre of political life that is the forum, founded by Romulus, all exist giving at least some credence to the myth.

One element of the Romulus and Remus story, which has Remus defying his brother by leaping over the settlement's boundary walls - an act which cost him his life - became the defining characteristic of the Roman town. The idea that Romulus staked out territory (“territorium”) and enclosed it within a sacred precinct became the norm for many Roman towns where excavations have revealed clearly demarcated boundaries. Thus, while the story may not be true, the significance of enclosing a city encapsulated in the myth can excavated and verified empirically.

Layered history Myths woven around a site may well have encouraged people to build above it leading to layers of history and mythology in a single, culturally important place. In the Roman period, a temple may have been built to venerate an ancestor but also because the site had gained the reputation for being sacred. Whether the myth of the founding of Rome has its basis in fact or fiction, the underground cavern became a place of veneration and worship, from where priests took part in complex rituals and celebrated the Lupercalia festival.

Cult site The choice of the first Emperor's palace was also influenced by the myth. Augustus, it seems, identified with Romulus and wished to emulate the latter’s achievements by re-founding Rome and creating the Roman Empire. Making the connection with the Lupercal by building the palace above it was probably a calculated move to link Augustus with Rome’s foundation and legitimise his claim to imperial power.