1. ENG — The Cursed Tomb of the First King
Episode notes
Who killed Rome’s first king, and where was he buried?
When archaeologist Giacomo Boni uncovered the mysterious Lapis Niger — Latin for “Black Stone” — in the Roman Forum in 1899, some believed he had found the cursed place that ancient sources linked to the death of Romulus himself.
In this first episode of Divina Roma, we descend beneath the stones of the Forum into a story of kingship, violence, brotherhood, and myth. Was this truly the tomb of Romulus? Or something even stranger?
This is the English version of Episode 1.
Divina Roma is a bilingual narrative podcast: narrative episodes are released in both English and Italian. Guest episodes will be released in the language of the guest.
This episode is a narrative adaptation based on historical sources. Some scenes, dialogue, and transitions have been dramatized for storytelling purposes, while remaining grounded in the historical record and the sources listed below.
Sources
Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Book I
Sextus Pompeius Festus, fragment on the lapis niger in the Comitium
Giacomo Boni, excavation reports on the Roman Forum and the Comitium
Additional research from the Capitoline Historical Archive and modern scholarship on the Lapis Niger