According to information transmitted by ancient authors, the place where Rome originated was inhabited from ancient times and attracted foreigners. The first colonists of Italy were the ancient Hellens, including the famous heroes Hercules and Evander. Then, after the fall of Troy to the coast of Latia, the ships of the Trojan fugitives, led by the hero Aeneas, landed. All Trojans were exhausted by wanderings, and one of the Trojan women offered to stop swimming and burn the ships. Her name was Roma; There are versions according to which the city of Rome was named after her. One of the local kings, the Latins, kindly met the Trojans and even gave his daughter, Lavinia, to Aeneas. In honor of her, Aeneas founded the city of Lavinius.
After the death of Latina, Aeneas began to reign over both the settlers and the indigenous people. The son of Aeneas, was for the first time forced to restrain the aggression of the Etruscans and transferred the capital of the state to a new city, Alba Long , who soon began to dominate all the cities of Latia and rallied them into the Latin Union. The ruling dynasty of the descendants of Ascanius. The fourteenth king Alba-Longi Numitor was overthrown by his brother Amouli, who, wanting to protect himself, killed Numitor’s son and under the guise of honor gave his daughter Ray Sylvia a priestess of the goddess Vesta, because they had to hold a celibacy for 30 years. But the young Vestal was visited by the god Mars, after which she gave birth to twins – Romulus and Remus, whom Amulius ordered to be thrown into the Tiber. The twins did not drown and were, according to legend, fed by a she-wolf and brought up by the shepherd Fastul. When the brothers grew up, they killed Amulius and returned the throne Alba-Longi to their grandfather Numitor. He sent them to establish a new colony of Alba-Longa. Between the brothers there was a dispute over where exactly to build the city, Romulus killed Rem and thus became the first king of Rome.
The initial population of the city were criminals and exiles from other cities. They often raided the neighboring nations; thanks to cunning, they were able to organize the abduction of the Sabine women, thereby, after the end of the short-term hostility, ensuring an alliance with the Sabines and their king, Titus Tycea. Crafts and trade began to develop in the city. State structures were formed, such as the Senate and the Institute of lictors. The influence of Rome has increased so much that the former colony managed to seize and destroy its metropolis — Alba-Long; however, all subsequent years, Rome was forced to wage protracted wars with its neighbors: Sabines, Latins and Etruscans. All the kings after Romulus had Etruscan names, which indirectly indicates that Rome came under strong Etruscan influence. The power of the kings itself was limited. At first, the post of king was not inherited: at the time the chair stood empty, a temporary king was appointed by the senate, who reigned for no more than one year and during that time had to find a candidate for the post of king and put it to a vote in curate committees. Subsequently, the power was transferred either through the nursing line or adopted children, which is also an Etruscan custom. The last kings came to power as a result of conspiracies and the killing of their predecessors. The last king of Rome was Lucius Tarquinius the Proud, who became famous for his tyrannical rule and was expelled by the Romans. After the overthrow of Tarquinius Proud, a republic was proclaimed in Rome.
The reign of the last king ended in 510 BC.
Sources:
Momigliano A. The origins of Rome // The Cambridge Ancient History. Vol.7, part. 2. The Rise of Rome to 220 BC
Badak A.N., Voynich I.Ye., Volchek N.M. and others. “Ancient Rome”
by ed. A. G. Bokchanov and V. I. Kuzishchina. “The History of Ancient Rome”
L. Kofanov. 2001: The character of royal power in Rome of the VIII — VI centuries. BC
