Johannes Lingelbach

Servius Tullius, the sixth king of Rome, is shown lying dead in the street as his daughter Tullia, the last queen of Rome, drives her chariot over him with no remorse. During his reign, Servius Tullius arranged the marriage of his two daughters to the two sons of his predecessor, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. Although Tullia was originally betrothed to the other brother, she and Lucius Tarquinius fell in love and had their respective siblings killed so they could seek power together. Once married, the couple conspired to overthrow and murder Servius Tullius. When Lucius Tarquinius installed himself on the throne in the Roman senate, Servius Tullius protested, and armed guards threw his body into the street and assassins mutilated him. When Tullia arrived at the senate to celebrate her husband, he ordered her to go home to avoid the chaos, and in her anger, she saw her father's remains and purposely drove over them in her chariot. Thereafter the road on which she drove was called Vicus Sceleratus, or street of infamy/wickedness. Predictably, the reign that began so violently also ended violently when the Roman monarchy was overthrown and King Tarquinius and his family were exiled and cursed.