Gens Fabia
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The gens Fabia was one of the most ancient patrician families at
ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...
. The
gens In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; : gentes ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same ''nomen gentilicium'' and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens, sometimes identified by a distinct cognomen, was cal ...
played a prominent part in history soon after the establishment of the
Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
, and three brothers were invested with seven successive consulships, from 485 to 479 BC, thereby cementing the high repute of the family. Overall, the Fabii received 45 consulships during the Republic. The house derived its greatest lustre from the patriotic courage and tragic fate of the 306 Fabii in the
Battle of the Cremera The Battle of the Cremera was fought between the Roman Republic and the Etruscan city of Veii, in . It most likely occurred on 18 July, although Ovid gives a different date of 13 February. Background Since the overthrow of the Roman monarchy ...
, 477 BC. But the Fabii were not distinguished as warriors alone; several members of the gens were also important in the history of
Roman literature Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings written in the Latin language. The beginning of formal Latin literature dates to 240 BC, when the first stage play in Latin was performed in Rome. Latin literatur ...
and the arts.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. II, p. 131 ("
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 ...
").
Homo, pp. 7 ''ff''.Smith, ''The Roman Clan'', pp. 290 ''ff''.


Background

The family is generally thought to have been counted amongst the , the most prominent of the patrician houses at Rome, together with the
Aemilii The gens Aemilia, originally written Aimilia, was one of the greatest patrician families at ancient Rome. The gens was of great antiquity, and claimed descent from Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome. Its members held the highest offices ...
,
Claudii The gens Claudia (), sometimes written Clodia, was one of the most prominent patrician houses at ancient Rome. The gens traced its origin to the earliest days of the Roman Republic. The first of the Claudii to obtain the consulship was Appius ...
,
Cornelii The gens Cornelia was one of the greatest patrician houses at ancient Rome. For more than seven hundred years, from the early decades of the Republic to the third century AD, the Cornelii produced more eminent statesmen and generals than any othe ...
,
Manlii The gens Manlia () was one of the oldest and noblest patrician houses at Rome, from the earliest days of the Republic until imperial times. The first of the gens to obtain the consulship was Gnaeus Manlius Cincinnatus, consul in 480 BC, and fo ...
, and
Valerii The gens Valeria was a patrician family at ancient Rome, prominent from the very beginning of the Republic to the latest period of the Empire. Publius Valerius Poplicola was one of the consuls in 509 BC, the year that saw the overthrow of the ...
; but no list of the ''gentes maiores'' has survived, and even the number of families so designated is a complete mystery. Until 480 BC, the Fabii were staunch supporters of the aristocratic policies favoring the patricians and 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 ...
against the
plebs In ancient Rome, the plebeians or plebs were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words "commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins of the gro ...
. However, following a great battle that year against the
Veientes Veii (also Veius; ) was an important ancient Etruscan civilization, Etruscan city situated on the southern limits of Etruria and north-northwest of Rome, Italy. It now lies in Isola Farnese, in the Comuni of the Province of Rome, comune of Rome ...
, in which victory was achieved only by cooperation between the generals and their soldiers, the Fabii aligned themselves with the plebs. One of the thirty-five voting ''
tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
'' into which the Roman people were divided was named after the Fabii; several tribes were named after important gentes, including the tribes ''Aemilia, Claudia, Cornelia, Fabia, Papiria, Publilia, Sergia'', and ''Veturia''. Several of the others appear to have been named after lesser families. The most famous legend of the Fabii asserts that, following the last of the seven consecutive consulships in 479 BC, the gens undertook the war with
Veii Veii (also Veius; ) was an important ancient Etruscan city situated on the southern limits of Etruria and north-northwest of Rome, Italy. It now lies in Isola Farnese, in the comune of Rome. Many other sites associated with and in the city-st ...
as a private obligation. A militia consisting of over three hundred men of the gens, together with their friends and clients, a total of some four thousand men, stationed itself in arms on a hill overlooking the
Cremera The Cremera is a Italian stream in Lazio (and previously in Etruria) which runs past Sacrofano, Formello, and Campagnano di Roma before falling into the Tiber about north of Rome. It connects to the Tiber just as the Via Flaminia intersects th ...
