459-440BC in Rome

Portrait of Velia Velcha from the Tomb of the Orcus
(or Tomb of Orcus) in Tarquinia

This blog post will look at the years 459-440BC in Roman history, touching briefly on other parts of Italian history where possible. The primary source for the period is Livy, in his monumental work Ab Urbe Condita, which means "From the Foundation of the City". He wrote this in the time of Augustus, so it is much later than the events described. Other sources for this time include tiny fragments from Diodorus Siculus, who wrote about this time period and Rome, but about a generation or two earlier than Livy. Dionysius of Halicarnassus and some other historians contain some information about the period also. There are also some lists of the consuls and triumphs of the various years preserved in ancient inscriptions, such as the Fasti Capitolini and the Fasti Triumphales.

The reader should take the dates and the events with a pinch of salt. Dating was an inexact science and there are disagreements on interregnums and other events. Every date in this blog may be incorrect. Most dates for the Roman Republic follow Livy's dates, which may make the dates somewhat earlier than what they may have actually been. One should also remember that the Roman years fluctuated compared to our own, so an event that I have mentioned as happening in one year may have happened at least partly in the following year. I have taken Livy's account as my primary source.

Also, many of Livy's sources were the personal histories of the wealthy families of Rome. These were immensely proud and their recollections of their ancestors may be highly fanciful. Some of these records, as we have seen with some of the stories of Tarquin, may in fact have been transposed from Greek history. I will call out these when I can.

Cincinnatus at his plough, painted by Cabanel in 1843 

In the year 459 Quintus Fabius Vibulanus and Lucius Cornelius Malugensis Uritinus were elected consuls in Rome. The plebeians were still furious with the patricians after the unrest of the previous year. However, it appeared that the state was being threatened by the Aequi and the Volscians once more. Fabius won a victory against the Volscians at Antium. However during this time the Aequi had taken the town of Tusculum, which was a close ally to Rome. The Romans fought back and defeated the Aequi near Algidus.

It is possible that this entire episode is invented. Livy often records Roman defeats or discomfitures, but he nearly always follows it with an account of how Rome then won a victory over those who had defeated them. This may have often happened, but it does seem to happen a lot on the pages of Livy. In the year previous, Livy records that the Tusculans had helped the Romans recover the Capitoline Hill, so it seems a little suspicious that the following year that the Romans would help the Tusculans recover their city.

The consuls returned to the city, where there was further tension between themselves and the tribunes. There was evidence that the ex-tribune who had testified against Caeso in previous years had committed perjury, which was seen as a great injustice by the patricians, as Caeso had died in exile. I am sceptical of whether this story happened at all. The tribunes certainly wanted to be re-elected themselves and the consuls certainly opposed this, so no gossip about a trial was needed for there to be tension between the orders. The Aequi also asked for and possibly obtained a treaty.

Cincinnatus at his plough, being approached by the elders
of Rome and informed that he is now dictator,
by Benouville 1843

In the year 458 Gaius Nautius Rutilus and Lucius Minucius Esquilinus Augurinus were elected consuls in Rome. There was a new war with the Aequi and the Sabines. Unexpectedly the army of Lucius Minucius was surrounded by the Aequi at Mount Algidus and placed under siege. Messengers managed to escape to Rome to give the news that one of the consuls and his army were surrounded.

The other consul and the Senate decided that the situation was serious enough that a dictator should be appointed. Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was appointed as dictator. Livy records that he was a patrician, but a poor farmer who had only a tiny plot of land, which he worked himself. Livy gives a dramatic account of the senators coming out of the city to Cincinnatus' farm to tell him that he was now the leader of the state.

There he was found by the deputation from the senate either digging out a ditch or ploughing, at all events, as is generally agreed, intent on his husbandry. After mutual salutations he was requested to put on his toga that he might hear the mandate of the senate, and they expressed the hope that it might turn out well for him and for the State. He asked them, in surprise, if all was well, and bade his wife, Racilia, bring him his toga quickly from the cottage. Wiping off the dust and perspiration, he put it on and came forward, on which the deputation saluted him as Dictator and congratulated him…
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 3.26, written around 18BC

Cincinnatus moved quickly and ordered all who were eligible to bear arms to assemble and to bring twelve stakes instead of the customary two. These were duly brought and Cincinnatus marched to Mount Algidus, surrounding the besieging Aequi and using the stakes to construct a ready-made barricade. The besieged Romans were able to occupy their attackers long enough for Cincinnatus' troops to complete the circumvallation and the Aequi were forced to surrender. Their commander, Cloelius Gracchus, was handed over to the Romans, the town of Corbio was handed over to Rome and the army of the Aequi was forced to go under the yoke; a symbolic act of submission.

Statue of Cincinnatus handing back the fasces
(symbol of dictatorial/consular power) and returning to
his plough

Cincinnatus returned to Rome where he celebrated a triumph. He then prosecuted the ex-tribune who was said to have testified against his son Caeso and exiled the accuser. After this he resigned his dictatorship and returned to his farm.

In the year 457 Gaius Horatius Pulvillus and Quintus Minucius Esquilinus were elected consuls in Rome. The Aequi attacked the garrison at the town of Corbio, which had been handed over to the Romans the year before and then attacked Ortona. Their army was defeated once more at Mount Algidus by one of the consular armies of Rome. Corbio was razed to the ground in punishment for having betrayed the Roman garrison.

In the year 456 Marcus Valerius Maximus Lactuca and Spurius Verginius Tricostus Caeliomontanus were elected consuls in Rome. There were heavier rains than usual this year and there was a dearth of provisions, although it was not a full-scale famine. No campaigns of note occurred, but Livy noted that the Aventine Hill was opened for settlement at this time. This was under the law known as the Lex Icilia, which granted the plebeians land here and may have been seen as a very partial land reform.

In the year 455 Titus Romilius Rocus Vaticanus and Gaius Veturius Cicurinus were elected consuls in Rome. There was further war with the Aequi that year and another Roman victory on the slopes of Mount Algidus. I cannot help but wonder if Livy is not recording the same battle happening over and over in different years. The two consuls sold the loot and gave the money into the treasury, which caused a great deal of annoyance to the soldiers who had been on campaign and had expected a share of the spoils.

Portrait of Velia Velcha in the Tomb of the Orcus

Around this time, in the city of Tarquinia, a tomb known as the Tomb of Orcus was created. It was probably created for a wealthy Etruscan family known as the Murina family, who were an offshoot of the Spurinnae clan. The tomb is painted with vivid murals and contains a well preserved portrait of a lady known as Velia Velcha, who appears to be sneering in her portrait. A later annex was built onto the tomb about a century later, but this has never been properly excavated.

In the year 454 Spurius Tarpeius Montanus Capitolinus and Aulus Aternius Varus Fontinalis were elected consuls in Rome. The consuls of the previous year were put on trial by the tribunes of the plebs for illegally putting the loot into the state treasury rather than distributing it to the soldiers. The patricians were incensed at this, and the plebeians were annoyed that no matter what laws for reform were ever proposed by the tribunes, no substantive change ever happened. The ex-consuls were found guilty and fined heavy sums.

