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Rome to unveil tomb that may belong to wolf-suckled king
ROME, Feb 21, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – An ancient tomb thought to belong to Rome’s
founder Romulus will be presented to the world on Friday, bringing to a head
months of investigation by history sleuths.
The 6th century BC stone sarcophagus, with an accompanying circular altar,
was discovered under the Forum in the heart of Italy’s capital decades ago,
but experts could not agree on whether or not it belonged to the fabled
figure.
According to legend, Romulus founded the city after killing his twin
brother Remus.
The brothers had been raised by a she-wolf — the symbol of Rome shows them
sucking at her teats — but later fell out over where to build the new
metropolis.
Historians have long been divided not only over whether the pair actually
existed, but if so where Romulus’ body — which was reportedly dismembered
after his death by angry senators — may have been buried.
The Colosseum Archaeological Park, which manages the Forum where the
sarcophagus lies, said recent clues all pointed to it being the founder’s
tomb, in what it labelled an “extraordinary discovery”.
The Forum was the beating heart of the Roman Empire and historical sources
refer to Romulus’s possible burial in that area.
No bones were found inside the sarcophagus.
– ‘Rome’s political birth’ –
“These two archaeological objects (sarcophagus and altar) have given rise
to a hypothesis we can now debate,” Italian archaeologist Paolo Carafa told
AFP.
Romulus, made popular by writers such as Livy, Ovid and Plutarch, is said
to have ploughed a square furrow around the Palatine Hill to demarcate the
walls of the future city.
When a mocking Remus hopped over the “wall” to prove how ineffective it
would be against invaders, his brother killed him.
A team of scientists carrying out a dig in the late 1980s discovered a
long, deep gash marked by large stones, which they claimed was the “sacred
furrow” ploughed by Romulus.
Legend has it he went on to establish the Roman senate and rule as the
city’s first king for nearly 40 years, before disappearing into thin air one
day while out inspecting his troops.
Some versions of the tale have him taken up to heaven by the god of war
while others have him brutally murdered by jealous senators who tore him limb
from limb and scattered his body parts across the city.
There may consequently have been no body to bury. In any case, Romulus
acquired a cult following, making it more than plausible that the ancient
city built a shrine to its beloved legendary — and possibly mythical —
founder.
“Whether Romulus existed or not is not important,” Carafa said.
“What matters is that this figure is considered by the ancients to mark the
political birth of the city.”
BSS/AFP/GMR/1045 hrs