Roman Kingdom

Грачева А.Д.

The regal period is the earliest and least securely documented phase of Rome’s history, traditionally dated to 753–509 BCE. Accounts of the seven kings were recorded much later; archaeology allows comparison with the development of settlements and the urban centre.

Principal topics include: - settlements and the formation of the city; - foundation traditions; - kingship, the Senate and assemblies; - patricians and plebeians; - the reforms of Servius Tullius.

Latium lay around the lower Tiber, between Etruria, the sea and the inland districts of central Italy. The Alban Hills were an important centre for Latin communities. Rome developed at a favourable crossing and meeting point, with cultural contributions from Latins, Sabines, Etruscans and the Greek world.

“Italic” has several uses. In linguistic classification it includes Latin and the Oscan–Umbrian languages, but not Etruscan. Listing all the peninsula’s peoples therefore does not establish a common language or a single migration.

Legend of the founding of Rome

Roman tradition linked the people’s origins with the Trojan Aeneas, his son Ascanius–Iulus and the rulers of Alba Longa. Romulus and Remus were regarded as the sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia, daughter of the deposed Numitor. Amulius ordered the twins cast into the Tiber; they survived and, in the legend, were suckled by a she-wolf before being raised by a shepherd. They restored Numitor and planned a new city, but their quarrel ended in Remus’ death.

Livy, Plutarch and Dionysius of Halicarnassus give differing details. The legend explained the origins of the city, families, rituals and political ideas. It is not an exact account of eighth-century BCE events; individual motifs should not automatically be accepted as historical evidence.

The Capitoline Wolf became a famous representation of the tradition. The bronze wolf’s dating is debated, while the twin figures were added in the late fifteenth century. Their later manufacture does not establish a late origin for the story of Romulus and Remus, who appear in ancient texts and images.

Aeneas and Iulus’ connection with the Julian family gained particular importance in the politics of Caesar and Augustus, but foundation traditions long predated the imperial age.

First settlements in Latium

Rome is often referred to as the "city on the seven hills". Yes, now the city is really located on seven hills (Palatine, Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Caelium, Aventine, Esquiline). But has it always been like this? According to ancient tradition, the foundation of the city is considered to be 754/753 BC. Archaeological excavations have shown that there were settlements here in the IX-VIII centuries BC, but the presence of these settlements does not mean a full-fledged city. The first settlements appeared on the Palatine, then the Capitol and Quirinal were settled, and later the other four hills were developed. Only from the 7th century BC did the gradual settlement of the lowlands between the hills begin, the construction of temples began, the city center-the Forum-began to form, and finally, not earlier than the 6th century BC – the city was surrounded by a wall. Archaeological data show that these are settlements of different tribes. It is generally accepted that the Palatine and part of Caelium belonged to the Latins, and the northern hills to the Sabines. Consequently, Roman society was multi-tribal. In the tradition of Romulus, one can see the desire to unite different tribes into a city. We can see this, for example, in Titus Livy's famous work "The History of Rome from the foundation of the city", in which the author tells us about the abduction of Sabine women by Romulus and the unification of the Roman and Sabine states. Titus Livy writes that soon after the city was founded, many Romans did not have wives, and neighboring tribes did not want their daughters to marry them. Then Romulus went to the trick and invited his Sabine neighbors to the festival of Consus. The Sabines came in families, along with their daughters. During the festival, the Romans suddenly attacked them and kidnapped the young girls. The indignant Sabines went to war against the Romans, but the captive daughters were already attached to their new husbands and reconciled them to their Sabine relatives. After this, the two states, according to legend, merge into one, and Romulus rules together with the Sabine king Titus Tatius until the latter's death. This is the legend of the union of two neighboring states, but in modern historiography there is no consensus about the time of the merger of the Roman and Sabine tribes.

