A Deep Dive into Roman Foundation Legend: Mythology and Literature

This essay examines the extent to which the Roman foundation legend is shaped by Greek mythological motifs. It outlines the founding of Rome, drawing from the works of Livy and Plutarch, and identifies their sources. The essay analyzes the differences between Virgil's account in the Aeneid Book 6 and other sources, exploring literary parallels in the legend. It discusses Ovid's 'Ages of Man' and compares his version to Hesiod's, examining Ovid's perspective on Rome's destined longevity and his view of Augustus' role. The analysis is supported by specific references to the Metamorphoses, providing a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

Running head: HISTORY
History
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1HISTORY
Question 1
The foundations of the Roman legend had been shaped Greek myth in a large manner.
There are many mythological figures that are found to common in both the Roman and Greek
mythology. Some similarities have also been found in the names of gods that existed in both
mythological legends (Ziogas 2015). The connections and mythological stories of Rome and
Troy are also important factors to prove the influence of Greek myth on legends of Roman
foundation precisely.
Question 2
 The stories of Remus and Romulus have been the primary foundations behind the
foundations of Rome.
 Another myth is of the opinion that people of Rome have descended from Aeneas, the
hero of Trojan War (Ziogas 2015).
 The occupation in this region of Rome in Italy has been found to be 14000 years old that
traces one of earliest civilizations in the country.
 Romos was the person who founded Rome. His parents were Odysseus and Circe.
 The name Romos had been altered to Romulus by native people of Rome.
Question 3
Many literatures have been found regarding the foundation of Rome in ancient times.
Early Christian literature has mentioned the name of Rome. Classical literature during those
times has also contributed to the foundations of Rome like Iliad and Odyssey by Homer (Ziogas
2015) Effectively, all these literary works of contemporary times are critical to analyze the

2HISTORY
historical foundation of Rome. Cave paintings by native people also contribute to the early
history of Rome.
Question 4
According to the ancient literature, Ovid has described about the ages of man. He has
described four ages that a man goes through (Rogers 2014). These four stages are golden age,
silver age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. The mythological stories have contributed to the ideas of
this entity. Ovid mentioned the punishment by Jupiter or Zeus behind the creation of mankind
whereas Hesiod pointed out eternal chaos behind this creation.
Question 5
In aeternum, Ovid has mentioned that Roman Empire will last forever till the end of time.
He was definitely sarcastic about this statement since he viewed Augustus’ reign as very
tormenting as he was sent to exile to Tomis (Rogers 2014). He had foreseen the ultimate decay
of Roman Empire by the hands of such torturous emperors and ironically commented on Rome’s
eternal survival.

3HISTORY
References
Rogers, G.M., 2014. The Sacred Identity of Ephesos (Routledge Revivals): Foundation Myths of
a Roman City. Routledge.
Ziogas, I., 2015. The Poet as Prince: Author and Authority Under Augustus. The Art of Veiled
Speech: Self-Censorship from Aristophanes to Hobbes, pp.115-36.