Numa Pompilius -752 – -670

Biography

Numa Pompilius was born on April 13, 752 BCE in Cures, a town in the region of the Sabines. He would become known to history as the second king of Rome, following the legendary founder Romulus. His reign marked a significant transition in Rome’s early development, moving the young kingdom forward during its formative years.

Little is recorded with certainty about Numa’s life and accomplishments, yet his legacy endured through centuries of Roman tradition. Ancient sources attributed to him numerous religious and institutional reforms, though the precise details of his reign remain shrouded in the mists of antiquity. His tenure as king represented an important chapter in Rome’s transformation from a nascent settlement into an organized state.

Numa Pompilius died on January 1, 670 BCE, though the exact location of his death and burial were not preserved in historical records. Despite the limited factual documentation about his life, he remained a figure of considerable importance in Roman memory and legend, symbolizing wisdom and piety in the kingdom’s earliest period.