Overview
The expulsion of Tarquinius Superbus in 509 BCE stood in Roman memory as the birth of the Republic. The story of Lucretia, Brutus, and the oath against kingship shaped Rome’s political identity for centuries.
Historical Context
Whether historical in detail or not, the tale taught Romans to associate kingship with arrogance, sexual violence, arbitrary power, and the destruction of liberty.
Consequences
Rome created annual magistracies and a political culture hostile to the title rex. Yet the fear of kingship could also blind Romans to new forms of domination that wore republican clothing.
This first atlas entry is drafted from the Livarva manuscripts and will be expanded with exact chapter and source references in a later version.