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Hello the myths that surround the foundation of Rome are a potent brew

Romulus and remiss the sons of Mars raised by a she wolf in the woods of latium

The sub-eyed women raped by the latins in nearest the Trojan general wrecked off Carthage loved by Diedo and

And finally founding a new civilization on the banks of the tyber

According to William Shakespeare after Brutus slate his friend Caesar he claimed not that I loved Caesar less

But that I loved Rome more

But what was the idea of Rome that demanded such devotion and how was an identity forged that exported its values to the greatest empire

The world had ever seen

Rome has meant republicanism as well as imperialism and tyranny

It is stood for Pax Romana and also for the machinery of war

It's an eternally pagan city that still beats as a catholic heart of the Christian Church

With me to discuss the invention or inventions of Rome is Mary Beard reading classics at Cambridge University

Catherine Edwards lecturing classics and ancient history at Birkbeck College London University

And Greg Wolf professor of ancient history at St Andrews University

Greg Wolf starting with you will you outline for us the story of Romulus and Remus who were there and

How did they end up founding Rome? Well the story we have it is two brothers

Raised by Wolf who go on to have divine auguries about where the city should be

They fall out over who has the right auguries and it ends up with Remus jumping over the ploughed furrow

That marks the sacred boundary of Romulus's city and getting murdered by his brother

So Rome starts with fractricide

...