These passages tell or recall how Rome began. Livy and Plutarch give the story of Romulus and Remus with attention to its variants, and Plutarch admits it looks like fiction while defending it. Virgil places the founding inside Jupiter’s prophecy of a Trojan line that will rule without limit. Cicero judges Romulus for killing his brother to reign alone. Dante makes the city’s history the course of the imperial eagle, from Aeneas and Alba through the seven kings to the Caesars.
Chosen by hand, not counted: a passage is here when it is plainly about the topic, and the list is not every mention. Each is shown in the order the books were written, and each links to the section it is in.
Cicero condemns the city’s founder for killing his brother to reign alone, whatever the excuse of the wall.
… Not so in the case of the king[BH] who founded the city: it was the specious appearance of expediency that actuated him; and when he decided that it was more expedient for him to reign alone than to share the throne with another, he slew his brother.[BI] He threw to the winds his brotherly affection and his human feelings, to secure what seemed to him--but was not--expedient; … Book 3 →Jupiter foretells to Venus that Romulus will found Mars’ city and call its people Romans.
… And, lest new fears disturb thy happy state, Know, I have search’d the mystic rolls of Fate: Thy son (nor is th’ appointed season far) In Italy shall wage successful war, Shall tame fierce nations in the bloody field, And sov’reign laws impose, and cities build, Till, after ev’ry foe subdued, the sun Thrice thro’ the signs his annual race shall run: This is his time prefix’d. … Book 1 →Romulus and Remus dispute the augury; Remus is killed, and the city is named after Romulus.
Romulus chose the Palatine and Remus the Aventine hill as their stands to make their observations. It is said, that to Remus an omen came first, six vultures; and now, the omen having been declared, when double the number presented itself to Romulus, his own party saluted each king; the former claimed the kingdom on the ground of priority of time, the latter on account of the number of birds. … Livy I 7 →Plutarch weighs the stories of Rome’s origin and of Romulus, admitting they seem dramatic and fictitious.
From whom, and for what reason, the city of Rome, a name so great in glory, and famous in the mouths of all men, was so first called, authors do not agree. Some are of opinion that the Pelasgians, wandering over the greater part of the habitable world, and subduing numerous nations, fixed themselves here, and, from their own great strength in war, called the city Rome. … Life 2 →Justinian traces the Roman eagle from Aeneas and Alba through the seven kings to Caesar.
… Behold how great a power has made it worthy Of reverence, beginning from the hour When Pallas died to give it sovereignty. Thou knowest it made in Alba its abode Three hundred years and upward, till at last The three to three fought for it yet again. Thou knowest what it achieved from Sabine wrong Down to Lucretia’s sorrow, in seven kings O’ercoming round about the neighboring nations; … Paradiso 6 →