Turnus Herdonius was a leading citizen and statesman of ancient Aricia in Latium who spoke out against the last king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, and was killed as a result.
At the meeting Turnus inveighed against the arrogance of Tarquinius, and warned his countrymen against putting trust in him.
Tarquin called together the Latin leaders, and accused Turnus of plotting a coup.
The Latin leaders accompanied Tarquin to Turnus' lodging and, the swords then being discovered, Turnus' guilt was then speedily inferred, and he was condemned and was thrown into a pool of water in the grove, and a wooden frame ("cratis") placed over his head, into which stones were thrown, thereby drowning him.
Georges Dumézil saw the story of Turnus as a didactic myth, with his death representing one of Tarquin's three faults, followed by the capture of Gabii and the rape of Lucretia.