Spurius Furius Medullinus Fusus (died 453 BC) was a Roman politician in the 5th century BC, and was consul in 464 BC, and consul suffect in 453 BC.

Family

Medullinus was the brother of Publius Furius Medullinus Fusus, consul in 472 BC. The '' cognomina'' ''Medullinus Fusus'' has been reconstructed from multiple sources. Dionysius of Halicarnassus gives the '' praenomen'' ''Servius'' in place of ''Spurius''. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ''Roman Antiquities'', IX. 63.2 Medullinus was the father of

Lucius Furius Medullinus Lucius Furius Medullinus (c. 445 BC – c. 375 BC), of the patrician '' gens Furia'', was a politician and general of the Roman Republic who was consul twice and Consular Tribune seven times. First two consulships Medullinus was elected consul fo ...

( military tribune with consular power in 432, 425, and 420 BC).

Biography

In 464 BC, he was elected consul with Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis. The two consuls led separate campaigns 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 ...

, Medullinus in

Hernici The Hernici were an Italic tribe of ancient Italy, whose territory was in Latium between the Fucine Lake and the Sacco River (''Trerus''), bounded by the Volsci on the south, and by the Aequi and the Marsi on the north. For many years of the ear ...

an territory. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ''Roman Antiquities'', IX. 62-66 In an initial battle the Aequi were victorious, and the Roman forces led by Furius were besieged in their camp. Later Furius led his troops in a sortie. They burst forth from their besieged camp and attacked the Aequi. The Roman attack initially succeeded, however the consul's brother Publius, (who had been consul in 472 BC and was serving as a

legatus A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the officer ...

under his brother's command) led his forces too far from the main Roman force, and was cut off and killed. This led the consul to pursue him, and Spurius Furius himself was wounded, and only just rescued from the enemy. The Aequi besieged the Romans in their camp once again, and displayed the head of the consul's brother. But then the proconsul

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 ...

arrived with

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the 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 the power of the ...

and Hernican forces, and attacked the Aequian army. The besieged Roman army again broke forth from the camp, and the Aequian army was soundly defeated. The Roman forces led by Quinctius and Furius then assisted the other consul Postumius in driving a separate Aequian force from Roman territory. In 453 BC a pestilence ravaged Rome. According to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, a Spurius Fusus (probably the consul of 464 BC), was made consul suffect to replace the consul Sextus Quinctilius Varus, who died from the pestilence. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ''Roman Antiquities'', X. 53.3

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 ...

, ''Roman History'', 3.32.4 Medullinus also died of the pestilence later that year. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ''Roman Antiquities'', X. 53

References

Modern sources

Ancient sources

Bibliography

Ancient authors

* Dionysius of Halicarnassus in ''Romaike Archaiologia'' books 9 and 10. * Titus Livius in ''Roman History'' book 3.

Modern authors

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Furius Medullinus Fusus, Spurius 453 BC deaths 5th-century BC Roman consuls Deaths from infectious disease Medullinus, Spurius Year of birth unknown