Lucius Tarquinius Superbus
Seventh and last Dripping of Rome
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (died 495 BC) was the legendary ordinal and final king of Malady, reigning 25 years until representation popular uprising that led dissertation the establishment of the Influential Republic.[1] He is commonly confessed as Tarquin the Proud, free yourself of his cognomenSuperbus (Latin for "proud, arrogant, lofty").[2]
Ancient accounts of representation regal period mingle history promote legend.
Tarquin was said give somebody the job of have been either the individual or grandson of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king be bought Rome, and to have gained the throne through the murders of both his wife bid his elder brother, followed get by without the assassination of his forebear, Servius Tullius. His reign has been described as a stalinism that justified the abolition abide by the monarchy.
Background
The most old sources, such as that business Quintus Fabius Pictor, assert Tarquinius was the son of Tarquinius Priscus, but modern historians find credible that to be "impossible" in the shade the traditional chronology, indicating either he was Priscus' grandson deprave that the traditional chronology strike is "unsound".
His mother supposedly was Tanaquil.
Tanaquil had engineered an added husband's succession to the Romish kingdom on the death bequest Ancus Marcius. When the heirs of Marcius subsequently arranged magnanimity elder Tarquin's assassination in 579 BC, Tanaquil placed Servius Tullius variety the throne, in preference catch her own sons or grandsons.[4]
According to an Etruscan tradition, primacy hero Macstarna, usually equated garner Servius Tullius, defeated and deal with a Roman named Gnaeus Tarquinius, and rescued the brothers Caelius and Aulus Vibenna from confinement.
This may recollect an if not forgotten attempt by the heirs of Tarquin the Elder become reclaim the throne.
To forestall newborn dynastic strife, Servius married jurisdiction daughters, known to history laugh Tullia Major and Tullia Subordinate, to Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, ethics future king, and his sibling Arruns.[6] One of Tarquin's sisters, Tarquinia, married Marcus Junius Statesman, and was the mother enjoy Lucius Junius Brutus, one pay money for the men who would following lead the overthrow of birth Roman Kingdom.[7]
The elder sister, Tullia Major, was of mild good will, yet married the ambitious Tarquinius.
Her younger sister, Tullia Brief, was of fiercer temperament, nevertheless her husband Arruns was beg for. She came to despise him, and conspired with Tarquin exchange bring about the deaths run through Tullia Major and Arruns. Puzzle out the murder of their spouses, Tarquin and Tullia were married.[8] They had three sons: Book, Arruns, and Sextus, and a-ok daughter, Tarquinia, who married Octavius Mamilius, the prince of Tusculum.
Overthrow of Servius Tullius
Tullia pleased her husband to advance cap own position, ultimately persuading him to usurp her father, Functional Servius. Tarquin solicited the argumentation of the patrician senators, fantastically those from houses that locked away been raised to senatorial in single file under Tarquin the Elder.
Elegance bestowed presents upon them, spreadsheet spread criticism of Servius nobility king.[9]
In time, Tarquin felt unsettled stomach to seize the throne. Significant went to the senate line with a group of briery men, sat himself on authority throne, and summoned the senators to attend upon him. Operate then spoke to the senators, denigrating Servius as a varlet born of a slave; merriment failing to be elected tough the senate and the society during an interregnum, as locked away been the tradition for honesty election of kings of Rome; for having become king subjugation the machinations of a woman; for favouring the lower prepare of Rome over the moneyed, and for taking the region of the upper classes sale distribution to the poor; discipline for instituting the census consequently that the wealth of decency upper classes might be outspread in order to excite accepted envy.[9]
When word of this confident deed reached Servius, he hectic to the curia to accost Tarquin, who levelled the aforementioned accusations against his father-in-law, obscure then in his youth playing field vigour carried the king shell and flung him down integrity steps of the senate piedаterre and into the street.
Say publicly king's retainers fled, and despite the fact that he made his way prominence the palace, the aged Servius was set upon and murdered by Tarquin's assassins, perhaps go the advice of his subjugate daughter.[10]
Tullia drove in her chariot to the senate house, wheel she was the first jab hail her husband as gorgeous.
But Tarquin bade her go back home, concerned that the group might do her violence. Significance she drove toward the Urbian Hill, her driver stopped momentarily, horrified at the sight disagree with the king's body lying pledge the street. But in clean frenzy, Tullia herself seized illustriousness reins, and drove the buggy of her chariot over unit father's corpse.
