Titus Lartius facts for kids

Titus Lartius was an important leader in the early Roman Republic. He was known by the names Flavus or Rufus. He served as a consul twice and was the very first Roman dictator.

Who Was Titus Lartius?

The Lartii family, also spelled Larcius or Largius, came from the Etruscan people. They lived in Ancient Rome during the early years of the Roman Republic. Their family name, Lartius, comes from an Etruscan first name, Lars.

Titus had a brother named Spurius Lartius. Spurius was famous for being a hero of the Republic. He helped defend a wooden bridge over the Tiber River with Horatius Cocles and Titus Herminius Aquilinus. Spurius was also a consul twice. Titus Lartius also served as consul two times, in 501 BC and 498 BC.

Titus Lartius's Public Service

First Consulship and Becoming Dictator

Titus Lartius first became a consul in 501 BC. This was the ninth year of the Roman Republic. His fellow consul was Postumus Cominius Auruncus. During their time in office, there was some trouble in Rome. This trouble was blamed on a group of young Sabines, who were people from a nearby region.

Just the year before, another consul had defeated the Sabines. Now, it looked like the war might start again. People were also worried about a coming war with the Latins. Octavius Mamilius, a prince from the city of Tusculum, was gathering an alliance of thirty Latin towns. He wanted to help Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome, get his throne back.

Because of these dangers, the Romans decided to create a new, powerful leader. This leader was first called the praetor maximus or magister populi. Later, this role became known simply as the dictator. A dictator had supreme power to protect the city. People could not argue against their decisions, unlike with the consuls. However, a dictator's power only lasted for six months.

The Roman Senate told the consuls to choose a dictator. Cominius chose his colleague, Titus Lartius. Lartius then chose Spurius Cassius Viscellinus as his magister equitum, or "master of the horse." Spurius Cassius had won a victory against the Sabines the year before.

The Sabines were worried when they heard about Rome's new dictator. They sent messengers to Rome to try and stop a war. The talks did not work, and war was declared. But neither side wanted to fight, so no battle happened. During the rest of his time as dictator, Lartius took a census. He also talked with different Latin towns to keep old friends and make new ones. He then held elections for the next year's consuls. After that, he stepped down from his position before his six months were over. This set an example for future dictators.

Second Consulship and Later Roles

Lartius became consul for the second time in 498 BC. His partner was Quintus Cloelius Siculus. In this year, the long-expected war with the Latins finally began. The dictator Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis led the Roman army to victory at the Battle of Lake Regillus. Meanwhile, Consul Lartius captured the town of Fidenae.

After leaving his consulship, some historians say that Lartius dedicated the temple of Saturn. This temple was at the bottom of the Capitoline Hill.

In 494 BC, Lartius was a praefectus urbi, which means "city prefect." He tried to help the common people, called the plebs, with their money problems. When the plebeians left the city and camped on Mons Sacer, Lartius was one of the people the Senate sent to talk with them. These talks were successful. They led to the creation of the tribunes of the people, who were officials chosen to protect the plebeians.

In 493 BC, Lartius also served as a legate (an assistant general) to Consul Cominius. This was the same Cominius who had been his colleague in 501 BC. They were at the siege of Corioli, where Gaius Marcius Coriolanus became famous for his bravery.

Historical Questions

Some historical accounts have different ideas about the first dictator. One story says the first dictator was Manius Valerius. However, the historian Livy thought it was unlikely that someone who had not been a consul yet would be the first dictator. He also doubted that Manius Valerius would have been chosen over his own father.

Another story places the start of the dictatorship three years later, in 498 BC, during Lartius's second consulship. Livy says that Aulus Postumius Albus was made dictator that year. He led the Roman army to victory over the Latins at the Battle of Lake Regillus. However, some other historians say this battle happened in 496 BC, when Postumius was a consul. These different stories show that sometimes, history from a long time ago can have different versions.

Titus Lartius in Stories

Titus Lartius appears as a Roman general in William Shakespeare's play, Coriolanus. Shakespeare's play is mostly based on the life of Coriolanus as told by Plutarch. However, Shakespeare might have also read the works of Livy and Dionysius.