Rome of the Kings 650 to 510 B. C.

Cue (NZERS), 1 June 1944, Page 3

Rome of the Kings 650 to 510 B. C.

Knowledge of its government and ways of life is largely , confused by the speculations of Greek Mythologists and the Latin historians who occupied themselves, and add confusion in the hunt for a single traditional founder, among whom are to be found as claimants, Hercules, Aeneas, Romulus and Remus. As, however, the earliest written records do not date appreciably before 450. b.c., the literary evidence

of later historians must be controlled by archaeological findings. Briefly it would appear that shortly alter the foundation on the Palatine, there was .an infusion of Sabine elements origin of the famous story of the Sabine women. Phen a skilful priest—King Numa, appeals as the first Pontifex. The city which followed it was the Rome of the Kings, who mostly seem to have been Etruscans from such nearby settlements as Clusium. The last of these Kings was Tai quin the Proud, well known to readers of Macaulay, Lytton s and Shakespeare, who records the tradition of that ’final act which led to their expulsion, in ” The Rape of Lucrece.” This was about 510 b.c. The 6th of the Etruscan Kings, known as Servius Tullius, is the traditional builder of the stone wall which replaced the earlier earthworks (see map).; This Serviun wall was of dressed tufa—volcanic—blocks and the population within, its 450 acres is said to have- been 80,000, a figure- which is supported by the size attributed to the army in the succeeding century. _

The wall was 12 kilometres in circumference and the city already had a temple to Jove Capitoline. The rudiments of the main drain which ran into the Tiber, had been commenced. The mouth still functions to-day. It is known as the Cloaca Maxima ( cloaca ~excretary orifice). The foundations of the houses were tufa blocks, but much wood was used above ground, which was often the occasion of dangerous fires.