(1) L. Tarquinius Superbus septimus atque ultimus rēgum Volscōs, quae gēns ad Campāniam euntibus nōn longē ab urbe est, vīcit, Gabiōs cīvitātem et Suessam Pōmētiam subēgit, cum Tuscīs pācem fēcit et templum Iovī in Capitōliō aedificāvit. Posteā Ardeam oppūgnāns in octāvō decimō mīliāriō ab urbe Rōmā positam cīvitātem imperium perdidit.
(2) Nam cum fīlius eius, et ipse Tarquinius, iūnior, nōbilissimam fēminam Lucrētiam eandemque pudīcissimam, Collātīnī uxōrem stuprāsset eaque dē iniūriā marītō et patrī et amīcīs questa fuisset, in omnium cōnspectū sē occīdit. Propter quam causam Brūtus, parēns et ipse Tarquiniī, populum concitāvit et Tarquiniō adēmit imperium.
(3) Mox exercitus quoque eum, quī cīvitātem Ardeam cum ipsō rēge oppūgnābat, relīquit; veniēnsque ad urbem rēx portīs clausīs exclūsus est, cumque imperāsset annōs quattuor et vīgintī cum uxōre et līberīs suīs fūgit. Ita Rōmae rēgnātum est per septem rēgēs annīs ducentīs quadrāgintā tribus, cum adhūc Rōma ubi plūrimum vix ūsque ad quīntum decimum mīliārium possidēret.
notes
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, 534–510 BCE
L. Tarquinius Superbus: Tarquinius Superbus built the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus and constructed the Cloaca Maxima with the help of Etruscan engineers and labor. He defeated Gabii and Suessa Pometia and extended Roman power in Latium. According to legend his son Sextus violated Lucretia, wife of Tarquinius Collatinus, who informed her husband and committed suicide. L. Junius Brutus, supposedly the son of Tarquinius Superbus' sister, stirred up a rebellion among the people and the army and the king was refused entry into Rome. He fled to Caere in Etruria to seek assistance in regaining his throne (Bird).
Volscōs: the Volsci
euntibus: lit., "for those going" = "as you go" (Hazzard), the present active participle of eō
Gabiōs cīvitātem: "the city Gabii." The name of the town, though plural, is in apposition with cīvitātem (Hazzard).
Tuscīs: the Etruscans
in Capitōliō: here the Capitoline Hill (Hazzard)
Posteā ... cīvitātem: order: posteā oppūgnāns Ardeam, cīvitātem positam in octāvō decimō mīliāriō ab urbe Rōmā. positam is the perfect passive participle of pōnō. A clause with cum or dum would have been more usual (Hazzard).
mīliāriō: for a note on Roman milestones, see Brev. 1.4
perdidit: from perdō
(2) fīlius: Sextus Tarquinius
ipse Tarquinius iūnior: "also a Tarquin (but) younger" = "who was also called Tarquinius" (Hazzard)
fēminam Lucrētiam: the most famous account of the "Rape of Lucretia" was written by Livy (1.57.6–59.5), who often used the assault of women’s bodies as symbolic of abuse of power by the state.
eandemque: "who was also" (Hazzard)
stuprāsset: syncopated form of stuprāvisset
questa fuisset: i.e. questa esset from queror. Eutropius generally uses fuissem, etc. in the pluperfect passive subjunctive (Hazzard).
parēns et ipse Tarquinī: "a relative likewise," i.e., as well as Collatinus. He was the son of Marcus Iunius and Tarquinia, the second daughter of Tarquinius Superbus. Parēns, "relative," is a late meaning (Hazzard). See LS parens 1.b.β.
Tarquiniō adēmit imperium: "deprived Tarquinius of power," ablative of separation (AG 401)
(3) eum: Sextus Tarquinius
cum ipsō rēge: Tarquinius Superbus
portīs clausīs: ablative absolute using a perfect passive participle (AG 419)
imperāsset: syncopated form of imperāvisset
Rōmae: "at Rome," locative (AG 427.3)
rēgnātum est: "it was ruled" = "the dynasty lasted" (Hazzard), passive verb used impersonally (AG 207.d)
annīs: Eutropius and some other post-classical writers use the ablative of time within which (AG 423) for the accusative of duration of time. The ablative makes prominent the limits that mark the time (Hazzard).
ubi plūrimum: lit., "where most" = "at the most," at the place of the widest extent (Hazzard)
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
| L. | abbreviation of the praenomen Lucius 1 |
| Tarquinius, ī, m. |
L. Tarquinius Superbus, the son of Priscus, the last king of Rome, 534—510 B.C. |
| Volscī, ōrum, pl. m. |
an ancient tribe living in the south of Latium |
| Campānia, ae, f. |
a district of Italy on the western side, south of Latium |
| Gabiī, ōrum, pl. m. | an ancient town in Latium, east of Rome |
| Suessa, ae, f. |
Suessa Pōmētia, a city of the Volsci, in Latium |
| Tuscī, ōrum, pl. m. | the Etruscans, inhabitants of Etruria |
| Iuppiter, Iovīs, m. |
the chief god of the Latins. He was originally a personification of the sky, and had control of the thunder, lightning, rain, and storms. |
| Capitōlium, ī, n. |
the chief temple of Jupiter in Rome; the hill on which this stood, the Mōns Capitōlīnūs, the citadel as well as the chief sanctuary of Rome |
| aedificō, āre, āvī, ātus [aedis + faciō] | to build |
| Ardea, ae, f. |
the capital city of the Rutuli, in Latium, about eighteen miles south of Rome |
| oppugnō, āre, āvī, ātus | to assault |
| Lucrētia, ae, f. | the wife of Collatinus |
| pudīcus, a, um [pudeō, to be ashamed], adj. | modest, virtuous, chaste |
| Collātīnus, ī, m. |
(L.) Tarquinius Collātīnus, the husband of Lucretia, and one of the first two consuls, 509 B.C. |
| stuprō, āre, āvī, ātus [stuprum] | to rape |
| amīcus, a, um [amō, to love], adj. | friendly; as subst. amīcus, ī, m., a friend |
| cōnspectus, ūs [cōnspiciō], m. | sight, presence |
| Brūtus, ī, m. |
a family name at Rome, D. Iūnius Brūtus. He conquered the Callaeci and Lusitani, and won the name of Callaecus in consequence. Consul 138 B.C., L. Iūnius Brūtus, nephew of Tarquinius Superbus, consul with Collatinus 509 B.C., (M. Iūnius) Brūtus, one of the murderers of Caesar |
| concitō, āre, āvī, ātus | to arouse, urge, excite |
| adimō, ere, ēmī, ēmptus | to take away, destroy, deprive of |
| exclūdō, ere, clūsī, clūsus | to shut out, cut off, exclude 3 |
| līberī, ōrum, pl. m. | children |
| rēgnō, āre, āvī, ātus [rēgnum] | to be king, rule |
| mīliārium, ī, n. | a milestone, mile |
| possideō, ēre, sēdī, sessus [sedeō] | to occupy, hold, possess |