The origins of Rome have been debated for centuries but one tale has prevailed over the rest: twin brothers Romulus and Remus ...

Far removed are Geta and Caracalla from the greater (though imperfect) men, Romulus and Remus, brothers who founded Rome. The former are inheritors — and poor ones at that. This is not merely subtext.

Once upon a time, the goddess of love Venus seduced Anchises, a minor prince of Troy and second cousin once removed to King Priam. Nine months later, she presented him with the infant Aeneas and ...

Julius Caesar was the first tyrant of Rome, after which Rome was never again free. Steve Christo/Corbis via Getty Images That sort of activity has been called “Machiavellian,” after Renaissance writer ...