Africanus Fabius Maximus was a Roman senator. His elder brother was
Paullus Fabius Maximus
Paullus Fabius Maximus (died AD 14) was a Roman senator, active toward the end of the first century BC. He was consul in 11 BC as the colleague of Quintus Aelius Tubero, and a confidant of emperor Augustus.
Background
The patrician Fabii were ...
(consul 11 BC) and his sister was Fabia Paullina, who married
Marcus Titius
Marcus Titius was a Roman politician (suffect consul in 31 BC) and commander at the end of the Roman Republic.
Descent and proscription
Marcus Titius was the son of a Lucius Titius and nephew of Lucius Munatius Plancus. The offices which Lucius ...
.
It is believed that Africanus was named in honour of his famous family ancestor
Scipio Africanus Aemilianus.
Career
The career of Africanus Fabius Maximus is much less clear than that of his brother. It is believed that Africanus' earliest post was as a military tribune in Spain, though this is not certain. His only two certain civilian posts were as ordinary consul in 10 BC (with
Iullus Antonius
Iullus Antonius (43–2 BC) was a Roman magnate and poet. A son of Mark Antony and Fulvia, he was spared by the emperor Augustus after the civil wars of the Republic, and was married to the emperor's niece. He was later condemned as one of the lo ...
), and as
proconsul
A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a Roman consul, 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 ...
of
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
in 6/5 BC. He was admitted to the priesthood of the ''
septemviri epulonum
The (Latin for "feasters"; sing. ''epulo'') was a religious organization of Ancient Rome. They arranged feasts and public banquets at festivals and games (''ludi''). They constituted one of the four great religious corporations (''quattuor ampli ...
'' at some point after 25 BC.
It was during his tenure as proconsul of Africa that Africanus struck some coins that bore his own image.
Possible family
Although no wife is attested for Africanus, it is possible that he had a daughter named
Fabia Numantina Fabia Numantina was a member of the patrician Fabia gens. Precisely how she fits into this family is not certain; while she is generally believed to be the daughter of Paullus Fabius Maximus and Marcia, a maternal first cousin of Augustus, it is ...
. However, she was more probably the daughter of Africanus' brother,
Paullus Fabius Maximus
Paullus Fabius Maximus (died AD 14) was a Roman senator, active toward the end of the first century BC. He was consul in 11 BC as the colleague of Quintus Aelius Tubero, and a confidant of emperor Augustus.
Background
The patrician Fabii were ...
and his wife,
Marcia.
[Syme, ''Augustan Aristocracy'' (1989), p. 59]
See also
*
Fabia gens
The gens Fabia was one of the most ancient patrician families at ancient Rome. The gens played a prominent part in history soon after the establishment of the Republic, and three brothers were invested with seven successive consulships, from ...
Footnotes
References
* Ronald Syme, ''The Augustan Aristocracy'' (Oxford University Press, 1989). ,
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabius Maximus, Africanus
Africanus
40s BC births
1st-century BC Roman consuls
Roman governors of Africa
Epulones of the Roman Empire
Year of birth uncertain
Year of death unknown