Tarquinius Priscus, the Temple of Jupiter and the legend of how the Capitol got its name

According to legend, during the war with the Sabines the Roman king Tarquinius Priscus vowed to build in Rome a temple in honour of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva: by ancient Etruscan tradition, the sanctuary of the principal divine triad was raised on the dominant height of the city. Of course, the highest of the city's hills had already been built upon, so to begin with the ground had to be cleared for construction. The augurs granted permission to demolish the old shrines, with the exception of the place where Terminus, the god of boundaries, was worshipped. When the work reached the foundations of the temple of Jupiter, a human head was found, severed from its body, with the face unharmed. The priests interpreted the event as promising the city at the foot of the hill primacy among other cities: Rome would become the capital of a future empire. And the hill was named the Capitol, caput Olii, since the augurs deemed the head to have belonged to the Etruscan exile Olius.