The conflict between the orders had reached a stalemate. The plebeians had just enough power to make their voices heard and the patricians had sufficient power to keep the plebeians partially in check, but both sides were tired of the struggle. Livy records that the tribunes and patricians began to discuss reasonable compromises. The laws of Rome had never really been codified in the way other states had. Perhaps if an independent commission of plebeians and patricians could coordinate to write the laws, it could bring peace? The patricians agreed in principle, but wanted to have the committee be entirely composed of patricians.

While the compromise was being worked out, the people of Rome are said to have sent a delegation to Athens and to other Greek cities to investigate their laws and to bring back their findings. It is said by Livy that they went to Athens to copy the laws of Solon, which of course at this time would have been superseded by the more thoroughgoing democracy under the leadership of Pericles. Some scholars find this account anachronistic and argue that it was unlikely to have happened.

Mural of Odysseus slaying the Cyclops from the
Tomb of the Orcus

Elsewhere in Italy, the Greeks of Syracuse, operating from their base at Ischia on the bay of Naples, seem to have attacked and raided the Etruscan coastlines. This probably had little direct impact on the Romans, apart perhaps to make them appreciate the power of the Greek cities.

In the year 453 Sextus Quintilius Varus and Publius Curiatus Fistus Trigeminus were elected consuls in Rome. According to Livy, the delegation that had travelled abroad looking for laws, did not return that year, so there were no political dissensions.

There was said to have been a great famine and pestilence in that year. One of the consuls and four of the tribunes of the plebs died of the sickness at that time.

In the year 452 Caius Menenius and Publius Sestius Capitolinus were elected consuls in Rome. This year saw the return of the envoys from Athens, presumably bringing back something to justify their time away from Rome. The tribunes now were keen to actually act upon the compromise suggestion and create a fixed series of laws; something that we might refer to as akin to a constitution. The patricians were still not sure that they wished to embark on a project, which would necessarily see the powers of the consuls curtailed. However, pressure began to mount on them. One of the consuls, Sestius, argued before the Senate that something must be done and suggested that the commission be composed of ten men to revise the laws.

In the year 451 Appius Claudius Crassus Sabinus Regillensis and Titus Genucius Augurinus were elected consuls in Rome. The question of a commission to re-examine the laws was now becoming a necessity, so the patricians finally decided to allow this. The only point on which they would not budge was that they would not allow any of the ten commissioners to be plebeians. The plebeians eventually conceded the point on the understanding that the recent Lex Icilia and other laws concerning the plebeians would be left alone (e.g. that the commissioners would not remove the tribunes of the plebeians).

Once the two classes were agreed, the consuls and the tribunes of the plebs stepped down from their posts. There were ten people appointed, known as Decemvirs. They each held the power of supreme magistrate and there could be no appeal from them. Their position was probably meant to only be temporary, but it seems unclear if there were fixed limits placed upon them. The ten decemvirs were composed of the two consuls for that year, as well as the ex-consul Sestius from the previous year, as he had helped propose the idea in the Senate. Their rule is known as the First Decemvirate.

Mural and inscription from the Tomb of the Orcus

After deliberating for some months, and after extensive consultation with the people, the decemvirs displayed their proposed law codes on ten tablets in the Forum. The ten tablets, or tables, dealt with the rights of the people in courts and trials, debts, family law, property law, public law and sacred law. The exact text has not been preserved, but scholars have some knowledge of the contents of the tables. It is possible that the laws may have been written in a type of poetry, to make it easier for the plebeians to remember them, although this is not proven. The laws were approved by the assembly of the people and by the Senate.

As far as the wisdom and foresight of ten men admitted, they had established equal laws for all, for highest and lowest alike; there was, however, more weight in the intelligence and advice of many men.
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 3.34, written around 18BC

The people, both plebeian and patricians had generally been quite happy under the rule of the decemvirs. There were also a number of additions and corrections that had to be made. It was decided that there would be an additional two tables added to the law. The decemvirs were elected for another year. One of the decemvirs, Appius Claudius, oversaw the election.

In the year 450 ten decemvirs, led by Appius Claudius, were elected to power in Rome, as the Second Decemvirate. They had been tasked with writing and approving the final two tablets of the laws. However, while they were working on these tables, the number of lictors (guards armed with sticks to beat people and axes to execute them) were increased to 120, a sizeable force in a city of that size, particularly as bearing arms within Rome was forbidden.

The decemvirs had previously been quite popular in the city, but now that they had assumed a more forbidding aspect and showed no signs of relinquishing power, they became feared. Appius Claudius was seen as being the ringleader and perhaps to have planned the entire decemvirate as a way of making himself a permanent dictator for life, or perhaps even a king.

Etruscan hoplite figurine

The Forum was filled with one hundred and twenty lictors, and they bore the axes tied up in the "fasces." The decemvirs explained it by saying that as they were invested with absolute power of life and death, there was no reason for the axes being removed. They presented the appearance of ten kings, and manifold fears were entertained not only by the lowest classes but even by the foremost of the senators.
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 3.36, written around 18BC

The final two tables of the law were published and with these tables the justification for the decemvirs was gone. The laws themselves were generally held to be quite just. But those who had proposed them were seen as dangerous to both the plebeians and the patricians. The patricians in particular began to retreat from the city of Rome and go to their estates in the country rather than run the risk of antagonising the city's rulers.

In the year 449 the Second Decemvirate continued in power in Rome, despite their purpose being fulfilled and without standing for re-election. This was now seen as an attack on the state itself, but the plebeians and the patricians were too divided to really know how to combat it. Both groups feared and hated the decemviri, but also fear and hated each other.

The Sabines and the Aequi invaded Roman territory and the decemvirs tried to raise troops. There was opposition to this. Two patricians, Lucius Valerius Potitus and Marcus Horatius Barbatus denounced the decemvirs in the Senate. Eventually however, the decemvirs were able to gather soldiers enough to prosecute the war. In the event it turned out that the decemvirs themselves were not great military commanders and they experienced no successes in the field that would have justified their leadership.

Instead of meeting with success, the decemvirs were faced with near open revolt, as some of their plebeian soldiers spoke about restoring the tribunate. A suspicious death in ambush of one of the plebeian spokesmen infuriated the troops even further, as the decemvirs were strongly suspected of his murder.

Etruscan pseudo-red-figure pottery

What happened next is the subject of much debate. I will summarise it briefly here, but it is written in much greater detail in Livy. It is written that Appius Claudius conceived a lust for the daughter, Verginia, of one of the prominent plebeians, Verginius. She was betrothed to another prominent plebeian, named Icilius, who had probably proposed the agrarian law that saw the plebeians take some of the land on the Aventine some years earlier. To take possession of the girl, Appius had one of his friends declare publicly that the girl was actually his slave. When the matter went to court Appius was about to rule in the favour of his friend, but the trial was postponed while her father Verginius was summoned from the camp.

When Verginius returned to Rome, Appius made the judgement that Verginia was a slave and was to be taken into custody. One of the powers held by the decemvirs was that their word was law and that from their judgements there was no appeal. Rather than see his daughter be taken as a slave to be used as the concubine of Appius, Verginius stabbed and killed his daughter Verginia.

