Aeneas at the court of Latinus, the founders of the dynasty of Alba Longa. They are shown ruling in conjunction, on the same dais. Aeneas, the figure in armor, awards the victor of a race a laurel chaplet. Latinus sits next to him. Ferdinand Bol, 1661-63.

Latin kings of Alba Longa, Latin kings of Rome, or Alban kings of Rome, are a series of legendary kings of Latium ruling mainly from Alba Longa who, in Roman mythology, fill the gap between Aeneas and the foundation of Rome by Romulus and Remus in the same line of descent, to which the Julii claimed kinship. After the defeat and destruction of Alba Longa and the incorporation of Latium into the Roman state, it is succeeded by the series of kings sometimes called the Etruscan kings to distinguish it from the Alba Longa series (although only a few members of it were brought in from neighboring ancient Etruria to reign).

Ascanius, the second of the dynasty, founded Alba Longa from Lavinium around the middle of the 12th century BC, some time after the destruction of Troy (which according to ancient scholars occurred in 1184 BC). However, his successor was Silvius, his half-brother, and so the dynasty's real founder may be accounted as Silvius' parents Aeneas and Lavinia, and Lavinia's father Latinus. They never ruled from Alba Longa but remained in Lavinium. Regardless of legend, the existence of the town of Alba Longa at least toward the end of the legendary period is a historical and archaeological fact.

[edit] List

According to the accounts of Livy^[1] and Dionysius of Halicarnassus^[2] this is the list of the Latin kings:

• Latinus, king of the "Aborigines", who gave his name to the new state of the Latins to be ruled from Lavinium by Aeneas and his own daughter Lavinia, given in marriage to Aeneas.
• Aeneas, a noble Trojan leading a force fleeing from the collapse of Troy. Listed as the first Latin king by both Livy and Dionysius. He ruled at Lavinium.
• Ascanius. A prior son of Aeneas and his Trojan wife Creusa. Founder of Alba Longa. Reigned there for 38 years. (BCE 1179-1141)
• Silvius. A son of Aeneas and Lavinia, younger half-brother of Ascanius. Reigned for 29 years. (BCE 1141-1112)
• Aeneas Silvius. A son of Silvius. Reigned for 31 years. (BCE 1112-1081)
• Latinus Silvius. Possibly a son of Aeneas Silvius. Reigned for 51 years. (BCE 1081-1030)
• Alba. Possibly a son of Latinus. Reigned for 39 years. (BCE 1030-991)
• Atys (in Livy) or Capetus (in Dionysius). Possibly a son of Alba. Reigned for 26 years. (BCE 991-965)
• Capys. Possibly a son of Capetus. Reigned for 28 years. (BCE 965-937)
• Capetus (II) or Calpetus. Possibly a son of Capys. Reigned for 13 years. (BCE 937-924)
• Tiberinus Silvius. Possibly a son of Capetus II. Reigned for 8 years. (BCE 924-916) Reportedly slain in battle near the Albula river and his body was carried away by it. The river was renamed Tiber.
• Agrippa. Possibly a son of Tiberinus. Reigned for 41 years. (BCE 916-875)
• Romulus Silvius (in Livy) or Alladius (in Dionysius). Possibly a son of Agrippa. Reigned for 19 years. (BCE 875-856) Reportedly a tyrant and contemptuous of the Gods. He frightened the people by throwing thunderbolts at them, until he himself was murdered by one and his house was submerged in the Alban Lake.
• Aventinus. Possibly a son of Alladius. Reigned for 37 years. (BCE 856-819) The Aventine Hill was reportedly named after him.
• Procas. Possibly a son of Aventinus. Reigned for 23 years. (BCE 819-796)
• Amulius. A younger son of Procas who reportedly usurped the throne. Reigned for 42 years. (BCE 796-754) Slain by his grand-nephews Romulus and Remus.
• Numitor. The older brother of Amulius. Reportedly succeeded him a year before the foundation of Rome. His successor is not named, but there must have been one, and he must have been of the same dynasty, as Gaius Cluilius, last king of Alba, descended from Aeneas, dies of natural causes while in camp during the siege of Rome under the kingship of Tullus Hostilius.
• Romulus. First king of Rome, ruling at Rome.

[edit] References

1. ^ Titus Livius. "Book I". History of Rome. 
2. ^ Dionysius of Halicarnassus. "I.66 ff". Roman Antiquities. 

[edit] See also

• Template:Latin kings

[edit] External links

• Dionysius of Halicarnassus; Ernest Cary (Translator); William Thayer (Editor) (1937-1950, 2007). Roman Antiquities. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Chicago: Harvard University, University of Chicago. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Dionysius_of_Halicarnassus/home.html. Retrieved 13 July 2009. 
• Livius, Titus; D. Spillan (Translator) (1853, 2006). "The History of Rome, Books 1 to 8" (in English). Project Gutenberg. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19725. Retrieved 13 July 2009.