Editing Dionysius of Halicarnassus (section)

====Origins and survival in the wild====
Dionysius claims that the twins, Romulus and Remus, were born to a [[Vestal virgins|vestal]] named [[Rea Silvia|Ilia Silvia]] (sometimes called Rea), descended from [[Aeneas]] of Troy and the daughter of [[Latinus|King Latinus]] of the [[Latins (Italic tribe)|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]], [[Lucius Cincius Alimentus|Cincius]], [[Cato the Elder|Porcius Cato]], and [[Calpurnia gens#Calpurnii Pisones|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 [[Breastfeeding|nurses]] them in front of her lair (the ''[[Lupercal]]'') before being adopted by [[Faustulus]].<ref>Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ''Roman Antiquities'' Book I, Chapter 79</ref> 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.<ref>Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ''Roman Antiquities'' Book I, Chapter 84</ref> The twins were delivered by their grandfather to Faustulus to be fostered by him and his wife, Laurentia, a former [[Prostitution in ancient Rome|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.