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Romulus: The Legend of Rome's Founding Father
“Hyden leans into a tone reminiscent of a bard regaling those around a campfire with stories of a hero’s great exploits… [He tells] a fascinating origin story.” – Booklist
According to legend, Romulus was born to a Vestal Virgin and left for dead as an infant near the Tiber River. His life nearly ended as quickly as it began, but fate had other plans. A humble shepherd rescued the child and helped raise him into manhood. As Romulus grew older, he fearlessly engaged in a series of perilous adventures that ultimately culminated in Rome’s founding, and he became its fabled first king.
Establishing a new city had its price, and Romulus was forced to defend the nascent community. As he tirelessly safeguarded Rome, Romulus proved that he was a competent leader and talented general. Yet, he also harbored a dark side, which reared its head in many ways and tainted his legacy, but despite all of his misdeeds, redemption and subsequent triumphs were usually within his grasp. Indeed, he is an example of how greatness is sometimes born of disgrace.
Regardless of his foreboding flaws, Rome allegedly existed because of him and became massively successful. As the centuries passed, the Romans never forgot their celebrated founder.
This is the story that many ancient Romans believed.
According to legend, Romulus was born to a Vestal Virgin and left for dead as an infant near the Tiber River. His life nearly ended as quickly as it began, but fate had other plans. A humble shepherd rescued the child and helped raise him into manhood. As Romulus grew older, he fearlessly engaged in a series of perilous adventures that ultimately culminated in Rome’s founding, and he became its fabled first king.
Establishing a new city had its price, and Romulus was forced to defend the nascent community. As he tirelessly safeguarded Rome, Romulus proved that he was a competent leader and talented general. Yet, he also harbored a dark side, which reared its head in many ways and tainted his legacy, but despite all of his misdeeds, redemption and subsequent triumphs were usually within his grasp. Indeed, he is an example of how greatness is sometimes born of disgrace.
Regardless of his foreboding flaws, Rome allegedly existed because of him and became massively successful. As the centuries passed, the Romans never forgot their celebrated founder.
This is the story that many ancient Romans believed.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2020
About the author
Marc Hyden
4 books8 followersMarc Hyden is a Roman historian who has written extensively on various aspects of Rome's history. He is the author of "Gaius Marius: The Rise and Fall of Rome’s Saviour" (Pen & Sword, 2017), "Romulus: The Legend of Rome’s Founding Father" (Pen & Sword, 2020), "Marcus Furius Camillus: The Life of Rome’s Second Founder" (Pen & Sword, 2023) and "Emperor Titus: The Right Hand of Vespasian" (McFarland, 2025).
Marc is also the Senior Director of State Government Affairs at a Washington DC-based think tank and a weekly newspaper columnist. He graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in philosophy.
Marc is also the Senior Director of State Government Affairs at a Washington DC-based think tank and a weekly newspaper columnist. He graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in philosophy.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 19, 2024
Written by historian Marc Hyden, Romulus recounts the history of the almost mythical founder of not only the Roman people but also, the city of his name, Rome. Most modern scholars tend to throw the stories and legends surrounding Romulus into the realm of mythology. Not the ancient Romans. To them, he was more than a legend. He not only established the city of Rome (ca. April 21st in the 8th century BCE), he also gave it its governing bodies, religious structure and so much more.
The author, Marc Hyden, showcases a unique and wonderful talent, in that, he knows how to tell a story. I really enjoyed this book and despite the often contradictory sources, I really enjoyed how Hyden framed the entire story of the mythological founder of Rome into a single cohesive narrative.
This is not your typical research novel. It recounts a tale of epic proportions. However, the accounts written of its main protagonist do not stem from a single source. From Cicero to Pliny, Plutarch, Vergil and many more, Hyden relies on the ancient authors themselves to get as close to the source of the events as possible. And when there is doubt or a need to confirm any aspects to the narrative, the author provides the archaeological evidence.
Our story begins with Aeneas and his fleeing from the burning citadel of Troy. It was a place in which he once called home. He, his son, father and a band of Trojan refugees embark on an exodus West of the Anatolian mainland and through a series of trials and tribulations eventually lands on the Western regions of the Italian mainland.
Generations pass and we get to the events of when Alba Longa’s ruler Numitor was dethroned by the usurper and his brother, Amulius. Numitor’s sons were mysteriously executed and his daughter was sentenced to be a vestal virgin. It is there that she was impregnated (by the god Mars) and gave birth to the twins, Romulus and Remus. Upon discovery of this, Amulius sentences the young infants to death. However, they escape this fate and live a simple life as shepherds until they discover that Numitor is their grandfather, where they aid him in reclaiming the throne.
The very detailed events that follow focus on the twins and as soon as Remus is killed, on Romulus alone. The reader may take notice that many of his trials reflect that of his forefather, Aeneas.
Again, I immensely enjoyed reading Romulus and would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in either Roman history or general Greco-Roman mythology.
The author, Marc Hyden, showcases a unique and wonderful talent, in that, he knows how to tell a story. I really enjoyed this book and despite the often contradictory sources, I really enjoyed how Hyden framed the entire story of the mythological founder of Rome into a single cohesive narrative.
