Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus (fl. 6th century BC) is traditionally one of the first two consuls of Rome, together with Lucius Junius Brutus. He is also the husband of Lucretia, the noblewoman raped by Sextus Tarquinius.

According to legend, ancient Rome had seven kings. The last of these kings, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, was overthrown in the year 510 BCE after his son Sextus Tarquinius had raped Collatinus's wife, Lucretia. This revolt was led by the aforementioned Lucius Junius Brutus, an ancestor of the Marcus Brutus who conspired to kill Julius Caesar almost 500 years later. After overthrowing the seventh king of Rome, the Roman Republic was founded. Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus joined Lucius Junius Brutus in the first shared consulship.

William Smith's Dictionary says that Collatinus was the son of Egerius, himself the son of Aruns (son of Demaratus) himself the brother of Tarquinius Priscus (who was the fifth king of Rome). Collatinus derived his cognomen thus; his grandfather Egerius was placed in command of the town Collatia which had been captured by Tarquinius Priscus, and the next generation also resided in that town. Thus the grandson was surnamed Collatinus to indicate his place of birth or origin or nearest association.

Collatinus's time as consul was brief. Livy claims that the people could not endure the rule of any of the hated race of the Tarquins, and thus the innocent Collatinus was persuaded by his colleague and the other nobles to resign his office and retire from Rome. His colleague, Brutus, escaped this stigma, despite also being a scion of the dynasty, because his family name was Junius and not Tarquinius. Collatinus withdrew with all his property to Lavinium, and Publius Valerius Publicola was elected in his place.

[edit] Sources

• Livy I 38 57 - 60, II 2
• Dionysius of Halicarnassus IV 64
• Cassius Dio Frag. 24
• Cicero de Republicae. II 25

de Off. III 10

as quoted in Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1870).[1]

[edit] External links

• (Italian)Collatinus on pbmstoria.it
• Collatinus in William Smith: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1870)

Political offices
Preceded by King of the Roman Kingdom Lucius Tarquinius Superbus	Consul of the Roman Republic with Lucius Junius Brutus 509 BC	Succeeded by Publius Lucretius Tricipitinus and Publius Valerius Publicola

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