The 12 most important Roman Legends (and their meaning)

!In the world of stories that define the cultural and historical identity of a people, myths and legends have been one of the main protagonists. On the one hand, myths, which make up the mythology of a culture, are fantastic narrative creations that are transmitted from generation to generation verbally and that try to give a spiritual and wonderful explanation to a common event, phenomenon or event in the world using a gods as protagonists.

On the other hand, legends are narrative creations starring not gods, but human beings of flesh and blood, who were involved in a real event that, through this legend, is commemorated. In them, fantastic aspects are added to a true story to magnify it and give the protagonists qualities beyond what is human.

But, after all, despite their differences, we usually talk about myths and legends interchangeably. They are narrative creations that have survived throughout the centuries and that allow us to travel back in time to discover the cultural identity of very ancient peoples and civilizations. And in this context, it is difficult to find something more interesting to explore than the Roman Empire.

So, in today's article, we are going to take an exciting journey back to Ancient Roman times to discover the meaning behind the most important and famous Roman myths and legends of all history. Are you going to know them all? Let's check it out.

What are the most famous Roman legends in history?

Whether in relation to the main points of Rome or as a legacy of Greco-Roman myths, the legacy of Ancient Rome in the form of legends has been one of the most important of all ancient cultures and civilizations. And then, to explore the past of this empire, we are going to select the most popular Roman legends of all time.

1. The legend of Romulus and Remus

The she-wolf, Romulus and Remus. Perhaps, the Roman legend par excellence. And is that is the most famous story that explains the founding of Rome. The twins Romulus and Remus were seen as a threat by King Amulio, who abandoned them, as babies, in the current of the Tiber River, condemned to die.

Legend says that, on the slopes of the river, a she-wolf rescued them when she heard their cry and dragged them to a cave where she took care of them for a time, even nursing them. The little ones survived thanks to the she-wolf and, as adults, after killing Amulio, they were the founders of Rome.

2. The myth of Janus

Janus is one of the most important Roman gods and was represented as a man with two faces. One facing forward and one backward. This myth tells that, when Janus ruled the Latium civilization, he encountered Saturn, the god of agriculture, who had been banished by Jupiter. Janus, upon learning of such an event, proposed to Saturn that they rule together. And he, in gratitude, granted Jano the power to see the past and the future.

3. The Tiber Island

Tiber Island, located on the Tiber River, is known for hosting the temple to the Roman god of Medicine: Aesculapius. Legend has it that this island was formed when Lucius Tarquinius the Proud, the last king of Rome, fell. Having been a despotic tyrant, the inhabitants threw his body into the river. And some time later, the island emerged.

The Romans saw this island as a sign of bad omen, but when a plague epidemic that swept across the empire stopped just as a snake hit the island, they came to consider it a place that should be venerated. The legend explains why the symbol of Medicine is a snake and why the monument to Aesculapius was built.

4. The myth of Hercules and Cacus

In the Piazza della Signoria, in Florence, we can find the famous sculpture of Hercules and Cacus, based, of course, on this myth. Cacus, in Roman mythology, was a giant half man half satyr who vomited whirlwinds of smoke and fire and terrified the inhabitants of the towns. Legend has it that one day Caco stole some red oxen that were grazing in the Tiber Valley.

Hercules, the son of Jupiter, upon learning, went to the cave on Mount Aventine, where Cacus lived and at the entrance of which hung the heads of the people that the beast had devoured. Hercules entered the cave, confronted Cacus and dismembered him. The legend places the origin of the cult by Hercules and had a great influence on the development of the commercial areas of the empire.

5. Circe and King Pico

Pico, in Roman mythology, was a prophetic deity. Son of Saturn, father of Fauno, husband of Canente the nymph and ancestor of Romulus and Remus, he is considered, in this legend, as a primitive-looking diviner who was always accompanied by a woodpecker. The story goes that, when Pico did not reciprocate the love of Circe, a sorceress from the Isle of Eea, this turned divinity into a woodpecker.

6. The myth of the Dioscuri

According to Roman mythology, the Dioscuri were two twin heroes named Castor and Pollux, who were sons of Leda and probably Zeus. The twins were very skilled at horseback riding and fighting. The myth tells that, in the Battle of Lake Regilo, they appeared on the spring of the forum of Rome to be key in the Roman victory over the Latins. In the place where they appeared, a temple was built in their honor and, from that moment, the source of the spring was considered sacred.

7. Mute Cup

Lara was a water nymph who, after offending Jupiter, he removed her tongue. But on her return to Earth, knowing that she would need protection, she entrusted Mercury with the task of protecting her and accompanying her. But taking advantage of the fact that he had no tongue, Mercurio raped Lara. And as a result, the nymph gave birth to two twins, known as the Lares gods, who since then have been in charge of protecting the city's borders. As a result of this myth, Lara was known as Tacita Muda, the goddess of silence.

8. The magic door of the Esquilino neighborhood

This legend tells a fantastic story around the Magic Door, a mysterious door that leads nowhere and that is the only recess of Villa Palombara, in the Esquilino neighborhood, which was once owned by the Marquis Massimiliano Savelli Palombara, an aristocrat passionate about alchemy and esotericism.

Legend has it that, on a stormy night, he was visited by Francesco Borri, an alchemist doctor who was searching for a herb that could produce gold. The marquis, seeing his mysterious manuscripts, He was convinced that in them was the secret of the philosopher's stone, so he had the annotations recorded on the gate of his farm. But no one could ever decipher the writings. Nor has it.

9. The castle of Sant'Angelo

This legend tells that, in the context of a plague epidemic in 590 AD and during a procession led by Pope Gregory the Great, an archangel who held a sword in his hands appeared on the roof of the Castel Sant'Angelo, which began as a great mausoleum for Hadrian, who was a Roman emperor.

People say that, shortly after the angel's appearance, the plague epidemic ended, so it was considered a miracle. Thus, a statue was placed on the mausoleum to commemorate this event and the castle came to have the name by which it is known today.

10. The alley of the Mazzamurelli

The legend speaks of the Mazzamurelli, spirits similar to elves that inhabit a star in Trastevere street where there was a haunted house where a man posed as a magician capable of seeing demons. History says that these entities protect the people, being able to grant the Romans qualities of both the archangel and the devil.

11. The Passetto di Borgo

Legend has it that those who cross the Passeto di Borgo 70 times will be lucky for their whole life. This passage was built in the 13th century as a passage that connects the Vatican City with the Castel Sant'Angelo, thus being a tunnel that would allow the Pope to flee before a danger that threatened the city. Pope Alexander VI and Pope Clement VII were some of those who used this secret passage.

12. The Exorcism of the Tomb of Nero

Nero is remembered for being the most tyrannical of all the Roman emperors. So much so that he was forced to leave the city of Rome, as he was considered a public enemy of the people. Upon reaching the Piazza di Poppolo, Nero was ready to commit suicide with the help of his secretary Epaphroditus. But this, seeing that a Roman soldier was approaching, stabbed Nero, who was buried in this same square.

Legend has it that, from that moment on, the ghost of Nero walked through the square, appearing, according to history, through the rituals that the practitioners of black magic performed around the tomb. All this caused a walnut tree to grow which, being considered cursed, caused an exorcism to be practiced on the grave. Nero's mortal remains were dug up, burned, and dumped into the River Tiber. To thank the Virgin Mary for the exorcism (who indicated that the walnut tree should be cut down), the Basilica of Santa María del Pueblo was erected in that same place.