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The ''Fasti Capitolini'', or Capitoline Fasti, are a list of the chief
magistrates The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...
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 ...
, extending from the early fifth century BC down to the reign of
Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
, the first Roman emperor. Together with similar lists found at Rome and elsewhere, they form part of a chronology referred to as the ''Fasti Annales'', ''Fasti Consulares'', or ''Consular Fasti'', or occasionally just the ''fasti''.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities'', p. 523 ("Fasti Annales"). The Capitoline Fasti were originally engraved on marble tablets erected 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 ...
. The main portions were discovered in a fragmentary condition, and removed from the forum in 1546, as ancient structures were dismantled to produce material for the construction of St. Peter's Basilica. They were brought to the
Palazzo dei Conservatori The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; it, Campidoglio ; la, Mons Capitolinus ), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn ...
on the adjacent
Capitoline Hill The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; it, Campidoglio ; la, Mons Capitolinus ), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn. ...
, where they remain as part of the collection of the
Capitoline Museums The Capitoline Museums ( Italian: ''Musei Capitolini'') are a group of art and archaeological museums in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. The historic seats of the museums are Palazzo dei Conservatori and Pal ...
, together with other Roman antiquities.''Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities'', p. 662 ("Fasti"). Together with the histories of writers such as
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 ...
and
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 styl ...
, the Capitoline Fasti form one of the primary sources for Roman chronology.


History

The term '' fasti'' originally referred to calendars published by the
pontifices A pontiff (from Latin ''pontifex'') was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the most illustrious of the colleges of priests of the Roman religion, the College of Pontiffs."Pontifex". "Oxford English Dictionary", March 2007 The term "pontiff" was lat ...
, indicating the days on which business could be transacted (''fasti'') and those on which it was prohibited for religious reasons (''nefasti''). These calendars frequently included lists of the annual magistrates. In many ancient cultures, the most common way to refer to individual years was by the names of the presiding magistrates. The annually-elected
consuls A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...
were the
eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...
ous magistrates at Rome, and so lists of the consuls going back many years were useful for dating historical events. Over time such lists also became known as ''fasti''.''Oxford Classical Dictionary'', 2nd Ed., pp. 429, 430 ("Fasti"). The Capitoline Fasti are thought to have been engraved in one of two places: first, the wall of the Regia, originally the residence or official seat of the
Roman kings The king of Rome ( la, rex Romae) was the ruler of the Roman Kingdom. According to legend, the first king of Rome was Romulus, who founded the city in 753 BC upon the Palatine Hill. Seven legendary kings are said to have ruled Rome until 509 BC ...
, and later the official residence of the Pontifex Maximus, the chief priest of Rome, between 36 and 30 BC. The '' Annales Maximi'', records of Roman history from the earliest period to the late second century BC, and one of the sources consulted by ancient historians, were stored in the Regia. Alternatively, the ''Fasti Capitolini'' may have been inscribed on the Arch of Augustus, in 18 BC. In either case, they were subsequently continued down to the death of Augustus in AD 14. In 1540,
Pope Paul III Pope Paul III ( la, Paulus III; it, Paolo III; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death in November 1549. He came to ...
authorized the recycling of stone from the forum for the construction of St. Peter's Basilica. The structures in the part of the forum where the fasti were discovered were dismantled between August 15 and September 14, 1546. Some of the stone was sold to stonecutters to be reused in the construction, while some was sold to lime burners to be used for cement. The work was carried out by a company of local quarrymen, with little regard for the archaeological value of the ancient structures, but the scholars
Onofrio Panvinio The erudite Augustinian Onofrio Panvinio or Onuphrius Panvinius (23 February 1529 – 27 April 1568) was an Italian historian and antiquary, who was librarian to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. Life and work Panvinio was born in Verona. At ...
and
Pirro Ligorio Pirro Ligorio ( October 30, 1583) was an Italian architect, painter, antiquarian, and garden designer during the Renaissance period. He worked as the Vatican's Papal Architect under Popes Paul IV and Pius IV, designed the fountains at Villa d� ...
observed the demolition, and noticed a portion of the fasti still embedded between
pilasters In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...
in a wall. Other portions were found scattered nearby, and the scholars rescued them, ordering further tunnels dug in order to search for more fragments. Some were found embedded in nearby buildings, indicating that stone from the same area had previously been reused.Lanciani, ''New Tales of Old Rome'', pp. 68–72. Thirty fragments of the Fasti Capitolini were recovered, along with twenty-six fragments of the ''Acta Triumphalia'', or ''
Fasti Triumphales The ''Acta Triumphorum'' or ''Triumphalia'', better known as the ''Fasti Triumphales'', or Triumphal Fasti, is a calendar of Roman magistrates honoured with a celebratory procession known as a ''triumphus'', or triumph, in recognition of an imp ...
'', dating to the same period and recording the names of Roman generals who had been honoured with a triumph.
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **'' Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **'' Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, t ...
Alessandro Farnese brought them to the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the nearby Capitoline Hill, where Ligorio and
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was ins ...
reconstructed them, based on the observations of Panvinio and Ligorio. Two additional fragments were discovered during excavations in the forum in 1817 and 1818. Others were discovered in excavations from 1872 to 1878, with the last discovered in the
Tiber The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by th ...
in 1888.Egbert, ''Latin Inscriptions'', p. 362.Sandys, ''Latin Epigraphy'', pp. 168–171. Today, the Palazzo forms part of the Capitoline Museums, and the Capitoline Fasti are housed in the ''Sala della Lupa'', the Salon of the Wolf, together with the
Capitoline Wolf The Capitoline Wolf ( Italian: ''Lupa Capitolina'') is a bronze sculpture depicting a scene from the legend of the founding of Rome. The sculpture shows a she-wolf suckling the mythical twin founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. According to t ...
, for which the gallery is named.


