114- The Golden Age of Priscus

War, war and more war today. But not just that! We will also see Priscus make some grisly reforms to the Vestal Virgins, get himself some shiny royal regalia, enmesh his royal family into Roman society, and start a whole lot of building projects. Also, which Hogwarts house was Numa Pompilius?

NOTE: A bit of a content warning at around 10 minutes and 19 minutes. We don't go overboard as per usual, but there's only so many ways you can dress up punishments for Vestal Virgins and people taking drastic steps to get out of things.

Time period: 616- 578 BCE

Relevant individuals:

• Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, 5th King of Rome
• Arruns Tarquinius Collatinus, nephew of Priscus
• Lucius Tarquinius, eldest son of Priscus and Tanaquil
• Arruns Tarquinius, second son of Priscus and Tanaquil
• Tarquinia I, wife of Marcus Junius Brutus
• Tarquinia II, wife of Servius Tullius
• Tanaquil, Queen of Rome

Sources for this episode:

• Appian (1972), Appian's Roman History in Four Volumes (Volume I). London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Cassius Dio (1961), Dio's Roman History (Volume I). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Chisholm, H. (ed.), Encyclopedia Britannica (1911), Tarquinius Priscus, Lucius. Available at Wikisource.
• Dionysus of Halicarnassus (1960), The Roman Antquities of Dionysus of Halicarnassus (Volume II). Translated by E. Cary. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press.
• Eutropius (1760), Eutropius: Epitome of the Roman History. London: Printed for W. Johnston et al.
• Livy (1971), The Early History of Rome. Translated by A. de Selincourt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.
• Matyszak, P. (2008), Chronicle of the Roman Republic: The Rulers of Ancient Rome from Romulus to Augustus. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.
• Orosius (1936), History Against the Pagans. Translated by I. W. Raymond. Available at Attalus.
• Pliny the Elder (1938), Natural History (Volume X, Book 36). Translated by D. E. Eichholz. Available at Wikisource.
• Sextus Aurelius Victor (1825), Galerie Romaine, ou les Hommes Illustres de Rome et les Cesars. Translated by A. Caillot. Paris.
• Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Lucius Tarquinius Priscus (online) (Accessed 02/11/2025 and 12/07/2026).