Posts about the mythical ancestors of the Romans and the days of the Roman Kingdom (before 753 B.C. – 509 B.C.)
The early Roman Kingdom was dominated by the descendants of its Latin and Sabine founders. As time went by, people from neighboring Etruria gradually moved in, and Romans of Etruscan origin gained importance. It all culminated with the rise of Rome’s first Etruscan ruler, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, a.k.a. Tarquin the Elder. This post contains affiliate…
When we last left the Roman Kingdom, its third king, Tullus Hostilius, lay dead along with his entire household, slain by Ancus Marcius. So what happened next? This post contains affiliate links. It helps keep our site running at no additional cost to you. Read more about it on our disclosure page here. Ancus Marcius, Rome’s…
The Roman economy was built on slavery for most of its existence. Yet, modern depictions of slavery in Roman society are colored by stereotypes and prejudices of our modern era. So, let’s discuss some of the facts and myths regarding slavery in Ancient Rome. This post contains affiliate links. It helps keep our site running…
Nothing is more identifiably Roman in the eyes of the modern reader than long and peculiar names ending in –us. Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Tullius Cicero, and Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus are just a few of the more famous examples. It begs the question, what were the Roman naming conventions? Was there any meaning behind these…
In time, Roman society developed different and concurrent class systems. Citizenship status, gender, wealth, and seniority within the family were crucial to defining someone’s rights, privileges, and obligations. Ancestry, though, formed the basis of a quintessentially Roman grouping: the patricians and plebeians. This post contains affiliate links. It helps keep our site running at no…
Now that we have covered the founding myths of Rome and the formative period of the Roman Kingdom, perhaps we should pause for a moment and take stock. Which part is factual, and which is legendary? More importantly, what were the key events that shaped the future of Rome? This post contains affiliate links. It…
All good things come to an end, and so did Numa Pompilius’ prosperous reign. According to tradition, Pompilius died in 672 B.C., mourned by a grateful nation. So, it was time to elect a new king. Who would the lucky one be? The late king’s friend and fellow Sabine, Numa Marcius, or the warlike Latin,…
In today’s post, I’ll discuss Rome’s second king, Numa Pompilius. Those of you who paid attention might say he was the third, after Romulus and Titus Tatius. At the same time, many scholars believe he was the first historical king, the previous ones being the figments of later generations’ imagination. Personally, I believe a guy…
The last time we left Romulus, he became the sole ruler of Rome once again after the untimely death of his colleague. So what happened to Romulus after Titus Tatius left the worldly scene? This post contains affiliate links. It helps keep our site running at no additional cost to you. Read more about it…
In a previous post, I covered the first part of Rome’s foundation myth, from the Twins’ birth to Remus’ death at the hands of Romulus. Furthermore, we discussed the infamous Rape of the Sabine Women, the subsequent war, and the resulting unification of the Sabines and the Latin inhabitants of Rome under the joint leadership…