A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

TARQUINIUS. TARQUINIUS. 977
STEMMA TARQUINIORUM.
Demaratus of Corinth.
Lucumo, afterwards Aruns.
L. TARQUINIUS PRISCUS.
Tarquinia, Tarquinia, L. TARQUINIUS Aruns. Egerius,
m. Servius m. M. Brutus. SUPERBUS. commander of
Tullius. Collatia.
J.I I I I
M. Brutus, L. Brutus, Titus. Sextus. Aruns. Tarquinius
put to death the Consul. Collatinus,
by Tarquinius. m. Lucretia.
but this war is not mentioned by Dionysius, and Tarquinius had reigned thirty-eight years, when
is referred by Livy (i. 55) to Tarquinius Superbus. he was assassinated by the contrivance of the sons
Although the wars of Tarquinius were of great of Ancus Marcius. They had long wished to take
celebrity, the important works which he executed vengeance upon him on account of their being dein peace have made his name still more famous. prived of the throne, and now fearing lest he should
Many of these works are ascribed in some stories secure the succession to his son-in-law Servius Tulto the second Tarquinius, but almost all traditions lius, they hired two countrymen, who, feigning to
agree in assigning to the elder Tarquinius the erec- have a quarrel, came before the king to have their
tion of the vast sewers by which the lower parts of dispute decided; and while he was listening to the
the city were drained, and which still remain, with complaint of one, the other gave him a deadly wound
not a stone displaced, to bear witness to his power with his axe. But the sons of Marcius did not seand wealth. (See Diet. of Antiq. art. Cloaca.) The cure the reward of their crime, for Servius Tullius,
quay by which the Tiber is banked, and through with the assistance of Tanaquil, succeeded to the
which the sewer opens into it, must clearly have vacant throne. Tarquinius left two sons and two
been executed at the same time, and may therefore daughters. His two sons, L. Tarquinius and Aruns,
be safely ascribed to the elder Tarquinius. were subsequently married to the two daughters of
The same king is also said in some traditions to Servius Tullius. One of his daughters was marhave laid out the Circus Maximus in the valley ried to Servius Tullins, and the other to M. Brutus,
which had been redeemed from water by the by whom she became the mother of the celebrated
sewers, and also to have instituted the Great or L. Brutus, the first consul at Rome. The princiRoman Games, which were henceforth performed pal authorities for the life of Tarquinius Priscus are
in the Circus. The Forum, with its porticoes and Livy (i. 34-41), Dionysius (iii. 46-73, iv. 1),
rows of shops, was also his work, and he likewise and Cicero (de Rep. iii. 20.).
began to surround the city with a stone wall, a The life of Servius Tullius is given under TULwork which was finished by his successor Servius LIUS. There it is related how he was murdered,
Tullius. The building of the Capitoline temple is after a reign of forty-four years, by his son-in-law,
moreover attributed to the elder Tarquinius, though L. Tarquinius, who had been urged on by his
most traditions ascribe this work to his son, and wicked wife to commit the dreadful deed. The
only the vow to the father. Roman writers represent the younger Tarquinius
Tarquinius also made some changes in the consti- as a cruel and tyrannical monarch, and the fact
tution of the state. He added a hundred new of his being the last king of Rome has doubtless
mnembers to the senate, who were called patres contributed not a little to blacken his character.
ninorume q#entium, to distinguish them from the old The estimation in which he was held by the Romans
senators, who were now called patres nmajorumn is shown by his surname of Superbus.
pentium., He wished to add to the three centuries L. TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS commenced his reign
of equites established by Romulus three new cen- without any of the forms of election. He seized
turies, and to call them after himself and two of the kingdom as a recovered inheritance, and did
his friends. His plan was opposed by the augur not wait to be elected by the senate or the
Attus Navius, who gave a convincing proof that people, or to receive the imperium from the curiae.
the gods were opposed to his purpose. [NAVIUS.] One of the first acts of his reign was to abolish
Accordingly he gave up his design of establishing all the privileges which had been conferred upon
new centuries, but to each of the former centuries the plebeians by Servius, since the patricians
he associated another under the same name, so that had assisted him in obtaining the kingdom. He
henceforth there were the first and second Ramnes, forbade the meetings of the tribes, and repealed the
Tities, and Luceres. He increased the number of laws which had conferred civil equality upon the
Vestal Virgins from four to six. plebeians, and which had abolished the right of
VOL. III. 3 R