…There, snatching up a butcher's knife, he plunged it into her breast, saying, "In this the only way in which I can, I vindicate, my child, thy freedom." Then, looking towards the tribunal, "By this blood, Appius, I devote thy head to the infernal gods."
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 3.48, written around 18BC

Verginius fled the scene, while Icilius roused the people. Appius ordered Icilius arrested in the streets but the lictors were driven back by the people, supported by the two renegade senators who had opposed the decemviri in the Senate house. Appius mounted a podium to address the people, but Valerius and Horatius followed him and ordered the lictors to abandon Appius, who was no longer an elected magistrate, but merely a private citizen acting against the laws. Appius fled.

Valerius, assuming the tone of authority, ordered the lictors to cease attendance on one who held no official position, on which Appius, thoroughly cowed, and fearing for his life, muffled his head with his toga and retreated into a house near the Forum, without his adversaries perceiving his flight.
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 3.49, written around 18BC

Verginius fled to the camp of the army that was fighting the Aequi, where he told the impassioned tale of injustice and crime. The army fighting the Aequi abandoned the war and marched to the Aventine Hill where they awaited the word of the Senate. The soldiers on the Aventine elected ten military tribunes.

Etruscan bronze figurine of horse and rider

Upon hearing of this, the army that was fighting the Sabines also elected ten military tribunes as well, possibly under the instigation of Icilius, who had been betrothed to Verginia. They marched through the city in full armour, which was highly illegal, to join the other soldiers on the Aventine Hill.

The Senate was unclear as to what to do. The people refused to deal with any patricians except Valerius and Horatius, who had stood by them against Appius. Valerius and Horatius refused to negotiate on behalf of the Senate unless the decemvirs first resigned. The decemvirs refused to resign until the last two law tables were made into laws.

To show that the plebeians were united and that their tribunes must be restored, the plebeians once more deserted the city to go to the Sacred Mount. This was effectively a general strike and is referred to as the Second Secession of the Plebs. The city was abandoned except for the patricians and their slaves wandering through the empty streets.

This forced the Senate into action and the decemvirs were finally persuaded to resign. Before doing so, they reminded the senators that the decemvirs were all patricians and that they should be protected as patricians. Valerius and Horatius were sent as patrician envoys to meet with Icilius, who represented the plebeians.

Icilius demanded the restoration of the tribunes of the plebs, the restoration of the right of appeal, an amnesty for any rebellion against the decemvirs and lastly, for the decemvirs to be handed over to the people to be executed. Valerius and Horatius agreed to all the points save the last one, saying that the decemvirs could be tried under the laws once order was restored to the state.

Apulo-Corinthian helmet, much wider than normal
Corinthian helmets and with smaller apertures

"Is our State never to enjoy any respite from punishments inflicted either by the patricians on the Roman plebs, or by the plebs on the patricians? You need the shield rather than the sword."
Valerius and Horatius addressing Icilius, Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 3.53, written around 18BC

The senators took the proposals back to the Senate and the decemvirs, hearing that they were not to be immediately punished, accepted these terms. The people flocked back to Rome and assembled on the Aventine where they elected new tribunes, among whom were Verginius, Icilius and another noted plebeian named Duillius.

Valerius (Lucius Valerius Potitus) and Horatius (Marcus Horatius Barbatus) were elected as consuls in Rome and the reign of the decemvirs was over, never to be returned to in Rome. New laws were proposed, known as the Lex Valeria Horatia. These laws ensured a number of rights for the plebeians. The decisions of the plebeian council were binding upon all the people, not just plebeians. The right of appeal was made sacrosanct. Never again would a normal magistrate be able to deny a plaintiff the right to appeal. It is unclear if this applied to the temporary office of dictator however. Finally the tribunes of the plebs were restored to their previous position under the law.

The remaining laws proposed by the decemvirs were passed and the laws inscribed on Twelve Tables of Bronze (or possibly ivory, but more likely bronze) that were on display to all the public. It was said that three centuries later Roman schoolchildren still memorised these laws during their schooldays.

A later illustration showing the Twelve Tables on display

The consuls brought it to conclusion; that is, of the Twelve Tables, as they are called, ten had been drawn up, and the consuls wrote into law the two remaining. After the legislation they had undertaken had been concluded, the consuls engraved the laws on twelve bronze tablets and affixed them to the Rostra before the Senate-house. And the legislation as it was drawn up, since it is couched in such brief and pithy language, has continued to be admired by men down to our own day.
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, written circa 40BC

Then began the prosecution of the decemvirs. The focus of the plebeian anger lay upon Appius Claudius Crassus Sabinus Regillensis (to give him his full name). He was accused and brought to trial by none other than Verginius; the man who had murdered his own daughter rather than have her handed over to Appius. Verginius launched a bitter tirade against Appius and Appius was condemned. Appius then, either in seriousness or in irony, appealed. Verginius was furious that Appius could appeal, as he had denied all right to appeal in his rule. Appius shouted that if he, who had been the mightiest in the state, could find no justice in the laws, what guarantees could they hold for the powerless?

Appius had nothing to hope for in the protection of the tribunes or the verdict of the people. Nevertheless he called upon the tribunes, and when none intervened to stay proceedings and he was seized by the apparitor, he said, "I appeal." This single word, the protection of liberty, uttered by those lips which had so lately judicially deprived a person of her freedom, produced a general silence.
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 3.56, written around 18BC

The mood of the people would not suffer the insolence of Appius and appeal or no appeal, he was dragged away to prison. Rather than awaiting his punishment, it is said that Appius hanged himself in his cell. It is at least possible that he was murdered on the orders of the tribunes rather than risking any chance of an actual appeal. Appius' family was one of the wealthiest and most influential in Rome and even if a member of their house was hated by all, they were still duty-bound to defend him.

Another of the decemvirs, Spurius Oppius, was taken to prison after being accused of crimes, in this case an unjust flogging of one of the plebeians that had taken place under the rule of the decemvirs. He too conveniently committed suicide in prison before his trial. The other decemvirs went into exile and the patricians once more feared plebeian influence.

Etruscan bronze figurine of a hoplite

The consuls Valerius and Horatius raised armies to fight against the neighbours of Rome, the Aequi, the Sabines and the Volscians, all of whom had been ravaging the lands of Rome and their allies while Rome was in turmoil. The two consuls fought a cautious war, letting their enemies become overconfident, before catching their foes off guard and winning victories against them.

As the patricians were annoyed at Valerius and Horatius, the Senate denied them the honour of a triumph, despite both consular armies winning victories. This was because the consuls were held to be favouring the plebeians and risking the power and influence of the patrician class. The plebeian tribune Icilius then put the question to the people and forced the matter through, granting triumphs to the consuls. This led to renewed hatred between the two orders.

The tribunes finally decided that they would try to all be re-elected the following year, to make a stand against the enmity of the patricians. They also seem to have wanted the consuls to stand for election again. The tribunes had occasionally been re-elected before, although the patricians hated it, but consuls had never served on successive years.

Fortunately Duillius, one of the tribunes who realised that the re-election of the tribunes and consuls would only serve to inflame the situation, or possibly lead to another tyranny such as the decemvirate, used his position as director of the elections to ensure that the tribunes were not re-elected. He implored Valerius and Horatius to stand down, which they did willingly. Thus ended one of the most eventful years in Roman political history.