, a small river between Rome and Veii. The cause of this secession is said to have been the enmity between the Fabii and the patricians, who regarded them as traitors for advocating the causes of the plebeians. The Fabian militia remained in their camp on the Cremera for two years, successfully opposing the Veientes, until at last, on the fifteenth day before the kalends of Sextilis—July 18, 477 BC—they were lured into an ambush and destroyed. Three hundred and six Fabii of fighting age were said to have perished in the disaster, leaving only a single survivor to return home. By some accounts he was the only survivor of the entire gens; but it seems unlikely that the camp of the Fabii included not only all of the men, but the women and children of the family as well. They and the elders of the gens probably remained at Rome. This story was considerably embellished at a later date in order to present the
Battle of the Cremera The Battle of the Cremera was fought between the Roman Republic and the Etruscan city of Veii, in . It most likely occurred on 18 July, although Ovid gives a different date of 13 February. Background Since the overthrow of the Roman monarchy ...
as a Roman counterpart to the Greek
Battle of Thermopylae The Battle of Thermopylae ( ) was fought in 480 BC between the Achaemenid Empire, Achaemenid Persian Empire under Xerxes I and an alliance of Polis, Greek city-states led by Sparta under Leonidas I. Lasting over the course of three days, it wa ...
. However, historian
Tim Cornell Timothy J. Cornell (born 1946) is a British historian specializing in ancient Rome. He is an Emeritus Professor of Ancient History at the University of Manchester, having retired from his teaching position in 2011. Cornell received his bachelor's ...
writes that there is no reason to doubt the historicity of the battle, because the ''tribus Fabia''—presumably where the Fabii had their country estates—was located near the Cremera, on the border with Veii. The day on which the Fabii perished was forever remembered, as it was the same day that the
Gauls The Gauls (; , ''Galátai'') were a group of Celts, Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman Gaul, Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). Th ...
defeated the Roman army at the
Battle of the Allia The Battle of the Allia was fought between the Senones – a Gauls, Gallic tribe led by Brennus (leader of the Senones), Brennus, who had invaded Northern Italy – and the Roman Republic. The battle was fought at the confluence of the Tibe ...
in 390 BC.Ovid, ''Fasti'', ii. 237.Plutarch, "The Life of Camillus", 19. The Gauls had marched on Rome only in retaliation after Quintus Fabius Ambustus, sent as an ambassador, broke a truce to attack the Gauls at
Clusium Clusium (, ''Klýsion'', or , ''Kloúsion''; Umbrian language, Umbrian:''Camars'') was an ancient city in Italy, one of several found at the same site overlapping the current municipality of Chiusi (Tuscany). The Roman city remodeled an earlier E ...
.Plutarch, "The Life of Camillus", 17. Throughout the history of the Republic, the Fabii made several alliances with other prominent families, especially plebeian and Italian ones, which partly explains their long prominence. The first of such alliances that can be traced dates from the middle of the fifth century and was with the Poetelii; it lasted for at least a century. In the fourth century, the Fabii were allied to the patrician Manlii and the plebeian Genucii and
Licinii The gens Licinia was a celebrated plebeian family at ancient Rome, which appears from the earliest days of the Republic until imperial times, and which eventually obtained the imperial dignity. The first of the gens to obtain the consulship was ...
, whom they supported during the
Conflict of the Orders The Conflict of the Orders or the Struggle of the Orders was a political struggle between the plebeians (commoners) and patricians (aristocrats) of the ancient Roman Republic lasting from 500 BC to 287 BC in which the plebeians sought political ...
. They then occupied an unprecedented leading position in the third century, as three generations of Fabii were ''
princeps senatus The ''princeps senatus'' ( ''principes senatus''), in English the leader of the senate, was the first member by precedence on the membership rolls of the Roman Senate. Although officially out of the ''cursus honorum'' and possessing no ''imperium ...
''—a unique occurrence during the Republic. During this period, they allied with the plebeian Atilii from
Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...
