The Etruscans were a powerful nation that lived to the north of the Latin tribes right at the start of Rome’s history. For a long time‚ they were far more powerful than Rome. It is reasonably well known that they had a strong influence on the development of the city. However‚ what many people are not aware of is that the Etruscans actually ruled it for a while as well. In fact‚ this is one of the reasons why the Etruscans were able to have such a strong impact on its development.   According to legend‚ Rome had seven kings‚ the first being Romulus. The line of kings came to an end when the monarchy was overthrown and the Republic was founded. At some point‚ the native Latin dynasty founded by Romulus was replaced by an Etruscan dynasty. The last three kings were Etruscans (and so too were the first two consuls of the Republic). Who were these Etruscan kings?   Content Warning: This post contains discussions that some readers may find sensitive or offensive. If you feel uncomfortable‚ it’s okay to stop reading. Reader discretion is advised.   Etruscan King Lucius Tarquinius Priscus Tarquinius Priscus Entering Rome‚ by Jacopo del Sallio‚ 15th century‚ Source: The Cleveland Art Museum   The first king of the Etruscan dynasty was Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. He was the son of a Greek man named Demaratus who had fled to Italy to escape charges of sedition. Demaratus married an Etruscan woman‚ unnamed in the sources.   Their son Priscus married an Etruscan woman named Tanaquil‚ who was said to have been skilled in prophecy. Priscus was unable to rise to political power in Etruria due to the ethnicity of his father. Because of this‚ his wife Tanaquil encouraged him to move to Rome. There‚ he was able to pursue political power. According to the legendary sources‚ an eagle stole his cap from his head as he entered Rome‚ but then flew back and returned it to him. His wife interpreted this as an omen indicating that he would be powerful in the future. After the death of the reigning king‚ Ancus Marcius‚ Lucius Tarquinius Priscus convinced the leading political men of Rome to make him king.   Engraving of the Circus Maximus‚ Domenico de’ Rossi‚ 1699‚ Source: Wikimedia Commons   Priscus was‚ by all accounts‚ a powerful king. He was said to have expanded Rome’s borders through military conquests. His three main enemies throughout his reign were the Latins‚ the Sabines‚ and his own kinsmen‚ the Etruscans.   He first led the Romans in battle against the other Latin tribes. He was victorious over them‚ resulting in many of the Latin tribes becoming united‚ with Rome as the centralized power. After this‚ he fought against the Sabines‚ although he did not conquer them and more Latin towns were conquered. In retaliation for keeping some Etruscans held in prison for participating in the Sabine War‚ several Etruscan cities warred against Rome. Eventually‚ Priscus defeated them in battle and actually conquered the cities involved.   Lucius Tarquinius Priscus was not just important for his military conquests. He also enacted some political reforms‚ such as adding many more families to the Roman Senate. He also commissioned the Circus Maximus‚ the first stadium built in Rome for chariot racing. More significantly‚ he constructed Rome’s great sewer‚ the Cloaca Maxima‚ as well as a wall around the city.   Servius Tullius Tullia Running her Chariot Over the Body of her Father‚ by Michel-Francois Dandre Bardon‚ 1735‚ Source: Wikimedia Commons   After Lucius Tarquinius Priscus died‚ he was succeeded by a man named Servius Tullius. However‚ he was not a son of Priscus. According to one tradition‚ recorded by Emperor Claudius‚ Servius was originally an Etruscan mercenary called Mastarna.   His mother was named Ocrisia. She was said to have been a noblewoman captured by the Romans during one of their attacks on Etruria. One tradition records how her husband was killed in the attack. A different tradition records that she was a virgin when she was taken‚ and she was impregnated by a deity. In any case‚ his mother was believed to be a slave in the household of the king. It is because of this “servile” origins that her child was named Servius.   Because of being part of the royal household‚ albeit as the son of a slave-woman‚ Servius Tullius was able to take advantage of some important opportunities. He married the daughter of Tarquinius Priscus and Tanaquil‚ whose name was Tarquinia. He ended up receiving political and military power while his father in law was ruling.   The Murder of Servius Tullius‚ King of Rome‚ by Louis Jean François Lagrenée‚ c. 1770‚ Source: The Knohl Collection   Servius was said to have performed many reforms in the city of Rome. In reality‚ many scholars today believe that these reforms occurred gradually‚ even over centuries. But in any case‚ one of the reforms attributed to Servius is that he allowed common landowners to vote. He also put into law the military obligations of all Romans. He reorganized the legislative body that had power over Rome and held a census of the people‚ which had never been done before.   