Editing History of Italy (section)

===Roman Kingdom===
{{Main|Founding of Rome|Roman Kingdom}}
[[File:Lupa Capitolina, Rome.jpg|thumb|left|The ''[[Capitoline Wolf]]'' sculpture in the [[Capitoline Museums]]. According to legend, [[founding of Rome|Rome was founded]] in 753 BC by [[Romulus and Remus]], who were raised by a [[She-wolf (Roman mythology)|she-wolf]].]]

Little is certain about the history of the Roman Kingdom, as nearly no written records from that time survive, and the histories written during the [[Roman Republic|Republic]] and [[Roman Empire|Empire]] are largely based on legends. According to the [[founding myth]] of Rome, the city was [[founding of Rome|founded]] on 21 April 753 BC by twin brothers [[Romulus and Remus]], who descended from the [[Troy|Trojan]] prince [[Aeneas]]<ref>Adkins, 1998. page 3.</ref> and who were grandsons of [[Numitor]] of [[Alba Longa]]. [[Natale di Roma]] (''Birthday of Rome'') is an annual festival held in [[Rome]] on 21 April to celebrate the [[founding of Rome|founding of the city]].<ref name="Plutarch12">[[Plutarch]], ''[[Parallel Lives]] - Life of Romulus'', [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Romulus*.html#12 12.2] (from [[LacusCurtius]])</ref> 

The traditional account of Roman history, which has come down through [[Livy]], [[Plutarch]], [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus]], and others, is that in Rome's first centuries, it was ruled by a succession of seven kings. The [[Gauls]] destroyed much of Rome's historical records when they sacked the city after the [[Battle of the Allia]] in 390 or 387 BC. With no contemporary records, all accounts of the kings must be carefully evaluated.<ref>Asimov, Isaac. ''Asimov's Chronology of the World''. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. p. 69.</ref>