TARQUINIUS, TARQUYN, TARQUYNY. Sextus Tarquinius, son of Tarquinius Superbus, was the cousin of Lucretia's husband, Collatinus. During a lull of the siege of Ardea, Collatinus boasted of his wife's beauty and virtue and took a group of officers, including Tarquinius, to check on Lucretia. They found her working among her maids. Tarquinius was seized with violent lust for Lucretia and returned later to her house. She received him as a guest and a relative and offered refreshments. Tarquinius, however, threatened her with death if she did not yield to him, then he raped her. The next day Lucretia called her husband and father, told them what had happened, and stabbed herself to death. Tarquinius's deed caused an insurrection in Rome, and the people drove out his family (Livy, Ab urbe condita liber I.57-59; Fasti II.685-852).

Lucrece slew herself after the shame of Tarquyn's rape, FranklT 1405-1408. The full story appears in LGW 1680-1885, where Chaucer gives Ovid and Livy as his sources. He also knew it from RR 8608-8660. [Colatyn: Lucrece: Tarquinius Superbus]

Tarquinius, the Latin variant, occurs four times initially, LGW 1711, 1714, 1745, 1819; once in medial position, LGW 1698; twice in final rhyming position, LGW 1682, 1789. Tarquyn, the shortened English form, appears twice in medial position, FranklT 1407, LGW 1863. Tarquyny occurs once in medial position, LGW 1837.