Quintus Fabius Vibulanus, son of Marcus Fabius Vibulanus (consul 483 BC), was

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 ...

of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

and one of the second set of

decemviri The decemviri or decemvirs (Latin for "ten men") were some of the several 10-man commissions established by the Roman Republic. The most important were those of the two Decemvirates, formally the " decemvirate with consular power for writing ...

Biography

According to

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 ...

, Quintus was the only male to escape the slaughter of the

gens Fabia 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 ...

at the

Battle of the Cremera 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 ...

in 477 BC, since he was too young to be sent to war. He was consul of the Roman Republic three times: # 467 BC, with Tiberius Aemilius Mamercinus # 465 BC, with

Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus Titus Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus (513 BCafter 423 BC) was a Roman statesman and general who served as consul six times. Titus Quinctius was a member of the gens Quinctia, one of the oldest patrician families in Rome. He was the son of Luc ...

# 459 BC, with

Lucius Cornelius Maluginensis Uritinus Lucius Cornelius Maluginensis Uritinus was a Roman politician and general of the 5th century BC, who served as consul once in 459 BC. Family Lucius Cornelius Maluginensis Uritinus was a member of the patrician gens Cornelia and was the son of S ...

In his first consulship there was popular agitation for an agrarian law, which had been the cause of much social conflict at Rome for many years. Fabius successfully brought an end to the conflict by passing a law that the lands of the

Volsci The Volsci (, , ) were an Italic tribe, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. At the time they inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the ...

at the new

Roman colony A Roman (plural ) was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of a Roman city. It is also the origin of the modern term ''colony''. Character ...

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 ...

be distributed amongst the plebs. Three commissioners were named for the purpose of dividing the lands Titus Quintius,

Aulus Verginius Aulus (abbreviated A.) is one of the small group of common forenames found in the culture of ancient Rome. The name was traditionally connected with Latin ''aula'', ''olla'', "palace", but this is most likely a false etymology. ''Aulus'' in fact p ...

, and

Publius Furius Publius may refer to: Roman name * Publius (praenomen) * Ancient Romans with the name: ** Publius Valerius Publicola (died 503 BC), Roman consul, co-founder of the Republic **Publius Clodius Pulcher (c. 93 BC – 52 BC), Republican politician * ...

. Also in 467 BC, Fabius led a Roman army against 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 ...

. The Aequi sued for peace, which was granted, however the Aequi broke the peace shortly after with a raid into the Latin territory. The following year Fabius was sent by the senate to demand restitution from the Aequi. In his second consulship in 465 BC Fabius was given a special command against the Aequi. He sought to persuade the Aequi to make peace, however the Aequi rejected that offer, and marched to

Algidum Algidum ( grc, Ἄλγιδος) 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 and the territory of the Aequi. Architecture It housed ...

. The Romans were so offended by the Aequian behaviour that the second consul Quinctius was sent with another Roman army against the Aequi. A battle was fought and the Romans were successful, following which the Aequi retreated to their own territory. However the Aequi immediately returned to Latium and began pillaging the countryside. Fabius successfully ambushed the Aequi and routed them, recovering all the bounty that had been taken from the Latin territory. He then pursued the Aequi into their own territory and ravaged their lands, later returning to Rome with much bounty and glory. The war would continue with the Aequi and in 462 BC, when both consuls were occupied with fighting both the Aequi and Volscians, Fabius was appointed as

Praefectus urbi The ''praefectus urbanus'', also called ''praefectus urbi'' or urban prefect in English, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, an ...

and given command in Rome. During his third consulate, he besieged

and helped the Tusculans to rescue their city, which was occupied by the

. In the end, he attacked the Aequi fleeing from Tusculum, killing many of them near

Mount Algidus The Algidus Mons, known in English as Mount Algidus, is the eastern rim of the dormant Alban Volcano in the Alban Hills, about southeast of Rome, Italy. The ridge is traversed by a narrow crevasse called ''la Cava d'Aglio''. It was the site of the ...

. In the following year, 458 BC, he was one of three ambassadors sent by the senate to demand recompense from the Aequi for the breaking of a treaty. Later in the year, during the dictatorship of

Cincinnatus Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus ( – ) was a Roman patrician, statesman, and military leader of the early Roman Republic who became a legendary figure of Roman virtue—particularly civic virtue—by the time of the late Republic. Cincinnatus ...

, Fabius was again appointed Praefectus urbi and held command in Rome. In 450 BC, Appius Claudius named him one of the second set of decemviri, ten men given absolute authority in Rome while they compiled the

Law of the Twelve Tables The Laws of the Twelve Tables was the legislation that stood at the foundation of Roman law. Formally promulgated in 449 BC, the Tables consolidated earlier traditions into an enduring set of laws.Crawford, M.H. 'Twelve Tables' in Simon Hornblowe ...

. Livy says that Fabius was easily corrupted by Appius and he went from being a very good man to a very wicked one.Livy, 3.41.

References

Works cited

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fabius Vibulanus, Quintus consul 287 AUC 5th-century BC Roman consuls Vibulanus, Quintus consul 287 AUC Ancient Roman decemvirs

Biography

See also

References

Works cited