Ancient Rome

Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (also called Tarquin the Proud or Tarquin II) was the last of the seven legendary kings of Rome, son of Tarquinius Priscus and son-in-law of Servius Tullius, the sixth king. The historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus may have divided one historical figure named Tarquin into two separate kings because of problems with dating … Continue reading »

Servius Tullius was the sixth legendary king of ancient Rome and the second king of the Etruscan dynasty. The traditional dates of his reign are 578-535 BC. Described in one account as originally a slave, he is said to have married a daughter of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, and succeeded him after the latter’s assassination in … Continue reading »

Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, also called Tarquin the Elder or Tarquin I, was the fifth King of Rome from (616 BC to 579 BC). His wife was Tanaquil. According to Livy, Tarquinius Priscus came from the Etruscan city of Tarquinii. Livy claims that his first name Lucius was a Latinization of his original Etruscan name Lucumo, … Continue reading »

Ancus Marcius (r. 640 BC – 616 BC) was the fourth of the Kings of Rome, possibly a legendary figure. Like Numa, his reputed maternal grandfather (he was the son of Marcius II and wife Pompilia), he was a friend of peace and religion, but was obliged to make war to defend his territories. He … Continue reading »