11. Tarquinius Superbus

Inde L. Tarquinius regnare coepit, cui propter facta cognomen "Superbus" datum est. Princeps patrum, qui Servium dilexerant, interfecit. Suum corpus armatis circumsaepsit.

Then L. Tarquinius began to rule, to whom on account of his deeds the cognomen "Arrogant" was given . He killed the leaders of the senators, who had loved Servius. He surrounded his own body with armed men

Iudicia capitalium rerum sine consiliis per se solus exercebat. Ita poterat occidere, in exilium agere, bonis spoliare omnes quos cupiebat.

He alone was enforcing judgements of capital matters by himself without advice. Thus he was able to kill, to drive into exile, to deprive all of their goods whom he wished.

Etsi reges superiores senatum de omnibus rebus consulere soliti erant, Tarquinius domesticis consiliis rem publicam administravit. Bellum, pacem, foedera, societates per se ipse fecit.

Although the previous kings had been accustomed to consulting the senate about all things, Tarquinius administered the state with the advice of his household. He made war, peace, treaties, and alliances through himself.

Latinorum gentem sibi maxime conciliabat. Octavio Mamilio Tusculano - is longe nobilissimus Latinorum erat - filiam in matrimonium dat.

He was greatly winning over the tribe of the Latins to himself. He gave his daughter in marriage to Octavius Mamilius Tusculanum - he was by far the most noble of the Latins.

Tarquinius, quamquam iniustus in pace rex fuit, pacem belli tamen non pravum se praebuit. Is primus cum Volscis bellum gessit, et magnum praedam cepit.

Tarquinius, although he was an unjust king in peacetime, however showed himself to be not a bad leader in war. He was the first to wage war with the Volscians, and he seized great plunder.

In alio bello, cum Gabios, vicinam urbem, vi capere non posset, fraude ac dolo per filium suum Sex. Tarquinium aggressus est. Gabiis receptis, Tarquinius ad negotia urbana animum convertit.

In another war, since he was not able to capture Gabii, a neighboring city, with force, he attacked it with deception and treachery through his son Sextus Tarquinius. Gabii having been taken Tarquinius turned his attention to city business.

Primum templum in monte Tarqpeio aedificare totumque montem Jovi dedicare constituit. Hoc templum pater iam antea voverat. Ad hoc opus fabris Etruscis et operariis ex plebe Romana usus est.

He decided to build the first temple on the Tarpeian rock and dedicate the whole mountain to Jupiter. His father before now had vowed this temple. For this work he used Etruscan craftsmen and workers from the Roman plebs.

Plebs etiam, ad alia opera traducta, foros in Circo fecit claocamque maximam sub terram egit, quam etiam nunc videmus. Multi quoque ex plebe coloni Signiam Circeiosque missi sunt qui praesidia urbi essent

And so the plebs, having been transferred to other jobs, made seats in the Circus and he led a great sewer under the earth, which even now we see. Many colonists also were sent from the plebs to Signia and Circeios to be a guard for the city.

Dum haec aguntur, portentum terribile visum est; anguis, ex columna lignea elapsus, terrorem fugamque in regia fecit atque ipsius regis pectus anxiis curis implevit.

While these things are being conducted, a terrible sign was seen; a snake, slid from wooden column, made terror and flight in the palace and filled the heart of the king himself with anxious cares.

Itaque Tarquinius filio, Titum et Arruntem, Delphos ad clarissimum in terris oraculum mittere statuit. Comes eis additus est L. Juinius Brutus, ex Tarquinia, sorore reges, natus.

And so Tarquinius decided to send his sons, Titus and Arruns, to Delphi to the most famous oracle in the land. As a companion for them L. Junius Brutus was added, the son from Tarquinia, the sister of the king.

Cognomes eius hoc modo paratum erat; rex eos principes civitatis quos timebat interficere solebat, in quibus fratrem Bruti interfecit.

His cognomen had been prepared in this way; The king was accustomed to kill those leaders of the state whom feared, among whom he killed the brother of Brutus.

Hic, ut crudelitatem regis vitaret, consulto stultitiam imitatus, bona sua regem spoliare passus est neque cognomen Bruti recusavit.

This man, to avoid cruelty of the king, deliberately imitated stupidity, he allowed the king to take away his goods and he did not refuse the surname Brutus.

Is tum igitur ab Tarquiniis ductus est Delphos, ludibrium verius quam comes. Tulit tamen donum Apolloni aureum baculum inclusum in baculo corneo, tamquam effigiem ingenii sui.

He therefore then was led by the Tarquinians to Delphi, more truly as an amusement than as a comrade. However he brought a golden stick as a gift to Apollo enclosed in a wooden stick, just like a symbol of his own character.

Postquam iuvenes Delphos venerunt patrisque mandata confecerunt, statuerunt quaere ex oraculo ad quem eorum regnum esset venturum.

After the young men came to Delphi they carried out the orders of their father, they decided to seek from the oracle to which of them the kingdom was going to come.

Vox reddita est: "Imperium summum Romae habebit qui vestrum primus, o iuvenes, matrem osculabitur." Tarquinii, Brutum contemnentes, ipsi inter se ius matris osculandae Romae sorti permittunt.

A voice was returned: "He will have the highest power at Rome who first of you, o young men, will kiss his mother." The Tarquinians, disregarding Brutus, by themselves allowed the right of kissing the mother in Rome to lot.

Brutus, qui alio modo oraculum interpretatus erat, cecidit tarramque osculatus est, scilicet quod ea communis mater est omnium mortalium. Redierunt inde iuvenes Romam.

Brutus who had interpreted the oracle in another way, fell and kissed the earth evidently because she was the common mother of all mortals. Then the young men returned to Rome.