As a contention had arisen, Duillius sent for the consuls and asked them what they intended to do about the consular elections. They replied that they should elect fresh consuls.
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 3.56, written around 18BC

It's honestly not clear how much of it to believe. The story of Verginius stabbing his daughter Verginia, in an honour-killing to protect her from a lustful tyrant, is particularly suspicious. It sounds far too similar to the death of Lucretia, who killed herself after being raped by Prince Tarquin, and which led to the collapse of the Roman monarchy some six decades previously. It would be a little too coincidental that Rome was unable to change governments without a woman dying over honour. The Twelve Tables certainly existed, but did the decemvirs act the way they did? Were the laws of Valerius and Horatius enacted at this time? There are later laws that seem very similar to these. If the laws were already in place, why were they rewritten into law?

Apulo-Corinthian helmet with boar decorations

There is a great deal in the story that does not make sense and it seems that it seems to be a strange story even for Livy. His account jumps around somewhat. It is likely that there was a popular tradition in Rome about this time, perhaps in the form of a ballad or a song; that had warped the remembering of the times. It is certain that many things happened in this year, but exactly what I cannot say. The story itself though is fascinating, with the scheming Appius, the tragic Verginia, the hate-filled Verginius, the sly Icilius, the honourable Valerius and Horatius, and the sensible Duillius. For the characters alone it is worth remembering. Livy tells it better than I do and I can only recommend reading his work.

In the year 448 Lars Herminius Aquilinus and Titus Verginius Tricostus Caeliomontanus were elected consuls in Rome. Thanks to the efforts of Duellius, only five tribunes were elected, as all of the other votes had gone to the tribunes of the year before, whom Duellius had disqualified. Duellius ordered that the five tribunes use their authority to appoint tribunes to make up the other five (there appear to have been ten tribunes of the plebs at this time). This was done, and to avoid conflicts with the patricians, very inoffensive candidates were chosen, including two patricians.

To have patricians defending the rights of plebeians seemed unfair to many and one tribune named Lucius Trebonius proposed a new law. This would stop any future co-opting or appointment of tribunes, rather the elections would continue as long as they had to, until the full number were appointed. The patricians quite liked the existing arrangement and tried to block Trebonius, but he was too canny a politician and the law passed, becoming known as the Lex Tribonia. For his skill and unpleasantness at defeating the patricians he became known as Lucius Trebonius Asper, meaning Lucius Trebonius the Prickly.

Early Aes Signatum

Around this time, in the mid-fifth the Roman state seems to have adopted a type of currency known as the aes signatum, meaning "Stamped Bronze". These were bronze ingots of fixed weight and carrying stamps, often of bulls. They may have been in circulation earlier, but this is not clear, and if they were, they were likely melted down and recycled. The crudity of this coinage compared to the Greek creations at the same time is a good reminder that Rome was still quite a small and insignificant city. Had it not later risen to greatness, none of the events that I have mentioned in the blog would be remembered. How many other cities had similar tales that have since been forgotten?

In the year 447 Marcus Geganius Macerinus and Gaius Julius Iulus were elected consuls in Rome. Their tenure seems to have been marked by peace both internally and externally. There was the possibility of war against the Aequi and the Volsci, but the consuls deemed that the threat was not serious and rather than take the plebeians away from their farms to risk their lives on campaign, that the people could rest from war for a year.

In the year 446 Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus and Agrippa Furius Fusus were elected consuls in Rome. The Aequi had returned to raid Roman lands once more, but the people were not eager to take up arms. Titus Quinctius, who had been consul three times previously, upbraided the people and taunted them that perhaps they only had courage in standing up to patricians instead of their enemies. Stung by the taunts, the people allowed the consuls to raise armies. The consuls marched against the foe and won a great victory at the Battle of Corbio. Upon returning to the city they refused to ask for a triumph. Livy suspects that this was because Valerius and Horatius had been refused a triumph by the Senate in previous years for a greater victory, but this is of course a guess.

In this year, the allied cities of Ardea and Aricia asked Rome to help them resolve a territory dispute between them. They would accept whatever decision Rome made about who owned the land. The Romans were about to give their decision when an old Roman, who claimed to have been at the conquest of Corioli many decades earlier, said that this land belonged to Corioli originally, meaning that the true owners of the land were the Romans. The people found this wonderfully convenient and voted to keep it themselves. The consuls were disgusted at the greed of the people (although the patrician class was excellent at grabbing public land whenever available) and the allied towns of Ardea and Aricia were angered and insulted at this injustice.

In the year 445 Marcus Genucius Augurinus and Gaius Curtius Philo were elected consuls in Rome. One of the tribunes of the plebs, Gaius Canuleius, proposed a law allowing for patricians and plebeians to marry. The patricians were annoyed at this and considered that it would pollute their bloodlines. The tribunes then discussed the possibility of plebeians being allowed to become consuls. The patricians were so horrified that they heard the news of impending war with happiness.

Etruscan gold earrings that had been exported to
what is now the lands of the Czech Republic
showing the high demand for Etruscan goods in Central
Europe

After the Roman land grab in the previous year, the people of Ardea had revolted against Rome. There were the usual border troubles with the Volscians and Aequi. The consuls tried to defer discussion of the laws by attempting to levy troops. Once the plebeians were under arms they were subject to the consular authority and could not engage in politics, which partly explains why the Romans were so often at war, as the patricians found war very useful in shutting people up.

Gaius Canuleius refused to be silenced however and made impassioned speeches, blocking the levying of troops. Eventually one of the consuls, when being baited by Canuleius as to why no intermarriage could take place, blurted out that the children of mixed marriages could not make the correct sacrifices to the gods. This was taken as a terrible insult to the plebeians and the law was pushed through, known as the Lex Canuleia, allowing marriages between the orders to take place.

This bitterly exasperated the plebeians, for they believed that they were held incompetent to take the auspices because they were hateful to the immortal gods. As they had got a most energetic leader in their tribune and were supporting him with the utmost determination, the controversy ended in the defeat of the patricians.
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 4.6, written around 18BC

The people then pushed for plebeians to be allowed to the consulate, but on this the patricians stood firm and refused. Eventually a compromise was reached. The patricians would hold the consulate and no plebeian could be elected to it. However, the power of consuls could in theory be held by a military tribune. A new office was created known as the Military Tribune with Consular Power, or Consular Tribunes, as they were commonly referred to as. This new office, which held consular powers, but not the name of consul, could be held by either patricians or plebeians.

Etruscan bronze figurine
of a maenad

Elsewhere in Italy, to the south, near the city of Croton, the Greek cities of Sparta, Athens and others founded a new city called Thurii. This had been founded at the request of the Sybarites who had been repeatedly expelled from their lands by the neighbouring city of Croton. It was felt that Croton would not dare risk the wrath of both Athens and Sparta. Many from all over the Greek lands came to Thurii in the next few years.

In the year 444 Aulus Sempronius Atratinus, Titus Cloelius Siculus and Lucius Atilius Luscus were elected as consular tribunes in Rome. Livy notes that despite the fact that these men were consular tribunes rather than consuls, they were all patricians. He then notes that perhaps the reason the consular tribunes were appointed was because the military threats were greater this year and that three generals were required. The three tribunes resigned their offices after three months and an interrex was appointed to oversee the election of Lucius Papirius Mugillanus and Lucius Sempronius Atratinus as consuls in Rome. If there had been a real military threat it had clearly faded and it seems that Ardea made peace with Rome once again without the need for war.

