Collatia was an ancient town of central Italy , c. 15 km northeast of Rome by the Via Collatina .
53-400: It appears in the legendary history of Rome as captured by King Tarquinius Priscus . Vergil speaks of it as a Latin colony of Alba Longa . In the time of Cicero it had lost all importance; Strabo names it as a mere village, in private hands, while for Pliny it was one of the lost cities of Latium. According to Livy , it was taken, along with its population and surrounding land, from
106-609: A meeting of the Curiate Assembly . To assist the king, a council advised the king during all trials, but this council had no power to control the king's decisions. Also, two criminal detectives ( Quaestores Parricidii ) were appointed by him as well as a two-man criminal court ( Duumviri Perduellionis ) which oversaw for cases of treason . Under the kings, the Senate and Curiate Assembly had very little power and authority; they were not independent bodies in that they possessed
159-405: A new king. The Senate would assemble and appoint one of its own members as the interrex to serve for five days to nominate the next king of Rome. After the five days, the interrex could appoint (with the Senate's consent) another senator for another five-day term. This process would continue until the election of a new king. Once the interrex found a suitable nominee for the kingship, he would bring
212-661: A result, the Latins requested help from the Sabines and Etruscans . Choosing not to split up his military power, Tarquin chose to keep the attack on the Latins, leading to a Roman victory. After conquering the Latins Tarquin began his assault on the Sabines. Having their basecamp at the corner of two rivers, the Sabines were able to move their troops quickly and efficiently. Using his military cunning Tarquin chose to launch
265-480: A seat in the Senate. However, the Roman desire to prevent the kingship from becoming important went so far that, even in the area of religion, the king of sacrifices was formally, in all but protocol, subordinated to the first of the pontiffs , the pontifex maximus (whose position in origin, rather than with the name of priest, is better described as "minister of religion"), to the extent that at some point in history,
318-454: A surprise attack on the base at night. He did this by setting a fleet of small boats aflame and then sending them down the river to set the Sabine camp on fire. While the Sabines were focused on dousing the flames, Tarquin and his troops moved in to dismantle the camp. Later, his military ability was then tested by an attack from the Sabines . Tarquin doubled the numbers of equites to help
371-519: The Regia or royal palace at the Forum Romanum, originally inhabited by the king of sacrifices, was ceded to the pontifex maximus . Significantly enough, one of his major public appearances was at the festival of Regifugium , where he impersonated the king being thrown out of the city. Further, the consuls retained religious roles which were considered so important that the office of interrex
424-467: The Etruscans , but they refused. Since Tarquin had kept the captured Etruscan auxiliaries prisoners for meddling in the war with the Sabines, the five Etruscan cities who had taken part declared war on Rome. Seven other Etruscan cities joined 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, Tarquin
477-606: The Greek city of Corinth . As a result, his wife Tanaquil advised him to relocate to Rome . Legend has it that on his arrival in Rome in a chariot , an eagle took his cap, flew away and then returned it back upon his head. Tanaquil, who was skilled in prophecy, interpreted this as an omen of his future greatness. In Rome, he attained respect through his courtesy. King Ancus Marcius noticed Tarquinius and, by his will, appointed Tarquinius guardian of his own sons. Although Ancus Marcius
530-657: 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 , this war must have occurred prior to 588 BC. The Latins claimed that peace treaties developed by Romulus and the other Roman kings no longer applied and as such, launched the first set of attacks. Seeing the opportunity to incorporate the Latins into Rome's ranks, Tarquin quickly responded by conquering multiple Latin cities. As
583-585: The Sabines by Tarquinius Priscus at the conclusion of his war against them. Livy records the wording of the form of the town's surrender. The date of Tarquinius' triumph over the Sabines, according to the Fasti Triumphales , which Livy says occurred shortly after the surrender of Collatia, is 13 September, 585 BC. By 509 BC the town was governed by the Roman Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus , who took his name from
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#1732772764697636-406: The commander-in-chief of all Rome's forces. His executive power and his sole imperium allowed him to issue decrees with the force of law. Also, the laws that kept citizens safe from the misuse of magistrates holding imperium did not exist during the time of the kings. The king was also empowered to appoint or nominate all officeholders. He would appoint a tribunus celerum to serve both as
689-444: The sceptre of the king; the trabea , a purple garment that varied in form, but was perhaps most often used as a mantle; the fasces carried by the lictors ; the curule chair ; the toga praetexta , later worn by various magistrates and officials; the rings worn by senators ; the paludamentum , a cloak associated with military command; and the phalera , a disc of metal worn on a soldier's breastplate during parades, or displayed on
742-518: The Curiate Assembly, by voting in favour of the law, would grant it. In theory, the people of Rome elected their leader, but the Senate had most of the control over the process. Since Rome's records were destroyed in 390 BC when the city was sacked , it is impossible to know for certain how many kings actually ruled the city, or if any of the deeds attributed to the individual kings, by later writers, are accurate. Titus Tatius , King of
