Historiae Romanorum
The Seven Kings
After Aeneas established himself in Italy, the story jumps several generations. This is due to the amount of time between the fall of Troy (c. 1200 BC) and the founding of Rome in 753 BC. The story begins again with the tale of Romulus and Remus and the beginnings of the Roman monarchy. Roman monarchy lasts from for over 200 years, ending with the overthrow of the last king and the establishment of the Republic in 509 BC..
Though the kings are legendary, they do reflect a basic outline for the development of Rome. It began as a small settlement, constantly battling its neighbors to continue its existence. It was not until Etruscan dominance under the Etruscan kings (Tarquinius Priscus through Tarquinius Superbus) that Rome began to truly flourish. For this time period, my primary source is a history of early Rome by Livy.
