Ficus Ruminalis
hen you visit the Roman Forum these days,
you can find a fig tree near the arch of Septimius Severus. This fig tree
was planted a few years ago and is meant to remind of Romulus and Remus.
When Romulus and Remus were thrown into the river Tiber to be drowned, the
basket with the twins got stuck on the roots of a fig tree. They were saved by a she-wolf that brought
them up. This scene, the she-wolf and the twins, has inspired many artists
and resulted in famous works of art.
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