This is not your typical research novel. It recounts a tale of epic proportions. However, the accounts written of its main protagonist do not stem from a single source. From Cicero to Pliny, Plutarch, Vergil and many more, Hyden relies on the ancient authors themselves to get as close to the source of the events as possible. And when there is doubt or a need to confirm any aspects to the narrative, the author provides the archaeological evidence.
Our story begins with Aeneas and his fleeing from the burning citadel of Troy. It was a place in which he once called home. He, his son, father and a band of Trojan refugees embark on an exodus West of the Anatolian mainland and through a series of trials and tribulations eventually lands on the Western regions of the Italian mainland.
Generations pass and we get to the events of when Alba Longa’s ruler Numitor was dethroned by the usurper and his brother, Amulius. Numitor’s sons were mysteriously executed and his daughter was sentenced to be a vestal virgin. It is there that she was impregnated (by the god Mars) and gave birth to the twins, Romulus and Remus. Upon discovery of this, Amulius sentences the young infants to death. However, they escape this fate and live a simple life as shepherds until they discover that Numitor is their grandfather, where they aid him in reclaiming the throne.
The very detailed events that follow focus on the twins and as soon as Remus is killed, on Romulus alone. The reader may take notice that many of his trials reflect that of his forefather, Aeneas.
Again, I immensely enjoyed reading Romulus and would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in either Roman history or general Greco-Roman mythology.
February 5, 2026
More detail than I might have expected on the topic, a carefully curated modern take, and the usual anti-monarchic moralism I have come to expect from historicists. I treat this book as mythology and I would have suggested the author psychologize as to why Romans chose this founding myth, less concerning is whether it is historically true or not. What is true is that many believed these stories, and a more interesting question would be why and what that speaks about the people who believed. I would also critique the length, it seemed at certain points in some chapters that he was simply padding the material - it could have been shorter and less onerous in that sense. I feel fully entrenched in the legend now though, so I am thankful for that exposure. I believe I also have the author's book on Camillus coming up, which is shorter, so perhaps my review will be kinder.
May 19, 2024
The start and the end included good examination of the historical bavkground of the myth. There was even a good analysis of Romulus's actions but this doesn't appear in the middle of the book.
When actually narrating the story of Rome's founder I felt there was no critical examination at that exact point for example the Sabine women issue or Herselia Romulus's wife barely talked about, The overwhelming focus on Romulus made me feel like the author had been swept away by the myth rather than analysed it.
When actually narrating the story of Rome's founder I felt there was no critical examination at that exact point for example the Sabine women issue or Herselia Romulus's wife barely talked about, The overwhelming focus on Romulus made me feel like the author had been swept away by the myth rather than analysed it.
June 19, 2022
Well written. I enjoyed reading it.
August 29, 2026
Romulus by Marc Hyden
Summary: Is Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, more myth than fact? Marc Hyden pulls from ancient sources such as Dionysius, Livy, Plutarch, and Cicero to put together a comprehensive biography of Rome’s first king while also highlighting which parts of his story may have been historically accurate.
Beginning with Aeneas’ escape from Troy and continuing through Rhea Silvia, Mars, and the she-wolf that nurtured the twins, Hyden walks through the famous stories surrounding Romulus and Remus. Throughout the book, he provides context for how these myths could have a historical foundation or if they were likely later additions to Rome’s past. As the pages reach the founding of Rome in 753 BC, many of the events begin to feel more historically plausible. Except Romulus disappearing to the heavens during the storm… I’m going to lean more toward that being an assassination cover up rather than an apotheosis.
Overall, I came away thinking Romulus lands somewhere between myth and history. A real founder whose achievements grew into legend as Rome itself became more powerful and influential. As the Eternal City evolved into the dominant force of the Mediterranean, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched that later Romans embellished his life to reflect the greatness of the civilization he started.
Summary: Is Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, more myth than fact? Marc Hyden pulls from ancient sources such as Dionysius, Livy, Plutarch, and Cicero to put together a comprehensive biography of Rome’s first king while also highlighting which parts of his story may have been historically accurate.
Beginning with Aeneas’ escape from Troy and continuing through Rhea Silvia, Mars, and the she-wolf that nurtured the twins, Hyden walks through the famous stories surrounding Romulus and Remus. Throughout the book, he provides context for how these myths could have a historical foundation or if they were likely later additions to Rome’s past. As the pages reach the founding of Rome in 753 BC, many of the events begin to feel more historically plausible. Except Romulus disappearing to the heavens during the storm… I’m going to lean more toward that being an assassination cover up rather than an apotheosis.
Overall, I came away thinking Romulus lands somewhere between myth and history. A real founder whose achievements grew into legend as Rome itself became more powerful and influential. As the Eternal City evolved into the dominant force of the Mediterranean, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched that later Romans embellished his life to reflect the greatness of the civilization he started.
May 24, 2023
After reading Gauis Marius, I've been following Marc Hyden's works. I enjoyed the accessible approach and analysis of myth vs reality. Highly recommend.
December 19, 2024
Quite a refreshing perspective on history, that seems to have gotten lost in academia. The author represents a 180 from what you'll learn at most universities these days.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews