Editing Rhea Silvia (section)

== Legend ==
[[File:0453 - Roma, Museo d. civiltà romana - Sarcofago Mattei Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 12-Apr-2008.jpg|thumb|300px|Symbolic representation of the Rhea Silvia myth on a sarcophagus in the [[Palazzo Mattei]]. Most of the elements of the story can be found in the scene. The central figure, [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]], strides over Rhea Silvia being put to sleep by [[Hypnos|Somnus]] pouring the juice of sleep on her from a horn. The wolf, the personification of the river, the temple of [[Vesta (mythology)|Vesta]], are all present.]]
According to [[Livy|Livy's]] account of the legend, she was the daughter of [[Numitor]], king of [[Alba Longa]], and descended from [[Aeneas]]. Numitor's younger brother [[Amulius]] seized the throne and killed Numitor's son, then forced Rhea Silvia to become a [[Vestal Virgin]], a priestess of the goddess [[Vesta (mythology)|Vesta]]. As Vestal Virgins were sworn to celibacy, this would ensure the line of Numitor had no heirs. Rhea, however, became pregnant with the twins [[Romulus]] and [[Remus]] by the [[god]] [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]].<ref name=":42">[[Livy]] I.4.2</ref>

According to [[Plutarch]], she believed this because she saw her children being cared for by a woodpecker and a wolf – animals sacred to Mars.<ref name=":5">{{cite book |last=Mathisen |first=Ralph W. |title=Ancient Roman Civilization: History and sources |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2019 |location=New York |pages=69}}</ref> The account says that Rhea Silvia went to a grove sacred to Mars to get water for use in the [[temple]]<ref name=":6">{{cite book |last=Dio |title=Dio's Roman History |location=Cambridge Massachusetts |translator1-last=Earnest |translator1-first=Cary |translator2-last=Foster |translator2-first=Herbert Baldwin}}</ref> where she encountered Mars who attempted to rape her, she ran into a cave to escape him but to no avail. Mars then promised that her children would be great.<ref name=":7">{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/historyromevolu00smitgoog |title=The History of Rome |last=Niebuher |first=B.G. |date=3 April 1843 |page=184 |publisher=Cambridge, J. Taylor; [etc., etc.] }}</ref> These claims of her children's paternity were later doubted by the Roman historian Livy.<ref name=":8">{{cite book |last=Livy |title=The History of Early Rome |publisher=Heritage Press |year=1960 |location=New York |page=9 |translator1-last=de Selincourt |translator1-first=Aubrey |translator2-last=Scorzelli |translator2-first=Raffaele}}</ref>

Vesta, to show her displeasure at the birth of Rhea Silvia's children, caused the holy fire in her temple to go out, shook her altar, and shut the eyes of her image.<ref name=":9">{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/historyromevolu00smitgoog |title=The History of Rome |last=Niebuhr |first=B.G. |date=3 April 1843 |pages=184–185 |publisher=Cambridge, J. Taylor; [etc., etc.] }}</ref> According to Ennius, the goddess Venus was more sympathetic to Rhea Silvia's plight.<ref name=":10">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wZ2fDwAAQBAJ&q=arieti+rape+and+livy%27s+view+roman+history&pg=PA209 |title=Rape in Antiquity: Rape and Livy's View of Roman History |last=Arieti |first=J.A. |year=1997 |page=11 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=9781905125876 }}</ref>

[[File:Fonte Gaia - she wolf detail.jpg|thumb|[[gray wolf|She-wolf]] (''lupa'') in [[Fonte Gaia]], 14th century]]
When Amulius learned of the birth he imprisoned Rhea Silvia and ordered a servant to kill the twins. But the servant showed mercy and set them adrift on the river [[Tiber]], which, overflowing, left the infants in a pool by the bank. There, a [[She-wolf (Roman mythology)|she-wolf]] (''lupa''), who had just lost her own cubs, suckled them.<ref name=":21">The she-wolf is memorialised in the Medieval bronze ''[[Capitoline Wolf]]'' and is a symbol of Rome.</ref> Rhea Silvia was herself spared from death due to the intercession of Amulius' daughter Antho.<ref>Plutarch, "The Life of Romulus", 3.</ref><ref name=":22">{{cite book |last=Dio |first=Cassius |title=Dio's Roman History |location=Cambridge, MA |pages=13 |translator1-last=Earnest |translator1-first=Cary |translator2-last=Foster |translator2-first=Herbert Baldwin}}</ref> According to Ovid, Rhea Silvia ultimately threw herself into the Tiber.<ref name=":23">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wZ2fDwAAQBAJ&q=arieti+rape+and+livy%27s+view+roman+history&pg=PA209 |title=Rape in Antiquity: Rape and Livy's view of Roman History |last=Arieti |first=J.A. |year=1997 |page=210 |publisher=Classical Press of Wales |isbn=9781905125876 |access-date=21 February 2020}}</ref>

Romulus and Remus overthrew [[Amulius]] and reinstated Numitor as [[Latin kings of Alba Longa|king]] in 752&nbsp;BCE. They would then go to found [[Rome]].<ref name=":11">Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ''Roman Antiquities'', 71.5</ref><ref name=":12">Livy, ''Ab Urbe Condita'', [http://wikisophia.org/index.php?title=From_the_Founding_of_the_City/Book_1 Book 1]{{dead link|date=April 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}.</ref>