The Capture of

Fidenae Fidenae () was an ancient town of Latium, situated about 8 km north of Rome on the '' Via Salaria''. Its inhabitants were known as Fidenates. As the Tiber was the border between Etruria and Latium, the left-bank settlement of Fidenae represent ...

was a battle fought in 435 BC between the Fidenates and the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...

under

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...

Quintus Servilius Priscus Structus Fidenas.

Background

Following an incident earlier in 435 BC in which Fidenates entered Roman territory and ravaged it, Priscus was appointed dictator for the year by the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. Priscus chose former consul Postumus Aebutius Helva Cornicen to join him as his ''

magister equitum The , in English Master of the Horse or Master of the Cavalry, was a Roman magistrate appointed as lieutenant to a dictator. His nominal function was to serve as commander of the Roman cavalry in time of war, but just as a dictator could be n ...

''.

Battle

Priscus ordered that all men strong enough to bear arms were to muster at the

Porta Collina The Colline Gate (Latin ''Porta Collina'') was a landmark in ancient Rome, supposed to have been built by Servius Tullius, semi-legendary king of Rome 578–535 BC. The gate stood at the north end of the Servian Wall, and past it were two im ...

. From there they marched north in the direction of Fidenae. They first engaged the Fidenates past Fidenae near Nomentum, and the Fidenates were driven southwards back into Fidenae. Priscus built circumvallation around the town. Because of the town's elevation and its bountiful resources and supplies, Priscus decided not to lay siege or charge into the city. He instead decided to exploit the natural fortifications on the opposite side of town in order to enter it. He divided his army in such a way that certain groups would be able to constantly attack the walls of the town while another would be able to work on tunnelling through the hill. When the hill was finally tunnelled through, the Romans entered the town, taking the Fidenates, who had been preoccupied with the attackers at the walls, by surprise.Liv. 4 22

Aftermath

Priscus was given the

cognomen A ''cognomen'' (; : ''cognomina''; from ''co-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditar ...

"Fidenas" because of his victory.

References

435 BC

5th century BC in the Roman Republic 430s BC conflicts {{AncientRome-battle-stub