Servius Tullius

Servius Tullius († 534 BC) was, according to legend, the sixth king of Rome. Its existence is usually not disputed by the specialized science, but hardly reliable historical information about him are known, especially since even contradict some sources. Thus the dating of his life is doubtful. Coincidentally, however reported that he was later regarded as the most popular of all the Roman kings.

Servius Tullius was ( according to Livy ) the son of a nobleman from the Sabine town Corniculum, whose father was killed in battle against Rome. He and his mother Ocresia were brought as prisoners of King Tarquinius Priscus to Rome, where they were treated according to their status. But since her son was born in slavery, Ocresia called him in volksetymologischer derivation from the Latin servus = slave Servius. The same legend, appeared above the head of Servius Tullius youthful a flame which, interpreted the wife of the king, the Etruscan Tanaquil as a sign of his future reign. Servius was married to the eldest daughter of the king and Tanaquil it was then that after the murder of Tarquinius Priscus - allegedly BC in the year 578 - by cunning enabled the accession of Servius Tullius.

According to another traditional version of the Emperor Claudius, who dealt with the history of the Etruscans, who was found on a bronze plaque in Lyon, Servius Tullius was originally an Etruscan from Vulci called Macstarna. According to this story, the Roman Caelian Hill would mean for his friend Caelius Vibenna. Both names can be found in the paintings of an Etruscan tomb in the necropolis of Vulci, where it is shown how Macsterna freed his fallen into the hands of enemies boyfriend while his comrade these, including a Cneve Tarchunies Rumach, Gnaeus Tarquinius of Rome massacred.

Servius Tullius to have very good care of the welfare of the state. Allegedly, he divided the Roman people into five classes with 193 Centuries, which were not previously entitled to vote poor the lowest class and the rich patricians formed the highest class. However, the top two classes alone claimed 100 Centuries for themselves, each half for men and boys, the boys ( 17 - to 45 -year-old ) were drafted into military service and the elderly should defend the city. This classification is governed as required for military missions military equipment. The landless poor, the proletarians, supports as sixth grade only one Centurie and were exempt from military service, while the rich and heavily armed cavalry presented. The classes presented in between the different light-armed troops. In this context, Servius Tullius is said to have introduced the Census, in which the assets regularly and employment of all Roman citizens was recorded. In a census of the censor counted even ( allegedly) 80,000 inhabitants. The oldest Roman city walls, the so-called Servian Wall, should be created under his government. According to Livy, he expanded the city to the Quirinal and Viminal and built himself an apartment on the Esquiline. He also is said to have introduced the cult of Diana in Rome.

In the 44th year of reign he then said to have been at the instigation of his daughter Tullia the younger ones who wanted to bring her husband Lucius Tarquinius Superbus to the throne at any cost, overthrown and eventually killed on the flight home. His body was then allegedly even run over by car to his daughter, which was seen as an exemplum for an offense against the father in the later Roman tradition.