Tarquinius Priscus

, the fifth king of Rome, was son of Demaratus, a native of Greece. His first name was Lucumon, but this he changed when, by the advice of his wife Tanaquil, he had come to Rome. He called himself Lucius, and a umed the surname of Tarquinius, because born in the town of Tarquinii, in Etruria. At Rome he distinguished himself so much by his liberality and engaging manners, that Ancus Martius, the reigning monarch, nominated him, at his death, the guardian of his children. This was insufficient to gratify the ambition of Tarquin; the princes were young, and an artful oration delivered to the people immediately transferred the crown of the deceased monarch on the head of Lucumon. The people had every reason to be satisfied with their choice. Tarquin reigned with moderation and popularity. He increased the number of the senate, and made himself friends by electing 100 new senators from the plebeians, whom he distinguished by the appellation of Patres minorum gentium , from those of the patrician body, who were called Patres majorum gentium . The glory of the Roman arms, which was supported with so much dignity by the former monarch, was not neglected in this reign, and Tarquin showed that he po e ed vigour and military prudence in the victories which he obtained over the united forces of the Latins and Sabines, and in the conquest of the 12 nations of Etruria. He repaired, in the time of peace, the walls of the capital; the public places were adorned with elegant buildings and useful ornaments, and many centuries after, such as were spectators of the stately mansions and golden palaces of Nero, viewed with more admiration and greater pleasure the more simple, though not le magnificent, edifices of Tarquin. He laid the foundations of the capitol, and to the industry and the public spirit of this monarch, the Romans were indebted for their aqueducts and subterraneous sewers, which supplied the city with fresh and wholesome water, and removed all the filth and ordure, which in a great capital too often breed pestilence and diseases. Tarquin was the first who introduced among the Romans the custom to canva for offices of trust and honour; he distinguished the monarch, the senators, and other inferior magistrates with particular robes and ornaments, with ivory chairs at spectacles, and the hatchets carried before the public magistrates were by his order surrounded with bundles of sticks, to strike more terror, and to be viewed with greater reverence. Tarquin was a a inated by the two sons of his predece or, in the 80th year of his age, 38 of which he had sat on the throne, 578 years before Christ. Dionysius of Halicarna us , bk. 3 , ch. 59 .— Valerius Maximus , bk. 1 , ch. 4 ; bk. 3 , ch. 2 .— Florus , bk. 1 , ch. 5 , . — Livy , bk. 1 , ch. 31 .— Virgil , Æneid , bk. 6 , li. 817 .――The second Tarquin, surnamed Superb us , from his pride and insolence, was grandson of Tarquinius Priscus. He ascended the throne of Rome after his father-in-law Servius Tullius, and was the seventh and last king of Rome. He married Tullia the daughter of Tullius, and it was at her instigation that he murdered his father-in-law, and seized the kingdom. The crown which he had obtained with violence, he endeavoured to keep by a continuation of tyranny. Unlike his royal predece ors, he paid no regard to the decisions of the senate, or the approbation of the public a emblies, and by wishing to disregard both, he incurred the jealousy of the one and the odium of the other. The public treasury was soon exhausted by the continual extravagance of Tarquin, and to silence the murmurs of his subjects, he resolved to call their attention to war. He was succe ful in his military operations, and the neighbouring cities submitted; but while the siege of Ardea was continued, the wantonne of the son of Tarquin at Rome for ever stopped the progre of his arms; and the Romans, whom a series of barbarity and oppre ion had hitherto provoked, no sooner saw the virtuous Lucretia stab herself, not to survive the lo of her honour [ See: Lucretia ], than the whole city and camp arose with indignation against the monarch. The gates of Rome were shut against him, and Tarquin was for ever banished from his throne, in the year of Rome 244. Unable to find support from even one of his subjects, Tarquin retired among the Etrurians, who attempted in vain to replace him on his throne. The republican government was established at Rome, and all Italy refused any longer to support the cause of an exiled monarch against a nation, who heard the name of Tarquin, of king, and tyrant, mentioned with equal horror and indignation. Tarquin died in the 90th year of his age, about 14 years after his expulsion from Rome. He had reigned about 25 years. Though Tarquin appeared so odious among the Romans, his reign was not without its share of glory. His conquests were numerous; to beautify the buildings and porticoes at Rome was his wish, and with great magnificence and care he finished the capitol, which his predece or of the same name had begun. He also bought the Sibylline books which the Romans consulted with such religious solemnity. See: Sibyllæ . Cicero , For Rabirius on a Charge of Treason & Tusculanæ Dis put at i ones , bk. 3 , ch. 27 .— Livy , bk. 1 , ch. 46 , . — Dionysius of Halicarna us , bk. 3 , ch. 48 , . — Florus , bk. 1 , chs. 7 & 8.— Pliny , bk. 8 , ch. 41 .— Plutarch. — Valerius Maximus , bk. 9 , ch. 11 .— Ovid , Fasti , bk. 2 , li. 687 .— Virgil , Æneid , bk. 6 , li. 817 .— Eutropius. ――Coll at in us, one of the relations of Tarquin the Proud, who married Lucretia. See: Coll at in us .――Sextius, the eldest of the sons of Tarquin the Proud, rendered himself known by a variety of adventures. When his father besieged Gabii, young Tarquin publicly declared that he was at variance with the monarch, and the report was the more easily believed when he came before Gabii with his body all mangled and bloody with stripes. This was an agreement between the father and the son, and Tarquin had no sooner declared that this proceeded from the tyranny and oppre ion of his father, than the people of Gabii entrusted him with the command of their armies, fully convinced that Rome could never have a more inveterate enemy. When he had thus succeeded, he despatched a private me enger to his father, but the monarch gave no answer to be returned to his son. Sextius inquired more particularly about his father, and when he heard from the me enger that when the me age was delivered, Tarquin cut off with a stick the tallest poppies in his garden, the son followed the example by putting to death the most noble and powerful citizens of Gabii. The two soon fell into the hands of the Romans. The violence which some time after Tarquinius offered to Lucretia, was the cause of his father’s exile, and the total expulsion of his family from Rome. See: Lucretia . Sextius was at last killed, bravely fighting in a battle during the war which the Latins sustained against Rome in the attempt of re-establishing the Tarquins on their throne. Ovid , Fasti .— Livy. ――A Roman senator who was acce ary to Cat i line’s conspiracy.