Reconciling fratricide : the narration of violence in the Roman foundation myth
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2011
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Thesis
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en_US
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Abstract
In the earliest versions of the Romulus and Remus myth (as reported by later
authors) Romulus kills his brother, Remus, when he jumps over the newly built walls of
Rome. In ensuing narrations of the Roman foundation myth, the suppression of certain
elements of the myth is common; the violent death of Remus in particular is treated as
an unwanted complication. How can one reconcile a murderous foundation myth with a
cityʼs subsequent greatness and prosperity? In this thesis, I explore the narrative
techniques writers use in recounting or alluding to this problematic foundation myth as
well as the myths connection with the civil wars of the late Republic. By examining
seven writers chronologically, I trace the evolution of the Romulus and Remus mythʼs
treatment through a variety of literary genres and through several periods of Roman
history.