795-482: The Elder , was the legendary fifth king of Rome and first of its Etruscan dynasty. He reigned for thirty-eight years. Tarquinius expanded Roman power through military conquest and grand architectural constructions. His wife was the prophetess Tanaquil . Not much is known about the early life of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. According to Livy , Tarquin came from Etruria . Livy claims that his original Etruscan name
848-621: The Latin magister ), a companion of the Etruscan heroes Aulus and Caelius Vibenna , who helped free the brothers from captivity, slaying their captors, including a Roman named Gnaeus Tarquinius. This episode is depicted in a fresco at the tomb of the Etruscan Saties family at Vulci , now known as the François Tomb . This tradition suggests that perhaps the sons of the elder Tarquin attempted to seize power, but were defeated by
901-453: The Sabines, was also joint king of Rome with Romulus for five years, until his death. However, he is not traditionally counted among the seven kings of Rome. The overthrow of the Roman monarchy of Tarquinius Superbus led to a limited separation of the powers mentioned above. The actual title of king was retained for the rex sacrorum , who formally remained Rome's first priest. He was forbidden any political or military career, except for
954-417: The Sabines. Tarquinius was the first Roman ruler to ever celebrate a Roman triumph. According to Florus, Tarquin celebrated his triumphs in the Etruscan fashion, riding a golden chariot drawn by four horses, while wearing a gold-embroidered toga and the tunica palmata, a tunic upon which palm-leaves were embroidered. He also introduced other Etruscan insignia of civilian authority and military distinction:
1007-417: The chief justice of Rome. Although he could assign pontiffs to act as minor judges in some cases, he had supreme authority in all cases brought before him, both civil and criminal. This made the king supreme in times of both war and peace. While some writers believed there was no appeal from the king's decisions, others believed that a proposal for appeal could be brought before the king by any patrician during
1060-544: The damp lowlands of Rome by constructing the Cloaca Maxima , Rome's great sewer. The arch was constructed in 578 BC and took inspiration from Etruscan structures of the earlier period. He also constructed a stone wall around the city, and began the construction of a temple in honour of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill . The latter is said to have been funded in part by the plunder seized from
1113-429: The executive. According to tradition (which is disputed by historians for the first decades), the consulate was always entrusted to two persons to prevent autocracy. In case of emergencies, the power to appoint a dictator for a six-month term was introduced. Later, proconsuls and propraetors could be given an imperium by appointment of the Senate. Whoever used the imperium to victoriously lead an army could acquire
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#17327727646971166-417: The father of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus , the seventh and last King of Rome, but some stated that the younger Tarquin was his grandson. As the younger Tarquin died about 496 BC, more than eighty years after Tarquinius Priscus, the chronology seems to support the latter tradition. An Etruscan legend related by the emperor Claudius equates Servius Tullius with Macstarna (apparently the Etruscan equivalent of
1219-569: The fifth king Tarquinius Priscus . Consequently, some have assumed that the Tarquins' attempt to institute a hereditary monarchy over this conjectured earlier elective monarchy resulted in the formation of the Republic . Early Rome was ruled by the king ( rex ). The king possessed absolute power over the people; no one could rule over him. The Senate was a weak oligarchy , capable of exercising only minor administrative powers, so that Rome
1272-523: The first Roman king to ever actively succeed at lobbying for the throne. In one tradition, the sons were away on a hunting expedition at the time of their father's death, and were thus unable to affect the assembly's choice. According to Livy, Tarquin increased the number of the Senate to 300 by adding one hundred men from the leading minor families. Among these was the family of the Octavii , from whom
1325-414: The first emperor, Augustus , was descended. He did so with the hope that those added to the Senate would be grateful for their position and thus loyal to him, strengthening his rule as king. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus is accredited with expanding Rome's borders. He did so through conquest of the surrounding tribes. Those tribes were the Latins, Sabines, and Etruscans. Tarquin's first war was waged against
1378-466: The king could not do without the approval of the Senate and Curiate Assembly was to declare war against a foreign nation. These issues effectively allowed the King to more or less rule by decree with the exception of the above-mentioned affairs. Whenever a Roman king died, Rome entered a period of interregnum . The supreme power in the state would be devolved to the Senate, which had the task of finding
1431-472: The kingship, the augur announced that the gods had given favourable tokens, thus confirming the King-elect's priestly character. Second, the imperium had to be conferred upon the King. The Curiate Assembly's vote only determined who was to be king, but that act did not bestow the powers of the king upon him. Accordingly, the king himself proposed to the Curiate Assembly a bill granting him imperium , and
