The Romulus and Remus story began when Amulius, king of the city of Alba Longa, deposed his brother Numitor. Afraid that Numitor's daughter Rhea Silvia might have sons who would rise up to overthrow him, Amulius forced Rhea Silvia to become a priestess, and therefore forbidden to marry. Nevertheless, the god Mars managed to reach her and as a result she conceived the twin sons, Romulus and Remus.

Amulius found out and placed the boys in a trough that was thrown into the river Tiber. Then the twins were found by a she-wolf who suckled them until they were discovered by the shepherd Faustulus, whose wife looked after and gave them their names.
Eventually, Romulus and Remus rose against Amulius, killed him, and restored the kingdom to their grandfather. Wanting to found their own town, Romulus and Remus built a settlement on the Palatine Hill, where the she-wolf had nursed them, but Remus mocked the low walls built by Romulus: as a result, Romulus killed him. Romulus finished building the new city, and called it Roma after his own name.