The Roman Kingdom lasted from 753 BC to 509 BC, at least according to legend. Their last king, the tyrant Tarquinius Superbus, was ousted by the joint forces of the Senate and People of Rome (SPQR), ushering in the period of Rome’s Republic - from “Res Publica”, literally, “the thing of the people”. Those who led the ousting of the kings, Brutus and Collatinus, became the Republic’s first consuls, the new heads of state kept in charge for a year-long term.
In the same year and year after the monarchy’s abolition, Tarquinius Superbus attempted twice to reinstate himself into power once more. The first attempt saw him forge an army from the nearby cities of Veii and Tarquinii to attack Rome. Although Brutus was killed, Tarquin was stopped. The following year in 508 BC, Tarquin allied with king Porsena of Celusium, who attacked the Eternal City itself, again to no avail. Terms of peace were forged, and the virgin Republic was free to forge itself.
If you didn't catch my previous post on all that, HERE.
Not long after, famed Roman hero Publius Valerius Poplicola, who was a key member alongside Brutus and Collatinus in the overthrow of the Monarchy, celebrated a great military triumph through Rome's streets after a victory against the Italian Sabine people around 504 BC, evidently marking the Republic as a local force to be reckoned with.
But this was not the last the Romans would hear from their former king, Tarquin - he was still keen on reinstating himself into power in Rome. His final attempt would come twelve years later in 496 BC, near to what is now the commune of Frascati in Rome, by Lake Regillus. This was arguably Rome’s first major engagement involving tens of thousands of soldiers on each side, and would pave the way for Rome to become the dominant Latin power.
BACKGROUND
The year of this battle isn’t entirely clear. Roman historian Livy places it in 499 BC, only ten years after the founding of the Republic, but states it could’ve been in 496 BC, which historian Dionysius agrees with. Modern scholars put forward 493 and 489 BC. Either way: very early fifth century BC.
Come 496 BC, Rome elected Aulus Postumius Albus as dictator. Dictators were elected from Rome’s former heads of state for a six month period, and Rome would go on to elect nearly one hundred people in total to the position of dictator in the Republic’s five-hundred year span, several of whom served multiple times.
[ABOVE: Coin showing Aulus Postumius Albus, from William Smith's "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology", 1843]
The battle was Rome’s last monarch's, (the former king Tarquinius Superbus, “the Proud”) attempt to reclaim Rome for himself and reinstate himself as king. According to Livy, a neighbouring tribe to the south of Latium, the Volsci, raised an army to send to Tarquin’s aid, but the haste of dictator Albus in raising his own troops and marching to battle meant that the Volsci could not turn up to fight in time.
[ABOVE: Engraving of Lake Regillus, and modern-day view of the battle site]
THE BATTLE
The battle went as follows: dictator Albus led the infantry, and Titus Aebutius Elva led the cavalry. In total: around 25,000 men according to Dionysus. Tarquin, on the other hand, was joined in battle by his last remaining son, Titus. It is said that the mere presence of both Tarquins made Rome’s men fight harder and more passionately than ever before. Tarquin was also joined by his son-in-law and the dictator of Tusculum, Octavius Mamilius. Tarquin’s army reportedly numbered 43,000, nearly double the size of Rome’s forces.
[ABOVE: Portrait of Tarquinius Superbus, from "Promptuarium Iconum Instigniorum" by Guillaume Rouillé, 1553]
Early in the fighting, Tarquin was injured while attacking dictator Albus. Elva meanwhile charged at Mamilius, both receiving injuries to the arm and chest respectively in the process, causing Aebutius to have to pull back and command from a safe distance.
Tarquin’s forces eventually began to overpower the Republican forces. A further setback saw a former consul, Marcus Valerius Volusus, being speared to death while attacking Tarquin. However, dictator Albus brought in his own royal bodyguard to reinforce, evening the scales.
Meanwhile Titus Herminius Aquilinus, who had previously been one of the soldiers who fought on the Pons Sublicus bridge in the siege of Rome 12 years prior, heroically defending it alongside just two other soldiers against an entire army of Tarquin’s, and a former consul now, charged head-on into battle by himself, engaged Mamilius and killed him himself. In attempting to loot the Tuscan dictator’s body, he was killed by javelins.
The battle seemed to be even on both sides, until dictator Albus told his cavalry to dismount from their horses and charge in on foot. Legend states that two famous early Roman heroes, Castor and Pollux, fought in this battle for Rome as two of Albus’ horsemen. Alongside them was another soon-to-be legend of early Roman history: Coriolanus. This was his first of many major military engagements.
[ABOVE: Woodcut of Castor and Pollux fighting at Lake Regillus, by John Reinhard Weguelin, 1880]
AFTERMATH
This attack from Rome’s elite soldiers caused the Latin army to retreat to their camp. Tarquin and his men retreated, and Rome had won the day. Albus would return to Rome to celebrate a military triumph through the city streets. Tarquin’s end is not known specifically, but he retreated south to a royal court in the city of Cumae, where he died the following year in 495 BC.
With that, the Roman Republic was free to set its sights on expansion, and the rest of Latium.
NEXT POST: ANCIENT ROME'S MOST VIRTUOUS MAN: Cincinnatus and the Battle of Mount Algidus
Coming soon... in a day or two probs.
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