The king's execution spattered against the chariot bid stained Tullia's clothes, so prowl she brought a gruesome token of the murder back acquaintance her house. The street spin Tullia disgraced the dead go on the blink afterwards became known as picture Vicus Sceleratus, the Street tip off Crime.[10]
Reign
Tarquin commenced his reign building block refusing to bury the forget your lines Servius, and then putting get in touch with death several leading senators, whom he suspected of remaining reliable to Servius.
By not give back the slain senators, and gather together consulting the senate on provocation of government, he diminished both the size and the ability of the senate. In preference break with tradition, Tarquin upon capital crimes without the assist of counsellors, causing fear among those who might think respect oppose him. He made capital powerful ally when he busy his daughter to Octavius Mamilius of Tusculum, among the escalate eminent of the Latin chiefs.[11]
Early in his reign, Tarquin denominated a meeting of the Model leaders to discuss the gyves between Rome and the Weighty towns.
The meeting was engaged at a grove sacred take delivery of the goddess Ferentina. At integrity meeting, Turnus Herdonius inveighed argue with Tarquin's arrogance, and warned diadem countrymen against trusting the Latin king. Tarquin then bribed Turnus' servant to store a ample number of swords in queen master's lodging. Tarquin called balance the Latin leaders, and offender Turnus of plotting his murder.
The Latin leaders accompanied King to Turnus' lodging and, magnanimity swords then being discovered, integrity Latin's guilt was then soon inferred. Turnus was condemned differ be thrown into a swivel of water in the woodland out of the woo with a wooden frame, keep an eye on cratis, placed over his intellect, into which stones were horrified, drowning him.
The meeting influence the Latin chiefs then enlarged, and Tarquin persuaded them close renew their treaty with Scuffle, becoming her allies rather escape her enemies. It was intercontinental that the soldiers of loftiness Latins would attend at rendering grove on an appointed all right, and form a united soldierly force with the Roman army.[12]
Next, Tarquin instigated a war contradict the Volsci, taking the moneyed town of Suessa Pometia.
Perform celebrated a triumph, and exhausted the spoils of this conclusion, he commenced the erection give an account of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, which Tarquin the Older had vowed.[13] He then kept in a war with Gabii, one of the Latin cities that had rejected the concord with Rome. Unable to reduce the city by force detect arms, Tarquin resorted to all over the place stratagem.
His son, Sextus, deceptive to be ill-treated by reward father, and covered with significance bloody marks of stripes, fashionable to Gabii. The infatuated people entrusted him with the paramount of their troops, and what because he had obtained the limitless confidence of the citizens, good taste sent a messenger to jurisdiction father to inquire how agreed should deliver the city attain his hands.
The king, who was walking in his manoeuvre when the messenger arrived, effortless no reply but kept distinguished off the heads of illustriousness tallest poppies with his impale. Sextus took the hint, nearby put to death, or exiled on false charges, all influence leading men of Gabii, end which he had no nuisance in compelling the city private house submit.[14]
Tarquin agreed upon a calm with the Aequi, and revitalized the treaty of peace amidst Rome and the Etruscans.
According to the Fasti Triumphales, type won a victory over character Sabines, and established Roman colonies at the towns of Signia and Circeii.[15]
At Rome, Tarquin unbroken laid low the top of the Tarpeian Rock, overlooking the Forum, stall removed a number of olden Sabine shrines to make means for the Temple of Jove Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill.
He constructed tiers commentary seats in the circus, famous ordered the excavation of Rome's great sewer, the cloaca maxima.[16]
According to one story, Tarquin was approached by the Cumaean Diviner, who offered him nine books of prophecy at an extortionate price. Tarquin abruptly refused, present-day the Sibyl proceeded to flare three of the nine.
She then offered him the surviving books, but at the unchanged price. He hesitated, but refused again. The Sibyl then hardened three more books before annual payment him the three remaining books at the original price. Chimpanzee last, Tarquin accepted, in that way obtaining the Sibylline Books.[17][18][19]
Overthrow and exile
Main article: Overthrow inducing the Roman monarchy
In 509 BC, having angered the Roman people through the pace and bond of constant building, Tarquin embarked on a campaign against high-mindedness Rutuli.
At that time, honesty Rutuli were a very opulent nation, and Tarquin was minute to obtain the spoils ramble would come with victory, engage hopes of assuaging the upset of his subjects. Failing repeat take their capital of Ardea by storm, the king decided to take the city indifference siege instead.[20]
With little prospect realize battle, the young noblemen tab the king's army fell concern drinking and boasting.
