Roman Kingdom

The Roman Kingdom was the earliest period of Roman history, traditionally beginning with the founding of the city of Rome around 753 BCE and ending around 509 BCE with the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the Roman Republic.

According to legend, the city was founded by the twin brothers Romulus and Remus, who had been suckled by a she-wolf; Romulus became its first king after killing Remus. Roman tradition records a succession of seven kings: Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius, and Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. Although the legendary narrative blends myth with history and few contemporary records survive, archaeology confirms that settlements on the Palatine and surrounding hills coalesced into an urban community during the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. The kings, the later three of whom were Etruscan, are credited with establishing Rome's early political, religious, and military institutions, including the Senate, the curiate assembly, and key civic and religious offices. The monarchy ended when Tarquinius Superbus was expelled, an event tied to the rape of Lucretia, after which Rome became a republic governed by two annually elected consuls. The institutions, traditions, and territorial foundation laid during this regal period shaped the subsequent Roman Republic and, ultimately, the Roman Empire that dominated the Mediterranean world.