Servius came to be remembered in later Roman tradition as a benevolent king and his death was viewed as a tragic event. But how did his death occur? Supposedly he was assassinated. His youngest daughter had married Lucius Tarquinius Superbus‚ the son or grandson of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus‚ the previous king. Together‚ they conspired to kill Servius. One day‚ Tarquinius Superbus went to Servius’ throne and sat himself down on it. He then gave a speech to the senators‚ strongly criticizing Servius for his background and his policies. When Servius arrived and was about to defend himself‚ Tarquinius pushed him down the steps. Tarquinius’ men then rushed over to him and murdered him.   Lucius Tarquinius Superbus Illustration of Tarquinius Superbus receiving the Sibylline Books‚ from The Story of Rome‚ by Mary MacGregor‚ 1912‚ Source: Wikmedia Commons   Lucius Tarquinius Superbus then became the next king. He became known as “Superbus‚” which means “proud” or “arrogant‚” due to his refusal to allow Servius’ body to be buried. He then went about trying to firmly establish his power over the Romans. One way he did this was by killing any senators whom he thought were still loyal to Servius.   Lucius then tried to expand his power even further by gaining power over the other Latin tribes. Through deceit and manipulation to remove his opposers‚ he ended up forming a military alliance with almost all the other Latin towns‚ with Rome as the ruler. One of the cities that had refused to join the alliance with Rome was Gabii. Tarquinius Superbus went to war against it‚ but could not take it. Therefore‚ he sent his son‚ Sextus‚ there and had him pretend to have been suffering at the hands of his father. The city took him in and gave him command of their troops. Sextus then killed or banished all the prominent men of the city and then handed it over to his father.   The Death of Lucretia‚ Antonio Carneo‚ by Master with the Parrot‚ 1525-1550‚ Source: Wikimedia Commons   It is clear that the reign of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus was marked by cunning and subterfuge. He did not come to be remembered as a benevolent king. Many of the king’s actions disturbed the people greatly. However‚ what directly led to his downfall were really the actions of his son. His son‚ Sextus‚ raped a woman named Lucretia‚ the wife of Lucius Collatinus‚ one of the king’s relatives. Another relative of the king‚ Lucius Junius Brutus‚ took the lead in overthrowing the monarchy in retaliation for this act and for everything that the king had done.   Tarquinius was rejected by the common people as their king‚ and he fled in exile to the Etruscans. He received some military support‚ and with that he led an army against Rome. At the Battle of Silvia Arsia‚ Tarquinius was defeated‚ although the Roman army suffered heavy losses as well. Tarquinius tried a number of times over the years to regain control of Rome‚ but he was not successful.   Lars Porsenna Lars Porsenna and Mucius Scaevola‚ by Matthias Stomer‚ 17th century‚ Source: Art Gallery of New South Wales‚ Sydney   Lucius Tarquinius Superbus is generally considered to have been the last king of Rome‚ Etruscan or otherwise. However‚ there was another Etruscan king who may well have ruled Rome for a while. This king was named Lars Porsenna. He was the ruler of the powerful Etruscan town of Clusium. After his defeat at the Battle of Silvia Arsia‚ Lucius Tarquinius Superbus went to Lars Porsenna for help.   Porsenna then led an army against Rome. Whether he was able to actually enter and take control of the city is heavily debated by modern scholars. Some Roman sources say that he settled on peace terms with the besieged Romans and then withdrew. If he did occupy the city for a time‚ as some scholars believe‚ then Lars Porsenna would be the true final Etruscan king of Rome.   The Etruscan Kings of Rome Ruins of the Roman Forum‚ Source: Britannica   In summary‚ Rome traditionally had seven kings‚ the last three of whom were Etruscan. This is one way in which the Etruscans exerted a massive impact on the development of early Rome. The first of these Etruscan kings was Lucius Tarquinius Priscus‚ who had an Etruscan mother and a Greek father. He expanded Rome’s power and territory through his military exploits. He also constructed the important sewer system in Rome.   Servius Tullius‚ born of a slave woman‚ was the next king. He instituted many important political reforms‚ many of which gave more power to the people. He was murdered by his son-in-law‚ Lucius Tarquinius Superbus‚ who became the next king. He was a proud‚ arrogant‚ cunning ruler. He increased Rome’s authority over the other Latin towns. Eventually‚ he was overthrown through both his son’s wickedness and his own. After him‚ the Etruscan ruler Lars Porsenna may have ruled Rome for a short time‚ although this is still debated.

