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Romulus: The Legend of Rome's Founding Father Hardcover – December 2, 2020

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 27 ratings

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“Hyden leans into a tone reminiscent of a bard regaling those around a campfire with stories of a hero’s great exploits… [He tells] a fascinating origin story.” – Booklist

According to legend, Romulus was born to a Vestal Virgin and left for dead as an infant near the Tiber River. His life nearly ended as quickly as it began, but fate had other plans. A humble shepherd rescued the child and helped raise him into manhood. As Romulus grew older, he fearlessly engaged in a series of perilous adventures that ultimately culminated in Rome’s founding, and he became its fabled first king.

Establishing a new city had its price, and Romulus was forced to defend the nascent community. As he tirelessly safeguarded Rome, Romulus proved that he was a competent leader and talented general. Yet, he also harbored a dark side, which reared its head in many ways and tainted his legacy, but despite all of his misdeeds, redemption and subsequent triumphs were usually within his grasp. Indeed, he is an example of how greatness is sometimes born of disgrace.

Regardless of his foreboding flaws, Rome allegedly existed because of him and became massively successful. As the centuries passed, the Romans never forgot their celebrated founder.

This is the story that many ancient Romans believed.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Hyden leans into a tone reminiscent of a bard regaling those around a campfire with stories of a hero’s great exploits… [It provides] a fascinating origin story.”
Booklist

“As inherently fascinating a read as it is an impressive work of meticulous scholarship, historian Marc Hyden's "
Romulus: The Legend of Rome's Founding Father" is a truly extraordinary, expressly informative, and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Roman History & Culture collections and supplemental curriculum studies reading lists.”
Midwest Book Review

“By being critical of the available evidence, Hyden rather effectively sorts among the “fact, fiction, or somewhat in between” of Rome’s founder to give us an interesting, entertaining, and often thought provoking look at Rome’s origins, suggesting ways to interpret similar myths from other cultures. Valuable for those interested in Roman history or myths and legends.”
The NYMAS Review

"[A] splendid book... If you are passionate about the Romans and classics then this book is a must have edition for your library."
Roman History Blog

"I immensely enjoyed reading Romulus and would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in either Roman history or general Greco-Roman mythology."
Ancient Origins

"If you want a book that gathers all we know about Romulus into one place and makes it easy to read, this is the book for you. Indeed, it is a welcome addition to my library."
Beating Tsundoku

About the Author

Marc Hyden is the Director of State Government Affairs at a Washington DC-based think tank, and he graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in philosophy. He has had a long-standing fascination with ancient Rome and has written extensively on various aspects of its history. He is also the author of 'Gaius Marius: The Rise and Fall of Rome’s Saviour'.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen and Sword History (December 2, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1526783177
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1526783172
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 27 ratings

About the author

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Marc Hyden
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Marc Hyden is the Director of State Government Affairs at a Washington DC-based think tank, a weekly newspaper columnist, and he graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in philosophy. He has had a long-standing fascination with ancient Rome and has written extensively on various aspects of its history. He is the author of Gaius Marius: The Rise and Fall of Rome’s Saviour (Pen & Sword, 2017), Romulus: The Legend of Rome’s Founding Father (Pen & Sword, 2020), and Marcus Furius Camillus: The Life of Rome’s Second Founder (Pen & Sword, 2023).

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
27 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
Very fast shipping and arrived in perfect condition. I like to save money so I ordered a used copy in "very good" condition and I was pleasantly surprised to find it was in absolute mint condition. Like it was never even opened or read. Highly recommended.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2021
Exquisitely written, the author has a knack for drawing from many ancient sources simultaneously and distilling them down into an easily digestible and compelling story that is valuable to laymen and historians alike.

“Romulus” was an exciting and fun read that recounted in great detail the purported story of Rome’s founder and his troubled legacy. So far as I can tell this is the first long-form biography of Romulus in English. It is not to be missed. I recommend it for all libraries.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2024
Romulus recounts the history of the almost mythical founder of not only the Roman people but also, the city of his name, Rome. Most modern scholars tend to throw the stories and legends surrounding Romulus into the realm of mythology. Not the ancient Romans. To them, he was more than a legend. He not only established the city of Rome (ca. April 21st in the 8th century BCE), he also gave it its governing bodies, religious structure and so much more.

The author, Marc Hyden, showcases a unique and wonderful talent, in that, he knows how to tell a story. I really enjoyed this book and despite the often contradictory sources, I really enjoyed how Hyden framed the entire story of the mythological founder of Rome into a single cohesive narrative.

This is not your typical research novel. It recounts a tale of epic proportions. However, the accounts written of its main protagonist do not stem from a single source. From Cicero to Pliny, Plutarch, Vergil and many more, Hyden relies on the ancient authors themselves to get as close to the source of the events as possible. And when there is doubt or a need to confirm any aspects to the narrative, the author provides the archaeological evidence.

Our story begins with Aeneas and his fleeing from the burning citadel of Troy. It was a place in which he once called home. He, his son, father and a band of Trojan refugees embark on an exodus West of the Anatolian mainland and through a series of trials and tribulations eventually lands on the Western regions of the Italian mainland.

Generations pass and we get to the events of when Alba Longa’s ruler Numitor was dethroned by the usurper and his brother, Amulius. Numitor’s sons were mysteriously executed and his daughter was sentenced to be a vestal virgin. It is there that she was impregnated (by the god Mars) and gave birth to the twins, Romulus and Remus. Upon discovery of this, Amulius sentences the young infants to death. However, they escape this fate and live a simple life as shepherds until they discover that Numitor is their grandfather, where they aid him in reclaiming the throne.

The very detailed events that follow focus on the twins and as soon as Remus is killed, on Romulus alone. The reader may take notice that many of his trials reflect that of his forefather, Aeneas.

Again, I immensely enjoyed reading Romulus and would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in either Roman history or general Greco-Roman mythology.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2021
ROMULUS is a delicious book that will satisfy any Roman/ Latin Language lover. It’s magnificent accomplishment on a topic that hasn’t been thoroughly covered before.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2021
Very well written and easy to read. Now I know!
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2021
Entertaining and easy to read.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2023
This book adeptly compiles the limited historical records of Romulus, presenting them in a manner that is both accessible and enjoyable for readers.
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2022
Received my book Romulus: The Legend of Rome's Founding Father by Marc Hyden. Of course binding is excellent. Vibrant print with no highlighting. I am expanding my home library thanks to Amazon. Very satisfied with my purchase. Thank You.
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