Early Roman History to the fall of Tarquin
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The early Kings of Rome c. 750 BC - c. 600 BC
It is thought that these separate communities underwent a process of synoecism, that is, they coalesced into a single community. Roman tradition ascribes to Romulus the honour of this achievement but the date of 750 BC is probably too soon for this. Originally the communities of the Palatine, Esquiline and Quirinal were distinct and separated by the marshy area of the Forum. The feast of the Septimontium (septem montes) relates not to the Seven Hills of Rome, but to the Caelius, together with three hills on the Palatine (Cermalus, Palatinus, Fagutal) and three on the Esquiline (Oppius, Cispius, Fagutal). The feast probably celebrated the union of these communities into one. The festival of the Lupercalia in which naked young men run around the Palatine hill may have a similar origin. Subsequently, the communities of the Palatine and Quirinal were unified, and this was also reflected in the fact that the dancing priests (the Salli) were divided into the Salii Palatini and the Salii Collini at some stage; similarly, the Luperci were divided into two. The city was divided into four regions, which probably reflects a time when the villages of the Palatine, Caelius, Esquiline and Quirinal were separate. Later there were four urban tribes. The enlarged community were linked by the common worship of Vesta, and the ritual of the Argei in which 24 (or possibly 27) puppets were taken from each of the sacella of the four ancient districts of Rome probably dates from this period and was part of the process of synoecism. Livy's list of the first three kings is suspect - their reigns are unnaturally long. The popular history of Rome at this time and its continual wars with its neighbours cannot be relied upon, and is likely to have been a myth that served the purpose of glorifying Rome's early history at a later time. Between the different Italic peoples there emerged certain traditional rules for the making of war and governing relations. Within Rome the maintenance of these rules was delegated to a college of Fetiales (priests representing Rome in diplomacy). In the case of a dispute, four Fetiales would be sent to demand restitution and only if restitution was denied and after a period of thirty days could war be declared. Fetial priests existed in other Latin towns and among the Samnites. It is not likely that early Rome was as heavily involved in constant war as the tradition maintains. However, it is likely that Rome did capture and destroy Alba Longua before the period of the Etruscan kings. Wars may have been fought with Fidenae and Nomentum, but these are not likely to have fallen to Rome. Nonetheless, the figure of Numa, a Sabine, is possibly historic. He is regarded as having established the first calendar of Roman religious ritual and appears to have been a Priest-King. According to legend one of the early kings came from the Sabines, and Roman tradition asserts that the Sabines formed part of the early community at Rome.
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Contents of
Early Roman History to the fall of Tarquin
1 Latium and Rome - the site of Rome
2 The ancient Latins
3 The problem of sources
4 Fabius Pictor and Cincius Alimentus
5 The Roman annalists
6 Greek references to early Roman history
7 The work of the Roman annalists
8 Primary sources for Roman history
9 Further primary sources for early Roman history
10 The traditional account of early Roman History from Livy
11 Ascanius
12 Romulus
13 Numa Pmplius
14 Tulius Hostilius
15 Mettius
16 Ancus Marcius
17 Tarquinius Priscus
18 Servius Tullius
19 Tarquinius Superbus
20 The Rape of Lucretia
21 Lars Porsenna
22 Rome, Latium and the foundation of Rome c. 1200 BC - c. 750 BC
23 The founding of Rome
24 Mont Cavo in the Alban Hills
25 The Palatine Hill
26 The myth of the Sabine women
27 The early Kings of Rome c. 750 BC - c. 600 BC
28 Early constitution of Rome
29 The period of the Etruscan preponderance: c. 600 BC - c. 510 BC
30 The reign of Servius
31 The reign of Tarquinius Superbus
32 The foundation of the Roman Republic
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