Crush:
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IF our Latro were a relative of the Lucius TarquiNius (note the slight name difference) that "ruled for twenty-five years" [534-510 B.C] until the founding of the Republic as Livy says at the end of Book 1, then it answers the question as to why Latro was not home fighting for Rome during its knock-down-drag-out war with its neighbors. It could even explain why a hundred Latin soldiers were with him -- the Tarquinians' closest supporters would probably have been exiled as well. It explains why Latro grew up so close to the Greek colonies rather than Keeping To His Own in Latium.
See my earlier post - apparently Tarquitius was indeed a variation on Tarquinius, and the whole family did go into exile for a while, ending up at Caere (wherever that is - close to the Greek colonies?).
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Surely since Latro WRITES, he is not of mere common birth.
Very good point!