Roman Antiquities Book 4

4th year of the 50th Olympiad

(576BC - 532BC)

1 – 9 – From birth to kingship (cf. Livy 1.42)

1 – 2 – Accounts of Tullius’ origin

3 – Tullius befriends the previous king, L. Tarquinius Priscus

4 – 5 – Taking over of the kingship by Tarquinia for Tullius

6 – 7 – Disagreement with historians who say that the children left by Tarquinius were his sons (as opposed to his grandsons)

8 – 9 – Funeral of Tarquinius

10 - 40 Reign of Tullius

10 – 12 – Tullius fears having seized the kingship without interreges and takes precautions to secure the contentment of the people.

13 – Civil deeds (cf. Livy 1.43-44)

13 – 14 – Dividing of public lands, expansion and division of the city

15 – Division of people into tribes; division of surrounding lands for security and herdsmen; establishment of the Paganalia

16 – 22 – Census and Servian constitution

16 – 18 – Equipping of infantry and cavalry

19 – Financial details of levying troops

20 – 21 – Details of century voting to the benefit of the wealthy

22 – Consecration of census and assemblies

23 – Philosophical exploration of the nature of free vs enslaved peoples; Servius convinces the wealthy to allow freedmen to participate in the government

24 – Digression to discuss Roman slavery; degradation of once noble customs (such as slavery and manumission according to DH) into the way the customs are abused in his time.

25 – 26 – Unity and Roman leadership of the Latin tribes

25 – Greek inspirations

26 – Latins ought to rule their neighbors and Romans ought to be head

27 – War with the Etruscans; building of temple of Fortune

28 – 39 – Assassination of Servius Tullius (cf. Livy 1.46-48)

28 – Progeny of Tullius and Tarquinia

29 – 30 – Tullia’s plot with the younger Tarquinius

31 – 32 – Tarquinius argues his right to the throne

33 – 36 – Tullius responds, shaming the conspirators

37 – The people support Tullius

38 – Tarquinius takes the throne anyway

39 – Tullius murdered and his body desecrated by his daughter’s carriage

40 – The end of Tullius

4th year of the 61st Olympiad

532BC - 509BC

41 – Tarquinius solidifies power (cf. Livy 1.49-53)

41 – Reason for the name “superbus” (the proud)

42 – Expulsion of all who might threaten him

43 – 44 – Oppression of the plebians through taxes and hard labor

45 – Tarquinius assembles a bodyguard

46 – 48 – Tensions between Tarquinius and the dissenter Turnus (who is buried alive)

49 – Relationships with surrounding peoples (cf. Livy 1.53-56)

49 – supremacy over the Latins and alliance with the Hernicans and Volscans

50 – 55 – War with the Sabines; Suessa; Fidenae; Gabini

56 – 58 – Deceit of people at Gabini by Sextus Tarquinius; execution of many good citizens

59 – 61 – Completion of the temple of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva; a head is found giving the name to the Capitoline Hill

62 – Sibylline books come to Rome

63 - 85 – Downfall of the Tarquins (cf. Livy 1.57-60)

63 – Tarquinius founds the colonies of Signia and Circeii; omens of the coming rape of Lucretia by Sextus

64 - 67 – The rape of Lucretia

68 – 75 – Marcus Junius Brutus and Publius Valerius decide to avenge Lucretia

76 – Establishment of the consules (including the reason for the Greek ὕπατοι) and the res publica

77 – 83 – Brutus urges the people to ally with him in expulsing the Tarquins

84 – Spurius Lucretius as interrex; Brutus and Collatinus confirmed as consuls

85 – Tarquinius finds himself shut out of the city