Tullus Hostilius: The Hostile Third King of Rome

If our old––and by now very close––friend Numa Pompilius was the most religious of all Rome’s kings, and the most peaceful, then Tullus Hostilius was the most aggressive. The most bloodthirsty. The most hostile. Hostile Hostilius! Could that be where the word comes from? Oh, goodness, etymology gets me so excited! With but a moment’s worth of Google-powered research, I see that hostile comes from the Latin hostilis (of an enemy), which in turn comes from hostis (enemy). What do you think, was the word hostile derived from this king’s antagonistic behavior, or did he earn the name because of his behavior?

HistoryTiffany ParksJanuary 23, 2013Ancient History, Roman History, Roman Archaic Period, Tullus Hostilius Comment

Numa Pompilius and the Nymph Egeria

When we left off I was just about to wrap up the story of Numa Pompilius, Rome’s second king. Today I will officially finish the story of Numa Pompilius, and I promise, you will never hear his name from me again. In previous posts I described how Numa was Rome’s most pious king, instituting the cult of the Vestal Virgins, reforming religious laws and reorganizing the Roman calendar. He was wise and pacific, creating several codes and laws by which the Romans lived for many centuries to come. But where did he get all this wisdom?

HistoryTiffany ParksNovember 26, 2012Ancient History, Roman Archaic Period, Riccardo Muti Comment

The Pines of Rome

A blog exploring Rome's Art, history, culture, customs, quirks, and curiosities