Rome's creation myth begins with the story of Romulus and Remus, the tragic tale of twin brothers who are born noble, are nearly killed as infants, and ultimately engage in a conflict that leads to the death of one of the two and to the foundation of an empire on the other. The creation myth of Rome tells the story of a mythical leader who, against all odds, triumphs, and as he prevails, so does Rome. Rhea Silvia was a vestal virgin who was supposedly raped by Mars, the god of war. This act led to the birth of the twin brothers, Romulus and Remus. The twins, born of noble blood (Rhea's grandfather reigned at the time), were to be drowned in the Tiber River on the orders of Rhea's uncle to avoid potential future challenges to the throne by the twins. However, the twins survived through a series of unlikely but fortuitous events. First, a she-wolf found the boys and let herself nurse them; then a woodpecker gave them food; and eventually the shepherd Faustolo and his wife found them and raised the twins as their own. The boys, having survived against all odds, were both natural leaders and rivals. In deciding to found a city, the twins disagreed on its location, each preferring the nearby hills. They decided to let luck dictate the location of the city. Remus saw six vultures for the first time and interpreted it as luck favoring him. Romulus later saw 12 vultures and claimed that luck favored him. Remus was eventually killed by Romulus in an act of violence. The mythical leader Romulus prevailed and founded his city, calling it Rome after him. An example of a Roman leader prevailing against the odds in the creation myth tradition is in the story of a humble Roman dictator, Lucius Quincticus Cincinnatus.Minucius, a......middle of paper......recognizing the his success in defeating Rome's enemy in North Africa, Scipio was granted the title Scipio Africanus and was forever a Roman hero. Once again, Rome's troops were led by an inspired leader. Once again, as in the creation myth and against all odds, Scipio prevailed, as did Rome. The unlikely and inspiring creation myth of Rome and the story of Romulus and Remus, their tragedy and Romulus' final triumph in founding Rome, inspired Romans for generations to overcome adversity and their own personal tragedies to achieve their triumphs. Against all odds, the creation myth inspired Rome's leaders to fight for Rome against all odds, prevailing for themselves, their countrymen, and ultimately, Rome itself. Works cited (Livio, p. 34), (Livio, p. 35), (Livio, p. 37), (Livio, p. 226-227), (Livio, p. 228-229), (Stillman, p .17-18), (Stillman, p..20-21)