Relevant Rome

The Story of Rome’s founding is rich with drama, conflict, and family rivalry. Most history classes cover the basics, but the finer details elevate the story from a stale recounting of what transpired, to an energized saga. This detailed retelling will draw heavily upon the writings of the great Roman historian, Livy . Specifically, book one of his Ab Urbe Condita.   The story begins a few years before the birth of Romulus and Remus. Their great-grandfather, Proca, ruler of Alba Longa, had two sons, Numitor (their grandfather) and Amulius (their great uncle). Livy tells us: “…Proca, who had two sons, Numitor and Amulius. To Numitor, the elder, he bequeathed the ancient throne of the Silvian house. Violence, however, proved stronger than either the father's will or the respect due to the brother's seniority; for Amulius expelled his brother and seized the crown. Adding crime to crime, he murdered his brother's sons and made the daughter, Rea Silvia, a Vestal virgin; thu

                              Welcome to Relevant Rome! The goal for this blog is to talk about all things Ancient Rome, and maybe a little Ancient Greece when it’s relevant. History classes simply don’t have the time to go into great detail about all of the facets of Ancient Rome, so this is where we get to dive in and really explore what was going on. There are so many great stories that they just don’t have time for in the average history class, so this is where we get to experience all of these great events in greater detail!                From the founding of Rome, to the fall of Rome, no topics will be left unexamined. You will learn about heroes you’ve never heard of, battles you didn’t know happened, and everything in between.                Check back on Mondays for new posts! For fun facts throughout the week, follow me on Instagram @relevantrome and on look for relevantrome on YouTube. Videos will be linked to posts. The videos will be a good overview of each topic, but the