WI Remus kills Romulus

Remus kills Romulus and names the city Remoria.
What happens?

Next to impossible to tell. With even a slight change in history such as this, there can be many butterflies. The Roman history can be repeated with a slightly different set of names, or Rome could remain an obscure Latin city in the shadow of the Etruscans. Especially considering how little reliable records we have for that era, and how much mythology has surrounded the early centuries of Rome.

KingKulami said:

Remus kills Romulus and names the city Remoria.
What happens?

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The Remorian Republic goes down to Hamicar Barca in 223 BC.

(Look up the prophesy of the vultures under "Romulus and Remus" for the explanation.)

Well how much of the legend is true is open for disscussion. It could be true, but it most likely is a much later fabrication with no impact on the actual founding and naming of the city.

danielbd said:

Well how much of the legend is true is open for disscussion. It could be true, but it most likely is a much later fabrication with no impact on the actual founding and naming of the city.

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But for the purpose of this WI, I think we are assuming that there is at least some truth to the myth. Otherwise, what would be the point to speculating?

According to a book written by Jane F. Gardner on Roman myths, the name Remus comes from an old Latin root, which means "slow".
She argues that Remus never existed and was probably introduced into the story of the foundation of Rome at the time when plebeians seized some of the power (between 367 and 296 B.C.). Remus thus represented the late accession of plebeians to power (still according to Gardner).

Now if we take this into account, there is an Italian saying which is "Chi va piano, va sano": who goes slowly, goes safely. Rome might thus have been more democratic and republican, less imperial, and might therefore have survived longer, but in a less powerful form.

That is...if you have a lot of imagination!