In the year 443 Marcus Geganius Macerinus and Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus were elected as consuls in Rome. In or around this time the office of censor was founded. This was originally a magistracy to oversee the taking of the census, but eventually morphed into a role of protector of public morals. The taking of the census was originally a function of the consuls, but the senators may have been unwilling to see this function fall into the hands of the plebeian magistrates at some point in the future.

In this year the people of Ardea had fallen into a bloody civil war between the aristocrats and the commoners. This is a salutary reminder to us that despite how awful Roman politics may sound to modern ears, that their political life was a lot more peaceful than that of other cities. Numerous Greek cities around this time have civil wars between oligarchic and democratic parties. In this case the common people had called in the Volscians to help destroy the wealthy. The wealthy appealed to Rome.

Marcus Geganius Macerinus led an army to defeat the Volscians and capture their leader. In the meantime Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus, who was holding his fifth consulship, maintained peace in Rome, being a highly respected figure by plebeian and patrician alike.

Around this time, in the city of Thurii in the south of Italy, the new Greek colonists expelled the people of Sybaris from the city. This was ironic, as the colonists had been called in to help preserve the freedom of the Sybarites from their neighbours. Clearly things just went badly from the Sybarites. They fled to found yet another city in Italy, known as Sybaris on the Traeis. It was only a small town though and never achieved greatness.

Etruscan bronze figure of a hoplite

In the year 442 Marcus Fabius Vibulanus and Postumus Aebutius Elva Cornicen were elected consuls in Rome. They made a decree to repopulate Ardea after the devastation of the civil war there and in doing so, gave priority to the Rutulian peoples, as Ardea was a Rutulian city. They also included the disputed land in the settlement, thus depriving the people of Rome from the possibility of taking the land. Land commissioners were appointed to distribute the land. These commissioners faced the anger of the plebeians, who had wanted the land and the patricians, who had expected the commissioners to give them some of the land as a favour. The commissioners gave the land to the Rutulians and then stayed in Ardea for fear of prosecution when they returned to Rome.

In the year 441 Gaius Furius Pacilus Fusus and Marcus Papirius Crassus were elected consuls in Rome. The year was peaceful, except for a short-lived attempt to pass an agrarian law in the Senate by a tribune named Poetilius. Games were held this year as well and the land seems to have had peace.

In the year 440 Proculus Geganius Macerinus and Menenius Lanatus were elected consuls in Rome. That year saw a great famine in the land and the tensions between the classes flared up once more. Finally a patrician named Lucius Minucius was named as a Controller of Supplies and attempted to purchase grain from the surrounding regions. These measures were not very successful however.

The misfortunes began with a famine, owing either to the year being unfavourable to the crops, or to the cultivation of the land being abandoned for the attractions of political meetings and city life; both causes are assigned. The senate blamed the idleness of the plebeians, the tribunes charged the consuls at one time with dishonesty, at another with negligence.
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 4.12, written around 18BC

Another man, a wealthy plebeian named Spurius Maelius, spent much of his own money buying grain and distributing it to the people for a very low price. This measure saved a good many lives and bought Spurius Maelius a great deal of popularity. Many began to whisper that he had ambitions beyond that of a private citizen, but there was no proof of ill-intentions, and he had saved many lives.

Elsewhere in Italy the recently founded Greek city of Thurii made an alliance with the Messapian city state that would later be known as Brundisium. This was doubtless because the city of Thurii was soon embroiled in a war with the existing Greek city of Taras, and the Messapians were traditional enemies of the Tarantines.

And thus the period draws to a close. It had seen some political changes, but none more dramatic than the period of the First and Second Decemvirates. Rome continued to lurch from one political crisis to the next, but somehow without collapsing into civil war like so many other cities of the time. This cohesion and patriotism, the ability to face external foes in cooperation with your bitterest political enemies; this was a true strength of the early Roman Republic and one that is not yet I would argue, fully understood to this day.

Apulo-Corinthian helmet: I love how ridiculous these
helmets are

Primary Sources
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, written circa 40BC
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, written around 18BC
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, written around 18BC (a different translation)
Fasti Triumphales, written circa 19BC
Fasti Capitolini, written circa AD13

Secondary Sources:
Tomb of the Orcus (in Italian)

Related Blog Posts:
479-460BC in Rome
459-440BC in the Near East
459-450BC in Greece
449-440BC in Greece
439-420BC in Rome

479-460BC in Rome

Fasti Trimphales recording the triumphs of the
Republic and early Empire

This blog post will look at the years 479-460BC in Roman history, touching briefly on other parts of Italian history where possible. The primary source for the period is Livy, in his monumental work Ab Urbe Condita, which means “From the Foundation of the City”. He wrote this in the time of Augustus, so it is much later than the events described. Other sources for this time include tiny fragments from Diodorus Siculus, who wrote about this time period and Rome, but about a generation or two earlier than Livy. Dionysius of Halicarnassus and some other historians contain some information about the period also. There are also some lists of the consuls and triumphs of the various years preserved in ancient inscriptions, such as the Fasti Capitolini and the Fasti Triumphales.

The reader should take the dates and the events with a pinch of salt. Dating was an inexact science and there are disagreements on interregnums and other events. Every date in this blog may be incorrect. Most dates for the Roman Republic follow Livy’s dates, which may make the dates somewhat earlier than what they may have actually been. One should also remember that the Roman years fluctuated compared to our own, so an event that I have mentioned as happening in one year may have happened at least partly in the following year.

Also, many of Livy’s sources were the personal histories of the wealthy families of Rome. These were immensely proud and their recollections of their ancestors may be highly fanciful. Some of these records, as we have seen with some of the stories of Tarquin, may in fact have been transposed from Greek history. I will call out these when I can.

Fasti Capitoline, (a copy) showing the consuls
of the Republic and early Empire

In the year 479 BC Caeso Fabius Vibulanus and Titus Verginius Tricostus Rutilus were elected consuls in Rome. The Fabii family was now seeming to dominate Roman political life and once again, one of their family held the consulship. Caeso went so far as to propose an agrarian law of sorts, that would see some of the land taken in recent wars be divided out among the plebeians. But his patrician peers would not accept even such a modest proposal from one of their own and the law came to nothing once more.

The Aequians were raiding Latium once more and Caeso Fabius Vibulanus led an army against them. He waged a short campaign and returned victorious. His colleague was not so fortunate and waged an unsuccessful campaign against the Etruscans of the city of Veii. He found himself in such difficulties he might have been overwhelmed had not the Caeso arrived in time to extricate the beleaguered consul and his army from their difficulties.

After winning his campaign, saving the other consul and returning victoriously to Rome, Caeso Fabius Vibulanus and other members of the Fabii family placed an extraordinary proposal before the people of Rome. Rome faced three enemies at this time: The Aequians, the Volscians and the Veientes. With only two consular magistrates to lead armies, this could lead to problems. The Fabii proposed that they should carry on the war with Veii by themselves. Their private family would fight a full-scale war against one of the wealthiest cities of Etruria. It was an extraordinary proposition and apart from glory, it is hard to know what the Fabii thought they would gain from it. The other Romans accepted this strange proposal and wondered at the courage of the Fabii.