1484-543: The legislation was practically passed from the Curiate Assembly to the Centuriate Assembly (and Tribal Assembly ), with the exception of the formality, more or less, of a lex curiata de imperio , which ratified the elections of the previous Centuriate Assembly. The consuls did, however, retain the power to rule by ordinance. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus Lucius Tarquinius Priscus ( Classical Latin : [tarˈkʷɪniʊs ˈpriːskʊs] ), or Tarquin
1537-445: The nominee before the Senate and the Senate would examine him. If the Senate confirmed the nomination, the interrex would convene the Curiate Assembly and preside as its chairman during the election of the king. Once a candidate was proposed to the Curiate Assembly, the people of Rome could either accept or reject the King-elect. If accepted, the King-elect did not immediately take office: two additional acts had to take place before he
1590-527: The official adoption of the Christian religion. To qualify for the office, patrician ancestry was necessary; however it was once performed by a member of a family otherwise known as plebeian , the Marcii , earning for himself and his descendants the cognomen Rex . As has been mentioned, the administrative functions in religion, including at some point the housing in the ancient royal court, were ceded to
1643-415: The republican times excepting the dictatorships are concerned, can hardly be translated to Roman conceptions , but most other powers—the imperium —were ceded to the consuls (the etymology suggests that these were originally the king's chief counsellors) and to the praetors ("leaders") after the creation of that office (about 367, according to Livy ); thereby at least roughly separating the judiciary from
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1696-412: The right to meet together and discuss questions of state. They could only be called together by the king and could only discuss the matters the king laid before them. While the Curiate Assembly did have the power to pass laws that the king had submitted, the Senate was effectively an honorable council. It could advise the king on his action but, by no means, could prevent him from acting. The only thing that
1749-574: The son of Servius Tullius, a prince of Corniculum who had fallen in battle against Tarquin, was brought to the palace as a child with his mother, Ocreisia. According to legend, Tanaquil discovered his potential for greatness by means of various omens, and therefore preferred him to her own sons. Tullius married Tarquinia , one of the daughters of Priscus, thus providing a vital link between the families. His own daughters were subsequently married to Tarquin's sons (or, in some traditions, grandsons), Lucius and Arruns . Most ancient writers regarded Tarquin as
1802-400: The south end of this tableland, being identical with the modern road to Lunghezza for the middle part of its course only. The earlier identification with Castellaccio , c. 3.5 km to the southeast, is untenable. 41°55′30″N 12°40′00″E / 41.9251°N 12.6666°E / 41.9251; 12.6666 King of Rome The king of Rome ( Latin : rex Romae )
1855-451: The south of the Anio , which occupies the site of the citadel joined by a narrow neck to the tableland to the southeast on which the city stood: this is protected by wide valleys on each side, and is isolated at the southeast end by a deep narrow valley enlarged by cutting. No remains are to be seen, but the site is admirably adapted for an ancient settlement. The road may be traced leading to
1908-421: The standards of various military units. Strabo reports that Tarquin introduced Etruscan sacrificial and divinatory rites, as well as the tuba , a straight horn used chiefly for military purposes. As a result, most classical Roman symbols for war harken back to his time as king. Tarquin is said to have reigned for thirty-eight years. According to legend, the sons of his predecessor, Ancus Marcius, believed that
1961-474: The state was vested in the king, whose position gave the following powers: Beyond his religious authority, the king was invested with the supreme military, executive, and judicial authority through the use of imperium . The imperium of the king was held for life and protected him from ever being brought to trial for his actions. As the sole holder of imperium in Rome at the time, the king possessed ultimate executive power and unchecked military authority as
2014-399: The supreme pontiff. In the late Republic, the previous role of the king in choosing new senators and dismissing people from the Senate was ceded to the censors . However, the role of choosing senators became rather limited as all magistrates down to the rank of quaestor eventually gained admission to the Senate after the office's expiration. The modern concept of a head of state, insofar as
2067-461: The throne should have been theirs. They arranged the king's assassination , disguised as a riot, during which Tarquin received a fatal blow to the head by an ax. However, the queen, Tanaquil, gave out that the king was merely wounded, and took advantage of the confusion to establish Servius Tullius as regent; when the death of Tarquin was confirmed, Tullius became king, in place of Tarquin's sons, or those of Ancus Marcius. Tullius, said to have been
2120-403: The title of imperator , which later became chief title of the emperors, who were formally included in the system as proconsuls over most (and the strategically most important) parts of the empire, chief senators , and popular tribunes without the title. The republican idea that all promagisterial imperium ends upon entering the city was not observed in the emperors' case. At the same time,
