Algidum ( grc, Ἄλγιδος)Stephanus of Byzantium, Ethnica, § A69.18
/ref> was a town in ancient Italy at the foot of Mount Algidus on the Via Latina.

Geography

It was located near the border between the territory of ancient

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whi ...

and the territory of the Aequi.

Architecture

It housed a temple to Diana.

History

In 465 BC, it was the site of a

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

between

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

forces led by the consuls Quintus Fabius Vibulanus and Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus and the Aequi, which resulted in a victory for the Romans. In 431 BC, armies from the Aequi and Volsci tribes occupied Algidus. According to some sources, Roman troops led by the consuls Titus Quinctius Poenus Cincinnatus and

Gaius Julius Mento Gaius Julius Mento was a member of the ancient patrician gens Julia, who held the consulship in BC 431.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. II, p. 1044. Family As Mento's filiation has not been preserved, it is not clear ...

launched an attack on them soon after, but were defeated. Their defeat is said to have been the cause for Aulus Postumius Tubertus being appointed

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in times ...

. On the 18th of June, Postumius launched an attack on the Aequi and Volsci, and succeeded in dislodging them. In 419/418 BC, the Aequi and Labicani briefly occupied the city.

Primary sources

* Strabo, Geography, 5.3.9 * Livy, Ab urbe condita, 3.2.

Bibliography

* *

References

Samnium History of Lazio Ancient Abruzzo {{AncientRome-stub