Pinnock’s improved edition of Dr. Goldsmith’s History of Rome is a Webnovel created by Oliver Goldsmith.
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CHAPTER VII.
FROM THE DEATH OF TARQUINIUS PRISCUS TO THE DEATH OF SERVIUS TULLIUS THE SIXTH KING OF ROME.–U.C. 176.
Servius, the king, who laid the solid base On which o’er earth the vast republic spread.–_Thomson_.
1. The report of the murder of Tarquin filled all his subjects with complaint and indignation; while the citizens ran from every quarter to the palace, to learn the truth of the account, or to take vengeance on the a.s.sa.s.sins. 2. In this tumult, Tan’aquil, widow of the late king, considering the danger she must incur, in case the conspirators should succeed to the crown, and desirous of seeing her son-in-law his successor, with great art dissembled her sorrow, as well as the king’s death. She a.s.sured the people, from one of the windows of the palace, that he was not killed, but only stunned by the blow; that he would shortly recover; and that in the meantime he had deputed his power to Ser’vius Tul’lius, his son-in-law. Ser’vius, accordingly, as it had been agreed upon between them, issued from the palace, adorned with the ensigns of royalty, and, preceded by his lictors, went to despatch some affairs that related to the public safety, still pretending that he took all his instructions from the king. This scene of dissimulation continued for some days, till he had made his party good among the n.o.bles; when, the death of Tarquin being publicly ascertained, Ser’vius came to the crown, solely at the senate’s appointment, and without attempting to gain the suffrages of the people.
3. Ser’vius was the son of a bondwoman, who had been taken at the sacking of a town belonging to the Latins, and was born whilst his mother was a slave. While yet an infant in his cradle, a lambent flame[1] is said to have played round his head, which Tan’aquil converted into an omen of future greatness.
4. Upon being acknowledged king, he determined to make a great change in the Roman const.i.tution by admitting the plebeians to a partic.i.p.ation in the civil government. The senate was too weak to resist the change when it was proposed, but it submitted with great reluctance. 5. Ser’vius divided all the Romans into cla.s.ses and centuries according to their wealth and the amount of taxes paid to the state. The number of centuries in the first cla.s.s nearly equalled that of all the others; a great advantage to the plebeians; for the lower cla.s.ses being chiefly clients of the patricians, were always inclined to vote according to the prejudices or interests of their patrons.
6. The cla.s.sification by centuries was also used for military purposes; the heavy armed infantry being selected from the richer cla.s.ses; the light troops, whose arms and armour could be obtained at less expense, were levied among the lower centuries.
7. In order to ascertain the increase or decay of his subjects, and their fortunes, he inst.i.tuted another regulation, which he called a _l.u.s.trum_. By this, all the citizens were to a.s.semble in the Cam’pus Mar’tius,[2] in complete armour, and in their respective cla.s.ses, once in five years, and there to give an exact account of their families and fortune.
8. Having enjoyed a long reign, spent in settling the domestic policy of the state, and also not inattentive to foreign concerns, he conceived reasonable hopes of concluding it with tranquillity and ease. He even had thoughts of laying down his power; and, having formed the kingdom into a republic, to retire into obscurity; but so generous a design was frustrated ere it could be put into execution.
9. In the beginning of his reign, to secure the throne by every precaution, he had married his two daughters to the two grandsons of Tarquin; and as he knew that the women, as well as their intended husbands, were of opposite dispositions, he resolved to cross their tempers, by giving each to him of a contrary turn of mind; her that was meek and gentle to him that was bold and furious; her that was ungovernable and proud, to him that was remarkable for a contrary character; by this he supposed that each would correct the failings of the other, and that the mixture would be productive of concord. 10.
The event, however, proved otherwise. Lu’cius, the haughty son-in-law, soon grew displeased with the meekness of his consort, and placed his whole affections upon his brother’s wife, Tul’lia, who answered his pa.s.sion with sympathetic ardour. As their wishes were ungovernable, they soon resolved to break through every restraint that prevented their union; they both undertook to murder their respective consorts; they succeeded, and were soon after married together. 11. A first crime ever produces a second; from the destruction of their consorts, they proceeded to conspiring that of the king. They began by raising factions against him, alleging his illegal t.i.tle to the crown, and Lu’cius claiming it as his own, as heir to Tarquin. At length, when he found the senate ripe for seconding his views, he entered the senate-house, adorned with all the ensigns of royalty, and, placing himself upon the throne, began to harangue them on the obscurity of the king’s birth, and the injustice of his t.i.tle. 12. While he was yet speaking, Ser’vius entered, attended by a few followers, and seeing his throne thus rudely invaded, offered to push the usurper from his seat; but Tarquin, being in the vigour of youth, threw the old king down the steps which led to the throne; some of his adherents, who were instructed for that purpose, followed him, as he was feebly attempting to get to the palace, dispatched him by the way, and threw his body, all mangled and bleeding, as a public spectacle, into the street. 13. In the mean time, Tul’lia, burning with impatience for the event, was informed of what her husband had done, and, resolving to be among the first who should salute him as monarch, ordered her chariot to the senate-house. But as her charioteer approached the place where the body of the old king, her father, lay exposed and b.l.o.o.d.y; the man, amazed at the inhuman spectacle, and not willing to trample upon it with his horses, offered to turn another way; this serving only to increase the fierceness of her anger, she threw the foot-stool at his head, and ordered him to drive over the body without hesitation.[3]
14. This was the end of Ser’vius Tul’lius, a prince of eminent justice and moderation, after an useful and prosperous reign of forty-four years.
