URBEM ROMAM A PRINCIPIO REGES HABUERE; LIBERTATEMET

CONSULATUM L. BRUTUS INSTITUIT.From the beginning, kings held

Rome. Lucius Brutus established the consulship and freedom…

Tacitus Annales 1.1

According to tradition, Rome had seven kings.

1. Romulus2. Numa Pompilius

3. Tullius Hostilius4. Ancus Marcius

5. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus6. Servius Tullius

7. Lucius Tarquinius Superbus

Here is a mnemonic people use:

Roman Noodles Toss And Turn, Save Them!

I know – it is very silly, and it doesn’t seem helpful. BUT, if you google “seven kings of Rome mnemonic”,this will come up. This is the saying everyone who is cool uses!

ROMULUSThe beginning portion of this story is told in another PowerPoint, but…

Romulus and his twin brother Remus decide to found a city. They

argue, fratricide follows, and Romulus names ROMe after

himself.

The Capitoline She-Wolf nurses Romulus and Remus

Every male looking for a new start came to Rome. Rome didn’t have any women –

just wait until you learn how Romulus got them to Rome. Romulus created the senate

(from senex) to help him.

No one quite knows how Romulus died. He mysteriously disappeared during a

thunderstorm on the Quirnal Hill.

One man claimed that Romulus had POOF! Turned into a god, and now he wished to be worshipped as the god QUIRINUS.

So that is what the Romans did.

But most likely, Romulus was assassinated…

The period of time between kings is called INTERREGNUM. inter =

betweenregnum = reign

Romulus ruled from 753 BC – 716 BC

NUMA POMPILIUS WAS THE SECOND KING OF ROME.

715 BC – 674 BC

Numa Pompilius instituted many of Rome’s religious and political

institutions. Numa Pompilius got a lot of advice from his wife – Egeria. The weird thing… She was a water nymph!

TULLUS HOSTILIUS WAS THE THIRD KING OF ROME.

673 BC - 642Tullus Hostilius was hostile. Under

his rule, the Romans were constantly at war with their

neighbors.Tullus Hostilius didn’t carry out his religious duties properly. One day, when he finally got around to offering a sacrifice,

the gods zapped him with a lightning bolt!

ANCUS MARCIUS WAS THE FOURTH KING OF ROME.

641 BC – 617BC

Ancus Marcus built a wooden bridge across the Tiber (pons Sublicius) to join the Janiculum Hill with Rome. He built the Marmertine, Rome’s first prison.

LUCIUS TARQUINIUS PRISCUS WAS THE FIFTH KING OF ROME.

616 BC – 579 BCWhen Tarquinius Priscus was coming to Rome

for the first time, an eagle flew down and stole his hat.

Then, the eagle came back, and put the hat back on his head!

His wife, Tanaquil, was a prophetess. She decided that it was a “sign”.

Tarquinius Priscus subdued many nearby Italy cities.

He built the Circus Maximus.

He built the Cloaca Maxima (Greatest Sewer) – parts of which are in use even today!

Tarquinius Priscus was killed by the sons of Ancus Marcius. They arranged for the head of Tarquinius Priscus to meet up

with an axe!

SERVIUS TULLIUS WAS THE SIXTH KING OF ROME.

578 BC – 535 BCAccording to one story, Servius Tullius

was a slave boy in the house of Tarquinius Priscus. One night a ring of fire appeared around his head while he slept. Tanaquil thought it was a

‘sign’. Servius Tullius was married to a daughter of Tarquinius Priscus.

SERVIUS TULLIUS HAD A DAUGHTER, TULLIA, WHO

MARRIED LUCIUS TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS.

Tullia and Tarquin plotted against him. Tarquin went to the Curia (the

Senate House) and told the Senators that he was in charge.

LUCIUS TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS WAS THE SEVENTH KING OF

ROME.535 BC - 509 BC

Superbus means proud or haughty.

Tarquinius Superbus was a tyrant. After his son raped the virtuous Lucretia, the Romans decided that they had enough. Led by Lucius Junius Brutus, the Romans expelled Tarquin the Proud. The Roman Monarchy ended and the republic began.

SERVIUS TULLIUS RUSHED TO THE CURIA.

When he got there, Tarquin Superbus threw him down the

stairs and into the street.

Tullia was so excited that her husband would now be king, that she drove to the Curia to congratulate him.

She saw her father in the street, AND RAN OVER HIM!