As she grieved Keith's death‚ McEntire shared memories of their tours together in the mid-'90s. Continue reading…

The father-daughter duo brought down the house. Continue reading…

It was embarrassing enough to watch when Nikki Haley was promising a strong performance in New Hampshire and then got thoroughly pummeled by Donald Trump. At least that was somebody -- a former president‚ no less. However‚ as a sort of object lesson that things can always get worse‚ take...

Has Anheuser-Busch suffered enough for the Dylan Mulvaney debacle? GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump thinks so. In a post to his Truth Social platform on Tuesday afternoon‚ the former president called the Bud Light ad campaign with the transgender "influencer" a "mistake of epic proportions‚" but said the parent brand‚...

Nikki Haley suffered an embarrassing defeat in the meaningless GOP Nevada primary Tuesday night. With Donald Trump off the ballot‚ Haley still couldn’t secure the win. ‘None of these candidates’ garnered the most votes in the primary. According to the Associated Press‚ ‘none of these candidates’ had 62.9% and Haley was second at a distant 30.8%. At the time of writing‚ 86% of the vote was tallied. Although the Nevada primary isn’t worth any delegates‚ the loss is symbolic and humiliating for Haley. BREAKING: Nikki Haley loses the Nevada Primary to “None of these Candidates” Donald Trump is not on the ballot because it doesn’t count and will be the winner of the caucus on Thursday and get the state’s delegates. pic.twitter.com/OFXH4WcPUu — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 7‚ 2024 Nikki Haley basically doubled up in the Nevada primary on a ballot that didn't have Trump on it. She was defeated by someone named "None of these candidates" by 29 points… pic.twitter.com/nqJmFSKOwx — Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) February 7‚ 2024 POLITICO reports: Nikki Haley suffered a major embarrassment in Nevada on Tuesday‚ finishing far behind “none of these candidates” in a presidential primary in which Donald Trump didn’t even compete. Haley’s second-place drubbing to the disembodied alternative on the ballot came in an otherwise no-stakes primary that will not award delegates to the Republican Party’s presidential nominating convention. Trump is expected to romp in the contest that will award delegates‚ the party-run caucus later this week. For Haley’s allies‚ Tuesday’s setback — she has not yet won a single state in the presidential primary — was already the subject of heavy pre-spinning. Some Trump loyalists in the state had actively encouraged his supporters to mark “none of these candidates” to protest her. “Trump’s supporters will follow that man through the gates of hell‚” said Chuck Muth‚ a former Nevada Republican Party executive director and conservative activist and writer. Haley getting some bad advice – should have dropped out after New Hampshire. It’s only going to get more humiliating… “Worse than you can imagine: Haley loses to 'none of these candidates' in Nevada – POLITICO” https://t.co/dHYXJb5j6J — Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) February 7‚ 2024 Just a reminder‚ President Trump did not appear on the Nevada Primary ballot because he will be on the caucus ballot. The Nevada caucus is on Thursday and we need the patriots to get out and vote for Trump! — Alex Bruesewitz (@alexbruesewitz) February 7‚ 2024 CNN noted: On the Democratic side‚ President Joe Biden won the Democrats’ Nevada presidential primary‚ according to a CNN projection‚ adding delegates in a state where he faced little opposition as he marches toward his party’s nomination and prepares for a possible rematch with Trump. Tuesday’s Silver State primary came three days after Biden notched his first official victory of the 2024 primary cycle in South Carolina. Trump is participating in Thursday’s party-run caucuses‚ which will award the state’s delegates. Haley is not competing in the caucuses. Nevada GOP rules prevented candidates from participating in both contests‚ but eligible voters can vote in both.