According to an ancient legend, the city of Rome was founded on this day . Namely, Palilia was celebrated on 21 April, and all sources agree that it marked the founding of the city. Rome was founded by the legendary Romulus. He and his brother Remus were allegedly nurtured by a she-wolf, after having been left in the wilderness to die. The boys decided to form a new city on the site of the seven hills along the Tiber River.
According to legend, Romulus marked the boundaries of his city Rome by plowing around it and forbade anyone to cross the border. When Remus laughed at his brother’s weak protection of the city and jokingly jumped over the furrow, Romulus killed him, stressing that such a future will befall anyone who dares to cross the Roman walls.
The name Rome (Roma) apparently refers to Romulus, and the new city included seven hills that even today stand in Rome: the Capitoline, Palatine, Esquiline, Caelian, Aventine, Quirinal, and Viminal. The ancient Romans counted years according to the date Rome was founded. It is the so-called “Ab urbe condita” (from the founding of the City).
