The Myth of Romulus and His Brothers Birth - Essay Example

Order 342057 Topic: Romulus as a hero Briefly describe the myth of Romulus and his brothers birth and how Rome was created. Romulus, a Roman hero, is believed to be the son of Mars. Rhea Silvia is his mother and she is a Vestal virgin and the daughter of King Numitor. Rhea Silvia gave birth to twins, Romulus and Remus, who had usurped the throne earlier, ordered the children to be thrown into the Tiber. A she-wolf associated as the animal of Mars came to the rescue of the children and took care of them like the mother, and one day the royal herdsmen spotted them and brought them up. They shaped as great warriors and founded the city of Rome on the Palatine Hill. Accepting the challenges of life with the firm belief that an individual is the creator of destiny, not the victim, is the hallmark of the character of Romulus, the mythical creator of Rome. Describe how Romulus is a hero When they matured and were well-known as strong young men, Romulus and Remus, began to protect the herds against the attacks of wild animals and robbers. “One day Remus is taken prisoner by the robbers, who accuse him of having stolen Numitors flocks. But Numitor, to whom he is surrendered for punishment, was touched by his tender age, and when he learned of the twin brothers, he suspected that they might be his exposed grandsons.” (The Myth….) The chief swineherd of the king, Faustulus, arrived with Romulus, and facts about the birth of the boys came to be known, the youths readied themselves for vengeance. Numitor retaliated to retain the ill-gotten throne. The youths subsequently decided to establish a city in the region where they spent their childhood. “ A furious dispute arose upon the question of which brother was to be the ruler of the newly erected city, for neither twin was favored by the right of primogeniture, and the outcome of the bird oracle was equally doubtful. The saga relates that Remus jumped over the new wall, to deride his twin, and Romulus became so much enraged that he slew his brother. Romulus then usurped the sole mastery, and the city was named Rome after him.”(The Myth…) From traditional point of view, the city was founded on April 23, in the year 753 BC. Romulus named the town after himself, as Rome. Compare Romulus to Joseph Campbellss description of a hero, and The Heros Journey Camphell’s hero is the hero in the real sense. He is the hero of the inner world, who has transcended or making sincere efforts to transcend the mind-level dualities. Romulus is the hero known for his physical prowess. William Shakespeare, in his drama Twelfth Night writes, "Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them". Romulus belongs to the second category. If life is to be lived in trail, tribulations, duty and beauty and if you wish to ask someone how, ask Romulus. Campbell narrates 17 stages of steps of hero’s journey. Not all the myths contain all the stages, some myths focus only on one stage. The seventeen stages have been organized into three sections. Departure (sometimes called Separation), Initiation, and Return. "Departure" deals with the heros adventure prior to the quest; "Initiation" deals with the heros many adventures along the way; and "Return" deals with the heros return home with knowledge and powers acquired on the journey. What does the heros journey show us? The journey of Romulus is shrouded in mythical mysteries. It begins with the prayer of his mother Rhea Silvia who seeks Mars, to come to her doorstep and this communication ultimately results in the birth or Romulus and Remus. When this is known to Amulius, he orders them to be slain. The later part of the story is explained above, and Providence saves them from death and they were taken care of by a Shepherd, Faustulus. The hero’s journey indicates that the eternal truth ultimately prevails; the designs of the destiny are supreme. Romulus actually returned back to life from the jaws of death. Both the brothers kill Amulius and free their father held in imprisonment. Father gets back the rightful throne in Ala Longa and the brothers are determined to found their own city. A serious conflict arises between the two brothers as to who should be the king. Mythological beliefs again play the important role in this aspect of life’s journey. First Remus sees six vultures from the Aventine hill, and then Romulus sees twelve from the Palatine. Remus claims he should be king because his vultures appeared first. Romulus says he has more vultures, so he should be king. This results in a fierce clash between the brothers which ultimately results in the death of Remus. He becomes the first of Romes seven kings with his city and thus continues the hero’s journey of life. Romulus, to expand his kingdom population-wise, takes the help of local outcasts and bandits, and by using dubious means carries off the virgin daughters of this Latin tribe and gets them raped by Roman men. This is an example how power corrupts an individual absolutely. What is the story saying to us? The important message of the story is how human aggrandizement for wealth, power and territory can lead to tragic results. How the noblest individuals also turn corrupt and take to violent methods to achieve their selfish objectives. Romulus and Remus had a tumultuous beginning in life; they fought against all odds, and ultimately kill Amulius. They restore the throne to their father and that is a great act, virtuous and totally unselfish. But their efforts to establish the new kingdom results in Remus being killed by his own brother. From the mythological point of view that may be acceptable, but otherwise, Romulus did an improper act. The abduction and rape of the (Latin) Sabine women indicates how the agglomeration of multiethnic outlaws on the Capitoline hill becomes part of the Latin language group, with the crude and uncultured procedures adopted by Romulus to raise the population of his kingdom. So, the stories related to politics and powers were the same through the Ages, and the story unfortunately continues in today’s power-politics as well where corruption and employing cruel methods to retain political supremacy have become the order of the day. We find many Romulus-likes in national and international levels of politics. What does Romulus story tell us about the culture from which the narratives are from? In the story, the love of animal for human being is very interesting. The she-wolf and the woodpecker take care of the two boys. This has to be read in the cultural background of the people in those times, as both these animals are concerned to father Mars. The children also treated her as their mother. The early history of Rome is engulfed in legends. Scholars find it difficult to distinguish history from legends. Joseph Campbell gives a detailed explanation relating to this incident. He writes, “The child may be adopted by an animal—Romulus and Remus, picked up by wolves, for example—or by peasants, and will grow up thinking this is its family .Otto Rank points out that many children imagine themselves to be the children of some high, exalted family. All of the stories of infant exile show that the family that picked up the child was inferior to the true family of the child…” (Campbell, 2003, p.56)It goes to the credit of Romulus that he organized political and military institutions, like the establishment of the Senate. He created the Roman calendar that had 304 days in it. The year was divided into ten months, beginning from the month of March. The materialistic civilization impacted by the industrial and internet revolution has detached the people, especially the younger generation from mythology. “These bits of information from ancient times, which have to do with the themes that have supported human life, built civilizations, and informed religions over the millennia have to do with deep inner problems, inner mysteries, inner threshold of passage, and if you don’t know what the guide-signs are along the way, you have to work it yourself.”(Campbell, 1991, p.2) ************* Works Cited: Campbell, Joseph. The Heros Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work New World Library; 1st New World Library Ed edition, 2003 Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth; Anchor; 1991 The Myth of the Birth of the Hero: II. The Circle of Myths: Retrieved on November 2009 Read More