Kings of Rome

According to tradition, the royal period in Rome lasted 244 years. This means that from 753 BC to 509 BC, seven kings ruled during this time.: 1) Romulus 2) Numa Pompilius 3) Tullus Hostilius 4) Ancus Marcius 5) Tarquinius Priscus 6) Servius Tullius 7) Tarquinius the Proud The greatest importance for the formation of the Roman community was the rule of the first two kings. Romulus is credited with creating the entire social and military structure of the community: he divided the Romans into thirty curia, established 3 tribes, and arranged a refuge for fugitives. He created a senate of 100 people. Under him, the population was divided into patricians and Plebeians. In addition, Romulus formed a foot and horse army. The second Roman king is Numa Pompilius. He laid the foundations for the entire religious and economic life of the Roman community. During his reign, the most important priestly colleges were established, a calendar was created, and many temples were built, the most famous of which was the temple of Janus. The third and fourth kings of Rome are Tullus Hostilius and Ancus Marcius. According to S. I. Kovalev, there are moments of duplication of Romulus and Numa. Tullus Hostilius was a warlike man who destroyed Alba Longa and moved its inhabitants to Rome. He also built the Senate building, which later became known as the " Hostilia Curia " and was considered very ancient. Ancus Marcius seems to have been engaged in expanding the territory of Rome and the sea towards the Etruscan shore of the Tiber. Beginning with the fifth king, Tarquinius Priscus, the Etruscans came to power in Rome, either as a result of the military capture of the city, or as a result of a gradual peaceful penetration into the Roman community. It is indisputable that for a century Rome was under the rule of the Etruscans, who had a great influence on various aspects of Roman society. According to legend, starting with Tarquinius Priscus, we can see a gradual strengthening of the royal power, attempts to disrupt the procedure for electing a new king, possibly making the royal power hereditary. The sixth king of Rome, according to legend, was Servius Tullius, who is credited with a number of important reforms. The last Roman king is Tarquinius the Proud. Tradition portrays him as a cruel tyrant, expelling the best citizens from the city, making decisions on his own, regardless of the will of the people and the senate. According to tradition, the last Roman king was exiled. Unauthorized and sole seizure of power has now become deadly. From that moment on, Rome banned kings and instead introduced 2 consuls-Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus and Lucius Junius Brutus. Two consuls were normally elected each year by the citizen assembly. They transferred real power to the Senate. That was the beginning The Roman Republic.

The Roman Community in the age of the Kings

The community’s kinship structure involved gentes (clans), grouped in curiae and tribes. The tradition includes 3 tribal tribes (Titii, Ramni and Lutseri),30 curia and 300 clans (according to the number of senators). Membership of a gens was associated with ancestry and a shared name. All members of the gens were united by one clan name (nomen) and common collective ownership of land. In addition, the family had common religious festivals and burials. Each clan contained households, headed by the father of the family (pater familia). The power of the father in that era was almost unlimited. Nemirovsky A. A. in his work "The History of the Ancient World: East, Greece, Rome" writes that the members of the gentile organization were the Roman people of the Quirites (populus Romanus). Clients clientes (translated from Latin. obedient, dependent) - these are Roman citizens who, for one reason or another, sought patronage from an influential and rich person who became their patron. Both the patron and the client had a number of responsibilities towards each other. The client had to perform various tasks of the patron, for example, perform with him on a hike or lend money. The patron, in turn, could allocate land and livestock to the client, defend them in court, and teach them the law.

Patricians and Plebeians

Patricians and plebeians were groups of Roman citizens distinguished by ancestry and access to particular political and religious functions. Their formation cannot securely be reconstructed as one king’s single decision.

Patrician families possessed special privileges; in the early Republic they claimed exclusive access to some magistracies and priesthoods. Plebeians were free citizens, not wholly disenfranchised people. Participation in patronage relations likewise did not imply slavery.

The groups’ origins and early boundaries are disputed. Later conditions during the struggle of the orders should not be projected mechanically throughout the regal period.

