Lucius Tarquinius Priscus - King of Rome

King of Rome

Upon the death of Ancus Marcius, Tarquinius Priscus addressed the Comitia Curiata and convinced them that he should be elected king over Marcius' natural sons, who were still only in their teenage years.

According to Livy, Tarquinius increased the number of the Senate by the addition of 100 men from the minor leading families. Among them was the family of the Octavii, the family of the future first emperor Augustus.

Tarquinius' first war was waged against the Latins. Tarquinius took the Latin town of Apiolae by storm and took great booty from there back to Rome. According to the Fasti Triumphales, the war occurred prior to 588 BC.

His military ability was tested by an attack from the Sabines. The Sabines received auxiliaries from five Etruscan cities. Tarquinius doubled the numbers of equites to help the war effort. The Sabines were defeated after dangerous street fighting in Rome. In the peace negotiations that followed, Tarquinius received the town of Collatia and appointed his nephew Aruns Tarquinius, surnamed Egerius, as commander of the garrison which he stationed in that city. Tarquinius returned to Rome and celebrated a triumph for his victories over the Sabines which, according to the Fasti Triumphales, occurred on 13 September 585 BC.

Subsequently the Latin cities of Corniculum, old Ficulea, Cameria, Crustumerium, Ameriola, Medullia and Nomentum were subdued and became Roman.

Since Tarquinius made it a point to keep the captured Etruscan auxiliaries as prisoners for meddling in the war, the five Etruscan cities who had taken part declared war on Rome. These five cities managed to convince seven other Etruscan cities to join forces with them. The Etruscans soon captured the Roman colony at Fidenae, which thereupon became the focal point of the war. After several bloody battles, Tarquinius was once again victorious and subjugated the Etruscan cities who had taken part in the war. After each of these wars, which were always extremely successful, Tarquinius brought rich plunder to Rome.

Tarquinius established the Circus Maximus. Raised seating was erected privately by the senators and equites, and other areas were marked out for private citizens. According to Livy horses and boxers from Etruria were sent for as the first to participate in the thenceforth annual games.

After a great flood, the damp lowlands of Rome were drained by the construction of the Cloaca Maxima (great sewer). He also constructed a stone wall around Rome. As his last great act he began the construction of a temple in honour of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill, partially funded by plunder seized from the Sabines.

Many of the Roman symbols both of war and of civil office date from his reign, and he was the first to celebrate a Roman triumph, after the Etruscan fashion, wearing a robe of purple and gold, and borne on a chariot drawn by four horses.