Roman Lives

Following the tale of Coriolanus, we are treated to a similar story - a patrician man wronged by the plebs at large. Villainized and broken, Cincinnatus had every excuse to take the same road as Coriolanus, but instead became a paragon of honor and citizenship in the early Republic.

An ancient Benedict Arnold, Coriolanus turned on his native city and nearly destroyed Rome - all for the sake of his injured pride and hatred of the plebeians. 

Publicola is not a widely recognized name the way Brutus is, but he was far more important to the infancy of the Roman Republic than Brutus, or Spurius Lucretius, or Collatinus. In many ways, he was the Father of the Roman Republic in a way that no other figure could claim to be. 

Brutus was the cousin of Superbus, nephew by marriage of Servius Tullius, and a grandson of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. And yet, despite his marital ties, it was Brutus who proved to be the spark that Rome needed to throw out not just Superbus, but all Kings - forever. 

The Kings are dead! The Kings are dead! At last, we round up the Regal Era of Rome and what it means for the podcast going forward. Also in this episode is the official announcement of Roman Lives' partnership with Audible.com! To start your own 30 day free trial of Audible and help support the podcast, simply check out audiblepodcast.com/romanlives. Thanks for everyone who sent in questions and comments, and brace yourself - the early Republic is next, starting with Lucius Junius Brutus this Wednesday!

Lucius Tarquinius Superbus was anything but superb. His fall from the throne of Rome - and the foundation of the Republic - was momentous in and of itself. However, it would have an impact on the world that no one at the time could possibly have imagined. While it was no doubt his tyranny that laid the foundation for his ouster, it was (in the end) his son's rape of a married noble woman that would serve as the catalyst for it all. Superbus, in later centuries, would serve as the archetype of a tyrannical villain, and in his own way provided as much ammunition to the killers of Julius Caesar as Caesar himself. 

Servius Tullius was Lucius Tarquinius Priscus' son-in-law and heir at the time of the latter's assassination by agents of the Marcii. A smooth operator, he showed what diplomacy could do both at home and abroad, and completed Rome's Seven Hills by incorporating the Esquiline and Viminal. However, he too would meet with a grisly end, as Priscus' grandson would soon demand his time in the spotlight.

Lucius Tarquinius Priscus was Rome's first King of Etruscan heritage, though he would end up in Rome only because he was viewed as an outsider by his own countrymen. A builder and a warrior, Tarquinius set many precedents for Rome - the use of lictors, the fasces, the sale of conquered people into slavery and more. He would not be the last of his name to play a prominent role in Rome's development - in fact, his grandson would be the last king of Rome, while the son of his nephew would be one of the men to cast that grandson out of Rome.  Next time, we really start to see the light at the end of the long tunnel of Rome's regal period with the accession of Servius Tullius, Tarquinius' son in law. 

Ancus Marcius was the grandson of Numa Pompilius and his spiritual successor - but he never got a chance to be much of a prophet. Instead Ancus was forced to be one of early Rome's most effective generals and administrators.

Tullus Hostilius was the third king of Rome, a warrior who would put to rest a budding rivalry with Romulus' birth city, Alba Longa.

Romulus and Remus are the legendary founders of the Eternal City, Rome. While still a King, Romulus personified most of what future Romans would call 'a true citizen'. In the end, his autocratic rule would be the end of him, but not before he laid the foundations for greatness in central Italy.

Roman Lives is a Roman history podcast devoted to telling the tales of the men and women who made Rome great. Starting with Romulus and Remus in the 8th century BC, Roman Lives seeks to tackle all the names, known and unknown, all the way until 1453 AD and the fall of Constantinople.