tailment of their
privileges by the popular reforms of Servius, and were glad to lend
themselves to any overthrow of his power. But Tarquin soon kicked away
the ladder by which he had risen. He abrogated, it is true, the hated
Assembly of the Centuries; but neither did he pay any heed to the
Curiate Assembly, nor did he allow any new members to be chosen into the
senate in place of those who were removed by death or other causes; so
that even those who had helped him to the throne repented them of their
deed. The name of Superbus, or the Proud, testifies to the general
feeling against the despotic rule of the second Tarquin.

It was by foreign alliances that he calculated on supporting his
despotism at home. The Etruscans of Tarquinii, and all its associate
cities, were his friends; and among the Latins also he sought to raise a
power which might counterbalance the senate and people of Rome.

The wisdom of Tarquinius Priscus and Servius had united all the Latin
name to Rome, so that Rome had become the sovereign city of Latium. The
last Tarquin drew those ties still closer. He gave his daughter in
marriage to Octavius Mamilius, chief of Tusculum, and favored the Latins
in all things. But at a general assembly of the Latins at the Ferentine
Grove, beneath the Alban Mount, where they had been accustomed to meet
of olden time to settle their national affairs, Turnus Herdonius of
Aricia rose and spoke against him. Then Tarquinius accused him of high
treason, and brought false witnesses against him; and so powerful with
the Latins was the king that they condemned their countryman to be
drowned in the Ferentine water, and obeyed Tarquinius in all things.

With them he made war upon the Volscians and took the city of Suessa,
wherein was a great booty. This booty he applied to the execution of
great works in the city, in emulation of his father and King Servius.
The elder Tarquin had built up the side of the Tarpeian rock and
levelled the summit, to be the foundation of a temple of Jupiter, but he
had not completed the work. Tarquinius Superbus now removed all the
temples and shrines of the old Sabine gods which had been there since
the time of Titus Tatius; but the goddess of Youth and the god Terminus
kept their place, whereby was signified that the Roman people should
enjoy undecaying vigor, and that the boundaries of their empire should
never be drawn in. And on the Tarpeian height he built a magnificent
temple, to be ded