THE FAITHLESS FRIEND
Lucius Tarquinius, to whom the king had entrusted the care of his
children, was a Greek noble possessing great wealth. His real name was
Lucumo, and being driven from his native town by a tyrant, he had taken
refuge in the town of Tarquinii in Etruria. It was from this town that
he took the name by which he was known in Rome.
But neither Lucumo nor his wife Tanaquil were content to spend their
lives in such a sleepy little town as Tarquinii proved to be. So they
determined to go to Rome, where, it was said, strangers were ever
welcome.
One day, then, the husband and wife set out on their journey. As they
drew near to the Janiculum hill, an eagle suddenly swooped down upon
the travellers, and seized the cap which Lucumo was wearing. Then,
uttering loud screams, the bird flew high in the air, only to return in
a few moments to replace the cap on the head of its astonished owner.
Tanaquil seemed pleased with the strange behaviour of the eagle, and
assured her husband that it was an augury or sign from the gods that he
would rise to honour in the city to which they were going.
King Ancus heard of the wealth and the wisdom of the stranger who had
come to Rome, and ere long he sent a messenger to Tarquinius, bidding
him attend the king’s councils. So wisely did Tarquinius behave that
the king soon treated him as a friend.
When Ancus Marcius was dying, he did not fear the future for his
children. They would be safe, he believed, in the care of Tarquinius.
But he, alas! betrayed his trust that he might satisfy his own ambition.
After the death of the king, Tarquinius, pretending that he wished to
make the sons of Ancus forget their grief, persuaded them to go away
from the city to hunt.
In their absence the false friend appealed to the people to make him
king, and this they did.
Tarquinius had gained his power by a treacherous deed, but by his
courage on the battlefield he won the admiration of his subjects.
He fought against the Latins, and made many of their cities subject to
Rome. And when the Sabines took up arms and marched almost to the gates
of the city, Tarquinius, vowing that if Jupiter would come to his aid
he would build a temple in his honour, rushed against the foe and drove
it away.
Flushed with victory, he then went to war with the Etruscans, and
forced them to acknowledge him as their king.
As a sign of their subjection the conquered tribe sent to Tarquinius
royal gifts--a golden crown, a sceptre, an ivory chair, an embroidered
tunic, a purple toga, and twelve axes tied up in bundles of rods.
These gifts the king sent before him to Rome as a proof of his victory
over the Etruscans.
Then, when peace was at length proclaimed, Tarquinius remembered
the vow he had made to Jupiter, and began to build a temple on the
Capitoline hill.
As the workmen were digging, in order to lay a good foundation, they
found a human head. This was a sign, so said those who knew, that the
spot on which the head had been buried should become the chief place of
worship in Rome.
The temple, when it was finished, was named the Capitol, and in days to
come it was indeed looked upon as the most sacred building in the city.
Although Tarquinius was but a usurper, yet he did all that he could to
improve the kingdom over which he ruled.
He ordered great drains to be built, that the marshy valleys between
the hills of Rome might become healthier. He also built a large circus
and a racecourse, to encourage the games of the people, and in course
of time the Roman games became famous.
In the valley between the Capitoline hill and the Palatine hill the
king then began to build the Forum, or market-place. Round the Forum he
set up booths, where the trades-folk might carry on their business.
Meanwhile, the subjects of Rome had become so numerous, that the king
wished to increase the three tribes into which Romulus had divided his
people.
But a skilful augur, named Attius, forbade Tarquinius to alter what
Romulus had consecrated with rites sacred to the gods.
The king could ill brook interference, and he mocked at the augur’s
words in the Forum, where the people had assembled.
Then, thinking to show that Attius was not really as wise as he was
believed to be, he cried: ‘Tell me, O Attius, can the thing of which I
am thinking at this moment come to pass?’
The augur, undisturbed by the mockery of the king, consulted the sacred
birds. Yes, the omens were good. The thought in the mind of the king
could be put into action.
Tarquinius pointed to a whetstone which lay before him, and said: ‘Can
you then cut this whetstone in twain with a razor?’
Undismayed, Attius at once seized a razor, and with one stroke the
stone was split in two.
Then the king was afraid, and dared not disregard the wisdom of the
augur. So the number of tribes ordained by Romulus was left unchanged.
But Tarquinius doubled the nobles in each tribe, and also increased the
companies of knights.