f counsel and
assistance, surrendered itself without a struggle into the power of
the Roman king.

Tarquin, having thus gained possession of Gabii, made peace with the
nation of the Aequi, and renewed the treaty with the Etruscans. He
next turned his attention to the affairs of the city. The chief of
these was that of leaving behind him the Temple of Jupiter on the
Tarpeian Mount, as a monument of his name and reign; to remind
posterity that of two Tarquinii, both kings, the father had vowed, the
son completed it.[50] Further, that the open space, to the exclusion
of all other forms of worship, might be entirely appropriated to
Jupiter and his temple, which was to be erected upon it, he resolved
to cancel the inauguration of the small temples and chapels, several
of which had been first vowed by King Tatius, in the crisis of the
battle against Romulus, and afterward consecrated and dedicated by
him. At the very outset of the foundation of this work it is said that
the gods exerted their divinity to declare the future greatness of so
mighty an empire; for, though the birds declared for the unhallowing
of all the other chapels, they did not declare themselves in favour
of it in the case of that of Terminus.[51] This omen and augury were
taken to import that the fact of Terminus not changing his residence,
and that he was the only one of the gods who was not called out of
the consecrated bounds devoted to his worship, was a presage of the
lasting stability of the state in general. This being accepted as
an omen of its lasting character, there followed another prodigy
portending the greatness of the empire. It was reported that the head
of a man, with the face entire, was found by the workmen when digging
the foundation of the temple. The sight of this phenomenon by no
doubtful indications portended that this temple should be the seat of
empire, and the capital of the world; and so declared the soothsayers,
both those who were in the city, and those whom they had summoned
from Etruria, to consult on this subject. The king's mind was thereby
encouraged to greater expense; in consequence of which the spoils
of Pometia, which had been destined to complete the work, scarcely
sufficed for laying the foundation. On this account I am more
inclined to believe Fabius (not to mention his being the more ancient
authority), that there were only forty talents, than Piso, who says
that forty thousand pounds of silver by weight were set