Titus Larcius

Titus Larcius was an early Roman politician traditionally identified as Rome’s first dictator and as consul twice in the early fifth century BCE.

Connect

Roman Kingdom: The period of Roman history traditionally dated from the city’s founding to the establishment of the Republic. Larcius’s career is placed just after the monarchy’s fall, at the Republic’s uncertain beginning.
Roman dictator: An extraordinary Roman magistrate appointed for a limited term to address a crisis with concentrated authority. Larcius is traditionally credited with holding this office for the first time.
Battle of Lake Regillus: A battle traditionally dated to 496 BCE between Rome and the Latin League near Lake Regillus. It exemplifies the military pressures surrounding the early Republic, though Larcius is not securely tied to it.
Roman historiography: The writing and study of history in ancient Rome, including its methods, sources, and political aims. Later Roman historians shaped nearly everything known about Larcius’s early career.
Roman Republic: The ancient Roman state governed through elected magistrates and assemblies, conventionally dated from 509 to 27 BCE. Larcius’s consulships and dictatorship belong to the Republic’s first generation.
Master of the Horse: The deputy appointed to assist a Roman dictator, especially in military command. The office formed part of the dictatorship’s command structure associated with Larcius’s era.
Secession of the Plebs: A series of collective withdrawals by plebeians that forced political concessions from Rome’s patrician leadership. The episode illustrates the social conflicts later Roman accounts placed near Larcius’s period.
Roman legendary history: Narratives of Rome’s distant past that combine historical memories with legend and later interpretation. Larcius appears in a period whose surviving accounts blend tradition and uncertain chronology.
Roman consul: A senior elected magistrate of the Roman Republic, usually serving with a colleague for one year. Larcius is traditionally recorded as consul in 501 and 498 BCE.
Roman Senate: A political council whose members advised and influenced the magistrates of ancient Rome. The Senate’s role in appointing dictators helps explain the institution attributed to Larcius.