Gaius Maenius (possibly Gaius Maenius Antiaticus) was a

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 lett ...

statesman and general who was elected

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

in 338 BC and 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 time ...

twice, in 320 BC and 314 BC.

Consulship and the Latin War

Hailing from a

plebeian In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words " commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins ...

family, Maenius was elected consul in 338 BC alongside

Lucius Furius Camillus Lucius ( el, Λούκιος ''Loukios''; ett, Luvcie) is a male given name derived from ''Lucius'' (abbreviated ''L.''), one of the small group of common Latin forenames ('' praenomina'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from ...

during the final stages of the Second Latin War. He commanded the Roman naval forces which defeated the combined Latin armies of

Antium Antium was an ancient coastal town in Latium, south of Rome. An oppidum was founded by people of Latial culture (11th century BC or the beginning of the 1st millennium BC), then it was the main stronghold of the Volsci people until it was conqu ...

Lanuvium Lanuvium, modern Lanuvio, is an ancient city of Latium vetus, some southeast of Rome, a little southwest of the Via Appia. Situated on an isolated hill projecting south from the main mass of the Alban Hills, Lanuvium commanded an extensive vie ...

, Aricia and

Velitrae Velletri (; la, Velitrae; xvo, Velester) is an Italian '' comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, approximately 40 km to the southeast of the city centre, located in the Alban Hills, in the region of Lazio, central Italy. Neighbouring com ...

at the Battle of Antium on the river Astura, thereby completing the conquest of

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 w ...

. After this victory, he took the six ''

rostra The rostra ( it, Rostri, links=no) was a large platform built in the city of Rome that stood during the republican and imperial periods. Speakers would stand on the rostra and face the north side of the comitium towards the senate house and de ...

'' (rams from the prows of the enemy warships) and placed them in what became known as the

Rostra The rostra ( it, Rostri, links=no) was a large platform built in the city of Rome that stood during the republican and imperial periods. Speakers would stand on the rostra and face the north side of the comitium towards the senate house and de ...

, decorating the stage 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 ancie ...

from which the orators would address the people. After this victory, both Maenius and his colleague were awarded triumphs, and in a rare show of appreciation, both had equestrian statues erected to them in the

. His statue was placed upon a column, called the '' Columna Maenia'', which stood near the end of the Forum, on the Capitoline. In addition, it is also possible that he took the

cognomen A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...

''Antiaticus'' in remembrance of this victory.

Dictatorships and Censor

In 320 BC, Maenius was appointed

, for the purpose of investigating a number of plots and conspiracies involving some of the most prominent of Roman noble families, together with the leading citizens of

Capua Capua ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, situated north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. History Ancient era The name of Capua comes from the Etrus ...

. Maenius appointed

Marcus Foslius Flaccinator Marcus Foslius Flaccinator was a Roman statesman who served as a member of the ''tribuni militum consulari potestate'' in 433 BC alongside Marcus Fabius Vibulanus and Lucius Sergius Fidenas Lucius Sergius Fidenas was a Roman politician during the ...

as his ''

magister equitum The , in English Master of the Horse or Master of the Cavalry, was a Roman magistrate appointed as lieutenant to a dictator. His nominal function was to serve as commander of the Roman cavalry in time of war, but just as a dictator could be nom ...

'', and both men proceeded to investigate the matter thoroughly, to the point that many of the Roman nobility began to resent his uncovering their plots, while Capua proceeded to revolt against Rome in 319 BC. The situation soon reached crisis point, as the Roman nobility demanded that charges be laid against both Maenius and Foslius. Both men resigned their office and demanded that the consuls,

Lucius Papirius Cursor Lucius Papirius Cursor (c.365–after 310 BC) was a celebrated politician and general of the early Roman Republic, who was five times consul, three times magister equitum, and twice dictator. He was the most important Roman commander during the Se ...

and

Quintus Publilius Philo Quintus Publilius Philo was a Roman politician who lived during the 4th century BC. His birth date is not provided by extant sources, however, a reasonable estimate is about 365 BC, since he first became consul in 339 BC at a time when consuls co ...

give them a trial. The consuls agreed, and both men were acquitted. With his reputation intact, Maenius was appointed censor in 318 BC, alongside Lucius Papirius Crassus. During his period in office he provided buildings in the Forum's neighborhood with balconies, which were called after him ''maeniana'', in order that the spectators might have more room to view games within temporary wooden arenas set up in the forum. Then in 314 BC, during another phase of the

Second Samnite War The First, Second, and Third Samnite Wars (343–341 BC, 326–304 BC, and 298–290 BC) were fought between the Roman Republic and the Samnites, who lived on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains south of Rome and north of the Lucanian tribe. ...

, rumors began to filter to Rome about another conspiracy in Capua, led by Ovius and Novius Calavius, this time with the intent of detaching Campania from the Roman alliance and joining the Samnites. Alarmed, Rome again appointed Maenius as dictator, and he again turned to his trusted subordinate, Foslius, as his ''magister equitum''. Before the dictator's investigation could begin, and evidence could be given against them, the brothers took their own lives, thereby escaping trial. Titus Livius, ''

Ab Urbe Condita ''Ab urbe condita'' ( 'from the founding of the City'), or ''anno urbis conditae'' (; 'in the year since the city's founding'), abbreviated as AUC or AVC, expresses a date in years since 753 BC, the traditional founding of Rome. It is an ex ...

'' ix. 25, 26.

Notes

References

Ancient sources

* Festus, under ''Maeniana'' *

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

viii.13, ix.34 * Pliny, ''Nat. Hist.'' xxxiv.II (5)

Modern Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maenius, Gaius Ancient Roman dictators 4th-century BC Roman consuls Roman censors Maenii