Gnaeus Servilius Geminus (died August 2, 216 BC) was a

Roman consul A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum'' (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politic ...

, serving as both general and admiral of Roman forces, during the Second Punic War. The son of

Publius Servilius Geminus 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 * ...

, Gnaeus Geminus was elected as consul in early 217 BC. By March of that year, Geminus began directing military operations against the Carthaginian General Hannibal around Ariminum. Following the death of the consul Gaius Flaminius at the

Battle of Lake Trasimene The Battle of Lake Trasimene was fought when a Carthaginian force under Hannibal ambushed a Roman army commanded by Gaius Flaminius on 21 June 217 BC, during the Second Punic War. It took place on the north shore of Lake Trasimene, to th ...

( Trasimeno) in April (as well as the rise to power of dictator

Fabius Maximus Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, surnamed Cunctator ( 280 – 203 BC), was a Roman statesman and general of the third century BC. He was consul five times (233, 228, 215, 214, and 209 BC) and was appointed dictator in 221 and 217 BC. He was ...

the following month), Geminus assumed command of the Roman fleet overseeing coastal defense and battles against

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

, Corsica and the

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

n coast. In November, Geminus resumed command of Roman land forces and, having been elected

proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military command, or ...

in early 216, became involved in skirmishes with approaching Carthaginian forces under Hannibal from March until May, before he was killed while in command of the center of the Roman line during the Battle of Cannae on August 2, 216 BC. According to the epic poem ''Punica'' by Silius Italicus, Geminus became fatigued in the battle and was finished by Carthaginian captain

Viriathus Viriathus (also spelled Viriatus; known as Viriato in Portuguese and Spanish; died 139 BC) was the most important leader of the Lusitanian people that resisted Roman expansion into the regions of western Hispania (as the Romans called it) or w ...

.Silius Italicus, ''Punica'', 5, 219-233

References

*Broughton, T.R.S. and M.L. Patterson. ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic''. London, 1951–60. *Polybius. ''Histories''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Servilius Geminus, Gnaeus 3rd-century BC births 216 BC deaths 3rd-century BC Roman consuls Ancient Roman admirals Ancient Roman generals Roman generals killed in action Geminus, Gnaeus

See also

References