The Role of Birds in the Myth of Remus and Romulus

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Abstract

The article examines mentions of birds – mostly the woodpecker – in the myth of Remus and Romulus according to literary and iconographic sources. The presence of the woodpecker in the story is apparently redundant. The first appearance of birds in this myth probably had an augural meaning, which over time was either forgotten or lost its sense, and the woodpecker itself became the bird of Mars.

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About the authors

Alexey V. Mosolkin

Lomonosov Moscow State University

Author for correspondence.
Email: mosolkin@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0004-1314-3673

кандидат исторических наук, доцент кафедры древних языков исторического факультета

Russian Federation, Moscow

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig. 1. Peter Paul Rubens. ‘Romulus and Remus,’ 1617-1618. Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome

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3. Fig. 2. Appearance of birds during fortune-telling. Figure: A.V. Mosolkin

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4. Fig. 3. Mirror from Bolsena. From: Dardenay 2010, 34

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5. Fig. 4. Ceramic medallion from Campania, 230 BC. By: Dardenay 2012, 83

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6. Fig. 5. Bronze Quadrans, 205-195 BC. By: Parisi Presicce 2000, 46

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7. Fig. 6. Denarius of Sec. Pompeius Fostle, 137 BC. From: Dardenay 2012, 85

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8. Fig. 7. Intaglio, 3rd - last third of the 2nd century BC. From: Dardenay 2012, 86

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9. Fig. 8. Denarius augurium Romuli, 115-90 BC. From: Dardenay 2012, 89

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10. Fig. 9. Fresco from the ‘tomb of François’, 4th century BC. By: Coarelli 2011, 170

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11. Fig. 10. Gemma, 200-100 BC. From: Furtwängler 1900, 119 (10)

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12. Fig. 11. Marble relief from Arezzo. 1st century BC - 1st century AD. Photo: A.V. Mosolkin

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13. Fig. 12. Aureus, 77-78 AD. From: Parisi Presicce 2000, 49

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14. Fig. 13. Gemma. From: Dulière 1979, 2, fig. 48

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15. Fig. 14. Altar from Ostia, 124 AD. Photo: A.V. Mosolkin

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16. Fig. 15. Relief from Avanche, late 2nd century AD. From: Parisi Presicce 2000, 41

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17. Fig. 16. Relief from Avanche, late 2nd century AD. From: Dulière 1979, 2, fig. 109

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18. Fig. 17. Mosaic marble floor from Beauville, 4th century AD. From: Dulière 1979, 2, fig. 129

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