Tullus Hostilius (r. 673 BC – 641 BC) was the third of the legendary Kings of Rome. Events and trends 677 BC — Esarhaddon leads the Assyrian army against rebellious Arab tribes advances as far as the Brook of Egypt Events and trends Assyrian king Ashurbanipal founds library which includes our earliest complete copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh. The King of Rome ( Latin: rex regis) was the Chief magistrate of the Roman Kingdom. He succeeded Numa Pompilius, and was succeeded by Ancus Marcius. Numa Pompilius, according to Legend, was the second King of Rome, succeeding Romulus. Ancus Marcius (r 640 BC &ndash 616 BC fourth of the Kings of Rome, and possibly legendary
His successful wars with Alba Longa, Fidenae and Veii shadow forth the earlier conquests of Latin territory and the first extension of the Roman territory beyond the walls of Rome. Alba Longa (in Italian sources occasionally written Albalonga) was an ancient city of Latium in central Italy southeast of Rome in the Alban Fidenae was an ancient town of Latium, situated about 5 miles north of Rome on the Via Salaria, which ran between it and the Tiber Veii (pron WAY-ee or VAY-ee also Veius) was in ancient times an important Etrurian city 16 km NNW of Rome, Italy; its site lies in the modern Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 It was during his reign that the combat between the Horatii and Curiatii, the representatives of Rome and Alba Longa, took place. According to Titus Livius, the Horatii were a set of male triplets from Rome. He is said to have been struck dead by lightning as the punishment of his pride.
Tullus Hostilius was chosen by the senators because he was a Roman and because his grandfather had fought with Romulus against the Sabines. Romulus (c 771 BC– c 717 BC and Remus (c 771 BC–c 753 BC are the traditional founders of Rome, appearing in Roman mythology After the death of Numa Pompilius the spirit of peace seemed to weaken. Numa Pompilius, according to Legend, was the second King of Rome, succeeding Romulus. Friendly feelings between the Romans and the countrymen of Alba Longa in the hills outside of Rome gave way to quarreling because people began to raid each others fields and gardens, stealing each other's crops and animals. Alba Longa (in Italian sources occasionally written Albalonga) was an ancient city of Latium in central Italy southeast of Rome in the Alban
When the ruler of the Albans complained to Tullus Hostilius, he, like a small boy, said "You started it!" The Alban and Roman armies prepared to fight. On the proposal of the Alban dictator, Mettius Fufetius, the two sides agreed that the dispute would be resolved by combat between two sets of triplet brothers, with the losing side submitting to rule by the victorious one. Mettius Fufetius succeeded Gaius Cluilius as king of Alba Longa. The Roman Horatii brothers defeated the Alban Curiatii in a battle fought with sword and shield, a single Horatius alone surviving. The Albans thus became subjects of the Roman state. When they refused to help Rome in a battle, Hostilius had the dictator of Alba, Mettius Fufetius, torn in two by chariots running in opposite directions. Mettius Fufetius succeeded Gaius Cluilius as king of Alba Longa. He had Alba Longa destroyed and gave the Albans the Caelian Hill to live on.
Legend has it that Tullus was so busy with one war after another that he neglected any service to the gods. A dreadful plague came upon the Romans. Even Tullus was stricken with it. He determined to practice secret sacrifices to Jupiter to ask for his favour and help. In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the king of the gods and the god of Sky and Thunder. However, he did not complete them properly and the god struck him down with a thunderbolt for his wrongful practice of religion.
This was seen as an omen to the Romans that they had better choose a new king who would follow the peaceful example of Numa Pompilius. They chose Ancus Marcius, the grandson of Numa Pompilius. Ancus Marcius (r 640 BC &ndash 616 BC fourth of the Kings of Rome, and possibly legendary
Myth versus history
As with all the early kings of Rome, the events ascribed to the reign of Tullus Hostilius are treated with skepticism by modern historians. Part of this is due to obvious flaws in the literary tradition describing the kings: much like the confusion the Ancients exhibited in attributing identical accomplishments to both Tarquinius Priscus and Tarquinius Superbus, the accomplishments of Tullus Hostilius are thought by many scholars to be rhetorical doublets of those of Romulus. Both are brought up among shepherds, carry on war against Fidenae and Veii, double the number of citizens, organize the army, and disappear from Earth in a storm. Additionally, Tullus Hostilius' warlike and ferocious character seems be little more than a contrasting stereotype to the peaceable, devout Numa Pompilius; the first Roman annalists may merely have imputed aggressive qualities to Hostilius by naively parsing his gentile name (Hostilius = "hostile").
Hostilius was probably a historical figure, however, in the strict sense that a man bearing the name Tullus Hostilius likely reigned as king in Rome. The most compelling evidence is his name: "Tullus" is a unique praenomen in Roman culture, and his gentile name is obscure and linguistically archaic enough to rule out the possibility that he was a crude later invention. Additionally two distinctive events traditionally ascribed to his reign may be regarded as historical fact in the sense that we know they happened during the early regal period, though their association with Hostilius is debatable. The first event is the destruction of Alba Longa. That the Alban mountains were the site of a large settlement, and that this settlement fell under Roman power during the regal period, is beyond doubt. But when and by whom it was destroyed is uncertain; it was almost certainly subjugated at a later date than that given by Livy, and may have been destroyed by the Latins and not by the Romans, who might have regarded as impious the destruction of their traditional mother-country.
The second historical event is the construction of the original Senate House, the Curia Hostilia, whose remains on the north-western edge of the Forum have been dated to around 600 BC, and which was universally held by the tradition to have been built - and thus named in honor of - Tullus. Although a date of 600 BC this would put it well outside the dates traditionally ascribed to Tullus Hostilius' reign, this is hardly a problem; the absurdly long reigns of the Roman kings have never been taken seriously by scholars (with an average length of 34 years per king, the traditional chronology would be without historical parallel - even the remarkably stable and healthy English monarchy has an average reign of only 21 years). A more plausible chronology offered by T. J. Cornell and supported by recent archaeological research contracts the regal period from 240 to around 120 years and places the historical accomplishments of the kings between 625 BC (when the first signs of real urbanization and unification of Rome show up in the archaeological record) and 500 BC. This would bring the construction of the Curia Hostilia well within the time of a possible reign by Tullus Hostilius, and also explain the otherwise inexplicable name of the building. [1]
| Preceded by Numa Pompilius |
King of Rome 673–642 |
Succeeded by Ancus Marcius |
References
- ^ T. Numa Pompilius, according to Legend, was the second King of Rome, succeeding Romulus. The King of Rome ( Latin: rex regis) was the Chief magistrate of the Roman Kingdom. Events and trends 677 BC — Esarhaddon leads the Assyrian army against rebellious Arab tribes advances as far as the Brook of Egypt Events and trends Assyrian king Ashurbanipal founds library which includes our earliest complete copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Ancus Marcius (r 640 BC &ndash 616 BC fourth of the Kings of Rome, and possibly legendary J. Cornell, The Beginnings Of Rome pp 120-121
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