View source for Tiberinus Silvius

{{Short description|Mythological king of Alba Longa (922-914 BC)}}

{{about|the legendary king of Alba Longa|the Roman deity|Tiberinus (god)}}
[[File:Tiberinus Silvius from Nuremberg chronicles.png|left|thumb|283x283px|Tiberinus Silvius from Nuremberg chronicles]]
'''Tiberinus''' (said to have reigned 922-914 BC)<ref>[[Dionysius of Halicarnassus]] ''Roman Antiquities'' 1.71</ref> was the ninth king of [[Alba Longa]], according to the traditional history of Rome handed down by [[Livy|Titus Livius]].  He was the successor (and probably son) of Capetus, the eighth king of Alba Longa.  The Alban kings claimed descent from [[Aeneas]], a Trojan prince who brought a remnant of the Trojan populace to Italy following the sack of [[Troy]] (traditionally 1184 BC), and settled in [[Latium]].  Alba was built by [[Ascanius]], the son of Aeneas and [[Lavinia]], and founder of the Alban royal line.  The Alban kings, including Tiberinus, bore the ''[[cognomen]]'' '''Silvius''', after the son of Ascanius, who was said to have been born in the woods.<ref>[[Livy|Titus Livius]], ''[[Ab Urbe Condita (book)|Ab Urbe Condita]]'', book I</ref>

The only tradition specifically attached to Tiberinus is that he was drowned while crossing the river then known as the ''Albula'', but which was ever after known to the [[Latins (Italic tribe)|Latins]] as the [[Tiber]].  This ancient river formed the boundary of Latium and [[Etruria]], and the city of [[Rome]] was later founded on a group of seven hills overlooking its banks.  After his death, Tiberinus was revered as the god of the river (see [[Tiberinus (god)]]).  In the earliest days of Rome, the cult of Tiberinus survived at the [[Volturnalia]], the archaic festival of [[Volturnus]], but no details are known.<ref>[[Livy|Titus Livius]], ''[[Ab Urbe Condita (book)|Ab Urbe Condita]]'', book I</ref>

Tiberinus was succeeded by Agrippa, the tenth king of Alba Longa, and probably his son.  Amongst their descendants were [[Romulus and Remus]], the founders of Rome (traditionally 753 BC).<ref>[[Livy|Titus Livius]], ''[[Ab Urbe Condita (book)|Ab Urbe Condita]]'', book I</ref>

Many scholars believe that the name of Tiberinus was derived from the river, instead of the other way around.  The same root is thought to be the origin of the Latin ''[[praenomen]] [[Tiberius (praenomen)|Tiberius]]'', and its [[Etruscan language|Etruscan]] cognate, ''Thefarie'', and it may be noted that ''Tiberinus'' appears to be derived from ''Tiberius'', which may have been the original form of the name.  Philologist George Davis Chase believed that the same root might be found in the names of the city of [[Tivoli, Italy|Tibur]], the Umbrian town of Tifernum, and the Samnite river Tifernus.<ref>George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', vol. VIII (1897)</ref>

==Family tree==
{{Latin kings of Alba Longa family tree|chart-top=true}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start | noclear = true }}
{{s-reg | leg }}
{{s-bef | before = [[Capetus Silvius]] }}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[Latin kings of Alba Longa|King of Alba Longa]] }}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Agrippa (mythology)|Agrippa]] }}
{{s-end}}

{{Roman religion}}

[[Category:Kings of Alba Longa]]
[[Category:Deaths by drowning]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]