Legendary Roman victory over the Latin League and as part of a wider Latin War c. 496 BCE
The Battle of Lake Regillus ended the Tarquin dynasty's final attempt to retake Rome and secured the early Roman Republic against the Latin League.
Key Facts
- Approximate date
- c. 496 BCE
- Latin commander
- Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (last King of Rome)
- Latin co-commander
- Octavius Mamilius, dictator of Tusculum
- Tarquin exile
- Expelled from Rome in 509 BCE
- Legendary divine aid
- Castor and Pollux said to have fought for Rome
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh and last King of Rome, had been expelled in 509 BCE following the establishment of the Roman Republic. Unwilling to accept his deposition, he allied with the Latin League and his son-in-law Octavius Mamilius, dictator of Tusculum, to marshal a coalition force aimed at restoring Tarquin rule over Rome.
The Roman army clashed with the forces of the Latin League at Lake Regillus in approximately 496 BCE. The aging Tarquinius Superbus led the Latin side alongside Mamilius. Roman forces prevailed in the battle, which legend credits partly to the intervention of the divine twins Castor and Pollux fighting in Rome's favor.
The Roman victory at Lake Regillus marked the definitive end of the Tarquin dynasty's efforts to reclaim the Roman throne. The defeat effectively neutralized the Latin League as an immediate threat and confirmed the stability of the newly founded Republic, preventing any restoration of monarchy in Rome.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, Octavius Mamilius.