According to myth, Rome was founded by twins, Romulus and Remus. Their mother, Rhea, was exiled from home when her father, King Amulius, grew paranoid of being dethroned by his descendants. King Amulius saw the twins as a threat as well, so he killed his daughter Rhea and abandoned the two babies in the Tiber River.

Luckily, a she-wolf, Lupa, saved the twins and nursed them back to health. Romulus and Remus would go on to found the city of Rome together. However, a dispute over city borders led Romulus to kill his brother and name the city after himself (Rome). As king, Romulus grew the city’s population by abducting women from the nearby tribe.