Carracci, Romolo appare a Proculo, Palazzo Magnani, Bologna

Proculus Julius is a figure in the legendary history of the Roman Kingdom. His reported visitation by King Romulus,

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

's putative founder and first ruler, shortly after the king's disappearance convinces the people of Rome to accept Romulus'

divinity Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine< ...

and the claims by the senate that he had been taken up by the gods in a whirlwind.

Livy's account

In the Augustan-era historian

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

's ''From the Founding of the City'', Romulus is attending a public review of the

army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

at Palus Caprae when a sudden, violent storm envelops him in mist. When it clears, the King is gone. The

nobles Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteri ...

sitting hear him claimed that he had been carried into the sky by a divine force. The

commoners A commoner, also known as the ''common man'', ''commoners'', the ''common people'' or the ''masses'', was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neither ...

present hail their now lost king and proclaim him a god. Despite this, Livy relates that there was among a few people found the suspicion that the nobles had killed and dismembered him. Proculus is described by Livy as being a trusted authority on "magnae rei" (great/supernatural events). He tells the people that at dawn, a vision of Romulus descended from the sky and told him that Rome would become the ruler of the world. Livy notes the readiness of the Roman people in accepting Julius's testimony as being "mirum" (extraordinary).

Plutarch's account

Rubens Apparizione di Romolo e Proculo Cardiff

Plutarch tells a more detailed tale of Romulus' death. He lists several alternative stories, and then the tale of his disappearance at the assembly. Proculus was a friend of the king. He was a Roman

colonist A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settl ...

from the city of

Alba ''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed into the Kingdom ...

. Before testifying to the Forum, he swore a sacred oath and then told the assembled that Romulus had descended from the sky in front of him. Proculus tells the assembly that he had asked Romulus why he had left them as he did, leaving so many in mourning and suspicions about his disappearance. Romulus explains that it was the will of the gods that he leave. He came to Earth to build a city destined to be the greatest on earth and now, his work was done. Rome, with "self-restraint" and "valor" will be the most dominant force on earth. Finally he tells Proculus that he will always watch over them as

Quirinus In Roman mythology and religion, Quirinus ( , ) is an early god of the Roman state. In Augustan Rome, ''Quirinus'' was also an epithet of Janus, as ''Janus Quirinus''. Name Attestations The name of god Quirinus is recorded across Roman sou ...

. Because of his character and the oath, and, Plutarch adds, a divine force that came over the people, they abandoned their suspicion and anger.

References

{{Reflist 8th-century BC Romans Julii People of the Roman Kingdom

Livy's account

Plutarch's account

See also

References