1.53
However tyrannical the
king was in his domestic administration he was by no
means a despicable general; in military skill he
would have rivalled any of his predecessors had not
the degeneration of his character in other
directions prevented him from attaining distinction
here also. He was the first to stir up war with the
Volscians -a war which was to last for more than
two hundred years after his time -and took from
them the city of Pomptine Suessa. The booty was sold
and he realised out of the proceeds forty talents of
silver. He then sketched out the design of a temple
to Jupiter, which in its extent should be worthy of
the king of gods and men, worthy of the Roman
empire, worthy of the majesty of the City itself. He
set apart the above-mentioned sum for its
construction. The next war occupied him longer than
he expected. Failing to capture the neighbouring
city of Gabii by assault and finding it useless to
attempt an investment, after being defeated under
its walls, he employed methods against it which were
anything but Roman, namely, fraud and deceit. He
pretended to have given up all thoughts of war and
to be devoting himself to laying the foundations of
his temple and other undertakings in the City.
Meantime, it was arranged that Sextus, the youngest
of his three sons, should go as a refugee to Gabii,
complaining loudly of his father's insupportable
cruelty, and declaring that he had shifted his
tyranny from others on to his own family, and even
regarded the presence of his children as a burden
and was preparing to devastate his own family as he
had devastated the senate, so that not a single
descendant, not a single heir to the crown might be
left. He had, he said, himself escaped from the
murderous violence of his father, and felt that no
place was safe for him except amongst Lucius
Tarquin's enemies. Let them not deceive themselves,
the war which apparently was abandoned was hanging
over them, and at the first chance he would attack
them when they least expected it. If amongst them
there was no place for suppliants, he would wander
through Latium, he would petition the Volsci, the
Aequi, the Hernici, until he came to men who know
how to protect children against the cruel and
unnatural persecutions of parents. Perhaps he would
find people with sufficient spirit to take up arms
against a remorseless tyrant backed by a warlike
people. As it seemed probable that if they paid no
attention to him he would, in his angry mood, take
his departure, the people of Gabii gave him a kind
reception. They told him not to be surprised if his
father treated his children as he had treated his
own subjects and his allies; failing others he would
end by murdering himself. They showed pleasure at
his arrival and expressed their belief that with his
assistance the war would be transferred from the
gates of Gabii to the walls of Rome.