Romulus - Romulus (English spelling) Rōmulus

A legendary hero who founded Rome and became its first king. It is said that Rome was named after himself. He was born to Rhea Silvia, the daughter of Numitor, King of Alba Longa, who was a descendant of the Trojan hero Aeneas, and Mars, the god of war, and was the twin brother of Remus.

King Numitor's brother Amulius usurped his brother's kingship and, fearing that his niece Rhea would give birth, made her a Vestal Virgin, but she was raped by Mars in the forest and gave birth to twins, Romulus and Remus. When Amulius found out, he killed Rhea and abandoned the children on the banks of the Tiber River, but the two were suckled by a she-wolf and were eventually picked up by the shepherd Faustulus, who raised them and made them grow up. One day, Remus was captured after stealing Amulius' livestock. After learning his true identity from Faustulus, Romulus went straight to Alba, killed Amulius, and restored his father to the kingship. After that, Romulus and Remus planned to build a new city on the land of Rome, but they argued over the choice of site and left the matter to the judgement of augurs. After Remus saw six hawks and Romulus saw twelve, Romulus was approved by the gods and established the boundaries of the future city, but when Remus ignored him, Romulus became angry and killed him.

Thus Romulus became ruler, but when the population of the new city decreased due to a lack of women, he invited the neighboring Sabines to the festival of Consus and plundered many of their daughters. The angry Sabines, led by King Titus Tatius, attacked Rome, but were defeated by the Romans, who were helped by Jupiter (the chief god of the Roman pantheon). However, Romulus also gave King Tatius the right to rule Rome and they ruled together, and after Tatius' death, he ruled both Rome and the Sabines for a long time.

[Masahiro Ogawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ローマを建設し、初代の王となった伝説的英雄。ローマの名は、自らの名を冠してつけたとされる。トロヤの英雄アイネイアス（アエネアス）の血統を継ぐアルバ・ロンガの王ヌミトルの娘レア・シルウィアと、軍神マルスとの間に生まれ、レムスとは双子の兄弟である。

　ヌミトル王の弟アムリウスは兄の王権を奪い、姪(めい)であるレアが子供を産むのを恐れて彼女をウェスタの巫女(みこ)にするが、彼女は森でマルスに犯されて、ロムルスとレムスの双子を出産する。アムリウスはこれを知ってレアを殺し、子供たちをティベル河岸に捨てるが、2人は牝(めす)の狼(おおかみ)に乳を与えられ、やがて牧人のファウストゥルスに拾われて養われ、成長する。ある日レムスがアムリウスの家畜を奪って捕らえられると、ファウストゥルスから自分の素性を聞いたロムルスは、アルバに直行してアムリウスを討ち、父を王に復帰させた。その後ロムルスとレムスはローマの地に新都市建設を計画するが、用地の選択をめぐって争い合い、鳥占いに審判をゆだねる。レムスが六羽、ロムルスが12羽の鷹(たか)を見たことから、ロムルスが神によって是認され、未来の都市の境界を定めたが、レムスがそれを無視したためにロムルスは怒って彼を殺した。

　こうしてロムルスは支配者となるが、女性不足で新都市の人口が減少すると、隣国のサビニ人をコンススの祭りに招き、彼らの多くの娘を略奪した。怒ったサビニ人はティトゥス・タティウス王を先頭にローマに攻め込むが、ユピテル（ローマの神界の主神）の助けを受けたローマ人の前に敗北してしまう。しかしロムルスは、タティウス王にもローマの支配権を与えて共同で統治し、タティウスの死後は1人でローマとサビニの両民族を長く支配した。

［小川正広］

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