Romulus and Remus have been ejected into the Tiber by their granduncle/possibly father Amulius- but Fate has other plans. The boys wash up near a fig tree and survive by getting suckled by a she-wolf- all of which spells bad news for Amulius of Alba Longa...

Sources for this episode:

• Boitani, L., Phillips, M. & Jhala, Y. V. ( 2023) Canis lupus (amended version of 2018 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T3746A247624660.
• Dio (1961), Dio’s Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Eutropius (1760), Eutropius; Epitome of the Roman History. London: Printed for W. Johnston et al.
• Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Sélincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Plutarch (1938), Plutarch’s Lives (Volume I). London and New York: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. And E. P. Dutton & Co. Inc.
• Sextus Aurelius Victor (2004), Origo Gentis Romanae: The Origin of the Roman Race. Translated by K. Haniszewski, L. Karas, K. Koch, E. Parobek, C. Pratt and B. Serwicki. Canisius College Translated Texts 3. Canisius College, Buffalo, New York.
• Author unknown (date unknown), Nuremberg Chronicle: being the Liber Chronicarum of Dr. Hartmann translated in English. Morse Library, Beloit College.

Today is a day of great rejoicing. Sometime over the past month, we became parents! Say hello to Her Imperial Highness, the Princess Imperial, Duchess of Constantinople and heiress presumptive to the Roman empire.

We are very excited, but you may have to bear with us in terms of the schedule as we navigate through the waters of early parenthood. Thank you for your patience!

With the reign of Proca in the rear view mirror, we turn our attention to his two sons- Numitor and Amulius. A murderous plot and a usurpation leads to a young woman being condemned to a life as a Vestal Virgin. However, that doesn't stop her getting pregnant somehow. Oh well, let's put those twin boys in the Tiber...

Sources for this episode:

• Appian (1972), Appian’s Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Dio (1961), Dio’s Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Diodorus of Sicily (1993), The Library of History Books IV.59- VIII. Translated by C. H. Oldfather. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus. Translated by E. Cary. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.
• The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2025), Vestal Virgins (online) (Accessed 15/08/2025).
• Eutropius (1760), Eutropius; Epitome of the Roman History. London: Printed for W. Johnston et al.
• Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Sélincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Ovid (1968), The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Plutarch (1938), Plutarch’s Lives (Volume I). London and New York: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. And E. P. Dutton & Co. Inc.
• Sextus Aurelius Victor (2004), Origo Gentis Romanae: The Origin of the Roman Race. Translated by K. Haniszewski, L. Karas, K. Koch, E. Parobek, C. Pratt and B. Serwicki. Canisius College Translated Texts 3. Canisius College, Buffalo, New York.
• Author unknown (date unknown), Nuremberg Chronicle: being the Liber Chronicarum of Dr. Hartmann translated in English. Morse Library, Beloit College.

In our main narrative, a certain Italian city state is not far away from being founded. So, let's talk today about the myth of another famous city- Athens- and its beginnings. Expect olive trees, salt springs and a half-snake king whose descendants get up to all kinds of divinity-adjacent tomfoolery.

Sources for this episode:

TBA

Aventinus and Proca take us all the way down to the 790s BCE. Along the way, we see another hill of a certain famous city gets its name, the city chugs along quietly in the background, and the Herbology teacher from Harry Potter gets a cameo story in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Wait... What was that last part?

Sources for this episode:

• Appian (1972), Appian's Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). Translated by H. White. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ld. and Harvard University Press.
• Dio (1961), Dio's Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Diodorus of Sicily (1993), The Library of History Books IV.59- VIII. Translated by C. H. Oldfather. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus. Translated by E. Cary. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.
• Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Sélincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Ovid (1968), The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Sextus Aurelius Victor (2004), Origo Gentis Romanae: The Origin of the Roman Race. Translated by K. Haniszewski, L. Karas, K. Koch, E. Parobek, C. Pratt and B. Serwicki. Canisius College Translated Texts 3. Canisius College, Buffalo, New York.
• Author unknown (date unknown), Nuremberg Chronicle: being the Liber Chronicarum of Dr. Hartmann translated in English. Morse Library, Beloit College.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seven hills of Rome (online) (Accessed 15/08/2025).

This episode is very, very frightning- me! But Bohemian Rhapsody references aside, we continue our story of the kings of Alba Longa down to 856 BCE. Join us for the arrogance of Remulus, earthquakes, divine punishments, and Cassie's intense dislike of an Alban king called Acrota.

Sources for this episode:

• Appian (1972), Appian’s Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Dio (1961), Dio’s Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Diodorus of Sicily (1993), The Library of History Books IV.59- VIII. Translated by C. H. Oldfather. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus. Translated by E. Cary. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.
• Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Sélincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Ovid (1968), The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Sextus Aurelius Victor (2004), Origo Gentis Romanae: The Origin of the Roman Race. Translated by K. Haniszewski, L. Karas, K. Koch, E. Parobek, C. Pratt and B. Serwicki. Canisius College Translated Texts 3. Canisius College, Buffalo, New York.
• Author unknown (date unknown), Nuremberg Chronicle: being the Liber Chronicarum of Dr. Hartmann translated in English. Morse Library, Beloit College.

The lightning sound effect used is by TanwerAman (Thunder Strike (Wav) | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay), used under Pixabay licence (Content License - Pixabay).

Quite a few reigns come and go as we head towards 916 BCE. Perhaps the most noteworthy of them all is that of Tiberinus- who drowns in the Albula river during a battle and becomes a god...

Sources for this episode:

• Appian (1972), Appian’s Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Dio (1961), Dio’s Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Diodorus of Sicily (1993), The Library of History Books IV.59- VIII. Translated by C. H. Oldfather. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antiquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus. Translated by E. Cary. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press and William Heinemann Ltd.
• Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Sélincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Ovid (1959), Ovid's Fasti. Translated by J. G. Frazer. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Ovid (1968), The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Translated by M. M. Innes. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Sextus Aurelius Victor (2004), Origo Gentis Romanae: The Origin of the Roman Race. Translated by K. Haniszewski, L. Karas, K. Koch, E. Parobek, C. Pratt and B. Serwicki. Canisius College Translated Texts 3. Canisius College, Buffalo, New York.
• Author unknown (date unknown), Nuremberg Chronicle: being the Liber Chronicarum of Dr. Hartmann translated in English. Morse Library, Beloit College.

Sometimes we like to pause to reflect on what's going on in the world around us at the time of our narrative. Well, at around about the time our Alba Longan kings are ruling, the narratives of the Old Testament and Josephus have David and Solomon ruling over Israel! Let's examine the shenanigans going on in the courts of Hebron and Jerusalem, starting with David and working through twenty generations until the fall of Judah in 581 BCE...

NOTE: The sources used for the family tree made for our logo are listed in the description, with the exception of the birth date of Asa, which is just conjecture on our part.

Sources for this episode:

TBA