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams claimed at an event that people are “hating” on him because he has a diverse administration. “Have you ever seen this much chocolate leading the city of New York?” Adams questioned. “Go down the line. Look who’s here. This is representative of the city. That’s why people are hating on me‚” he continued. Adams proceeded to compare himself to Jesus. “How many of you go to church?” he asked the audience. “This is a Matthew 21 and 12 moment‚” he said‚ referencing the passage where Jesus flips the tables of money changers in the temple. “Jesus walked in the temple‚ he saw them doing wrong in the temple. He did what?” Adams asked. “I went to city hall to turn the table over‚” he added. WATCH: Mayor Eric Adams shows off his diverse administration: "Have you ever seen this much chocolate leading the city of New York??!! This is why they hating on me!" He then compares himself to Jesus for assembling such a non-White team. pic.twitter.com/AbhgylBBB2 — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 6‚ 2024 Adams isn’t reviled because of hiring a diverse administration. On the contrary‚ it’s because his poor leadership‚ incompetence‚ and policies are destroying the City of New York. The Democrat mayor was criticized for his remarks at the Brooklyn town hall: As long as racism is seen as a valid excuse for corruption and incompetence‚ leaders like this will continue to be praised for doing a horrible job https://t.co/jRSVX3MG1Y — Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) February 6‚ 2024 No actually the reason I hate him is that I supported him when he was running and then the first thing he did when he got into office was extend DeBlasio's fascist vaccine passports. https://t.co/mxiKJ99Bcw — Affirm Reality (@MirabelleW18) February 6‚ 2024 When agenda is more important than actually serving citizens…. https://t.co/RyzIWQW8PI — Kenneth Johnson (@kennethmjohnson) February 6‚ 2024 The man has no control of our city‚ and when you have no control we get insanity which is what we New Yorkers are seeing. When will these politicians ever get it through their thick head that WE THE PEOPLE are tired of your blatant lies and divisive tactics. It’s should no longer https://t.co/IHnBw9hVZH — Ruff Ruffman #MENTOO (@King__Julian7) February 6‚ 2024 The New York Post reports: Adams‚ who has led the city since 2022‚ compared his time in office to that of Dinkins — who was the first black person elected mayor of New York City in 1990. He said the election of Dinkins’ successor‚ Rudy Giuliani‚ was “a set-up for a setback.” “It took us 30 years after what they did to David Dinkins‚ and who did we get after David Dinkins? Giuliani‚” Adams said. He said Dinkins’ critics “wore him down so much that black folks didn’t come out to vote.” “They said‚ ‘You know what‚ we’re not coming out.’ They just beat him and wore him down over and over and over again‚” Adams said. “David Dinkins was the one who passed the legislation for safe city‚ safe streets that allowed us to get the resources we needed to bring down crime in our city. And who benefited from it? Giuliani. Giuliani.” Adams has prioritized migrants over native New Yorkers countless times since becoming mayor. For example‚ a pilot program that will allocate $53 million in pre-paid cards for migrants. NYC launches $53M program to hand out pre-paid credit cards to migrant families https://t.co/pND7FYtPNW pic.twitter.com/NyXBIgeNSy — New York Post (@nypost) February 2‚ 2024 Per Fox News: New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday defended a reported $53 million pilot program to hand out pre-paid credit cards to migrant families housed in hotels despite public outcry. Appearing before a state legislative budget hearing in Albany on Tuesday‚ the Democrat mayor said he sought to dismiss “misinformation” about the program. “We’re not giving people American Express cards‚” Adams said. “We found that the food delivery service that we set up during the emergency – we could find a better way to do it in our belief that we want to cut 20% of the migrant costs. So we have a pilot project with 500 people that we are giving them food cards‚ so instead of a debit card‚ instead of having to deliver food‚ and have people eat food – we were seeing wasting food – they’re now able to get their own food‚ that is going to be spent $12 a day.” “So we are going to save money on delivery‚ we’re going to save money on people wasting food‚ and this is a pilot project we’re going to use that is going to save us $6.7 million a year‚” Adams said. “And if the pilot turns out to be successful‚ then we’re going to expand it not only with the migrants and asylum seekers‚ we’d look to do that expansion throughout the entire system – trying to find smarter‚ more cost-effective ways to deal with this crisis that was dropped in our lap.” Under the pilot program‚ migrants will be getting 40% more than the state gives to low-income and elderly New Yorkers under SNAP benefits.

