King Numitor of Alba Longa had an only child, Rhea Silvia. When Numitor was deposed and exiled by his younger brother Amulius the new king made Rhea Silvia a Vestal Virgin in order that she would not produce heirs to the throne. However, the god Mars ravished her and she gave birth to the twins Romulus and Remus. Amulius then imprisoned Rhea Silvia and gave orders that her infants be drowned. A she-wolf found the twins by the banks of the Tiber and suckled them. The king's herdsman discovered them, a man named Faustulus who took Romulus and Remus home and raised them. They grew into hardy, brave young men who robbed bandits and shared the spoils with the shepherds. During the festival of the Lupercal, Remus was captured by brigands and eventually delivered to Numitor for judgment. It was revealed that the two brothers were Numitor's grandsons. To avenge Numitor, Romulus and Remus then killed Amulius and reestablished Numitor as king of Alba Longa.
That city had a surplus of males who wished to emigrate, and Romulus and Remus decided to start a new settlement. The two brothers were jealous of each other, both being ambitious. In a dispute Romulus slew Remus and named the settlement after himself—Rome. He established a sanctuary for fugitives, gave the Romans laws, laid down the proper forms of worship, and created the hundred patricians. Yet the lack of women troubled him, so he invited the neighboring people to Rome to celebrate the Consualia in honor of Consus, a forerunner of Neptune. The Sabines brought their families. So the Roman males abducted the young women. The outraged Sabines went home and prepared for war. Meanwhile, Romulus reassured the Sabine women that they would enjoy the same rights as Roman women and be treated honorably. The men also managed to soothe their feelings with words of affection.
The Sabines and Latins combined against the Romans, and while the Latins retreated the Sabines took control of a Roman citadel by bribing a girl to let them enter and then killing her. The Sabines continued to march on the Romans but the two armies were saved from annihilating each other when the abducted women intervened and made them settle peacefully. From that time the two nations were united.
