The birth of Rome and its Empire isn’t that remarkable or very interesting if the truth be told. Basically a group of Farmers banded together in a location that offered protection and water and after pooling their resources they beat up the locals and stole their ideas, the Etruscans being a classic example. Naturally this doesn’t go down well with the historians when it comes to documenting your glorious past. The Romans therefore decided it would be a good idea and copy the Greeks by just simply making something up that sounded a lot more interesting and romantic than “we stomped everyone else into the ground”. This is that tale but also the rather interesting bronze statue that still exists today purporting to be evidence that it happened.
Animal Sculpture is a very nice thing to have in the home just as the Musei Capitolini think with their Wolf. Why not have a pop along to www.gillparker.com/ were you can see quite a few wonderful examples of the art. They might not have the same history as the Wolf but they are still incredible pieces to own.
The story goes that the city of Rome was founded by two brothers Romulus and Remus. They were the grandsons of the Ruler of the area Numitor. Whoever, Numitor sudden found himself overthrown, by his Brother of all people, and as a result the two young lads were a bit of a liability what with them being the rightful heirs and all. The victorious brother soon hit on a solution to this problem which basically involved the both of them being chucked in the River Tiber. As they floated by a passing she-wolf decided to inexplicably ignore its natural instincts and came to the conclusion that she should take them home and care for them. Later on they were found by a local herdsman who soon realised that it probably wasn’t a good idea for a large female wolf to be raising human children and he took them in.
The Capitoline Wolf is a 30 inch by 45 inch statue that features the great wolf Lupa who rescued the twins. Underneath her, suckling away, are Romulus and Remus. The idea is that they are gaining the power of the wolf from her milk to make them stronger. Many think that the wolf looks attentive and strong but in my opinion she looks a little bemused or rather surprised that two human children have decided to take up residence in her underbelly.
The sculpture wasn’t made in the Roman period and Mussoilin loved it so much he wanted to put in on the flag.
