Lucius Sergius Fidenas was a Roman politician during the 5th century BC, and was elected consul in 437 and 429 BC. In 433, 424, and 418 BC he was military tribune with consular power.

Family

He was a member of the ''Sergii Fidenates'', branch of the ''

gens In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; plural: ''gentes'' ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same nomen and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a ''stirps'' (plural: ''stirpes''). The ''gen ...

Sergia''. His complete name was ''Lucius Sergius C.f. C.n. Fidenas''.

Career

In 437 BC, Sergius was elected consul with

Marcus Geganius Macerinus Marcus Geganius Macerinus was a Roman statesman who served as Consul in 447, 443, and 437 BC, and as Censor in 435 BC. Family Geganius came from the rather small patrician Gegania gens, which had only once before risen to the consulship, thi ...

. The year before,

Fidenae Fidenae ( grc, Φιδῆναι) was an ancient town of Latium, situated about 8 km north of Rome on the '' Via Salaria'', which ran between Rome and the Tiber. Its inhabitants were known as Fidenates. As the Tiber was the border between Etr ...

had revolted against Rome and joined

Lars Tolumnius Lars Tolumnius ( Etruscan: Larth Tulumnes, d. 437 BC) was the most famous king of the wealthy Etruscan city-state of Veii, roughly ten miles northwest of Rome, best remembered for instigating a war with Rome that ended in a decisive Roman victory. ...

, king of the Veientians. Roman ambassadors Gaius Fulcinius, Tullus Cloelius, Spurius Antius, and Lucius Roscius were sent to Fidenae, and were put to death by order of king Tolumnius. Statues of the ambassadors were set up in the rostra at the public's expense. This began the second war between Rome and Veii, which would mark the first that Rome would defeat the army of king Tolumnius on their side of the river Anio, but with heavy losses. For his accomplishments in the war, Sergius earned 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 ...

Fidenas''. In 433 BC, Sergius was elected military tribune with consular power alongside Marcus Fabius Vibulanus and Marcus Folius Flaccinator. That year saw a pestilence. According to

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 ...

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

was affected harshly by that plague which he says killed over 10,000 people there. A temple was vowed to

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

, which would be built two years later and was dedicated to ''Apollo Medicus''. Sergius was elected consul again in 429 BC, with

Hostus Lucretius Tricipitinus Hostus Lucretius Tricipitinus was a consul of the Roman republic in 429 BC. Lucretius belonged to the ancient patrician Lucretia gens whose ancestors had been among the first consuls of the Republic. Lucretius was (presumably) the son of Luciu ...

. During their term, Roman territory was the victim of raids by the Veientians. In 428 BC, Sergius was selected by the senate, with Quintus Servilius and

Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus was a political figure in the Roman Republic, serving as consular tribune in 438 BC and dictator three times in 437, 434, and 426 BC. Prior to gaining the imperium Aemilius was, in 446 BC, elected Quaestor together wi ...

to investigate Fidenae and remove some of its people to Ostia. Again in 424 BC, Sergius was elected military tribune with consular power, with

Appius Claudius Crassus Appius Claudius Crassus Inregillensis (or Crassinus Regillensis) Sabinus ( 471–451 BC) was a Roman senator during the early Republic, most notable as the leading member of the ten-man board (the Decemvirate) which drew up the Twelve Tables o ...

, Spurius Nautius Rutilus, and

Sextus Julius Iulus Sextus Julius Iulus was a consular tribune of the Roman Republic in 424 BC. Julius belonged to the patrician Julia gens and the branch known as the Julii Iuli, one of the early republics most influential families having produced five consuls pri ...

. Grand games were organized to celebrate Rome's victory over Veii and Fidenae. Appius Claudius was left in charge of the city and held elections for the next consulship. In 418, Sergius was elected military tribune with consular power again and for the third time, with

Gaius Servilius Axilla Gaius Servilius Axilla (or Servilius Structus; 427–417 BC) was a Roman aristocrat and statesman during the early Republic. He held the senior executive offices of consul in 427 BC and consular tribune in 419, 418 and 417 BC. He also served as ...

and

Marcus Papirius Mugillanus Marcus Papirius Mugillanus was a consular tribune in 418 and 416 BC, and perhaps consul of the Roman Republic in 411. Papirius belonged to the Papiria gens, one of the oldest patrician families. The family had, according to legend, been among t ...

. A new enemy, the Labiciani, had allied themselves with the

Aequi 300px, Location of the Aequi (Equi) in central Italy, 5th century BC. The Aequi ( grc, Αἴκουοι and Αἴκοι) were an Italic tribe on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains to the east of Latium in central Italy who appear in the early hist ...

and they pillaged the fields of

Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Classical Rome, Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable dist ...

the previous year. Upon coming to power, the military tribunes declared war and raised a levy. Sergius took command against the Aequi and fought a battle near their camp on disadvantageous ground, during which he lost his life. In response to his death, Quintus Servilius Priscus was made dictator by the senate.;

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 ...

, 4.35-36

References

Sources

Ancient

* Titus Livius in ''Roman History'' book 4. *

in ''Bibliotheca Historica'' books 12 and 13.

Modern

* * {{s-end 5th-century BC Roman consuls Roman consular tribunes Sergii