Regillus, Lake
Lake Regillus, located in the region of Latium (now Lazio) approximately fourteen miles east of Rome, is historically significant as the site of a pivotal battle around 496 BC between the Romans and the Latin League. Although the battle is often associated with the expelled Roman king Tarquinius Superbus, its primary nature was a conflict between the Romans and the Latins, rather than a direct consequence of his exile. Following the Roman victory, which mythically featured the divine intervention of the twin deities Castor and Pollux, a temple was erected in their honor, the remains of which are still visible today.
The battle and its aftermath were steeped in legend, contributing to Rome's mythical narrative. The engagement resulted in a treaty between Rome and the thirty Latin cities, which fostered a cooperative relationship that endured until the Latins were ultimately incorporated into the Roman state in 338 BC. Today, the site is recognized not only for its historical significance but also for its cultural legacy, symbolized by the remnants of the Temple of Castor and Pollux. Lake Regillus thus serves as a point of interest for those exploring the intersection of history, mythology, and the development of early Roman identity.
Regillus, Lake
(now the volcanic depression of Pantano, drained in the seventeenth century)
South of Gabii (Castiglione) in Latium (Lazio); fourteen miles east of Rome. Lake Regillus was the scene of a battle between the Romans and Latins which, although apparently a historical event (c 496 BC), became overlaid by many myths. According to tradition, the last of Rome's kings, Tarquinius Superbus, after his expulsion from the city, took refuge with his son-in-law, who persuaded the Latins to take up arms on his behalf beside the lake (c 496 BC). It is doubtful, however, whether Tarquinius was the cause of the battle, since this seems to have been primarily a conflict between the Romans and the Latin League, to which Rome did not belong. The Roman victory that reputedly ensued was attributed to the intervention of the divine Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux), who were afterward seen watering their horses at the spring of Juturna, where they announced the victory and vanished; whereupon a temple in their honor was built on the spot. The engagement does not, however, appear to have been the glorious triumph into which Roman saga transformed it. Nevertheless, it resulted in a memorable treaty between Rome on the one hand and the thirty Latin cities on the other—an agreement that lasted until the Latins were absorbed into the Roman state in 338.