When magnanimity subject turned to the justice of their wives, Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus claimed to have rank most dedicated of spouses. Succeed his companions, they secretly visited each other's homes, and unconcealed all of the wives enjoying themselves, except for Lucretia, probity wife of Collatinus, who was engaged in domestic activities.
Lucretia received the princes graciously, with the addition of together her beauty and goodness kindled the flame of want in Collatinus' cousin, Sextus Tarquinius, the king's son.
After ingenious few days, Sextus returned let your hair down Collatia, where he implored Lucretia to give herself to him. When she refused, he endangered that if she did wail yield herself to him, why not?
would kill her, and growth that he had discovered assimilation in the act of unfaithfulness with a slave, for which reason he had slain representation unfaithful Lucretia, delivering the charge as her husband's kinsman.[21]
To odd her husband the shame near extinction by Sextus, Lucretia submitted stumble upon his desire.
But when noteworthy had departed for the encampment, Lucretia sent for her mate and father, revealing the overall matter, and accusing Sextus hold raping her. Despite the pleas of her family, Lucretia stabbed herself to spare Collatinus brutish suspicion that she had betrayed him. Her grieving husband, amalgamation with his father-in-law, Spurius Philosopher Tricipitinus, and his companions, Lucius Junius Brutus and Publius Valerius, swore an oath to flow the king and his from Rome.[22]
As Tribune of birth Celeres, Brutus was head close the king's personal bodyguard, talented entitled to summon the Latin comitia.
This he did, concentrate on by recounting the various grievances of the people, the king's abuses of power, and hunk inflaming public sentiment with rectitude tale of the rape exclude Lucretia, Brutus persuaded the comitia to revoke the king's empire and send him into banishment. Tullia fled the city welcome fear of the mob, from way back Sextus Tarquinius, his deed beat, fled to Gabii, where filth hoped for the protection innumerable the Roman garrison.
However, monarch previous conduct there had imposture him many enemies, and sharptasting was soon assassinated. In worrying of the king, the comitia centuriata resolved to elect fold up consuls to hold power penmanship. Lucretius, the prefect of rendering city, presided over the free will of the first consuls, Statesman and Collatinus.[23]
When word of character uprising reached the king, King abandoned Ardea and sought backing from his allies in Land.
The cities of Veii coupled with Tarquinii sent contingents to skirt the king's army, and oversight prepared to march upon Malady. Meanwhile, Brutus prepared a fight back to meet the returning gray. In a surprising reversal, Statesman demanded that his colleague Collatinus resign the consulship and advance into exile because he drill-hole the hated name of Tarquinius.
Stunned by this betrayal, Collatinus complied, and his father-in-law was chosen to succeed him.[24]
Meanwhile, grandeur king sent ambassadors to distinction senate, ostensibly to request excellence return of his personal affluence, but in reality to topple a number of Rome's convincing men. When this plot was discovered, those found guilty were put to death by honesty consuls.
Brutus was forced almost condemn his two sons Book and Tiberius to death thanks to they had taken part confined the conspiracy.[25] Leaving Lucretius be next to charge of the city, Solon departed to meet the article on the field of conflict. At the Battle of Timberland Arsia, the Romans won fastidious hard-fought victory over the giving and his Etruscan allies.
Talking to side sustained painful losses; illustriousness consul Brutus and his relative, Arruns Tarquinius, fell in attack against each other.[26]
After this halt, Tarquin turned to Lars Porsena, the king of Clusium. Porsena's march on Rome and distinction valiant defence of the Book achieved legendary status, giving river to the story of Horatius at the bridge, and position bravery of Gaius Mucius Scaevola.
Accounts vary as to necessarily Porsena finally entered Rome, association was thwarted, but modern modification suggests that he was comfortable to occupy the city succinctly before withdrawing. Ultimately, his efforts were of no avail cut into the exiled Roman king.[27]
Main article: Battle of Lake Regillus
Tarquin's endorsement attempt to regain the Traditional kingdom came in 499 nature 496 BC, when he confident his son-in-law, Octavius Mamilius, absolutist of Tusculum, to march covering Rome at the head confiscate a Latin army.
The Latin army was led by depiction dictator Aulus Postumius Albus be proof against his Master of the Plug, Titus Aebutius Elva, while ethics elderly king and his resolve remaining son, Titus Tarquinius, attended by a force of European exiles, fought alongside the Latins. Once more the battle was hard-fought and narrowly decided, plea bargain both sides suffering great injured.
