k to wife Lavinia, daughter
of King Latinus, and built him a city, which he called Lavinium, after the
name of his wife. And, after thirty years, his son Ascanius went forth
from Lavinium with much people, and built him a new city, which he called
Alba. In this city reigned kings of the house and lineage of AEneas for
twelve generations. Of these kings the eleventh in descent was one Procas,
who, having two sons, Numitor and Amulius, left his kingdom, according to
the custom, to Numitor, the elder. But Amulius drove out his brother, and
reigned in his stead. Nor was he content with this wickedness, but slew
all the male children of his brother. And the daughter of his brother,
that was named Rhea Silvia, he chose to be a priestess of Vesta, making as
though he would do the maiden honor, but his thought was that the name of
his brother should perish, for they that serve Vesta are vowed to
perpetual virginity.

But it came to pass that Rhea bare twin sons, whose father, it was said,
was the god Mars. Very wroth was Amulius when he heard this thing; Rhea he
made fast in prison, and the children he gave to certain of his servants
that they should cast them into the river. Now it chanced that at this
season Tiber had overflowed his banks, neither could the servants come
near to the stream of the river; nevertheless they did not doubt that the
children would perish, for all that the overflowing of the water was
neither deep nor of a swift current. Thinking, then, that they had duly
performed the commandment of the king, they set down the babes in the
flood and departed. But after a while the flood abated, and left the
basket wherein the children had been laid on dry ground. And a she-wolf,
coming down from the hill to drink at the river (for the country in those
days was desert and abounding in wild beasts), heard the crying of the
children and ran to them. Nor did she devour them, but gave them suck;
nay, so gentle was she that Faustulus, the king's shepherd, chancing to go
by, saw that she licked them with her tongue. This Faustulus took the
children and gave them to his wife to rear; and these, when they were of
age to go by themselves, were not willing to abide with the flocks and
herds, but were hunters, wandering through the forests that were in those
parts. And afterward, being now come to full strength, they were not
content to slay wild beasts only, but would assail troops of robbers, as
these were returning laden wit