Editing Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (section)

==Reign==
[[File:Comic History of Rome Table 02 Tarquinius Superbus makes himself King.jpg|thumb|Tarquinius Superbus makes himself King; from ''The Comic History of Rome'' by [[Gilbert Abbott à Beckett]] (c. 1850s)]]

Tarquin commenced his reign by refusing to bury the dead Servius, and then putting to death several leading senators, whom he suspected of remaining loyal to Servius. By not replacing the slain senators, and not consulting the senate on matters of government, he diminished both the size and the authority of the senate. In another break with tradition, Tarquin judged capital crimes without the advice of counsellors, causing fear amongst those who might think to oppose him. <!--[commenting out until this can be verified: is this mentioned by any of the Greek or Latin historians or antiquarians? If not, is there any legitimate basis for including this statement?  Neither book seems to offer a preview on Google Books, and thus I cannot search them to see what they say about it.]  He is said to have castrated the sons of exiles, or the rebels themselves, and taken the eunuch boys as sexual slaves.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Scholz|first=Piotr O.|title=Eunuchs and Castrati:  A Cultural History|publisher=Markus Weiner Publishers|year=2001|isbn=9781558762008|pages=122|translator-last=Broadwin|translator-first=John A.|translator-last2=Frisch|translator-first2=Shelley L.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Zambaco|first=Demetrius A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tYUyDwAAQBAJ|title=Les Eunuques D'Aujourd'hui et Ceux de Jadis|publisher=Libraries de L'Academie de Medicine|year=1911|location=Paris|pages=218|language=en}}</ref>--> He made a powerful ally when he betrothed his daughter to [[Octavius Mamilius]] of [[Tusculum]], among the most eminent of the Latin chiefs.<ref>Livy, i. 49.</ref>

Early in his reign, Tarquin called a meeting of the [[Latin League|Latin]] leaders to discuss the bonds between Rome and the Latin towns. The meeting was held at a grove sacred to the goddess [[Ferentina]]. At the meeting, [[Turnus Herdonius]] inveighed against Tarquin's arrogance, and warned his countrymen against trusting the Roman king. Tarquin then bribed Turnus' servant to store a large number of swords in his master's lodging. Tarquin called together the Latin leaders, and accused Turnus of plotting his assassination. The Latin leaders accompanied Tarquin to Turnus' lodging and, the swords then being discovered, the Latin's guilt was then speedily inferred. Turnus was condemned to be thrown into a pool of water in the grove with a wooden frame, or ''cratis'', placed over his head, into which stones were thrown, drowning him. The meeting of the Latin chiefs then continued, and Tarquin persuaded them to renew their treaty with Rome, becoming her allies rather than her enemies. It was agreed that the soldiers of the Latins would attend at the grove on an appointed day, and form a united military force with the [[Early Roman army|Roman army]].<ref>Livy, i. 50–52.</ref>

Next, Tarquin instigated a war against the [[Volsci]], taking the wealthy town of [[Suessa Pometia]]. He celebrated a triumph, and with the spoils of this conquest, he commenced the erection of the [[Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus]], which Tarquin the Elder had vowed.<ref>''[[Fasti Triumphales]]''</ref> He then engaged in a [[Gabii#War with Rome under Tarquinius Superbus|war]] with [[Gabii]], one of the Latin cities that had rejected the treaty with Rome.  Unable to take the city by force of arms, Tarquin resorted to another stratagem. His son, Sextus, pretending to be ill-treated by his father, and covered with the bloody marks of stripes, fled to Gabii. The infatuated inhabitants entrusted him with the command of their troops, and when he had obtained the unlimited confidence of the citizens, he sent a messenger to his father to inquire how he should deliver the city into his hands. The king, who was walking in his garden when the messenger arrived, made no reply but kept striking off the heads of the tallest poppies with his stick. Sextus took the hint, and put to death, or banished on false charges, all the leading men of Gabii, after which he had no difficulty in compelling the city to submit.<ref>Livy, i. 53–55.</ref>

Tarquin agreed upon a peace with the [[Aequi]], and renewed the treaty of peace between Rome and the [[Etruscans]]. According to the [[Fasti Triumphales]], he won a victory over the [[Sabines]], and established Roman colonies at the towns of [[Segni|Signia]] and [[Circeii]].<ref>Livy, i. 55, 56.</ref>

At Rome, Tarquin levelled the top of the [[Tarpeian Rock]], overlooking the [[Roman Forum|Forum]], and removed a number of ancient [[Sabine]] shrines to make way for the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the [[Capitoline Hill]]. He constructed tiers of seats in the circus, and ordered the excavation of Rome's great sewer, the ''[[cloaca maxima]]''.<ref>Livy, i. 56.</ref>

[[File:Lawrence Alma-Tadema 11.jpeg|left|thumb|''Tarquinius Superbus'' by [[Lawrence Alma-Tadema]], depicting the king receiving a laurel; the poppies in the foreground refer to the [[Tall poppy syndrome|"tall poppy" allegory]]]]
According to one story, Tarquin was approached by the [[Cumaean Sibyl]], who offered him nine books of prophecy at an exorbitant price. Tarquin abruptly refused, and the Sibyl proceeded to burn three of the nine. She then offered him the remaining books, but at the same price. He hesitated, but refused again. The Sibyl then burned three more books before offering him the three remaining books at the original price. At last, Tarquin accepted, in this way obtaining the [[Sibylline Books]].<ref>Dionysius, iv. 62.</ref><ref>Pliny the Elder, ''Historia Naturalis'', xiii. 88.</ref><ref>Servius, ''Ad Virgilii Aeneidem'', vi. 72.</ref>