Contents

Due to the fragmentary condition of the Fasti Capitolini, it is not entirely certain whether they began with the first year of the Republic, or with the
kings Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...
, as did the related ''Fasti Triumphales''. The first year which is partially extant is 483 BC. The last surviving year is AD 13, and the fasti probably ended the following year. The extant years include the names of the
consuls A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...
, who gave their names to each year, as well as consuls ''suffecti'', who replaced those who resigned or died during their year of office. The fasti also include the
dictators 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 ...
and magistri equitum for the years in which they were appointed, as well as the censors, together with the
decemvirs 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 writin ...
and
consular tribunes A consular tribune was putatively a type of magistrate in the early Roman Republic. According to Roman tradition, colleges of consular tribunes held office throughout the fifth and fourth centuries BC during the so-called "Conflict of the O ...
for the years in which they were elected in place of consuls. The original form of the fasti is thought to have consisted of four large tablets, each of which was several feet high. The first ran to 390 BC, the second to 293, the third to 154, and the fourth to 9 BC, with the remaining years to AD 14 in the margin. The fasti include a number of notes, indicating when the office-holders mentioned resigned, died, or were killed during their years of office; and they provide additional information, such as the years in which important wars began, the reasons for the nomination of dictators, the number of the ''
lustrum A lūstrum (, plural lūstra) was a term for a five-year period in Ancient Rome. It is distinct from the homograph ''lustrum'' ( ): a haunt of wild beasts (and figuratively, a den of vice), plural ''lustra'' ( ).Oxford Latin Desk Dictionary (20 ...
'' taken by the censors, and the number of years since the founding of Rome, according to the era of Cato, given every ten years. Cato placed the founding of Rome one year later than Varro, so the years given in the fasti appear later than the dates given in the columns on the left. The Capitoline Fasti were first transcribed and published by Marliani at Rome in 1549, Sigonius at Modena in 1550, and Robortelli at Venice in 1555. Early publications were heavily edited to give the appearance of completeness. The current reconstruction is part of the ''
Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum The ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (''CIL'') is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions throw ...
'', appearing in the first volume, and since amended several times.


Historical accuracy

Although some scholars have questioned the accuracy of the Capitoline Fasti, particularly with regard to the earliest portion, the overall chronology is remarkably consistent from one source to the next, and all of the Roman historians and annalists place the beginning of the Republic within a span of about seven or eight years. The ''Fasti Capitolini'' represent the longest version of the chronology, and current scholarly opinion accepts nearly all of the list, with two main exceptions: the so-called "dictator years", four years during the latter part of the fourth century BC, in which the dictators of the preceding years are said to have continued in office without the election of consuls; and also a span of time leading up to the passage of the ''
lex Licinia Sextia The Licino-Sextian rogations were a series of laws proposed by tribunes of the plebs, Gaius Licinius Stolo and Lucius Sextius Lateranus, enacted around 367 BC. Livy calls them ''rogatio'' – though he does refer to them at times as ''lex'' ...
'' in 367 BC, during which the
tribunes of the plebs Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune ( la, tribunus plebis) was the first office of the Roman state that was open to the plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the power o ...
are said to have prevented the election of annual magistrates for five years, in order to force the passage of the law.Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca Historica'', xv. 75. The four "dictator years" are generally regarded as a late interpolation, as such a remarkable departure from the Roman constitution, which normally limited the term of a dictator to six months, is not mentioned by any of the Roman historians, nor are the "dictator years" found in any source other than the Capitoline Fasti. The so-called "anarchy" earlier in the fourth century is less easily explained, since the story of this period is corroborated in multiple accounts, including Livy and
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 ...
, but the length of time that Rome was without annual magistrates may have been exaggerated; perhaps only one year, as stated by Diodorus.