_Questions for Examination_.
1. What effect had the murder of Tarquin on his subjects?
2. By what means was the succession a.s.sured to Servius Tullius?
3. Who was Servius?
4. What was the chief object of his reign?
5. What was the nature of the change made by Servius in the Roman const.i.tution?
6. Was the cla.s.sification by centuries used for civil purposes only?
7. What other important measure did he adopt?
8. What hopes did he entertain in his old age?
9. By what means did he hope to secure tranquil possession of the throne?
10. How was it that the event failed to answer his expectations?
11. To what farther crimes did the commencement lead?
12. What followed?
13. What was the conduct of his daughter on this melancholy occasion?
14. What was the character of Servius, and how long did he reign?
FOOTNOTES:
[1] A flame of fire gliding about without doing any harm.
[2] A large plain at Rome, without the walls of the city, where the Roman youth performed their exercises. Cam’pus is the Latin word for field; and this field or plain was called Mar’tius, because it was dedicated to Mars, the G.o.d of war.
[3] The blood of the good old king is said to have dyed the chariot wheels, and even the clothes of the inhuman daughter; from that time the street where it happened was called _vicus sceleratus_, the wicked or accursed street.
CHAPTER VIII.
FROM THE DEATH OF SERVIUS TULLIUS TO THE BANISHMENT OF TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS THE SEVENTH AND LAST KING OF ROME U.C. 220.
A n.o.bler spirit warm’d Her sons; and roused by tyrants, n.o.bler still It burn’d in Brutus.–_Thomson_.
1. LU’CIUS TARQUIN’IUS, afterwards called Super’bus, or the Proud, having placed himself upon the throne, in consequence of this horrid deed, was resolved to support his dignity with the same violence with which it was acquired. Regardless of the senate or the people’s approbation, he seemed to claim the crown by an hereditary right, and refused burial to the late king’s’ body, under pretence of his being an usurper. 2. All the good part of mankind, however, looked upon his accession with detestation and horror: and this act of inefficient cruelty only served to confirm their hatred. 3. Conscious of this, he ordered all such as he suspected to have been attached to Ser’vius, to be put to death; and fearing the natural consequences of his tyranny, he increased the guard round his person.
4. His chief policy seems to have been to keep the people always employed either in wars or public works, by which means he diverted their attention from his unlawful method of coming to the crown. He first marched against the Sab’ines, who refused to pay him obedience; and he soon reduced them to submission. 5. In the meantime, many of the discontented patricians, abandoning their native country, took refuge in Ga’bii, a city of Latium, about twelve miles from Rome, waiting an opportunity to take up arms, and drive Tarquin from his throne. To escape this danger. Tarquin had recourse to the following stratagem. 6. He caused his son s.e.xtus to counterfeit desertion, upon pretence of barbarous usage, and to seek refuge among the inhabitants of the place. There, by artful complaints and studied lamentations, s.e.xtus so prevailed upon the pity of the people, as to be chosen their governor, and, soon after, general of their army. 7. At first, in every engagement, he appeared successful; till, at length, finding himself entirely possessed of the confidence of the state, he sent a trusty messenger to his father for instructions. Tarquin made no answer; but taking the messenger to the garden, he cut down before him the tallest poppies. s.e.xtus readily understood the meaning of this reply, and found means to destroy or remove, one by one, the princ.i.p.al men of the city; taking care to confiscate their effects among the people. 8. The charms of this dividend kept the giddy populace blind to their approaching ruin, till they found themselves at last without counsellors or head; and, in the end, fell under the power of Tarquin, without even striking a blow.[1]
9. But, while he was engaged in wars abroad, he took care not to suffer the people to continue in idleness at home. He undertook to build the Capitol, the foundation of which had been laid in a former reign; and an extraordinary event contributed to hasten the execution of his design. A woman, in strange attire, made her appearance at Rome, and came to the king, offering to sell nine books, which, she said, were of her own composing. 10. Not knowing the abilities of the seller, or that she was, in fact, one of the celebrated _Sybils_, whose prophecies were never found to fail, Tarquin refused to buy them. Upon this she departed, and burning three of her books, returned again, demanding the same price for the six remaining. 11. Being once more despised as an impostor, she again departed, and burning three more, she returned with the remaining three, still asking the same price as at first. Tarquin, surprised at the inconsistency of her behaviour, consulted the augurs, to be advised what to do. These much blamed him for not buying the nine, and commanded him to take the three remaining, at whatsoever price they were to be had. 12. The woman, says the historian, after thus selling and delivering the three prophetic volumes, and advising him to have a special attention to what they contained, vanished from before him, and was never seen after. A trick this, invented probably by Tarquin himself, to impose upon the people; and to find in the Sybil’s leaves whatever the government might require. However this was, he chose proper persons to keep them, who, though but two at first, were afterwards increased to fifteen, under the name of _Quindecemviri_. The important volumes were put into a stone chest, and a vault in the newly designed building was thought the properest place to secure them.[2]
