Tulo Hostilius

Tullus Hostilius or Tullus Hostilius (Latin, Tullus Hostilius or Tullius Hostilius; reigned c. 670-c. 638 BC, for 32 years, according to Tito Livio and Dionisio de Halicarnaso) was the third king of Rome. He was Latino and an elderly man when he came to power.

He succeeded Numa Pompilius after a year's interregnum, as usual. Tulio Hostilio was succeeded by Anco Marcio, grandson of Numa Pompilio.

Tulius Hostilio's grandfather, Hosto Hostilio, had been a companion of Romulus, one of those prominent in the fight against the Sabines. Tullus is a dark character in the history of Rome. It is known that he was a warrior, as much or more than the founder Rómulo himself. He extended the city of Rome to Mount Caelius after the destruction of Alba and "conversion" of the Alban citizens into full-fledged Roman citizens. Tito Livio (liv. I, 30, 2) attributes to him the construction of the Hostilia curia (built, perhaps, during the 6th-5th centuries BC and rebuilt in the I BC after a fire; it would finally be demolished in 44 BC) at the time of its name.

The Celeres

It is said that Romulus always carried around him and as a personal escort the eternal adolescents called Etruscan celeres or veloces, which numbered three hundred individuals. This military corps was abolished by King Numa Pompilius, but later his successor Tullius Hostilius reintroduced it with a salary, as a special corps of cavalry and personal guard, and it became the main force of this king's army. From then on, the chief of the celeres played a very important role until he became the leader of all the troops on foot and on horseback. It was he who had the right to conscript the soldiers and gather the comitia.

Destruction of Alba Longa

Neoclassical painting by Jacques Louis David inspired by the history of the Horatios.

Alba Longa was, according to legend, the ancient city founded by Ascanio, son of Aeneas. From this city came the ancestors of Rómulo and his own mother, Rhea Silvia. It was located in ancient Lazio at the foot of Mount Albo and next to the river Álbula (the Tiber).

King Tullus Hostilius is known to have been bellicose. He sought war against the city of Alba Longa, whose king according to Tito Livio was Gaius Cluilio. He gave occasion for that the looting of Alba Longa lands by Roman peasants, followed by looting by Albanians in retaliation. Both kings sent legates to demand the return of what was stolen, but Tulio Hostilio anticipated rejecting those of Alba Longa, declaring war. Alba Longa's army marched against Rome, but their king, Gaius Cluilio, died in the camp, for which Mecio Fufecio was appointed dictator. Mecios sought to avoid war, and when both armies were ready for battle, he urged the Romans for peace, arguing that whoever emerged victorious would do so with such losses that he could easily be subdued in an attack by the Etruscans. Both towns then agreed that there would be no battle, and to decide which city would have authority over the other through combat between representatives of each army: three Roman twin brothers and against three Albanian twin brothers. These were respectively the Horatii (Horatii) and Curiatii (Curiatii). Both Tito Livio and Dionisio de Halicarnaso recount the confrontation: In the first clash, two of the Horacios died, but the three Curiacios were seriously injured. Immediately afterwards, the surviving Horacio began to run, being pursued by the Curiacios, but due to their injuries, they ran at different speeds, which Horacio took advantage of to suddenly turn around and attack them separately, killing all three. The triumph was therefore for the Romans and as a consequence the Albanians submitted to Rome. Tulo Hostilio arranged for Mecio to support him with his army in case of war against the Etruscan city of Veii.

Shortly thereafter, the city of Fidenae, which was subject to Rome as a colony, planned to revolt with the support of Veii. Mettius offered himself as a secret ally to the rebellion, vowing to betray the Romans in combat. Tulio Hostilio called the Albanians as support. For the battle, Tulo Hostilio formed the Romans against the troops of Veii, and the Albanians against those of Fidenas. But Mecio Fufecio, drove away the Albanians by climbing adjoining mountains, abandoning the Romans and hoping to intervene in favor of whoever took advantage in the battle. Then Tullius Hostilius shouted to his army (so that the enemy could also hear it) that Mecius was not abandoning the field, but following his orders to attack the Fideneans from the rear. With this he gave the Romans confidence and launched them against the Fidenites, who, fearing to be surrounded, withdrew. After defeating the Fidenites, he attacked Veii's wing and defeated it. The battle was the bloodiest that Rome had fought so far. Mettius reinstated his army to that of Rome, and Tullus Hostilius pretended to receive him in good spirits. But the next day he called an assembly of both armies. The Albanians came unarmed but were surrounded by the Romans. Tulio Hostilio accused the Alban chief of treason and ordered him to be dismembered by tying him to two chariots. He next arranged for Rome and Alba Longa to be reunited as one people and city, bringing the Albanians to Rome, giving Roman citizenship to his people and senatorship to their leaders. Alba Longa was then destroyed in its urban structure, and its inhabitants relocated to Rome.

Death of the King

According to legend, after the oblivion of the Albanian rites, the situation in Rome became complicated, as it was believed that the gods had been abandoned. To this was added an epidemic, which seriously affected Rome and its military spirit. Despite this, Tulo Hostilio did not grant a truce to his warlike undertakings; but eventually he would fall ill. His illness led him to extreme superstition. Therefore, he recovered some rites that the previous king, Numa Pompilio, created to honor the gods. However, he must not have done it correctly, because, according to Livio's account, Jupiter, enraged, killed him by setting his palace on fire with lightning. However, the historian Dionisio de Halicarnaso affirms (III, 35) that the most widespread story is that it was the work of Anco Marcio, the son of Numa Pompilio and later king of Rome, concerned that the descendants of Tulo Hostilio were growing, which meant a clear obstacle to his later reign. In this way, he, along with a group of Romans, would enter the palace of Tulo Hostilio, assassinating the king and his family. Later, he would set fire to the house, and, taking advantage of the storm that was occurring at that moment, he blamed lightning for the fire. Despite everything, Dionisio de Halicarnaso himself, who carefully narrates this anecdote, rejects it, and adds to Tito Livio's thesis that it was a divine work. His main argument is that the gods could not have accepted, as, according to him, they did, the appointment of an "impure man stained with the blood of so many unjust deaths, what god or divinity would allow him to approach the altars?, to initiate the sacrifices and take care of the other cults?»