An analysis of Livy’s account of the reign of Tarquin the Proud and the features which make its historical reliability doubtful.

Though marked as probably being a true historical figure, unlike the mythic legend of Rome’s purported founder and first King Romulus, Livys account of the last Tarquin, Superbus’ reign and deposal is questionable for a number of reasons.
Livy was writing of a time far before his own existence and the records of it are incomplete and not possible to be trusted as true historical documentation, because of this Livys history appears to be made up of stories that work as moral vignettes which he uses to demonstrate to the Roman people the correct and proper order of life. These are themselves modeled on a Greek mythic tradition casting further doubt on their truthfulness as historical documents. Livys own life experience informs his work to the degree that he looks back on the 100 years of civil war that his country has just come out of and uses his retelling of the regal period in Rome to support his own contemporary pro-senatorial views.

Livy himself admits in the preface of...