Lupa

In the ancient city of Alba Longa, there lived a cruel king named Amulius. He had usurped the throne from his brother, Numitor, and killed Numitor's sons. But Numitor had two young grandsons, Romulus and Remus, who were still alive. Amulius feared that the boys would grow up and try to avenge their father, so he ordered them to be abandoned in the wild. The twins were left in a basket on the banks of the Tiber River. The river carried them downstream, and they eventually came to a cave. A she-wolf (lupa) lived in the cave, and she took pity on the boys. She nursed them and raised them as her own. One day, a shepherd named Faustulus found the twins in the cave. He took them home with him and raised them as his own sons. Romulus and Remus grew up to be strong and brave men. They eventually learned of their true heritage, and they vowed to avenge their father's death. Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome on the banks of the Tiber River. The she-wolf who had raised them became a symbol of the city, and her image can still