Lucius Tarquinius Priscus

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Etruscan horsemen 540-520 BC Chr.

According to legend, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus came from the Tarquinian family and was the fifth Roman king . He ruled from 616 BC. BC to 578 BC Chr.

Legend

Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, often also called Tarquinius the Elder, came from the Etruscan city ​​of Tarquinii and was originally called Lucumo. The word means in the Etruscan language the enlightened or the shining one. The story of he was very rich and had his wife Tanaquil settled in Rome since he was denied in his hometown of access to functions and honors the city. The reason was the origin of his father Demaratos , who came from the Greek city of Corinth and thus did not belong to the established Etruscan families. In Rome, on the other hand, the noble families were young and achievement was rewarded.

On arrival in town, sitting on a wagon, an eagle grabbed his felt cap on the Ianiculum Hill and put it back on him. Tanaquil, who is said to have been familiar with heavenly signs, interpreted the event as an omen for a great future.

In Rome he achieved great prestige through generosity and skill. Even King Ancus Marcius noticed him and appointed him guardian of his sons. After the death of Ancus Marcius, Tarquinius Priscus was able to convince the popular assembly with a clever move by sending his sons on the hunt shortly before the election date that he would be elected king.

He proved his military skills in an attack by the Sabines . The dangerous force for Rome was defeated and subdued. He also defeated the Latins and conquered the cities of Corniculum , Ficulea , Cameria , Crustumerium , Americola , Medullia and Nomentum . After each of his wars, which were always successful, he brought rich booty to Rome. Tarquinius Priscus doubled the size of the centurions to 1,800 horsemen. He added a further hundred members from all classes to the Senate.

In peacetime he took care of the city fortifications and the expansion of the city. He was the first to mark the place for the circus, which was later called Circus Maximus , and held horse races and fist fights there after his victory against the Latins. After a great flood , the wet lowlands of Rome were drained and drained through canals, the beginnings of the Cloaca Maxima . As a last major feat he began, on the basis of a vow in the war against the Sabines, with the construction of a temple in honor of the Iuppiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitol .

In the meantime, the sons of his predecessor Ancus Marcius had grown up and believed that they were entitled to the throne. Therefore, after 38 years of reign, they had Tarquinius Priscus murdered by two shepherds with an ax. Thanks to the wise foresight of Queen Tanaquil , it was not the regicide but Tarquinius Priscus' son-in-law Servius Tullius who was elected successor.

literature

  • Gertraud Breyer: Elements of Etruscan language in Latin excluding the specifically onomastic area . Leuven 1993.
  • Heinrich Moritz Chalybäus, History of the Romans from the foundation of the city to the fall of the occidental empire . 57ff , Dresden 1829-1832.
  • Hans Jürgen Hillen and Josef Feix: Roman history . Latin – German (= Tusculum Collection). Knowledge Book Society, Darmstadt 1974–2000.
  • Fritz Schachermeyr : Tarquinius 6 . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume IV A, 2, Stuttgart 1932, Sp. 2369-2380.
  • Gottfried Jakob Schaller: Dionysius von Halikarnaß: Urgeschichte der Römer . 1st volume, Stuttgart 1827.

Web links

Commons : Lucius Tarquinius Priscus  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ The eagle is the bird of Jupiter, the high, conical felt cap is the headgear of the Etruscans. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987, p. 529.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen , Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987, p. 646.
  2. ↑ Elements of Etruscan language in Latin, excluding the specifically onomastic area . Gertraud Breyer, Leuven 1993, p. 309.
  3. ↑ Liv. 1.34.1 and 1.34.5-6. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987.
  4. ↑ Liv. 1.34.9. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987.
  5. ↑ Liv. 1,34,12 and Liv. 1.35. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987.
  6. ↑ Liv. 1.37. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987.
  7. ↑ Liv. 1.38.4. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987.
  8. ↑ Liv. 1.35.7. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987.
  9. ↑ Liv. 1.36.7. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987.
  10. ↑ Dionysius of Halikarnaß: Prehistory of the Romans. Gottfried Jakob Schaller, Volume 1, Stuttgart 1827, p. 379.
  11. ↑ Liv. 1.35.8-10. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987.
  12. ↑ Liv. 1.38.6-7. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987.
  13. ↑ Liv. 1.38.7. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987; Dionysius of Halikarnass: prehistory of the Romans. Gottfried Jakob Schaller, Volume 1, Stuttgart 1827, p. 382.
  14. ↑ Liv. 1.40. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987.
  15. ↑ Liv. 1.41. Titus Livius Roman History I – III . Translated by Hans Jürgen Hillen, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1987.
predecessor Office successor
Ancus Marcius King of Rome
616-578 BC Chr. 		Servius Tullius
personal data
SURNAME Tarquinius Priscus, Lucius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Rome
DATE OF BIRTH 7th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 6th century BC Chr.