, where the Fabii had significant estates, the
Fulvii The gens Fulvia, originally Foulvia, was one of the most illustrious plebeian families at ancient Rome. Members of this gens first came to prominence during the middle Republic; the first to attain the consulship was Lucius Fulvius Curvus in 322 ...
and
Mamilii The gens Mamilia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome during the period of the Republic. The gens was originally one of the most distinguished families of Tusculum, and indeed in the whole of Latium. It is first mentioned in the time of the Tarqu ...
from
Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Classical Rome, Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable dist ...
, the Otacili from Beneventum, the Ogulnii from
Etruria Etruria ( ) was a region of Central Italy delimited by the rivers Arno and Tiber, an area that covered what is now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and north-western Umbria. It was inhabited by the Etruscans, an ancient civilization that f ...
, and the
Marcii The gens Marcia, occasionally written Martia, was one of the oldest and noblest houses at ancient Rome. They claimed descent from the second and fourth Roman Kings, and the first of the Marcii appearing in the history of the Republic would seem t ...
. They also sponsored the emergence of the Caecilii Metelli and
Porcii The gens Porcia, rarely written Portia, was a plebeian family at Ancient Rome. Its members first appear in history during the third century BC. The first of the gens to achieve the consulship was Marcus Porcius Cato in 195 BC, and from then un ...
, who owed their first consulate to the Fabii, as well as the re-emergence of the patrician
Quinctii The gens Quinctia, sometimes written Quintia, was a patrician family at ancient Rome. Throughout the history of the Republic, its members often held the highest offices of the state, and it produced some men of importance even during the imperia ...
. The main direction of the second war against Carthage was disputed between the Fabii and the Cornelii Scipiones. The death of Fabius Verrucosus in 203 marks the end of the Fabian leadership on Roman politics, by now assumed by their rivals:
Scipio Africanus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (, , ; 236/235–) was a Roman general and statesman who was one of the main architects of Rome's victory against Ancient Carthage, Carthage in the Second Punic War. Often regarded as one of the greatest milit ...
and his family. After the consulship of Fabius Maximus Eburnus in 116, the Fabii entered a century-long eclipse, until their temporary revival under
Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...
. The name of the Fabii was associated with one of the two colleges of the ''Luperci'', the priests who carried on the sacred rites of the ancient religious festival of the
Lupercalia Lupercalia, also known as Lupercal, was a pastoral festival of Ancient Rome observed annually on February 15 to purify the city, promoting health and fertility. Lupercalia was also known as ''dies Februatus'', after the purification instruments ...
. The other college bore the name of the Quinctilii, suggesting that in the earliest times these two gentes superintended these rites as a ''sacrum gentilicum'', much as the Pinarii and Potitii maintained the worship of
Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...
. Such sacred rites were gradually transferred to the state, or opened to the Roman ''populus;'' a well-known legend attributed the destruction of the Potitii to the abandonment of its religious office. In later times the privilege of the Lupercalia had ceased to be confined to the Fabii and the Quinctilii.


Origin

According to legend, the Fabii claimed descent from Hercules, who visited Italy a generation before the
Trojan War The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the twelfth or thirteenth century BC. The war was waged by the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans (Ancient Greece, Greeks) against the city of Troy after Paris (mytho ...
, and from
Evander Evander is a masculine given name. It is an anglicization of the Greek name Εὔανδρος (lit. "good man", Latinized ''Evandrus''). It has also been adopted as an anglicization of the Gaelic name Ìomhar (the Gaelic variant of the name Ivor) ...
, his host, through
Fabius In Roman mythology, Fabius was the son of Hercules and an unnamed mother. In "The Life of Fabius Maximus" from the ''Parallel Lives'' by Plutarch, Fabius, the first of his name, was the son of Hercules by a nymph or a woman native to the country, ...
