Livy, Early History of Rome
Summary
Livy began with the story of Aeneas and his successors, two of whom were Romulus and Remus. He told the traditional story of them being raised by a wolf, and how having grown up, they deposed the king who had tried to kill them and, after Remus died, Romulus set up Rome. He then told of Rome's conflict with the Sabines, and how both cities eventually combined under one flag. After many conflicts, Romulus left the city during a burst of thunder, leaving them leaderless. The next king, Numa, decided that they needed a unifying element to keep them together, so he instituted strong religious practices which would keep the Romans moral. After Numa, the next king quickly began a war with the nearby Albans, but instead of fighting a bloody battle, each side sent forth their three champions. In the end, the last champion left standing was a Roman.