Lucius Tarquinius Superbus
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (also called
Tarquin the Proud or
Tarquin II) was the last of the seven
legendary
kings of Rome, son of
Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, and son-in-law of
Servius Tullius. Tarquin ruled between
535 BC and
510 BC, in the years immediately before the founding of the
Roman Republic. Tarquin was upset that he did not inherit the throne from his father, and to add insult to his perceived injury, his predecessor Servius Tullius was the son of a slave. With his wife's help, he summoned the Senate and proclaimed himself to be king of Rome. Henchmen then murdered Tullius, and Tarquin's wife destroyed her father's body by driving a
chariot over it. To further his grip on power, Tarquin orchestrated the murders of key senators who supported Tullius and proceeded at once to repeal the recent reforms in the
constitution, seeking to establish a pure
despotism in their place. Wars were waged with the
Latins and
Etruscans, but the lower classes were deprived of their arms and employed in erecting monuments of regal magnificence (and some important public works, such as the
Cloaca Maxima), while the sovereign recruited his armies from his own retainers and from the forces of foreign allies.
When king Tarquin was approached by the
Cumaean Sibyl, she offered him nine books of
prophecy at an exorbitant price. Tarquin refused abruptly, and the Sibyl proceeded to burn three of the nine. She then offered him the remaining books, but at the same price. Tarquin hesitated, but refused again. The Sibyl then burned three more books and again offered Tarquin the three remaining
Sibylline Books at the original price. At last Tarquin accepted. The books were consulted at many portentous moments in Roman history, though they were edited and changed many times to agree with the appropriate epoch of Roman history. For example, when
Hannibal decimated the
Roman Legions at
Cannae, the books were consulted and recommended that two
Gauls and two
Greeks be buried alive in the city's marketplace. The magistrates duly followed the advice, showing a traditional willingness to commit atrocities to ensure the well-being of their nation.
Tarquin's authority over the city was confirmed by three actions: #his leveling of the top of the
Tarpeian Rock that overlooked the
Forum and the removal of its ancient
Sabine shrines#the completion of the fortress temple to
Jupiter on the nearby
Capitoline Hill#the fortunate marriage of his son to the daughter of
Octavius Mamilius of
Tusculum, an alliance that secured him powerful assistance in the field
Tarquin's reign was characterised by bloodshed and violence; his son
Sextus Tarquinius's
rape of
Lucretia precipitated a revolt, led by Lucretia's kinsman
Lucius Junius Brutus (himself a member of the Tarquin dynasty) and Lucretia's widowed husband. The uprising resulted in the expulsion of most of the royal family, after Tarquin had reigned for twenty-five years, and Brutus became one of the first
consuls of the
Roman Republic.
After his exile, Tarquin attempted to gain the support of other Etruscan and Latin kings, claiming that the republicanism would spread beyond Rome. His family was of Etruscan origin. Even though the powerful Etruscan lord
Lars Porsenna of Clusium (modern
Chiusi) backed Tarquin's return, all efforts to force his way back to the throne were in vain. Tarquin died in exile at
Cumae in
Campania in 496 BC.
*It is sometimes speculated that
Grand Moff Tarkin from
Star Wars may be named after him.
*
*
Superbus at Crystalinks.com
