Editing Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (section)

==Overthrow and exile==
{{main|Overthrow of the Roman monarchy}}
In 509 BC, having angered the Roman populace through the pace and burden of constant building, Tarquin embarked on [[Rutuli#War with Rome under Tarquinius Superbus|a campaign]] against the [[Rutuli]]. At that time, the Rutuli were a very wealthy nation, and Tarquin was keen to obtain the spoils that would come with victory, in hopes of assuaging the ire of his subjects. Failing to take their capital of [[Ardea, Lazio|Ardea]] by storm, the king determined to take the city by siege instead.<ref>Livy, i. 57.</ref>

With little prospect of battle, the young noblemen in the king's army fell to drinking and boasting. When the subject turned to the virtue of their wives, [[Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus]] claimed to have the most dedicated of spouses. With his companions, they secretly visited each other's homes, and discovered all of the wives enjoying themselves, except for [[Lucretia]], the wife of Collatinus, who was engaged in domestic activities. Lucretia received the princes graciously, and together her beauty and virtue kindled the flame of desire in Collatinus' cousin, Sextus Tarquinius, the king's son.

After a few days, Sextus returned to [[Collatia]], where he implored Lucretia to give herself to him. When she refused, he threatened that if she did not yield herself to him, he would kill her, and claim that he had discovered her in the act of adultery with a slave, for which reason he had slain the unfaithful Lucretia, delivering the punishment as her husband's kinsman.<ref>Livy, i. 58.</ref>

To spare her husband the shame threatened by Sextus, Lucretia submitted to his desire. But when he had departed for the camp, Lucretia sent for her husband and father, revealing the whole matter, and accusing Sextus of raping her. Despite the pleas of her family, Lucretia stabbed herself to spare Collatinus any suspicion that she had betrayed him. Her grieving husband, together with his father-in-law, [[Spurius Lucretius Tricipitinus]], and his companions, [[Lucius Junius Brutus]] and [[Publius Valerius Poplicola|Publius Valerius]], swore an oath to expel the king and his family from Rome.<ref>Livy, i. 59.</ref>

As [[Tribune#Tribune of the Celeres|Tribune of the Celeres]], Brutus was head of the king's personal bodyguard, and entitled to summon the Roman comitia. This he did, and by recounting the various grievances of the people, the king's abuses of power, and by inflaming public sentiment with the tale of the rape of Lucretia, Brutus persuaded the comitia to revoke the king's [[imperium]] and send him into exile. Tullia fled the city in fear of the mob, while Sextus Tarquinius, his deed revealed, fled to Gabii, where he hoped for the protection of the Roman garrison.  However, his previous conduct there had made him many enemies, and he was soon assassinated. In place of the king, the ''comitia centuriata'' resolved to elect two [[Roman consul|consuls]] to hold power jointly. Lucretius, the [[praefectus urbi|prefect of the city]], presided over the election of the first consuls, Brutus and Collatinus.<ref>Livy, i. 60.</ref>

When word of the uprising reached the king, Tarquin abandoned Ardea and sought support from his allies in Etruria. The cities of [[Veii]] and [[Tarquinii]] sent contingents to join the king's army, and he prepared to march upon Rome. Meanwhile, Brutus prepared a force to meet the returning army. In a surprising reversal, Brutus demanded that his colleague Collatinus resign the consulship and go into exile because he bore the hated name of Tarquinius. Stunned by this betrayal, Collatinus complied, and his father-in-law was chosen to succeed him.<ref>Livy, ii. 1–3.</ref>

Meanwhile, the king sent ambassadors to the senate, ostensibly to request the return of his personal property, but in reality to subvert a number of Rome's leading men. When this plot was discovered, those found guilty were put to death by the consuls. Brutus was forced to condemn his two sons Titus and Tiberius to death because they had taken part in the conspiracy.<ref>Livy, ii. 5.</ref>  Leaving Lucretius in charge of the city, Brutus departed to meet the king on the field of battle. At the [[Battle of Silva Arsia]], the Romans won a hard-fought victory over the king and his Etruscan allies. Each side sustained painful losses; the consul Brutus and his cousin, [[Arruns Tarquinius (son of Tarquin the Proud)|Arruns Tarquinius]], fell in battle against each other.<ref>Livy, ii. 6–7.</ref>

After this failure, Tarquin turned to [[Lars Porsena]], the king of [[Clusium]]. Porsena's march on Rome and the valiant defence of the Romans achieved legendary status, giving rise to the story of [[Horatius Cocles|Horatius at the bridge]], and the bravery of [[Gaius Mucius Scaevola]]. Accounts vary as to whether Porsena finally entered Rome, or was thwarted, but modern scholarship suggests that he was able to occupy the city briefly before withdrawing. Ultimately, his efforts were of no avail to the exiled Roman king.<ref>Livy, ii. 9–14.</ref>

{{Main|Battle of Lake Regillus}}
Tarquin's final attempt to regain the Roman kingdom came in 499 or 496 BC, when he persuaded his son-in-law, Octavius Mamilius, dictator of Tusculum, to march on Rome at the head of a Latin army.  The Roman army was led by the dictator [[Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis|Aulus Postumius Albus]] and his [[Magister equitum|Master of the Horse]], [[Titus Aebutius Elva]], while the elderly king and his last remaining son, [[Titus Tarquinius]], accompanied by a force of Roman exiles, fought alongside the Latins. Once more the battle was hard-fought and narrowly decided, with both sides suffering great losses. Mamilius was slain, the master of the horse grievously injured, and Titus Tarquinius barely escaped with his life. But in the end, the Latins abandoned the field, and Rome retained her independence.<ref>Livy, ii. 19–20.</ref>

After the Latin defeat and the death of his son-in-law, Tarquin went to the court of [[Aristodemus of Cumae|Aristodemus]] at [[Cumae]], where he died in 495.<ref>Livy, ii. 21.</ref>