In 478 Lucius Aemilius Mamercus and Gaius Servilius Ahala were elected consuls in Rome. Despite the fact that the Fabii are said to have been waging a private war against Veii, Lucius Aemilius Mamercus led an army against the Veientes and inflicted a defeat upon them. The city of Veii requested a truce which was granted, before being broken by the Veientes (or the Romans) after the consular army had withdrawn. After the truce between Rome and Veii had broken down, the Fabii continued their private war against the Etruscans. Later that year, according to the Fasti Capitolini, Gaius Servilius Ahala died in office and was replaced by Opiter Verginius Tricostus Esquilinus. This is not mentioned by other sources.

A map showing the cities and peoples of central Italy
around this time

In the year 477 Gaius Horatius Pulvillus and Titus Menenius Lanatus were elected consuls in Rome. Gaius Horatius Pulvillus was entrusted an army to attack the Volscians and Titus Menenius Lanatus was given an army to be stationed near the private army of the Fabii, which seems proof that the war was not merely a private one and that the Fabii needed assistance.

The people of Veii were said to be angry at the fact that a single family, albeit a brave, large and well-funded family, should be hemming in their city. They laid a trap for the Fabii clan near the Cremera River, driving cattle through low-lying regions to draw out the Fabii as raiders. The Fabii took the bait and were surrounded and killed to a man. Livy records that 306 of the Fabii clan are said to have died there, effectively wiping out every male member of the family except one young boy who was too young to bear arms.

The Etruscans of Veii then burst past what few defences lay between them and Rome. The cities of Rome and Veii lay very close to each other, within a day’s march in fact. The army of Gaius Horatius Pulvillus, which had been intended to fight the Volscians, was sent against the Etruscans, but suffered a defeat and fell back to the city. The Veientes occupied a position on the Janiculum Hill near Rome and launched raids from there against the city. Rome was not fully under siege, but the enemy now lay within sight of their gates. Sporadic fighting continued throughout the year, with the Romans unable to drive back the Etruscans.

The Fasti showing the list of consuls
in the Capitoline Museum

The story of the heroic death and near annihilation of the Fabii is a compelling one, but many scholars have noted that it may be entirely a legend. The death of around 300 heroic fighters, fighting impossible odds for patriotic causes, leaving only a single survivor, is too similar to the tale of the Spartans at Thermopylae. The dates are almost identical as well. It would seem too coincidental that two almost identical stories would occur in both Greece and Italy within a few years of each other. It is of course possible that it is entirely true and not a legend at all, but it is certainly worth treating with scepticism.

In the year 476 Aulus Verginius Tricostus Rutilus and Spurius Servilius Structus were elected consuls in Rome. Their first priority was to push back the Etruscans of Veii from their fortified position on the Janiculum. Livy reports that the Etruscans fell into a similar trap that the Fabii had fallen into and were caught in an ambush. The consul Spurius Servilius led his army into a rather dangerous position, but the other consul’s army arrived in time and the Etruscans withdrew from Roman territory.

The tribunes now asked once more for agrarian reform, whereby the poorer people of Rome (meaning the plebeians; definitely not counting non-citizens and slaves) agitated for the lands to be redistributed. The wealthier patrician class had taken most of the lands that Rome had won over the previous centuries and had large estates. The plebeians pointed out that the plebeians were the majority of the soldiers in the army, yet the patricians received the majority of the spoils of war. It is hard to have much sympathy for the patrician cause in modern times. Even in ancient times it was rather hard to justify why one group should have so much more than everyone else. The disputes over land between the patricians and the plebeians would drag on throughout the Republican period and were never fully resolved.

The plebeian tribunes decided to prosecute one of the consuls of the previous year for military incompetence. It was thought that Menenius Lanatus had been close enough to the Fabii at the Cremera that he could have prevented this disaster. The trial was held and the ex-consul was found guilty and fined 2000 asses (or possibly sentenced to death according to one ancient witness).

Etruscan tomb painting from the Tomb of the Tricilinium

Another short war was fought with Veii and the nearby Sabines. Meanwhile the Volscians and Aequians attacked the Roman lands to the south, but were beaten back by the Latin city states allied to Rome.

In the year 475 Publius Valerius Poplicola and Gaius Nautius Rutilus were elected consuls in Rome. In this year the ex-consul of the previous year who had nearly lost his army fighting the Veientes was tried for military incompetence. The tribunes of the plebs had brought the charges against the ex-consul, but he disputed these in court and was acquitted.

The consuls raised an army as the war with Veii was ongoing once more and, with the help of the allies from the Hernici, the Romans defeated the Sabines and Veientes near the city of Veii. Publius Valerius Poplicola celebrated a triumph on the first day of the month of May that year. This sounds extremely exact, but the Roman calendar moved around over time so we shouldn’t think it too exact. His colleague had led troops against the Volscians, but with no major engagements.

Elsewhere in Italy, the Messapians defeated the Greeks from the city of Taras. Meanwhile, the Celts had been arriving in northern Italy around this time. According to Livy they were led by a leader called Bellovesus, who defeated the Etruscans at the Ticino River and proceeded to take residence in the rich river lands of northern Italy, founding the settlement that would later become known as Mediolanum and later known as Milan. Livy places this event in the distant past, but it is perhaps more likely that the Celts only began moving into Italy in earnest in the early 5th century, so I have mentioned it here. However, the dates for the battle on the Ticino River must be extremely speculative.

Around this time in Chiusi, an Etruscan tomb was made. Its occupant is unknown, but it is now referred to as the Tomb of the Monkey. It was carved into the tufa rock, possibly in a cross shape; in the shape of what would have been a contemporary Etruscan house. Frescoes adorn the walls and the entire site shows the care that the Etruscans gave to honouring their dead.

In the year 474 Lucius Furius Medullinus and Gnaeus Manlius Vulso were elected consuls in Rome. They mustered armies for further wars against Veii, but the Veientes were clearly tired of war with the ever-energetic Roman Republic. A forty-year truce was given to the Veientes, after the Veientes had promised to supply Rome with money and grain.

Once peace was established in Rome the two consuls faced the demands by the tribunes of the plebs to bring about an agrarian law. The two consuls resisted these demands and the tribunes made no secret of their dislike for the consuls. It was said that in the next year that they would bring the consuls to trial.

Etruscan helmet dedicated by Hiero I of Syracuse
after the Battle of Cumae

In this year, elsewhere in Italy, the Syracusan tyrant Hiero I inflicted a major defeat on the Etruscans at the Battle of Cumae and thus restricted Etruscan naval power south of the Bay of Naples. The Greek city state of Taras formed an alliance with Rhegion to aid them in their wars with the Iapygian speaking tribes; the Apulians, Messapians and Peucetians. Even with their new allies, the Greeks still suffered a defeat at Kailia.

In the year 473 Lucius Aemilius Mamercus and Vopiscus Julius Iulus were elected consuls in Rome. The consuls of the previous year were tried by the tribunes of the plebs although the charges were unclear. The patricians were incensed at this and the consuls of the previous year raised a terrible hue and cry about how persecuted they were. To take matters back into their own hands, certain patricians waited until the night before the trial and took it upon themselves to murder one of the tribunes, named Genucius. The patricians were exultant and the plebeians were shocked, as it was a crime against religion to murder a tribune. As a result of the chaos, the charges against the ex-consuls were dropped and the patrician class was riding high.

