Tarquinius PriscusThe Fifth King of Rome
Tarquinius Priscus was the first Roman king of Etruscan ancestry.
The story of his rise to power is quite interesting. On his trip to Rome, Tarquinius Priscus was with his wife, Tanaquil. Suddenly, an eagle flew to them, took Tarquinius' hat, flew in a circle, and finally, put the hat back on his head. Tanaquil predicted that this omen meant that he would soon be ruler of Rome. Tarquinius did not accomplish as much as the previous rulers did. However, he laid much groundwork that future rulers would build upon. He created the foundations for the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, and also came up with the idea of a wall surrounding the Roman city. His greatest achievement was the construction of the Cloaca Maxima, a massive sewage system that was used in Rome for the next few centuries after its completion under Tarquinius Priscus. However, Tarquinius' death was a brutal one. Since he had taken power when the sons of Ancus Marcius were traveling, they had never forgiven his actions. Those sons soon avenged the betrayal by killing Tarquinius with an axe blow to the head. |
Quick Facts• 5th king of Rome
• Created the Cloaca Maxima • Killed by the sons of Ancus Marcius |
Heritage• Origin: Etruscan
• Father: Demaratus of Corinth • Mother: Unknown |
Fun Facts• Tarquinius Priscus' original name was Lucomo, before he became ruler of Rome
• Priscus was a chief advisor to the previous king, Ancus Marcius |