Roman legend marks 717 BCE as the date that Romulus ended his rule.

After the death of Romulus, there was an interregnum of one year in which the royal power was exercised by Senate members in rotation for five days in a row.

In 715 BCE, after much bickering and as the result of a compromise between the Roman (Romulus-originating) and Sabine (Tatius-originating) factions, Numa Pompilius, himself a Sabine, is elected by the Senate of Rome to be the next king.

According to Plutarch, Numa's very first act was to disband the personal guard of three hundred so-called "Celeres" (the "Quick-stepped") that Romulus permanently entertained about himself.

Whether self-protective (future Roman history will demonstrate that such guards are a double-sided weapon), or a sign of humility, or a signal of peace and moderation for all to understand is not certain.

Numa reforms the Roman calendar in 713, and in 712 creates the office of Pontifex Maximus, the high priest of the College of Pontiffs (Collegium Pontificum) and the most important position in the ancient Roman religion.