Who Were the Early Kings of Rome?

Long earlier than the founding of the Roman Republic or the later Roman Empire, the extremely good town of Rome began as a small farming village. Most of what we understand about those very early instances comes from Titus Livius (Livy), a Roman historian who lived from fifty nine BCE to 17 CE. He wrote a history of Rome entitled History of Rome From Its Foundation.

Livy became able to write accurately approximately his own time, as he witnessed many essential activities in Roman records. His description of earlier events, but, can also have been primarily based on a mixture of rumour, guesswork, and legend. Today's historians believe that the dates Livy gave to every of the seven kings have been very erroneous, but they are the pleasant records we've got to be had (further to the writings of Plutarch, and Dionysius of Halicarnasus, each of whom additionally lived centuries after the events). Other written data of the time were destroyed during the sack of Rome in 390 BCE.

According to Livy, Rome turned into based by way of the twins Romulus and Remus, descendants of one of the heroes of the Trojan War. After Romulus killed his brother, Remus, in an argument, he became the first King of Rome.

While Romulus and the six succeeding rulers have been called "kings" (Rex, in Latin), they did not inherit the identify however had been duly elected. In addition, the kings have been not absolute rulers: they replied to an elected Senate. The seven hills of Rome are related, in legend, with the seven early kings.


Romulus 753-715 B.C.

Romulus was the mythical founding father of Rome. According to legend, he and his twin brother, Remus, had been raised with the aid of wolves. After founding Rome, Romulus back to his local metropolis to recruit citizens; maximum who accompanied him were guys. To comfy wives for his residents, Romulus stole ladies from the Sabines in an assault referred to as the "rape of the Sabine women. Following a truce, the Sabine king of Cures, Tatius, co-dominated with Romulus until his loss of life in 648 B.C.

Numa Pompilius 715-673
Numa Pompilius turned into a Sabine Roman, a spiritual determine who changed into very exclusive from the warlike Romulus. Under Numa, Rome skilled 43 years of non violent cultural and religious growth. He moved the Vestal Virgins to Rome, founded religious faculties and the Temple of Janus, and introduced January and February to the calendar carry the variety of days in a yr to 360.

Tullus Hostilius 673-642 B.C.

Tullus Hostilius, whose existence is in a few doubt, became a warrior king. Little is understood approximately him except that he become elected with the aid of the Senate, doubled the populace of Rome, added Alban nobles to the Senate of Rome, and constructed the Curia Hostilia.

Ancus Martius 642-617 B.C.

Though Ancus Marcius become elected to his role, he turned into also a grandson of Numa Pompilius. A warrior king, Marcius brought to Roman territory by way of conquering neighboring Latin towns and shifting their humans to Rome. Marcius also based the port town of Ostia.


L. Tarquinius Priscus 616-579 B.C.
The first Etruscan king of Rome, Tarquinius Priscus (once in a while known as Tarquin the Elder) had a Corinthian father. After shifting to Rome, he became pleasant with Ancus Marcius and was named as mum or dad to Marcius's sons. As king, he won ascendance over neighboring tribes and defeated the Sabines, Latins, and Etruscans in struggle.

Tarquin created a hundred new senators and increased Rome. He also installed the Roman Circus Games. While there may be some uncertainty about his legacy, it is said that he undertook the development of the exquisite Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, began the development of the Cloaca Maxima (a massive sewer system), and multiplied the function of Etruscans in Roman governance.

Servius Tullius 578-535 B.C.
Servius Tullius become the son-in-regulation of Tarquinius Priscus. He instituted the first census in Rome, which became used to decide the range of representatives every place had within the Senate. Servius Tullius additionally divided the Roman citizens into tribes and glued the military obligations of 5 census-decided instructions.

Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin the Pr.oud) 534-510 B.C
The tyrannical Tarquinius Superbus or Tarquin the Proud become the closing Etruscan or any king of Rome. According to legend, he got here to power due to assassination Servius Tullius and ruled as a tyrant. He and his own family had been so evil, say the testimonies, that they have been forcibly ousted by means of Brutus and other individuals of the Senate.