The story of a couple of rejected boys (albeit they are demi-gods) founding the city of Rome dates back centuries.

But, say the authors of this History Defined blog, archaeological evidence shows that around 200 years before Romulus and Remus are said to have set up the city (on 21st April 753 BCE), there were inhabitants along the shores of the River Tiber.

The myth was appealing because the Romans could argue they were entitled to dominance since their first king (Romulus after he killed Remus) was the “son of the god of war”. That plus the boys being raised by a wolf fitted the Romans' idea of “themselves as strong, warlike people.”

The blog includes reference to European artwork depicting Romulus and Remus from the 15th century up to and including the 1654 painting of French artist Nicholas Mignar.