Why the Story Endured

A myth that starts with murder seems like a strange thing to keep. Romans kept it because it did real work for them:

• It taught that holding power demands ruthless commitment, even toward your own family.
• It let each generation bend the tale to defend whoever was in charge at the time.
• It gave a sprawling, mixed population a single shared origin story to rally around.

The brutal beginning was not a flaw in the legend. It was the point.