Ancus Marcius

Ancus Marcius (r. 640 BC – 616 BC) was the fourth of the Kings of Rome.

He was the son of Marcius and Pompilia and, through his mother, grandson of Rome's second king Numa Pompilius ^[1].

According to Livy, his first act as king was to order the pontifex maximus to copy the text concerning the performance of public ceremonies of religion from the commentaries of Numa Pompilius to be displayed to the public, so that the rites of religion should no longer be neglected or improperly performed ^[2].

He waged war successfully against the Latins, and a number of them were settled on the Aventine Hill ^[3].

He incorporated the Janiculum into the city, fortifying it with a wall and connecting it with the city by a wooden bridge across the Tiber, the Pons Sublicius. On the land side of the city he constructed the Fossa Quiritium, a ditch fortification. He also built Rome's first prison, the Mamertine prison ^[4].

He extended Roman territory to the sea, founding the port of Ostia, establishing salt-works around the port, and taking the Silva Maesia, an area of coastal forest north of the Tiber, from the Veientes. He expanded the temple of Jupiter Feretrius to reflect these territorial successes ^[5].

According to a reconstruction of the Fasti Triumphales, Ancus Marcius celebreated at least one triumph, over the Sabines and Veientes.

He was succeeded by Lucius Tarquinius Priscus.

References

1. ^ Livy, Ab urbe condita, 1:32
2. ^ Livy, Ab urbe condita, 1:32
3. ^ Livy, Ab urbe condita, 1:33
4. ^ Livy, Ab urbe condita, 1:33
5. ^ Livy, Ab urbe condita, 1:33

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.