Seven Kings of Rome

The following articles contain information about the seven kings who ruled early Rome. The three Etruscan kings were more historical or semi-historical figures than the four early kings. Yet the historical status about the monarchy of Rome and the early Republic, remains questionable.

The main sources for the history/legend of the kings and the end of the monarchy, comes from Livy's History of Rome, and Plutarch's biographies called Parallel Lives on Romulus and Numa.

There is one point I would like to make about the monarchy of Rome. It is different from other monarchies at the time, because after Romulus, a king was elected to his royal office. Candidates were chosen, and those with a majority vote were elected by the people, and ratified by the Senate.

Kingship in early Rome was never a hereditary privilege and office, nor was it necessary to be a true-blood Roman. Only Romulus and Tullus Hostilius were truly Roman kings, as Numa Pompilius and Ancus Marcius came from Sabine background, while Servius Tullius was Latin. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus and Lucius Tarquinius Superbus came from an Etruscan noble family known as the Tarquinii.