| Ancus Marcius | |
|---|---|
 Ancus Marcius depicted on a 57 BCdenarius | |
| King of Rome | |
| Reign | c. 640–616 BC |
| Predecessor | Tullus Hostilius |
| Successor | Lucius Tarquinius Priscus |
| Father | Numa Marcius |
| Mother | Pompilia |
Ancus Marcius (Classical Latin:[ˈaŋkʊsˈmaːrkiʊs]) was thelegendary fourthking of Rome,[1][2][3] who traditionally reigned 24 years.[4] Upon the death of the previous king,Tullus Hostilius, theRoman Senate appointed aninterrex, who in turn called a session of theassembly of the people who elected the new king.[5] Ancus is said to have ruled by waging war asRomulus did, while also promoting peace and religion asNuma Pompilius did.[6]
Ancus Marcius was believed by many Romans to have been the namesake of theMarcii, a plebeian family.[7][8][9]
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| O:diademed head of Ancus Marcius,lituus behind ANCVS | R:equestrian statue on 5 arches ofaqueduct (Aqua Marcia) PHILIPPVSA-Q-V-A-(MAR) |
| Silverdenarius struck byLucius Marcius Philippus inRome 56 BC. | |
Ancus was the son ofMarcius (himself the son of Rome's firstpontifex maximusNuma Marcius[10]) andPompilia (daughter of Numa Pompilius).[5] Ancus Marcius was thus the grandson of Numa and therefore aSabine.[11][12][13] According toFestus, Marcius was surnamed Ancus because of his crooked arm (ancus signifying "bent" in Latin).
According toLivy, Ancus's first act as king was to order thePontifex Maximus to copy the text concerning the performance of public ceremonies of religion from the commentaries ofNuma Pompilius to be displayed to the public on wooden tablets, so that the rites of religion should no longer be neglected or improperly performed.[5][14] When Tullus was king, he repealed the Numa-created religious edicts that had been in place before.[15]
According toLivy, the accession of Ancus emboldened theLatin League, who assumed that the new king would follow the pious pursuit of peace adopted by his grandfather,Numa Pompilius. The Latins accordingly made an incursion on Roman lands, and gave a contemptuous reply to a Roman embassy seeking restitution for the damage. Ancus responded bydeclaring war on the Latins. Livy says that this event was notable as the first time that the Romans declared war by means of the rites of thefetials.[5]
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Ancus Marcius marched from Rome with a newly levied army and took the Latin town ofPolitorium (situated near the town ofLanuvium) by storm. Its residents were removed to settle on theAventine Hill in Rome as new citizens, following the Roman traditions from wars with theSabines andAlbans. When the other Latins subsequently occupied the empty town of Politorium, Ancus took the town again and demolished it.[16] The Latin villages of Tellenae and Ficana were also sacked and demolished.
The war then focused on the Latin town ofMedullia. The town had a strong garrison and was well fortified. Several engagements took place outside the town and the Romans were eventually victorious. Ancus returned to Rome with a large amount of loot. More Latins were brought to Rome as citizens and were settled at the foot of the Aventine near thePalatine Hill, by the temple ofMurcia.
Ancus Marcius incorporated theJaniculum into the city, fortifying it with a wall and connecting it with the city by a wooden bridge across theTiber,[17] thePons Sublicius. To protect the bridge from enemy attacks, Ancus had the end that was facing the Janiculum fortified.[18] Ancus also took over Fidenae to expand Rome's influence across the Tiber.[19] On the land side of the city he constructed theFossa Quiritium, a ditch fortification. He also built Rome's first prison, theMamertine prison.[16]
He then extended the Roman territory, founding the port ofOstia,[20] establishing salt-works around the port,[17][21] and taking the Silva Maesia, an area of coastal forest north of theTiber, from theVeientes. He expanded thetemple of Jupiter Feretrius to reflect these territorial successes.[16] According to a reconstruction of theFasti Triumphales, Ancus Marcius celebrated at least one triumph, over theSabines and Veientes.
Ancus Marcius is reported to have died of natural causes after a rule of 24 years.[4] He had two sons, one of which would likely take the throne. A member of Ancus' court,Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, ensured that Ancus' sons would be out of Rome so he could put together an election where he would gain the support of the Roman people.[22]
Ancus Marcius was succeeded by his friend Lucius Tarquinius Priscus,[23][24] who was ultimately assassinated by the sons of Ancus Marcius.[25] Later, during the Republic and the Empire, the prominentgens Marcia claimed descent from Ancus Marcius.
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One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ancus Marcius".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 953.| Legendary titles | ||
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| Preceded by | King of Rome 642–617 BC | Succeeded by |
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