Annotaed Bibliography

Holleman, A. W. J. 1987. “The Ogulnii Monument at Rome.” Mnemosyne 40 (3/4): 427-429. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4431653

This article shows a theory that the statue of the she-wolf was once standing in Etruscan Rome when the Etruscans were ruling. It was certainly a public monument and it was dated between 500 and 480, which is around the time the Etruscans were still dominating Rome. To the Etruscans it represented a sense of death and re-birth, it also showed the maternal instincts of the she-wolf. This statue could have been one of the many that were carried off by the Romans as they left and took over new land.

Julia625. 2005. “The Mythical Foundations of Rome.” Honors Program in Rome. https://depts.washington.edu/hrome/Authors/julia625/TheMythicalFoundationsofRome/15/pub_zbpage_view.html

This article explains the history behind the sculpture of the Capitoline Wolf and the importance of it to the Roman people. This work of art has a story behind it that the Romans believe is what built their kingdom. The two little boys in the artwork, Romulus and Remus, were children of a Vestal Virgin and the God Mars. It was believed that two brothers inherited a kingdom but soon got greedy with wanting full power that one of them killed off the other. The daughter of the dead brother was forced to take an oath of celibacy so she would not create any competition for the throne. She was then raped by the God Mars and the little boys were sent down the river in a basket. This is the time when the she-wolf found them and nurtured them back to health with her own milk.

2020. “Hall of the She-wolf.” Hall of the She-wolf Musei Capitolini. http://www.museicapitolini.org/en/percorsi/percorsi_per_sale/appartamento_dei_conservatori/sala_della_lupa

This article explains the room in which the Capitoline wolf was stored in and the way it looked on the inside. After the Romans gained control of the She-Wolf and added the two little boys representing Romulus and Remus, it was placed in this room to be a public display. This piece of artwork is placed in the center of the room with decorations around the area and on the wall behind where it stands. It is an open space on the outside and has three arches, and two large memorial stones. There are fragments and stories embedded in the walls of the room. Around 1508 and 1513 is when a series of paintings were added attributed to Jacopo Ripanda.

Fast, Peter J. 2012. “The Capitoline Wolf and the Twins: A look at the mythological roots of Roma.” Retelling History from an Author's Perspective. https://peterjfast.com/2012/02/28/the-capitoline-wolf-and-the-twins-a-look-at-the-mythological-roots-of-roma/

In the article above it describes how the beginning of this artwork was just the she-wolf and the twins would later come and be added around the time of 300 B.C. Before the twins were added, the story of Romulus and Remus were already very well known to Rome. The people of Rome have accepted that these little boys were the reason Rome was created, so when they were created and soon added to the She-wolf the Romans found a lot of meaning within the artwork. They did not care about the common belief of the Gods doing something themselves to help but rather took that even better. They believed that the Gods could “procreate” them and even come before the people. They took this belief and became accustomed to it and believing it to be the truth that this was the main Rome was founded.

Kinney, Dale. 2013. “Book Review: The Lupa Romana: An Antique Monument Falls from Her Pedestal.” Scholarship, Research, and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College. https://repository.brynmawr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1067&context=hart_pubs

Within this article it explains what the sculpture is made of because metallurgic and mineralogical analyses identified it with a camera. This piece used the method of casting in which the core of it was covered in layers of wax and the sculpture just created the surface as the final step. The artwork was then fired to melt the wax and be replaced with molten bronze. The she-wolf was cast in one piece which was known as a postanique method, this method also allowed the sculptors to cast parts at different times which is another reason as to why the twin boys could be added to it.

Pietrych, Piotr. 2004. “Wolf. Animal of Ancient Rome.” Imperium Romanum. https://www.imperiumromanum.edu.pl/en/article/wolf-animal-of-ancient-rome/#:~:text=The%20Wolf%20was%20an%20animal,memory%20of%20the%20ancient%20Romans.&text=The%20wolf%20and%20the%20woodpecker,strength%20and%20bravery%20to%20it.

In this article it explains how the Romans see wolves and how they relate these animals to a more religious view of their people and their past. The Romans treated the wolves differently than they did other predators and they would not intentionally harm them and if anything, would only hurt them to protect their herds. The wolf was represented as being loyal to Rome and was where the idea of being a true Roman came from. It was one of the most respected animals. The she-wolf, which was also known as Lupa, was a close animal and very sacred to the God of Mars. The she-wolf was also an important symbol for Roman and anyone under the Roman rule, especially after being used in the Roman Provinces.