13. The people, having been now for four years together employed in building the Capitol, began, at last, to wish for something new to engage them; Tarquin, therefore, to satisfy their wishes, proclaimed war against the Ru’tuli, upon a frivolous pretence of their having entertained some malefactors, whom he had banished; and invested their chief city, Ar’dea, which lay about sixteen miles from Rome. 14. While the army was encamped before this place, the king’s son s.e.xtus Tarquinius, Collati’nus a n.o.ble Roman, and some others, sitting in a tent drinking together, the discourse turned upon wives, each man preferring the beauty and virtue of his own. Collati’nus offered to decide the dispute by putting it to an immediate trial, whose wife should be found possessed of the greatest beauty, and most sedulously employed at that very hour: being heated with wine, the proposal was relished by the whole company; and, taking horse without delay, they posted to Rome, though the night was already pretty far advanced.
15. There they found Lucre’tia, the wife of Collati’nus, not like the other women of her age, spending the time in ease and luxury, but spinning in the midst of her maids, and cheerfully portioning out their tasks. Her modest beauty, and the easy reception she gave her husband and his friends, so charmed them all, that they unanimously gave her the preference, but kindled, in the breast of s.e.xtus Tarquin’ius, a detestable pa.s.sion, which occasioned the grossest insult and injury to Lucre’tia, who, detesting the light, and resolving to destroy herself for the crime of another, demanded her husband Collati’nus, and Spu’rius, her father, to come to her; an indelible disgrace having befallen the family. 16. They instantly obeyed the summons, bringing with them Valerius, a kinsman of her father, and Junius Bru’tus, a reputed idiot, whose father Tarquin had murdered, and who had accidentally met the messenger by the way. 17.
Their arrival only served to increase Lucre’tia’s poignant anguish; they found her in a state of the deepest desperation, and vainly attempted to give her relief. After pa.s.sionately charging s.e.xtus Tarquin’ius with the basest perfidy towards her husband and injury to herself, she drew a poinard from beneath her robe, and instantly plunging it into her bosom, expired without a groan. 18. Struck with sorrow, pity, and indignation, Spu’rius and Collati’nus gave vent to their grief; but Bru’tus, drawing the poinard, reeking, from Lucre’tia’s wound, and lifting it up towards heaven, “Be witness, ye G.o.ds,” he cried, “that, from this moment, I proclaim myself the avenger of the chaste Lucretia’s cause; from this moment I profess myself the enemy of Tarquin and his wicked house; from henceforth this life, while life continues, shall be employed in opposition to tyranny, and for the happiness and freedom of my much-loved country.”
19. A new amazement seized the hearers: he, whom they had hitherto considered as an idiot, now appearing, in his real character, the friend of justice, and of Rome. He told them, that tears and lamentations were unmanly, when vengeance called so loudly; and, delivering the poinard to the rest, imposed the same oath upon them which he himself had just taken.
20. Ju’nius Brutus was the son of Marcus Ju’nius, who was put to death by Tarquin the Proud, and the grandson of Tarquin the elder. He had received an excellent education from his father, and had, from nature, strong sense and an inflexible attachment to virtue; but knowing that Tarquin had murdered his father and his eldest brother, he counterfeited a fool, in order to escape the same danger, and thence obtained the surname of Bru’tus. Tarquin, thinking his folly real, despised the man; and having possessed himself of his estate, kept him as an idiot in his house, merely with a view of making sport for his children.
21. Brutus, however, only waited this opportunity to avenge the cause of his family. He ordered Lucre’tia’s dead body to be brought out to view, and exposing it in the public forum, inflamed the ardour of the citizens by a display of the horrid transaction. He obtained a decree of the senate, that Tarquin and his family should be for ever banished from Rome, and that it should be capital for any to plead for, or to attempt his future return. 22. Thus this monarch, who had now reigned twenty-five years, being expelled his kingdom, went to take refuge with his family at Ci’ra, a little city of _Etru’ria_. In the mean time the Roman army made a truce with the enemy, and Bru’tus was proclaimed deliverer of the people.
Thus ended with Tarquin, after a continuance of two hundred and forty-five years, the regal state of Rome.
_Questions for Examination_.
1. What was the conduct of Lucius Tarquinius at the commencement of his reign?
2. Was his claim quietly acquiesced in?