Transcription

The following tables give the magistrates and events from the most recent reconstruction of the ''Fasti Capitolini''.; 1904, 114; ; 1940, 59, 60. The years supplied are based on the Varronian chronology; years AUC given in the original table are provided under "notes". Portions of names and text in square brackets have been interpolated. Periods (full stops) have been supplied for abbreviations. An em dash is used for missing or unknown filiations or other abbreviated praenomina. Other missing text is indicated with an ellipsis in brackets, .. These tables uses modern conventions for distinguishing between I and J, and between U and V. Otherwise, the names and notes are given as spelled in the fasti. Archaic Roman spellings, such as ''Aimilius'' for ''Aemilius'', and ''caussa'' for ''causa'', have been preserved. A list of
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
phrases and abbreviations appearing below follows the last table.


Magistracies

* Censs. = ''censores'', censors * Coss. = ''consules'', consuls * Dict. = dictator * Imp. = ''imperator'', emperor * Mag. Eq. = magister equitum * Tribuni Militum cos. pot. = ''tribuni militum consulari potestate'', military tribunes with consular powers, or "consular tribunes" * IIIvir = ''triumvir rei publicae constituendae'', triumvir to restore the Republic


Fifth century BC


Fourth century BC


Third century BC


Second century BC


First century BC


First century AD


Formulas and abbreviations

* ''abdicarunt ut decemviri consulari imperio fierent'' = abdicated for the appointment of decemvirs with consular imperium * ''abdicavit'' (abd.) = he resigned, abdicated * ''ambo primi de plebe'' = the first time both were from the plebeians * ''Bellum Antiochinum'' = War with Antiochus * ''Bellum Gallicum cisalpinum'' = War with the Cisalpine
Gauls The Gauls ( la, Galli; grc, Γαλάται, ''Galátai'') were a group of Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age and the Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). They sp ...
* ''Bellum Marsicum'' = Marsic or Social War * ''Bellum Persicum'' = War with Perseus (
Third Macedonian War The Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC) was a war fought between the Roman Republic and King Perseus of Macedon. In 179 BC, King Philip V of Macedon died and was succeeded by his ambitious son Perseus. He was anti-Roman and stirred anti-Roman ...
) * ''Bellum Philippicum'' = War with Philip ( Second Macedonian War) * ''Bellum Punicum primum/secundum/tertium'' = First/
Second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ea ...
/ Third Punic War * ''clavi figendi causa'' = to drive a nail into the wall of the temple of
Jupiter Optimus Maximus The Capitoline Triad was a group of three deities who were worshipped in ancient Roman religion in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill (Latin ''Capitolium''). It comprised Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The triad held a central place in th ...
on the Capitol, a sacred rite invoked in times of emergency * ''comitiorum habendorum causa'' = to call the '' comitia'', usually for the election of new magistrates. * ''decemviri consulari imperio legibus scribundis facti eodem anno'' = decemvirs with consular imperium to record the laws were appointed (elected) the same year * ''hoc anno dictator et magister equitum sine consulibus fuerunt'' = this year the dictator and magister equitum ontinuedwithout consuls. * ''in eius locum factus est'' (in loc. f. e.) = in his place was chosen (elected, appointed) * ''in magistratu damnatus est'' (in mag. damn. e.) = he was condemned in ismagistracy * ''in magistratu mortuus est'' (in mag. mort. e., in m. m. e.) = he died in ismagistracy * ''in magistratu occisus est'' (in mag. occ. e.) = he was slain in ismagistracy * ''in proelio occisus est'' = he was slain in the war * ''interregni causa'' = due to the interregnum * ''Latinarum feriarum causa'' = to hold the Latin festival * ''lustrum fecerunt'' (l. f.) umeral= the ''x'' th lustrum (the census) was made (held, taken) * ''postea quam dictatura/censura abiit'' = after leaving the dictatorship/censorship * ''primus e plebe'' = the first from among the plebeians * ''quaestionum exercendarum causa'' = to pursue an investigation * ''qui (in hoc honore) postea'' ame''appellatus est'' = who (in his honour) was afterward called ame* ''qui scriba fuerat'' = who had been a scribe * ''rei gerundae causa'' (r. g. c.) = to perform a task, usually a military command * ''rei publicae constituendae causa'' = to reform the constitution of the Republic * ''seditionis sedandae'' = to quell sedition * ''senatus legendi causa'' = to fill up the roll of the senate * ''sine collega'' = without a colleague * ''sine magister equitum'' = without a magister equitum * ''solus consulatum gessit'' = the sole consul elected * ''tribunicia potestate'' = holding the tribunician power (the power to veto or forbid an action of the magistrates) * ''vitio facti abdicarunt'' = they resigned due to a ''vitium'', a fault in the
auspices Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed behavior of birds. When the individual, known as the augur, interpreted these signs, it is referred to as "taking the auspices". "Auspices" ( Latin ''aus ...


