Liv's presents Rome's self-representation as one of strength tied with religious observances to the gods. The foundation Rome's identity starts with Romulus who uses brute force and strength to establish Rome. Livy's multiplicity of early Rome fosters its self-representation as a leading war power with strict religious undertones. The different depictions of Romulus and Camillus build Rome's self-representation in different ways. Livy employs the truth and often offers two sides to stories dealing with Romulus's rise to power and his eventual suspicious death. This two-sided story telling filters the readers to detach religion from Romulus reign. On the other hand, Livy represents Camillus as man who is strictly religious and adheres to all the rituals, sacrifices and signs to and from the gods. Numa implemented these religious observances at the conception of early Rome. These two aspects different aspects of Rome eventually combine at the conclusion of Book 5 with the invasion and victory over the Guals. Livy intertwines strength and with religion to ensure their fate as mighty empire.
Livy strays away from attaching religious practice to Romulus's rise and his reign as ruler. By offering two contrasting stories, one divine and another of mortal creation, it lets the reader detach Romulus as a deeply religious man. Thus leading the reader to interrupt his reign as one of military prowess and brute force. Livy stars this detachment at conception of the twins Romulus and Remus: "But in my view the fates ordained the founding of this great city and the beginning of the world's mightiest empire, second only to the power of the gods. For when the Vestal, having been ravished, became the mother of twin sons, she named Mars as the father of her dubious progeny, either because she thought he really was her father or because naming a god as the one responsible for her transgression was a more respectable story." Book 4, page 8. From the beginning of...