changed so far for the worse, in that in your crime is associated with
cowardice. Why do you not gird yourself to the task? You need not,
like your father, from Corinth or Tarquinii, struggle for a kingdom in
a foreign land. Your household and country's gods, the statue of your
father, the royal palace and the kingly throne in that palace, and the
Tarquinian name, elect and call you king. Or if you have too little
spirit for this, why do you disappoint the state? Why suffer yourself
to be looked up to as a prince? Get hence to Tarquinii or Corinth.
Sink back again to your original stock, more like your brother than
your father." By chiding him with these and other words, she urged on
the young man: nor could she rest herself, at the thought that though
Tanaquil, a woman of foreign birth, had been able to conceive and
carry out so vast a project, as to bestow two thrones in succession on
her husband, and then on her son-in-law, she, sprung from royal blood,
had no decisive influence in bestowing and taking away a kingdom.
Tarquinius, driven on by the blind passion of the woman, began to go
round and solicit the support of the patricians, especially those of
the younger families:[46] he reminded them of his father's kindness,
and claimed a return for it, enticed the young men by presents,
increased his influence everywhere both by making magnificent promises
on his own part, as well as by accusations against the king. At
length, as soon as the time seemed convenient for carrying out his
purpose, he rushed into the forum, accompanied by a band of armed men;
then, while all were struck with dismay, seating himself on the throne
before the senate-house, he ordered the fathers to be summoned to the
senate-house by the crier to attend King Tarquinius. They assembled
immediately, some having been already prepared for this, others
through fear, lest it should prove dangerous to them not to have come,
astounded at such a strange and unheard-of event, and considering that
the reign of Servius was now at an end. Then Tarquinius began his
invectives with his immediate ancestors: That a slave, the son of a
slave, after the shameful death of his father, without an interregnum
being adopted, as on former occasions, without any election being
held, without the suffrages of the people, or the sanction of the
fathers, he had taken possession of the kingdom by the gift of a
woman; that so born, so created king, a strong supporter of the most