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Vultures Over the Seven Hills: The Bloody Augury That Founded Rome
Rome's legendary founding began with fratricide. When brothers Romulus and Remus sought divine guidance through augury—interpreting bird behavior—to choose a location, a dispute over vulture sightings ended with Romulus killing Remus and establishing the city that would bear his name.
The origin story of Rome is not one of gentle beginnings but of ambition, divine portents, and brutal, decisive violence. At its heart are the twin brothers Romulus and Remus, famously suckled by a she-wolf and destined for greatness. When they decided to found a city, their shared dream quickly devolved into a fatal rivalry, one that would be settled by an ancient and sacred practice: augury.
A Sibling Rivalry and a Divine Test
The first conflict was one of location. Romulus favored the strategic Palatine Hill, while Remus chose the Aventine Hill. Unable to agree, they turned to a method befitting their supposed divine heritage. They would let the gods decide through augury, the practice of interpreting divine will by observing the behavior of birds. Each brother would take to his chosen hill and await a sign.
What is Augury? The Art of Bird-Watching for the Gods
To modern eyes, basing a city's future on bird sightings seems arbitrary, but to the Romans, augury was a cornerstone of state religion and politics. It was a formal, ritualized process performed by a priest known as an augur. The augur would define a sacred space in the sky (a templum) and watch for birds to enter it. Everything mattered: the species of bird (eagles and vultures were especially potent), the number of them, the direction of their flight, and the sounds they made. No major state action, from declaring war to electing a magistrate, could proceed without favorable auspices. It was a way of ensuring every great undertaking began with divine approval.
A Tale of Two Omens
On the Aventine Hill, Remus was the first to receive a sign: six vultures flew overhead. He and his followers immediately claimed victory, arguing that priority was the deciding factor. But shortly after, a more powerful omen appeared to Romulus on the Palatine: twelve vultures. A furious debate erupted. Who had the gods truly favored? Remus, who received the first sign, or Romulus, who received the sign of greater quantity? The sacred practice, meant to provide divine clarity, had instead delivered a perfect, deadly ambiguity.
Fratricide and the Foundation of an Empire
The argument over the omens quickly escalated into a violent clash. According to the historian Livy, the ensuing mockery and anger led to bloodshed. In the most famous telling of the tale, Remus mockingly leaped over the low, half-finished walls of Romulus’s proposed city. Enraged by the disrespect to his new city and its nascent authority, Romulus struck his brother down, declaring:
“So perish every other who shall hereafter leap over my walls.”
With his brother dead, the divine dispute was settled. Romulus, his claim now sealed in blood, proceeded to found his city on the Palatine Hill. He named it Rome, after himself. This foundational act of fratricide, born from a contested interpretation of a divine sign, became a dark thread woven into the fabric of an empire that would, for centuries, believe its destiny was guided by the will of the gods—and the decisive actions of ambitious men.