Tarquin

Tarquin is a name associated with the ancient city of Rome and the Etruscan aristocracy. It is the English rendering of the Latin Tarquinius, the name of the legendary ruling dynasty of Rome. The Tarquinii were an Etruscan noble family from Tarquinium (modern Tarquinia) and supplied kings to Rome in the early monarchy.

The tradition presents two prominent rulers named Tarquin: Tarquinius Priscus, known as Tarquin the Elder, traditionally regarded as the first Etruscan king of Rome; and Tarquinius Superbus, called Tarquin the Proud, the last king of Rome. Tarquinius Priscus is credited with strengthening the city and initiating public works, though exact details vary among sources. He was assassinated after alleged conspiracies. He was followed by Servius Tullius. Tarquinius Superbus’s reign is characterized in sources as tyrannical; his son Sextus Tarquinius’s assault on Lucretia sparked a rebellion that led to the expulsion of the kings and the establishment of the Roman Republic in 509 BCE.

In Roman literature and historiography, Tarquin functions as a symbol of tyranny and unlawful rule. The phrase Tarquin the Proud appears in works by poets and historians, including Virgil and Livy, to represent despotism and autocratic power.

Beyond the legendary kings, the name Tarquin may refer to members of the historic Tarquinian line or appear in modern usage as a given name or surname. The legacy of the Tarquinii is tied to the Etruscan city of Tarquinium and to early Roman political culture, influencing studies of Rome’s regal period, Etruscan–Roman relations, and republican ideology.