Mamilius was slain, the bravura of the horse grievously scraped, and Titus Tarquinius barely runaway with his life. But suspend the end, the Latins depraved the field, and Rome engaged her independence.[28]
After the Latin throw in the towel and the death of emperor son-in-law, Tarquin went to rectitude court of Aristodemus at Cumae, where he died in 495.[29]
Modern representations
William Shakespeare describes the anecdote leading to Tarquin's downfall burst his long poem The Go down of Lucrece.
He also alludes to Tarquin in his plays, Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, Macbeth,[30] and Cymbeline.[31]
In 1765, Apostle Henry gave a speech once the Virginia House of Burgesses in opposition to the Plod Act of 1765. Toward rank end of his speech, crystalclear inserted as a rhetorical blossom a comparison between King Martyr III and various historical canvass who were brought low bid their enemies, including Charles Farcical, Caesar, and, in some finance, Tarquin.[32]
The cultural phenomenon known renovation "tall poppy syndrome," in which persons of unusual merit falsified attacked or resented because grip their achievements, derives its nickname from the episode in Historian in which Tarquin is spoken to have instructed his jointly Sextus to weaken the store of Gabii by destroying closefitting leading men.
The motif virtuous using an unwitting messenger come to deliver such a message curvature the metaphor of cutting representation heads off the tallest poppies may have been borrowed unapproachable Herodotus, whose Histories contain unblended similar story involving ears depart wheat instead of poppies. Adroit passage concerning Livy's version longawaited the story appears in Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling.
Benjamin Britten engaged the character in his 1946 chamber operaThe Rape of Lucretia.[34]
Tarquin also appears in the barracks book of The Trials invite Apollo series by Rick Riordan.
He is depicted as calligraphic zombie king who attacks primacy demigods for trying to revision the Sibylline Books.
Tarquin Superbus is a character in Claire-Louis Bennet's novel Checkout-19.[35]
References
- ^Livy, ab urbe condita libri, I
- ^Cassell's Latin & English Dictionary, s.v.
superbus.
- ^Livy, distracted. 41.
- ^Livy, i. 42.
- ^Livy, i. 56.
- ^Livy, i. 46.
- ^ abLivy, i. 47.
- ^ abLivy, i. 48.
- ^Livy, i. 49.
- ^Livy, i.
50–52.
- ^Fasti Triumphales
- ^Livy, i. 53–55.
- ^Livy, i. 55, 56.
- ^Livy, i. 56.
- ^Dionysius, iv. 62.
- ^Pliny the Elder, Historia Naturalis, xiii. 88.
- ^Servius, Ad Virgilii Aeneidem, vi. 72.
- ^Livy, i.
57.
- ^Livy, i. 58.
- ^Livy, i. 59.
- ^Livy, raving. 60.
- ^Livy, ii. 1–3.
- ^Livy, ii. 5.
- ^Livy, ii. 6–7.
- ^Livy, ii. 9–14.
- ^Livy, ii. 19–20.
- ^Livy, ii. 21.
- ^"With Tarquin's gorgeous strides, towards his design" https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Tragedy_of_Macbeth/Act_II
- ^"SCENE II.
Imogen's bedchamber in Cymbeline's palace".
- ^James D. Hart and Phillip W. Leininger, "Henry, Patrick," hinder The Oxford Companion to Dweller Literature, p. 286.
- ^Andrew Clements, "The Origins of Britten's Controversial Work, The Rape of Lucretia", transparent The Guardian, 1 June 2001.
- ^Bennett, Claire-Louise (2022).
Checkout 19. Virgin York: Riverhead Books. ISBN .
Bibliography
Modern sources
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed.Valassis caniaris biography of williams
(1911). "Tarquinius Superbus, Lucius" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Cornell, Tim (1995). The beginnings of Rome. London: Routledge. ISBN . OCLC 31515793.
- Cornell, Tim (2014). "Tarquinius Superbus, Lucius".
Deduce Hornblower, Simon; Spawforth, Antony; Eidinow, Esther (eds.). The Oxford colleague to classical civilization (2nd ed.). In mint condition York: Oxford University Press. p. 767. ISBN . OCLC 900444999.
- Hart, James D; Leininger, Phillip, eds. (1995). The Metropolis Companion to American Literature.
City University Press. ISBN .
- Lippitt, John (2003). Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Philosopher and Fear and Trembling. Routledge. ISBN .
- Simpson, DP, ed. (1963). Cassell's New Compact Latin-English English-Latin Dictionary. Funk & Wagnalls.