2173-465: The town. It was the site of the rape of Lucretia in that year, and Livy records that the leaders of the revolution which followed thereafter, gathered in Collatia to hear Lucretia's tale, then gathered the youth of Collatia to commence their revolution. The site is undoubtedly to be sought on the hill now occupied by the large medieval fortified farmhouse of Castello di Lunghezza immediately to
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2226-457: The tribune of Ramnes tribe in Rome and also as the commander of the king's personal bodyguard, the Celeres . The king was required to appoint the tribune upon entering office, and the tribune left office upon the king's death. The tribune was second in rank to the king and also possessed the power to convene the Curiate Assembly and lay legislation before it. Another officer appointed by the king
2279-571: The war effort. The Sabines were defeated after difficult street fighting in the city of Rome. In the peace negotiations that followed, Tarquin received the town of Collatia , and appointed his nephew, Arruns Tarquinius , better known as Egerius , as commander of the garrison there. Tarquin returned to Rome and celebrated a triumph on September 13, 585 BC. Subsequently, the Latin cities of Corniculum , old Ficulea , Cameria , Crustumerium , Ameriola , Medullia , and Nomentum were subdued and became Roman. Tarquin also wished to seek peace with
2332-487: Was Lucumo , but since lucumo is the latinized form of the Etruscan word lauchume "king", there is reason to believe that his name and title have been confused in the official tradition. After inheriting his father's entire fortune, Lucius attempted to gain a political office. However, he was prohibited from obtaining political office in Tarquinii because of the ethnicity of his father, Demaratus , who came from
2385-413: Was erected privately by the senators and equites, and other areas were marked out for private citizens. There the king established a series of annual games; according to Livy, the first horses and boxers to participate were brought from Etruria. It received the name Circus Maximus as a way to set it apart from the other stadiums built at this time in a similar fashion. After a great flood, Tarquin drained
2438-402: Was invested with the full regal authority and power. First, it was necessary to obtain the divine will of the gods respecting his appointment by means of the auspices , since the king would serve as high priest of Rome. An augur performed this ceremony by conducting the King-elect to the citadel where he was placed on a stone seat as the people waited below. If the King-elect was found worthy of
2491-495: Was once again victorious, and he subjugated the Etruscan cities who had taken part in the war. At the successful conclusion of each of his wars, Rome was enriched by Tarquin's plunder. Tarquin is said to have built the Circus Maximus , the first and largest stadium at Rome, for chariot racing. The Circus Maximus started out as an underwhelming piece of land, but was built into a grand and beautiful stadium. Raised seating
2544-430: Was originally a citizen and migrant from a neighboring Etruscan city-state . The people of Rome, sitting as the Curiate Assembly, could then either accept or reject the nominated candidate-king. The king had twelve lictors wielding fasces , a curule chair which served as a throne, a purple toga picta , red shoes, and a white diadem worn on the head. Only the king could wear a purple toga. The supreme power of
2597-456: Was retained for the opening prayer of "electional" assemblies in case both consuls died in office, and the ritual of driving a nail into the temple of Jupiter sometimes even induced a dictatorship. The rex sacrorum was not elected publicly, but chosen by the pontifical college. The king of sacrifices retained some religious rites only he could perform, and acted as quasi- flamen to Janus . The position seems to have continued in existence until
2650-499: Was ruled by its king who was in effect an absolute monarch . The Senate's main function was to carry out and administer the wishes of the king. After Romulus, Rome's first legendary king, Roman kings were elected by the people of Rome, sitting as a Curiate Assembly , who voted on the candidate that had been nominated by a chosen member of the Senate called an interrex . Candidates for the throne could be chosen from any source. For example, one such candidate, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus ,
2703-416: Was the custos urbis , who acted as the warden of the city. When the king was absent from the city, the prefect held all of the king's powers, even to the point of being bestowed with imperium while inside the city. The king was the sole person empowered to appoint patricians to the Senate. The king's imperium both granted him military powers and qualified him to pronounce legal judgement in all cases as
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#17327727646972756-515: Was the grandson of Numa Pompilius , the second King of Rome, the principle of hereditary monarchy was not yet established at Rome; none of the first three kings had been succeeded by their sons, and each subsequent king had been acclaimed by the people. Upon the death of Marcius, Tarquin addressed the Comitia Curiata and convinced them that he should be elected king over his predecessor's natural sons, who were still only youths, making him
2809-549: Was the ruler of the Roman Kingdom . According to legend , the first king of Rome was Romulus , who founded the city in 753 BC upon the Palatine Hill . Seven legendary kings are said to have ruled Rome until 509 BC, when the last king was overthrown. These kings ruled for an average of 35 years. The kings after Romulus were not known to be dynasts and no reference is made to the hereditary principle until after
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