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Where Rome Was Born?
Italian archaeologists reckon they have found the cave ancient Romans believed was used by the she-wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus.
The Lupercal played an important role in the myth of Rome's founding. Lost for centuries, archaeologists say they found it during a search of the Emperor Augustus' palace on the Palatine Hill.
The cave, discovered by a camera probe, is nearly eight metres high and six in diameter. It is decorated with mosaics, marble and shells, and has the image of an Imperial eagle at the centre of its domed roof.
Part of the cave structure appears to be natural; the rest was decorated, the Italian archaeologists say, by craftsmen at around the time of the first Emperor Augustus, who like other Roman leaders before and after paid great attention to the founding myths of the state. The head of the Roman archaeology team says that the location of Augustus' palace above the Lupercal shows that the ruler wanted to build his domain as close as possible to the place where Rome was born.
The BBC has a cross-section of the cave with a map here. The archaeologists hope to strengthen the cave's arch and ceiling, but must tread carefully as there are fears that the cave itself could collapse, damaging the foundations of monuments on the Palatine Hill.
Romans believed that Rome was founded in 753BC by Romulus. He and his twin brother were the sons of the war god Mars and, abandoned on the banks of the Tiber, were discovered by a passing she-wolf (lupa), who brought them to her cave and suckled them. Romulus later killed his twin in a struggle over who should rule the city they founded. Subsequent Roman rulers carried on very much in the tradition their forefathers founded.
