How did Rome rise?

Answer 1

The hilly area where Rome was eventually formed was always settled. There is evidence that the settlements in the area go as far back as 14,000 year ago, some 500 years before the foundation of Rome.

Rome was said to have been founded in 753 BC. The founding of Rome does not refer to the building of a city. It refers to the creation the Roman state. Romulus unified the peoples who lived in separate settlements of the hills which were to become the Seven Hills of Rome under his rule. Collectively, these settlements became Rome. Romulus was the first king of Rome as well as the founder of the unification of the settlements and of Rome as a city-state.

The foundation of Rome, was said to have involved the fusion of two groups, not three: Latins and Sabines

More precisely, Romulus unified the Latin settlements of the Septimontium, seven spurs on three of the Seven Hills (the Palatine, the Esquiline and the Caelian) which were already interlinked before the foundation of the Roman state. Rome also included the Quirinal Hill and the Viminal Hill where Sabines settled after the 'abduction of the Sabine women'. The story tells that the Romulus asked their Sabine neighbours to allow the Romans to marry their women because they were short of women. The Sabines refused and Romulus arranged for Sabine women to be kidnapped and married to Roman men. A Sabine king (Titus Tatius) attacked Rome to free them, but came to an amicable agreement. He and his Sabines then settled on the mentioned hills and Titus Tatius became co-king of Rome with Romulus for five year, until he died. The second and fourth kings of Rome were also Sabines.