On the day of the trial the plebeians were in the Forum, on tiptoe with expectation. At first they were filled with amazement because the tribune did not come down; then, when at length his delay began to look suspicious, they supposed he had been frightened away by the nobles, and fell to complaining of his desertion and betrayal of the people's cause; finally, those who had presented themselves at the tribune's vestibule brought back word that he had been found dead in his house. When this report had spread through all the gathering, the crowd, like an army which takes to flight at the fall of its general, melted away on every side. The tribunes were particularly dismayed, for the death of their colleague warned them how utterly ineffectual to protect them were the laws that proclaimed their sanctity.
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 2.54, written around 18BC

They then proceeded to try and enlist the plebeians into the army (which would see the people come under the military law of the camp and which gave the consuls the power of life and death over the soldiers). The tribunes did not dare to try and stop this, but one man refused to be sworn into the army as a common soldier, as he had previously been a centurion. The consuls ordered him to be beaten by the lictors, but the refuser, a man named Volero, pushed them away and escaped into the crowd. A riot broke out and the consuls and their lictors had to flee from the fury of the mob. The Senate then met and deliberated on what to do, but the patricians were divided and did not dare risk the further rage of the people.

In 472 Lucius Pinarius Mamercinus Rufus and Publius Furius Medullinus Fusus were elected consuls in Rome. Volero Publilius, the man who had escaped from the lictors and then defied the consuls, was elected as Tribune of the Plebs that year. Volero proposed a new law that would see elections of the Tribunes of the Plebs elected by the Tribal Assembly of Rome, as a way of minimising patrician interference in the elections.

A later European imagining of a Vestal
Virgin

A Vestal Virgin named either Orbinia or Sunia was killed this year. She was accused of sexual misconduct, which was seen as a sacrilege and threatening the security of the state. The punishment for this was burial alive, which presumably happened to this woman. But we know nothing more of the case than this.

In the year 471 Appius Claudius Sabinus Regillensis and Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus were elected consuls in Rome. Appius was from a family that was notorious for their hatred of the plebs and his election was probably a means for the patricians to fight against the new proposed law of Volero.

Appius certainly opposed the law and caused a great commotion in the Forum when the discussion of the law was happening. Eventually Appius was removed by his fellow consul, amidst great protests from Appius,  as there were riots threatening. The law that Volero had proposed passed and became known as the Lex Publilia.

Later in the year, Appius enrolled an army to fight the Volsci, hoping to win glory for himself in the field, even if the law was passed against his will. The plebeians enrolled in his army hated him so much that they deliberately sabotaged his campaign and his army was defeated in the field. After retreating back to Roman territory he executed anyone who had lost his standards or equipment and then executed one in every ten of those remaining as a collective punishment for their cowardice, which is the first instance recorded of the Roman punishment that became known as decimation. Meanwhile his colleague Titus Quinctius led a successful campaign against the Aequi and returned to Rome acclaimed by patrician and plebeian alike.

In the year 470 Lucius Valerius Potitus and Tiberius Aemilius Mamercinus were elected consuls in Rome. The behaviour of Appius in the previous year had earned him the hatred of the tribunes and he was prosecuted for obstructing the law. Appius relished the struggle and turned his trial into a platform from which to denounce and lambast the tribunes of the plebs. Appius was not condemned however, as he died of natural causes during the proceedings. Livy records that he was mourned by all, but I am quite sceptical of this.

Etruscan tomb painting from the
Tomb of the Triclinium

Meanwhile the Sabines and the Aequi had taken advantage of the political dissension in Rome to attack the outlying regions. The two consuls were assigned armies and they both took the field against their respective foes, with relative success but without winning any large battles.

Elsewhere in Italy, the Etruscan tombs known as the Tomb of the Dead Man (named for a fresco in the tomb rather than its occupant) and the Tomb of the Triclinum were made. These had beautiful frescoes painted on them. It is a pity that so very little is known of Etruscan history. It would be wonderful to have a history of the Etruscans told from the point of view of the Etruscans rather than the Romans, but sadly this is unlikely to ever be found.

In the year 469 Titus Numicius Priscus and Aulus Verginius Tricostus Caeliomontanus were elected consuls in Rome. There were further wars with the Volsci and the Aequi. Reading the history of Livy it would sound as if the wars were interminable, but it must be that the Romans were gradually winning. The two consuls led armies against the Aequi and the Volsci and the port of Antium (the capital of the Volscians) was captured. Meanwhile the Sabines sent a raiding party that pillaged all the way to the gates of Rome while the armies of the consuls were on campaign. However, when the consuls came back to Rome, they pillaged the territory of the Sabines in return.

In the year 468 Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus and Quintus Servilius Priscus Structus were elected consuls in Rome. Their election seems to have been purely by the patricians, as the plebeians abstained from the consular election in their frustration at being denied the agrarian laws that they had been requesting for decades. However the factional strife between the orders was put on temporary hold while the wars were to be fought.

The Sabines invaded Roman territory in full force after the Roman raids the previous year. The Romans in turn attacked the Sabine lands under the leadership of Quintus Servilius. Both sides did a lot of damage to each other, but no major battles were fought. Titus Quinctius however led his army deep into the territory of the Volsci and after a hard fought series of battles and short sieges, managed to capture Antium. Antium was the largest city of the Volsci and functioned as their capital, probably, but the capture of Antium was not sufficient to destroy the Volsci, although it certainly damaged them. Titus Quinctius returned to Rome and was granted a triumph.

In the year 467 Tiberius Aemilius Mamercinus and Quintus Fabius Vibulanus were elected as consuls in Rome. With the conquest of Antium, the disputes over the agrarian law resurfaced once more and Rome was once more divided. This year however, at least one of the consuls, Tiberius Aemilius Mamercinus, was in favour of an agrarian law of sorts, although his colleague was not. A compromise was reached whereby the people would be granted land at Antium to take for their own. Some opted for this, but many did not, as this land would mean that they would not be able to participate in the affairs of Rome (as they would be too far away). However, the compromise did at least calm things temporarily in Rome. The two consuls raised armies and fought with the Aequi and the Sabines with moderate success.

In the year 466 Quintus Servilius Priscus Structus and Spurius Postumius Albus Regillensis were elected as consuls in Rome. There was a war with the Aequi, but it came to nothing as there was sickness in the Roman camp and the course of the war was handed over to the next consuls.

Goddess statue from Taras (in the Altes
Museum in Berlin)

Elsewhere in Italy, the Greek city of Taras, later known as Tarentum and then Taranto, was defeated by the Apulians. So many of the aristocrats in the city were killed that the city afterwards became a democracy.

In the year 465 Quintus Fabius Vibulanus and Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus were elected as consuls in Rome. They continued the war with the Aequi. The Aequi were entreated to make a peace but they refused. The second consular army joined with the first and the Aequi were brought to battle and defeated. However the Aequi then raided the territory of Latium, but were caught and defeated a second time in the same year.

Elsewhere in Italy around this time, the Etruscan tomb known as the Isis Tomb was built in Vulci. Like the other Etruscan tombs, it contained peaceful scenes of life in frescoes adorning the walls of the underground resting places. I wish that there were other more definite things that could be said about the Etruscans at this time, but the sources are scarce.