Versions of the origin of the division of patricians and Plebeians

1 theory – B. G. Niebuhr: the Patricians are the indigenous full-fledged population of Rome, and the Plebeians are the alien or conquered population. Patricians are indigenous people and they have a tribal organization, because they have a tribal organization, and therefore civil rights. The Plebeians are outsiders, and they have neither. 2 theory – E. Mayer (economic theory): patricians are rich and Plebeians are poor, or patricians are large landowners and Plebeians are dependent peasants. 3 theory – E. Celer (ethnic theory): Patricians are one ethnic group, and Plebeians are another. It was rejected. 4 theory-Fustel de Coulanges (ethnic and religious theory): Patricians and Plebeians had different cults and gods. A possible criterion for separation is social and economic differences. According to this theory, patricians and Plebeians are ethnically homogeneous and indigenous citizens of Rome. 5 theory – S. I. Kovalev (complex theory): the reason for the division is ethnic, migration, and economic. An important factor in social relations in the Roman community was the clientele or patronage. The clientele was known to many peoples and was hereditary in Rome.

Political system under the tsars

In regal Rome, tradition describes three principal institutions: the People's Assembly (curiate comitia), the council of Elders (Senate), and officials. At the head of the state was the king (rex). He served as a military commander, high priest and judge of the community. His power was non-hereditary, i.e. it was not passed down from father to son. As a consequence, there was a scheme for choosing a new king, which consisted of three stages: 1. Interregnum-this is the period of interregnum, which was declared after the death of the king. At this time, the Senate (senatus) was choosing a new candidate for the throne. 2. Approval of the chosen candidate in the National Assembly (comitia curiata). 3. Inauguration-the solemn questioning by the augurs (priests) of the will of the gods. The term inauguration derives from this religious vocabulary; modern presidential ceremonies are not the same institution. After that, most likely the chosen king claimed Senate was also awarded the imperium. Senatus (Senate) - an advisory body under the king. He had real power during the interregnum, since the main state issues were decided by the king alone. Initially, the Senate consisted of an estimated 100 senators, the creation of which is traditionally attributed to Romulus. Later, in the royal era, it was expanded to 300 people. Comitia curiata (People's Assembly) - meetings of the people in the curia. They were called by the king to approve various state issues. It had real power, like the Senate, during the interregnum.

Related topics

• Rome
• Roman Republic
• Roman Empire
• Senate
• Plebeians
• Patricians

Literature and sources

1. Belkin M. V., Verzhbitsky K. V. Istoriya Drevnego Rima [History of Ancient Rome]. Training manual. 2nd ed., ispr. and add. - St. Petersburg: SPbU,2007. - 197 p. 2. Dionysius of Halicarnassus. Roman Antiquities in 3 volumes. T1, Moscow: Rubezhi XXI Publ.,2005,278 p. 3. History of the ancient world. East, Greece, Rome. textbook / I. A. Ladynin [et al.]. - Moscow.: Word.Eksmo Publ.,2004,575 p. (in Russian) 4. Kovalev S. I. Istoriya Rima [History of Rome]. New edition, revised and expanded/Ed. by Prof. E. D. Frolov, St. Petersburg: Polygon Publ.,2002,864 p. 5. Mashkin N. A. Istoriya Drevnego Rima [History of Ancient Rome], Moscow: Vysshaya shkola Publ.,2006,753 p. 6. Meyer E. Ekonomicheskoe razvitie v Drevnogo mire [Economic Development in the Modern World]. Moscow:. Mir Publ.,1910,108 p. (in Russian) 7. Plutarch. Comparative biographies in 2 volumes.T1. Moscow: Nauka Publ.,1961. -503 p. 8. Titus Livy. The history of Rome from the foundation of the city. [electronic resource]. URL: http://ancientrome.ru/antlitr/t.htm?a=1364000100 (accessed 15.01.2017). 9. Fustel de Coulange N. D. Drevnyaya grazhdanskaya obshchina [The ancient Civil community], Translated from French by N. N. Spiridonova,2nd ed. Moscow: 1903,459 p. 10. Zeller M. Roman state and legal antiquities: A Compendium for gymnasium students and teachers. Moscow:. 2019. - 308 p.

• Capitoline Museums: Capitoline Wolf