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Romulus and Remus were born in Alba Longa, ; this was a Latin city and one of the strongest in Italy at the time. According to Roman legend , they were born sometime in the 8th century BC, but this was probably only conjecture. The twins' grandfather was the King of Alba Longa, but he had been driven from power by his brother, Amulius. Their mother was Rhea Silvia, a princess , and a vestal virgin. That is , she was sworn to a life of celibacy and in the service of the goddess Vesta. She was forced to become a vestal as Amulius, feared that if she bore sons, that they would assassinate him and take his crown.  There is no agreement among the sources, on this issue. In several works, Rhea was impregnated by the God of War, Mars. In this story, Romulus and Remus were conceived when she was making an offering at a grove, sacred to this deity. King Amulius , who had usurped the throne of her father, condemned Rhea Silva 's children to death, as he . He regarded the infants as a threat to his rule. The monarch ordered them to be killed by abandoning them on the banks of the River Tiber .<ref>Livy, 1, 12</ref>.  King Amulius believed that they would die of exposure , and in this way, he would not suffer bloodguilt. However, they were saved by the god of the river, Tiberinus, who had others care for them. Where they were saved protected and cared for- was the site of the future city of Rome. In one well-known story, Tibernius, had the twins suckled by a she-wolf in a cave. This later The cave where they were allegedly taken care of eventually became an important religious site.  The boys were later found and adopted by a shepherd and they grew up tending goats. Romulus and Remus did not know they were the son of a God or that they were related to Royalty. The duo were natural leaders , and charismatic and a small band of followers gathered around them. They became involved in the politics of Alba Longa, still not knowing that their grandfather had once been its king. During a battle, Remus was captured and taken to Alba Longa.  Around this time, some in the city guessed his real identity. Romulus and Remus soon learned their true identity. Romulus joined up with his grandfather , and he killed King Amulius. He also rescued his brother and restored their grandfather to his throne. In some accounts, Romulus refused the throne because he believed that he was destined to found, a great city. The twins then sought to establish their city, which they would rule jointly .<ref>Bremmer, J. N., & Horsfall, N. Roman Myth and Mythography (University of Groningen, 1987), p. 4-8</ref>.