When was Numa Pompilius born and who were his parents?
Numa Pompilius was born on the 21st of April 753 BC to Pomponius, a man whose Sabine name was actually Pompos. He was the youngest of four sons in this family.
Numa Pompilius was born on the 21st of April 753 BC to Pomponius, a man whose Sabine name was actually Pompos. He was the youngest of four sons in this family.
The Senate elected the forty-year-old Sabine Numa as the next king in 715 BC following a one-year interregnum. He initially refused the offer but accepted after persuasion from his father, Sabine kinsmen including Marcus, and an embassy of two senators.
Numa created a residentiary flamen to Jupiter, flamines of Mars and Quirinus, and brought the Vestal Virgins from Alba Longa. He also established eight priesthoods including curiones, augurs, vestals, salii, fetials, and pontiffs while constructing a temple of Janus with doors that remained shut throughout his entire reign.
Praetor Q. Petilius declared the books dangerous to religion and requested they be burned on the Comitium. The senate deliberated that the praetor's oath was sufficient grounds for destroying the texts which contained seven books in Latin regarding pontifical law and seven in Greek concerning philosophy.
Numa ruled for forty-three years until he died of old age in 672 BC at approximately eighty-one years old. His peaceful policies ensured no conflicts occurred within Rome or all Italy during his reign.