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Tarquinius Priscus |
Rule by the book
Ancus Marcius was the fourth of the Roman kings. He had seen how Tullus Hostilius had neglected the
duties to the gods as these were established by Numa Pompilius, who was his grandfather
by his mother. Ancus had all the rites of the religion recorded
on white tables by the pontifices
and had these tables displayed at a public place.
Hope for peace
Both the neighboring cities and his own subjects now had hopes for
peace
like in his grandfathers time. But after a while the Latins thought he
wouldn't make war and started to invade Roman territory and sent the
complaining Roman ambassadors empty handed back.
The proper start of a war
Ancus Marcius, who liked to do the things by the book, now designed the
proper rites to start a war. A complete procedure how there
had to be asked for restitution , given 33 days to comply and how
the war should be declared by the fetiales
in case of refusal.
Always a just war
After having done so, war was declared to the Latins; by the book. He
conquered several Latin
cities and enlarged the Roman territory to the
sea at Ostia. Also he enlarged the city to harbor the new inhabitants
from the cities he had destroyed.