Tarquinius Priscus, Lucius, was the fifth king of Rome. He probably reigned from 616 to 578 B.C. He moved to Rome from Etruria with his wife, Tanaquil, an expert in divination (telling the future). After an eagle took the cap from Tarquinius’s head and replaced it, Tanaquil predicted Tarquinius’s rule. When the fourth king of Rome, Ancus Marcius, died, Tarquinius became guardian of his children and was elected king. Tarquinius was successful in war, defeating the Sabines and the Etruscans, two peoples of ancient Italy. He also constructed several important public buildings, including the Circus Maximus; the Cloaca Maxima, Rome’s first sewer; and the temple of Jupiter.
See also Etruscans ; Rome, Ancient (The regal period) ; Sabines .
