Matyszak, Philip Rom

Gründungsmythen einer Weltmacht

Was Rome really founded in 753 BC? In his new book, Philipp Matyszak explores how a settlement on the Tiber became eternal Rome and which myths and legends are associated with the emergence of the ancient cosmopolitan city: from Aeneas' flight from burning Troy and the legendary founding of the city by Romulus to the merging of history and legend almost a thousand years later. How did the River Tiber get its name? Why were criminals thrown from the Tarpeian Rock? What is the story behind the Rape of the Sabine Women? We encounter scheming villains and barbaric warlords one of whom even believed he was literally worth his weight in gold. Some stories have a transparent kernel of truth, others bear parallels to tales from Greece, Mesopotamia and Etruria and reveal much about the Mediterranean exchange of ideas at that time. Most are simply great stories, entertainingly served and spiced with source citations and tourist tips from bestselling author Philip Matyszak.