The Battle of Pedum was fought in 338 BC, near
Pedum between the
Roman Republic and multiple cities in
Latium:
Tibur,
Praeneste,
Antium,
Aricia,
Lanuvium, and
Velitrae. The Roman army was led by the consuls
Gaius Maenius and
Lucius Furius Camillus. The battle resulted in a Roman victory.
[Liv. 8 13]
Background
The Romans had campaigned against the combined force at Pedum during the previous year, 339 BC, but the attempt was abandoned by
Tiberius Aemilius Mamercus
Tiberius Aemilius Mamercus was a Roman senator active in the fifth century BC. He was consul in 470 and 467 BC.
Family
Mamercus was a member of the ''Aemilii Mamerci'', a branch of the ''gens Aemilia''. He was the son of Lucius Aemilius Mamercu ...
after hearing of the victory of his colleague,
Quintus Publilius Philo, elsewhere in Latium.
[Smith, W. 1854. "Pedum." In ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography''] This move angered the senate, and the unfinished battle became the highest priority for the next year. Therefore, when Maenius and Camillus were elected as consuls, they were ordered to leave at once for Pedum.
Battle
The forces from
Tibur and
Praeneste, being the two cities closest to Pedum, had already arrived there, but the forces from
Aricia,
Lanuvium, and
Velitrae had made for the
Astura River with the intent of joining the
Volscian force from
Antium. They were intercepted and routed by Maenius. Meanwhile, Camillus set off for Pedum itself, where he engaged the larger armies of Tibur and Praeneste. Maenius, after having dealt with the armies at the Astura River, came to Pedum in order to assist Camillus, and the two quickly defeated the two remaining armies.
Aftermath
After the victory at Pedum, the consuls spent the rest of their terms campaigning throughout Latium, effectively bringing an end to the
Latin War. Upon returning to Rome, they were both rewarded with a
triumph, and
Equestrian statues in the
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...
, a rare honor for that time.
References
Sources
{{Cite book, title=A Chronology of the Roman Empire, last=Venning, first=Timothy, publisher=A & C Black, year=2011, isbn=1441154787, pages=67
338 BC
Pedum
4th century BC in the Roman Republic
Pedum