Arruns Tarquinius (Father of Collatinus)

Arruns Tarquinius, sometimes referred to as Egerius, was a member of the royal family of early Rome, and the father of king Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus.

His father was Arruns Tarquinius, son of Demaratus of Corinth. Demaratus had settled at Tarquinii during the 2nd century, and married an Etruscan noblewoman. They had two sons, Lucius and Arruns. Arruns died shortly before his father, leaving his wife pregnant. Not knowing of his grandson, Demaratus left him no inheritance, and so Arruns was born into poverty despite his grandfather's wealth. For this reason, the child was sometimes called Egerius, meaning "the needy one."

Meanwhile, his uncle, Lucius Tarquinius migrated to Rome, at the urging of his wife, Tanaquil. There, he found favor with the king, Ancus Marcius. Ultimately, Tarquinius succeeded Marcius as the fifth King of Rome. After subduing the Latin town of Collatia, Tarquin placed his nephew in command of the Roman garrison there. After which he named his son gained the name Collatinus, and soon after this, he disappears from the historical record.