Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Tarpeian Rock
References
Britannica AI Icon

Tarpeian Rock

cliff, Rome, Italy
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Tarpeian Rock was a cliff on Rome's Capitoline Hill used in ancient times for the execution of criminals and traitors. According to Roman mythology, the rock was named after Tarpeia, the daughter of the Capitol's commander during the Sabine War. She allegedly betrayed the citadel to the Sabines in exchange for their golden bracelets. However, instead of bracelets, the Sabines crushed her to death with their shields. This story is thought to explain the origin of the Tarpeian Rock as a place of punishment.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. Tarpeian
  2. Tarpeia

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.