Publius Servilius Priscus was a

Roman senator The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...

active in the fifth century BC and

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 throug ...

in 463 BC.

Family

He was probably the son of

Spurius Servilius Structus Spurius Servilius Structus was a Roman consul in 476 BC.Titus Livius, ''Ab Urbe Condita'', ii. 51. Following their defeat of the Roman army at the Battle of the Cremera in 477 BC, the Veientes marched on Rome and had occupied the Janiculum. T ...

(consul in 476 BC), and the father of

Quintus Servilius Priscus Fidenas Quintus Servilius Priscus Fidenas (prior to 463 BC390 BC) was a political figure and military leader in the Roman Republic who served as dictator in 435 BC and in 418 BC. Family Servilius belonged to the large and influential Servilia gens and ...

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 ...

in 435 and 418 BC.

Diodorus Siculus Diodorus Siculus, or Diodorus of Sicily ( grc-gre, Διόδωρος ; 1st century BC), was an ancient Greek historian. He is known for writing the monumental universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty books, fifteen of which su ...

gives him the paternal ''

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 ...

'' of "Structus", which was carried by his ancestors, but the name was not given to him by either the ''

Fasti Capitolini The ''Fasti Capitolini'', or Capitoline Fasti, are a list of the chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, extending from the early fifth century BC down to the reign of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Together with similar lists found at Rom ...

'' or

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Ancient Rome, 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 traditiona ...

(4.21.9).

Biography

In 463 BC, he was elected consul with

Lucius Aebutius Elva Lucius Aebutius Helva (died 463 BC) was a politician and general of the Roman Republic. He was consul in 463 BC with Publius Servilius Priscus, but died of the plague during his term. Family background Lucius belonged to the patrician ''gens' ...

as his colleague. They entered office on the first of August, because at the time the consular years began on that day. In the beginning of September, the livestock was stricken by an epidemic, which also afflicted the people. According to

Dionysius of Halicarnassus Dionysius of Halicarnassus ( grc, Διονύσιος Ἀλεξάνδρου Ἁλικαρνασσεύς, ; – after 7 BC) was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Augustus. His literary sty ...

, the epidemic began with the livestock then began to spread throughout the city, killing many people. It entered the city because the peasants took refuge in Rome, bringing their livestock with them. Both Elva and Priscus fell to the pestilence, in that order. The

augur An augur was a priest and official in the classical Roman world. His main role was the practice of augury, the interpretation of the will of the gods by studying the flight of birds. Determinations were based upon whether they were flying i ...

Manius Valerius Maximus Manius Valerius Maximus was Roman dictator in 494 BC during the first secession of the plebs. His brothers were Publius Valerius Publicola and Marcus Valerius Volusus. They were said to be the sons of Volesus Valerius.Livy, ''Ab urbe condita ...

and

Titus Verginius Tricostus Rutilus Titus Verginius Tricostus Rutilus (died 463 BC), was consul of the Roman Republic in 479 BC. He held the office with Caeso Fabius Vibulanus. According to Livy, he was assigned the war with the Veientes, but because of his temerity his army wa ...

, and ''Curio Maximus'' Servius Suplicius Camerinus Cornutus fell to the affliction that year as well. When the two consuls were found dead, an ''

interrex The interrex (plural interreges) was literally a ruler "between kings" (Latin ''inter reges'') during the Roman Kingdom and the Roman Republic. He was in effect a short-term regent. History The office of ''interrex'' was supposedly created follow ...

'' was given a period of five days to elect new consuls. At the end of the fifth day, elections were not held, and a new interrex took over. Consular elections were held in 462 BC, during the interregnum of

Publius Valerius Publicola Publius Valerius Poplicola or Publicola (died 503 BC) was one of four Roman aristocrats who led the overthrow of the monarchy, and became a Roman consul, the colleague of Lucius Junius Brutus in 509 BC, traditionally considered the first year o ...

, resulting in the election of

Lucius Lucretius Tricipitinus Lucius Lucretius Tricipitinus was a Roman senator in the fifth century BC, and was consul with Titus Veturius Geminus Cicurinus in 462 BC. Family Tricipitinus was the son of a Titus Lucretius, and grandson of Titus Lucretius Tricipitinus, consul ...

and Titus Veturius Geminus Cicurinus as consuls.Livy III, 8

Notes

Bibliography

Primary sources

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ''Roman Antiquities'', Book IX

Livy, ''The History of Rome'', Books III-IV
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Secondary sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Servilius Priscus, Publius 463 BC deaths 5th-century BC Roman consuls Roman consuls who died in office Priscus, Publius Year of birth unknown