See also

*
List of Roman consuls This is a list of consuls known to have held office, from the beginning of the Roman Republic to the latest use of the title in Imperial times, together with those magistrates of the Republic who were appointed in place of consuls, or who superse ...
*
List of Roman dictators A list of all of the Roman dictators and magistri equitum known from ancient sources. In some cases the names or dates have been inferred by modern historians. Key to Latin terms and phrases Roman dictators were usually appointed for a specific ...


References


Bibliography

*
Marcus Tullius Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...
, ''
De Oratore ''De Oratore'' (''On the Orator''; not to be confused with '' Orator'') is a dialogue written by Cicero in 55 BC. It is set in 91 BC, when Lucius Licinius Crassus dies, just before the Social War and the civil war between Marius and Sulla, d ...
''. *
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 ...
, ''
Bibliotheca Historica ''Bibliotheca historica'' ( grc, Βιβλιοθήκη Ἱστορική, ) is a work of universal history by Diodorus Siculus. It consisted of forty books, which were divided into three sections. The first six books are geographical in theme, ...
'' (Library of History). * Titus Livius (
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 ...
), ''
History of Rome The history of Rome includes the history of the city of Rome as well as the civilisation of ancient Rome. Roman history has been influential on the modern world, especially in the history of the Catholic Church, and Roman law has influenced ...
''. *
Theodor Mommsen Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19th centur ...
''et alii'', ''
Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum The ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (''CIL'') is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions throw ...
'' (The Body of Latin Inscriptions, abbreviated ''CIL''), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1853–present). * '' Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities'', William Smith, ed., Little, Brown, and Company, Boston (1859). * René Cagnat ''et alii'', '' L'Année épigraphique'' (The Year in Epigraphy, abbreviated ''AE''), Presses Universitaires de France (1888–present). * James Chidester Egbert, ''Introduction to the Study of Latin Inscriptions'', American Book Company, New York (1895). * '' Harper's Dictionary of Classical Literature and Antiquities'',
Harry Thurston Peck Harry Thurston Peck (November 24, 1856 – March 23, 1914) was an American classical scholar, author, editor, historian and critic. Biography Peck was born in Stamford, Connecticut. He was educated in private schools and at Columbia College, g ...
, ed. (Second Edition, 1897). * Rodolfo Lanciani, ''New Tales of Old Rome'', Macmillan & Company, London (1901). * John Sandys, ''Latin Epigraphy: an Introduction to the Study of Latin Inscriptions'', University of Chicago Press (1927). * T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', American Philological Association (1952–1986). * ''
Oxford Classical Dictionary The ''Oxford Classical Dictionary'' (''OCD'') is generally considered "the best one-volume dictionary on antiquity," an encyclopædic work in English consisting of articles relating to classical antiquity and its civilizations. It was first pub ...
'', N. G. L. Hammond and H. H. Scullard, eds., Clarendon Press, Oxford (Second Edition, 1970). * Timothy J. Cornell, ''The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000–264 BC)'', Routledge, London (1995). {{DEFAULTSORT:Fasti Capitolini Lists of office-holders in ancient Rome Ancient timelines Roman calendar Latin inscriptions 1st-century inscriptions