In the year 464 Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis and Spurius Furius Medellinus were elected consuls in Rome. The wars with the Aequi continued and the two consuls led armies to attack their territory. The Aequi attacked the army of Medellinus and the Romans were defeated, with the consular army trapped in its camp. Even the brother of the consul was killed in a sortie and the Aequi were confident in victory. However, another Roman army arrived on the scene and the besieged Romans sallied out of their camp to attack the Aequi. The Aequi were soundly defeated.

In the year 463 Publius Servilius Priscus Structus and Lucius Aebutius Elva were elected as consuls in Rome. That year Livy records strange portents and unusual phenomena, but these were doubtless remembered afterwards because this year saw a pestilence break out in Rome. Many people died; so many in fact, that when an army of Aequi and Volsci descended upon Rome the Romans were unable to even field an army in their defence. Both consuls died from the plague, leaving the city leaderless.

Death had taken Aebutius, the Roman consul; for his colleague Servilius there was little hope, though he still breathed; the disease had attacked most of the leading men, the greater part of the senators, and almost all of military age, so that their numbers were not only insufficient for the expeditions which so alarming a situation called for, but were almost too small for mounting guard.
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 3.6, written around 18BC

Etruscan tomb painting from the Tomb of the Triclinium

However the plague is its own defence of a city. The Aequi and the Volsci would never attack a plague-stricken settlement and they probably never even dared to approach the city. On their way back to their own lands, the invaders were attacked by the allies of Rome, the Latins and the Hernici. The allies of Rome fared poorly against their foes however. In the absence of consuls, a series of interreges was appointed to take control of the state until the next year when new consuls would be sworn in.

In the year 462 Lucius Lucretius Tricipitinus and Titus Veturius Geminus Cicurinus were elected as consuls in Rome. By now the city had mostly recovered from the plague epidemic the previous year. Thus the consuls were determined to punish the invaders of the Aequi and the Volsci for their actions. A successful campaign was waged against the enemies of Rome and Lucius Lucretius Tricipitinus was granted a triumph while his colleague was granted an ovation.

The signs of factional strife were visible again in Rome. One of the tribunes of the plebs, named Terentilius, put forward legislation aimed to limit the power of the consuls, while they were away on campaign. The patricians believed that this was an underhanded tactic and they were not wrong. The motion was deferred to a later time.

In the year 461 Publius Volumnius Amintinus Gallus and Servius Sulpicius Camerinus Cornutus were elected as consuls in Rome. The legislation proposed by the tribune Terentilius, which would see limits placed on consular power, was opposed by the patricians and, unsurprisingly, the consuls. Both the tribunes of the plebs and the consuls had considerable power granted to them in the laws and both sides used these powers to block every action of the other, even going so far as to stop troops being levied to face a foreign threat.

Vase from Etruscan tomb

The colony at Antium was suspected of being disloyal, but the plebs suspected that this threat was not a real one and that the consuls were trying to stir up a war to silence the plebs in Rome. Numerous signs and portents were seen and the patricians consulted the Sibylline Books to see what the prophetess had predicted for Rome. Needless to say, the Sibyl had predicted that the Romans should make no changes in their government. This extremely convenient prophecy was disbelieved by the plebs, who believed that literally nothing was sacred to the patricians and that the patricians had forged the prophecy.

The state was nearly paralysed with the conflict between the orders when Livy records that there was a trial ordered for one of the patricians. A young man named Caeso Quinctius, the son of Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, was put on trial for obstructing the tribunes (which he certainly had done) and for murder (which he may or may not have done). He was accused by an ex-tribune of murdering the ex-tribune’s brother.

Rather than facing trial the accused patrician fled the city into exile. The self-imposed sentence of exile was accepted by the tribunes, but his father had to forfeit a large sum of bail money, 3,000 asses (the “as” or “aes” was a Roman coin from a later period). This was enough to bankrupt his father and force the aristocrat to farm his own land himself. Some years later it was reported that the evidence at the trial may have been untrue, but by this time Caeso had died in exile.

Etruscan jewellery

It is quite possible that none of the story of the trial is true, as it contains a number of incongruous elements, such as the use of coins before they are attested in Rome. It also paints the patricians in an excellent light, as the stoic sufferers of unjust accusations. As the patricians were generally the ones who wrote the histories through their family traditions, these tales should be viewed with caution.

In the year 460 Publius Valerius Poplicola and Gaius Claudius Sabinus Regillensis were elected as consuls in Rome. The factional strife of the previous years continued. Now rumours grew that there was an aristocratic plot to take over the state and that the exiled Caeso had returned in secret to plot a revolution. The consuls refused to investigate the rumours, believing this to be a trick of the Tribunes of the Plebs to arrest and banish other members of the patrician class.

Meanwhile there was a revolution brewing, just not the one that anyone expected. The victories of the Sabines and other nearby nations had led to a large slave population in Rome. The slaves rose up in the night under the leadership of a Sabine named Appius Herdonius. Some disaffected members of the state, presumably those who had no rights, joined the slave rebellion. They occupied the Capitoline Hill and fortified it against the rest of the city. They were willing to negotiate but also threatened that they would have no issue in negotiating with the enemies of Rome either.

Etruscan bronze metalwork

Then came daylight and disclosed the nature of the war and its leader. From the Capitol Herdonius was calling the slaves to freedom; he had undertaken, he said, the cause of all the wretched, that he might bring back to their native land the exiles who had been wrongfully expelled, and release the slaves from their heavy yoke; he had rather this were done with the approval of the Roman people: if there were no hope in that quarter, he would call in the Volsci and the Aequi and leave no desperate measure unattempted.
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 3.15, written around 18BC

The situation was particularly dire in Rome, because the factional strife was now worse than ever. The tribunes believed that the seizure of the Capitol was merely another piece of trickery from the patricians and it seems to have taken many speeches to get the people to actually take up arms against the slaves. To complicate matters an army approached the city and there was consternation as to whether this might be a force of the Aequi or Volsci. It turned out to be a friendly army of the Tusculans, come to aid Rome under the direction of the dictator of Tusculum, Lucius Mamilius.

Once the reinforcements had arrived and the factional strife ceased for a few days, the consuls led an attack on the hill. Publius Valerius Poplicola was slain in the fighting, but the revolt of Herdonius was crushed and the remaining slaves tortured and executed.

The tribunes now wanted to discuss the laws, but the remaining consul refused to have the law discussed until another consul was appointed in the stead of his dead colleague. This had the effect of simply blocking the law for another year.

And thus the time period that we are looking at draws to a close. The factional strife between the plebeians and the patricians, particularly over land reform, continue during this time period. Small continuous wars are fought with the neighbouring tribes, with Rome being victorious more often than not. There are continued tensions with the Etruscans to the north, particularly with the nearby city of Veii. To the south the Greeks fight their wars with the Iapygian speaking tribes, or each other, while to the north the Etruscans build tombs and reach their cultural zenith, sadly rather unknown to us. Further north again the Celts seem to be crossing the Alps and settling in the river plains of northern Italy.

Tomb painting from the Tomb of the
Triclinium

Primary Sources:
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, written circa 40BC
Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, written around 18BC
Fasti Triumphales, written circa 19BC
Fasti Capitolini, written circa AD13

Related blog posts:
499-480BC in Rome
489-480BC in Greece
479-470BC in Greece
469-460BC in Greece
479-460BC in the Near East
459-440BC in Rome