Former Fox News host and political commentator Tucker Carlson confirmed he interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We’re in Moscow tonight. We’re here to interview the President of Russia‚ Vladimir Putin. We’ll be doing that soon‚” Carlson said. “Why I’m interviewing Vladimir Putin‚” Carlson posted to X. WATCH: Why I'm interviewing Vladimir Putin. pic.twitter.com/hqvXUZqvHX — Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 6‚ 2024 According to Newsweek‚ European Union lawmakers may target Carlson for conducting the interview with Putin. Exclusive: Tucker Carlson could face sanctions over Putin interview https://t.co/J3l0SIzoMX pic.twitter.com/TuBNXH1D4e — Newsweek (@Newsweek) February 7‚ 2024 Per Newsweek: Carlson’s work in Russia could see the former Fox News host in hot water with the EU‚ Guy Verhofstadt‚ a former Belgian Prime Minister and current member of the European Parliament‚ told Newsweek. The lawmaker—who has called for the EU to explore imposing a “travel ban” on Carlson—described Carlson as “a mouthpiece” of former President Donald Trump and Putin‚ adding: “As Putin is a war criminal and the EU sanctions all who assist him in that effort‚ it seems logical that the External Action Service examine his case as well.” Newsweek contacted the Tucker Carlson Network by email to request comment on Wednesday morning. This article will be updated if a response is received. Explaining his motive for the interview‚ Carlson said in a video statement on Tuesday: “Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now.” “We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin….We are not encouraging you to agree with what Putin may say in this interview‚ but we are urging you to watch it. You should know as much as you can.” The EU’s External Action Service (EAS) is the bloc’s diplomatic arm‚ responsible for foreign policy. For an individual to be added to the EU’s sanctions list‚ evidence must be presented to the EAS for review. If deemed sufficient‚ the EAS can then present the case to the European Council—the body made up of EU national leaders—which takes the final decision on whether to impose sanctions. The EU in panic mode cause the narrative is crumbling ! https://t.co/e7T1Lva5Xq — Tara Reade (@ReadeAlexandra) February 7‚ 2024 WATCH: Tucker Carlson has confirmed he will be interviewing Russian President Vladimir Putin. The prominent TV show host says he wants to share the other side of the Ukrainian conflict – something Western media rarely do. RT’s Donald Courter brings us the latest. pic.twitter.com/3XQvSPyDEb — RT (@RT_com) February 7‚ 2024 The Moscow Times wrote: Earlier on Tuesday‚ The Moscow Times‚ citing multiple sources close to the Kremlin‚ reported that Russian authorities hope to use Carlson’s visit to influence American public opinion given his reach among conservative voters in the U.S.‚ but also to boost Putin’s image among Russians as he seeks re-election for a fifth term in office. “Access to an American audience through Carlson during the heated struggle between Biden and Trump is again an opportunity to exert that proverbial influence on the U.S. election‚ given Carlson’s huge audience‚” a Russian official told The Moscow Times. Later on Wednesday‚ the Kremlin confirmed the American pundit had interviewed Putin the day before. “[Tucker Carlson’s] views differ from those of the rest‚” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists. “They’re not at all pro-Russian‚ they’re not pro-Ukrainian. Rather‚ they’re pro-American‚” he said. Russian state media‚ including the Defense Ministry’s Zvezda TV channel‚ pro-Kremlin TV celebrities and Telegram news channels have been diligently reporting on the former Fox News star’s stay in Moscow since he arrived on Thursday.