Traditions: Roman historiography; Roman poetry Motif: Exposed twins, wolf, and founding of Rome Connection verdict: Shared Roman foundation tradition in different genres Article status: Expanded Date: 2026-10-25
Summary
Livy and Ovid both recount the exposed twins Romulus and Remus, their survival, and the beginnings of Rome. The shared names and foundation plot establish a Roman tradition, but each writer works in a different genre. Livy constructs an origin history with room for uncertainty; Ovid places early Rome inside a poetic calendar of festivals and memory.
Livy’s origin narrative
In History of Rome book 1, the twins are born into a political crisis, exposed, and famously cared for by a she-wolf before being raised by humans. They later confront the powers responsible for their abandonment and become linked to Rome’s founding. The brothers’ rivalry over the new city makes the origin violent as well as triumphant. Livy sometimes notes uncertainties in early traditions; the work is not a modern archaeological report of every event it tells.
Ovid’s festival poem
In Fasti book 3, Ovid revisits Romulus and Remus in a poetic treatment of Roman dates, rites, and origins. He selects scenes suited to explaining how the city remembers itself. This is not a simple paraphrase of Livy. Calendrical poetry turns founding stories into occasions for ritual and communal identity.
One tradition, multiple public uses
The exposed twins and wolf rescue are recognizably shared, yet details and emphases vary across ancient Roman tellings. A foundation myth can legitimize a city and also expose tensions at its heart: abandonment, conflict among kin, and violence at the beginning. Treating the wolf image as a verified zoological incident is not necessary to understand its cultural force.
A conversation worth having
Communities often tell origin stories to explain belonging. These accounts invite a difficult question: can a city celebrate its beginning while acknowledging the harm inside its own founding tale?
Sources and reading notes
- Livy, History of Rome 1, Project Gutenberg — early Roman foundation narrative.
- Ovid, Fasti 3, Theoi — poetic calendar’s account of the twins.
Research limit
The shared tradition is certain; the texts alone cannot establish which elements correspond to recoverable early Roman events.