Chapter · Italy · Legends
Neither to affirm nor refute
A she-wolf, two brothers, and sources that will not settle it
Before telling the founding of Rome, the historian warns that he vouches for nothing older than the city. This path takes that warning seriously and reads the two great ancient sources where they contradict each other.
Context first
A lesson to read before the others, to set the scene.
- The place
- The era
- The people
The lessons in this chapter
- 1A she-wolf, or a womanTwo ancient authors tell the she-wolf, then remind you that the same Latin word named a woman of loose character, and that the twins’ nurse bore that nickname. Neither of them settles it.9 min
- 2Six vultures against twelveTwo brothers ask the gods which of them will rule, without agreeing in advance what will count. One sees the birds first, the other sees twice as many, and a brawl settles it.9 min
- 3Two deaths for one brotherThe source gives Remus two deaths: a blow taken in a brawl, or a mocking leap over a new wall. It notes that the second is the more widely told, which is not the same as the surer.9 min
How these lessons are written
Each lesson starts from first-hand sources: Wikisource, Gallica, Persée, archives, museums and institutes. A fact without a source does not get written, and every lesson lists its own as direct links.
The rhythm
A lesson is five minutes of cards and four questions. Those questions then come back the next day, then at 3, 7, 21 and 60 days, and that return is what makes it stick. One a day is enough, and you can do several in a row.