The Seven Kings of Rome

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The Seven Kings of Rome
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Roman history is generally divided into three
periods of history

• Monarchy (a king ruled)
• Republic (two consuls ruled annually)
• Empire (typically, one emperor ruled until death)

• 753 BC 509 BC
• 509 BC 27 BC
• 27 BC 476 AD

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1 Romulus

• Romulus was the first king of Rome.
• After killing Remus, Romulus was in sole power.
  He named the city that he had founded Rome.

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• The first settlement was on the Palatine Hill.
• The names of other major hills are Capitoline,
  Aventine, Esquiline, Caelian, Viminal, and
  Quirinal.

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• In later times, the Palatine Hill was populated
  with houses of the wealthy. Our word palatial
  comes from Palatine.

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• After establishing laws and expanding his new
  territory, Romulus realized that a very important
  component to Roman society was missing women.
• He, therefore, invited Sabine families to the
  Consualia, a festival honoring Neptune.

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• The Romans carried off the Sabine daughters
  (which is often referred to as The Rape of the
  Sabine Women rapio is the Latin word for
  carry off).
• Although the Sabine families mounted attacks, the
  Romans were too strong and repelled the Sabines
  advances.

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• After a considerable amount of time (at least
  nine months!), the Sabine daughters, who were now
  Roman wives, asked for a truce between their
  Sabine families and their Roman husbands.

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• While standing in the Campus Martius one day,
  Romulus was taken into the heavens during a
  thunderstorm. He became known as the god
  Quirinus.

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2 Numa Pompilius

• Numa was a more peaceful ruler than Romulus. His
  advisor (and, by some accounts, his wife) was the
  goddess/nymph Egeria.

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• Numa instituted a lunar calendar (i.e., divided
  into months).

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• Numa founded the cult of Vestal Virgins, who were
  devoted to the goddess Vesta (domain home and
  hearth).
• Vestal Virgins served for thirty years.

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• Punishment for a minor infraction was beating,
  which typically drew blood. However, if a Vestal
  broke her vow of chastity, she was buried alive
  in a sealed underground chamber.
• Although given scant sustenance and lamp oil, the
  Vestal would eventually die.

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• The Vestal Virgins were charged with keeping
  Romes eternal flame burning.
• Romans believed that their city would fall if the
  flame was extinguished.

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• Numa had the Temple of Janus built.
• Janus was the god of beginnings and endings. Our
  word January is derived from this gods name.

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• Numa had the Temple of Janus built.
• The temple had two doors. The doors were open
  during wartime. However, they were closed during
  Numas entire reign, thus signifying peace.

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Numa coin note NUMA in crown

• Numa established the office of the Pontifex
  Maximus, or chief priest.

Back of Numa coin Numa about to sacrifice a goat
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3 Tullus Hostilius

• Tullus Hostilius was a bellicose king.
• He is responsible for the destruction of Alba
  Longa. Do you remember Alba Longa? Ascanius
  founded this city.

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• Tullus Hostilius built the first senate house, or
  curia. His senate house was called the Curia
  Hostilia.

inside the Curia Iulia (in the Roman
Forum) exterior of Curia Iulia
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• According to legend, Tullus was struck down by
  Jupiters thunderbolt for failing to pay proper
  respect to the gods.
• Historically, Tullus may have died in a house
  fire.

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4 Ancus Martius

• Ancus Martius (also known as Ancus Marcius) was
  the grandson of Numa Pompilius.
• True to his ancestry, Ancus upheld religious
  rites.

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• Ancus is credited with the building of the
  Mamertine Prison.
• The prison (carcer) housed inmates until their
  executions.
• During the Christian era, Peter and Paul were
  said to have been incarcerated here.

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inside Mamertine, upper level

• The Mamertine is at the foot of the Capitoline
  Hill and near the Forum Romanum.

inside Mamertine, lower level
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• Ancus established a deep-sea port at Ostia (at
  the mouth of the Tiber). This became a major
  port in the ancient world.

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• The Pons Sublicius, the first bridge across the
  Tiber River, was built during Ancus reign.

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5 Tarquinius Priscus

• Ancus Martius was defeated by the Etruscans, a
  people from Etruria.
• Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, or Tarquin the Elder,
  was the first Etruscan king of Rome.

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• Tarquin the Elder ingratiated himself to Ancus.
  He was so trusted that Ancus appointed Tarquin
  guardian of his children.
• When Ancus died, Tarquin conveniently arranged to
  send Ancus children out of town. Then, he
  convinced the Romans to elect him as the next
  king.

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Cloaca Maxima

• Tarquin the Elder is credited with the
  construction of the Cloaca Maxima, the first
  sewer in Rome.

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• Tarquinius Priscus instituted the Ludi Romani
  (Roman Games). The Circus Maximus was built
  during his reign.

model of Circus Maximus
Circus Maximus today
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6 Servius Tullius

• After Tarquin was reportedly killed by a plot
  managed by Ancus sons, Servius Tullius came to
  power.
• Servius Tullius was a son of one of Tarquins
  servants.

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• Servius expanded the city and built the Servian
  Wall, which encompassed Rome and its seven hills.

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• Do you see the Servian Wall?

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• Servius was killed by a Tarquin, who was married
  to one of Servius daughters, Tullia.

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• Tullia was so evil that she ran over her fathers
  corpse with her carriage.

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7 Tarquinius Superbus

• Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, or Tarquin the Proud,
  was a tyrant. He was hated and feared by the
  Romans. Even his peers in the senate feared him.

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• During Tarquins reign, a prophetess with the
  Sibylline Books came to him. She claimed that
  the books held Romes destiny, and she offered to
  sell him the nine volumes for a high price.
  Tarquin declined.
• She burned three of the books and returned to
  sell six books for the original price (of the
  nine). Once again, Tarquin declined, and the
  prophetess departed.

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• The woman came back yet again and offered to sell
  Tarquin three books she had burned three more
  for the original price of nine books. This time,
  Tarquin consulted the senate and purchased these
  three volumes.
• These books were consulted by appointed
  patricians in times of crisis.

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• Sextus, Tarquins son, was as evil as his father.
  When visiting his cousin Collatinus, Sextus had
  designs on Lucretia, his cousins wife.

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• Sextus was so enamored by Lucretias virtue that
  he went to her bedroom (during her husbands
  absence) and told her he would kill her if she
  did not sleep with him. However, she refused him.

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• After Lucretia refused the evil Sextus, he
  threatened to kill her and a slave and put them
  in bed together. She would not be able to defend
  her honor from the grave.
• Then, Sextus forced himself upon Lucretia.

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• The next morning, Lucretia told her father, her
  husband Collatinus, and their friend Brutus what
  had happened. Since she felt she had sullied the
  familys reputation, she stabbed herself right
  before their eyes.

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• Lucius Junius Brutus then took the bloody dagger
  from Lucretias body and boldly went forth to the
  Rostra (speakers platform) in the Forum. He
  told the citizens of Sextus crime.
  Consequently, Tarquin the Proud and his family
  were exiled.

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• Since that time, the Romans had a distinct
  dislike of kings. They established a republic in
  509 BC, and Brutus and Collatinus were the first
  consuls.

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Finis