birth; for some say that he was the son of Aeneas and Dexithea the
daughter of Phorbas, and with his brother Romus was brought to Italy
when a child, and that as the river was in flood, all the other boats
were swamped, but that in which the children were was carried to a soft
bank and miraculously preserved, from which the name of Rome was given
to the place. Others say that Roma, the daughter of that Trojan lady,
married Latinus the son of Telemachus and bore a son, Romulus; while
others say that his mother was Aemilia the daughter of Aeneas and
Lavinia, by an intrigue with Mars; while others give a completely
legendary account of his birth, as follows:

In the house of Tarchetius, the king of the Albani, a cruel and lawless
man, a miracle took place. A male figure arose from the hearth, and
remained there for many days. Now there was in Etruria an oracle of
Tethys, which told Tarchetius that a virgin must be offered to the
figure; for there should be born of her a son surpassing all mankind in
strength, valour, and good fortune. Tarchetius hereupon explained the
oracle to one of his daughters, and ordered her to give herself up to
the figure; but she, not liking to do so, sent her servant-maid instead.
Tarchetius, when he learned this, was greatly incensed, and cast them
both into prison, meaning to put them to death. However, in a dream,
Vesta appeared to him, forbidding him to slay them. In consequence of
this he locked them up with a loom, telling them that when they had
woven the piece of work upon it they should be married. So they wove all
day, and during the night other maidens sent by Tarchetius undid their
work again. Now when the servant-maid was delivered of twins, Tarchetius
gave them to one Teratius, and bade him destroy them. He laid them down
near the river; and there they were suckled by a she-wolf, while all
sorts of birds brought them morsels of food, until one day a cowherd saw
them. Filled with wonder he ventured to come up to the children and