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Lucius Tarquinius Priscus

Type Figure Region Rome Time c. -640–-579 Also known as Tarquinius Priscus

Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of Rome in the regal period, an Etruscan noble from Tarquinia who seized the throne c.…

Timeline

  1. -616Rome · RomeTarquinius came from the Lucumo family of the Etruscan city of Tarquinia; because of political disputes he brought his wealth and his wife Tanaquil to Rome and quickly integrated into Roman noble society.
  2. -616Rome · RomeAfter the death of Ancus Marcius the Elder, Tarquinius defeated his rivals through wealth, military prestige, and political alliances, becoming the fifth king of Rome with the cognomen Priscus (the Elder).
  3. -616–-579Rome · RomeDuring his thirty-seven-year reign, Tarquinius expanded Rome's boundaries, built the Circus Maximus and the drainage system, celebrated Rome's first triumph, and conquered neighboring Latin and Sabine tribes, greatly extending Roman power.
  4. -579Rome · RomeTarquinius was assassinated in a senate meeting by the son of a former king. According to Livy, his wife Tanaquil promptly arranged for their adopted son Servius Tullius to succeed him, averting a power vacuum.

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