. This brought the Fabii into the same tradition as the Pinarii and Potitii, who were said to have welcomed Hercules and learned from him the sacred rites which for centuries afterward they performed in his honor. Another early legend stated that at the founding of Rome, the followers of the brothers
Romulus and Remus In Roman mythology, Romulus and (, ) are twins in mythology, twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the Founding of Rome, founding of the History of Rome, city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, following his frat ...
were called the Quinctilii and the Fabii, respectively. The brothers were said to have offered up sacrifices in the cave of the
Lupercal The Lupercal (from Latin ''wikt:lupa, lupa'' "female wolf") was a cave at the southwest foot of the Palatine Hill in Rome, located somewhere between the temple of Temple of Cybele (Palatine), Magna Mater and the Sant'Anastasia al Palatino. In t ...
at the base of the
Palatine Hill The Palatine Hill (; Classical Latin: ''Palatium''; Neo-Latin: ''Collis/Mons Palatinus''; ), which relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, is one of the most ancient parts of the city; it has been called "the first nucleus of the ...
, which became the origin of the Lupercalia. This story is certainly connected with the tradition that the two colleges of the Luperci bore the names of these ancient gentes. The nomen of the Fabii is said originally to have been ''Fovius, Favius'', or ''Fodius;'' Plinius stated that it was derived from ''
faba ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Varieti ...
'', a bean, a vegetable which the Fabii were said to have first cultivated. A more fanciful explanation derives the name from ''fovea'', ditches, which the ancestors of the Fabii were said to have used in order to capture wolves. It is uncertain whether the Fabii were of
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
or
Sabine The Sabines (, , , ;  ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines divided int ...
origin. Niebuhr, followed by Göttling, considered them Sabines. However, other scholars are unsatisfied with their reasoning, and point out that the legend associating the Fabii with Romulus and Remus would place them at Rome before the incorporation of the Sabines into the nascent Roman state. It may nonetheless be noted that, even supposing this tradition to be based on actual historical events, the followers of the brothers were described as "shepherds," and presumably included many of the people then living in the countryside where the city of Rome was to be built. The hills of Rome were already inhabited at the time of the city's legendary founding, and they stood in the hinterland between the Latins, Sabines, and
Etruscans The Etruscan civilization ( ) was an ancient civilization created by the Etruscans, a people who inhabited Etruria in List of ancient peoples of Italy, ancient Italy, with a common language and culture, and formed a federation of city-states. Af ...
. Even if many the followers of Romulus and Remus were Latins from the ancient city of
Alba Longa Alba Longa (occasionally written Albalonga in Italian sources) was an ancient Latins (Italic tribe), Latin city in Central Italy in the vicinity of Lake Albano in the Alban Hills. The ancient Romans believed it to be the founder and head of the ...
, many may also have been Sabines already living in the surrounding countryside.


Praenomina

The earliest generations of the Fabii favored the
praenomina The praenomen (; plural: praenomina) was a first name chosen by the parents of a Ancient Rome, Roman child. It was first bestowed on the ''dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the ...
'' Caeso,
Quintus Quintus is a male given name derived from ''Quintus (praenomen), Quintus'', a common Latin language, Latin forename (''praenomen'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Quintus derives from Latin word ''quintus'', meaning "fifth". Quintus is ...
'', and '' Marcus''. They were the only patrician gens to make regular use of '' Numerius'', which appears in the family after the destruction of the Fabii at the Cremera. According to the tradition related by
Festus Festus may refer to: People Ancient world *Porcius Festus, Roman governor of Judea from approximately 58 to 62 AD *Sextus Pompeius Festus (later 2nd century), Roman grammarian *Festus (died 305), martyr along with Proculus of Pozzuoli *Festus (h ...
, this praenomen entered the gens when Quintus Fabius Vibulanus, the consul of 467, married a daughter of Numerius Otacilius of Maleventum, and bestowed his father-in-law's name on his son.Festus, s. v. Numerius, pp. 170, 173, ed. Müller. Although the Fabii Ambusti and some later branches of the family used the praenomen ''
Gaius Gaius, sometimes spelled Caius, was a common Latin praenomen; see Gaius (praenomen). People * Gaius (biblical figure) (1st century AD) *Gaius (jurist) (), Roman jurist * Gaius Acilius * Gaius Antonius * Gaius Antonius Hybrida * Gaius Asinius Gal ...
'', ''Quintus'' is the name most frequently associated with the Fabii of the later Republic. The Fabii Maximi used it almost to the exclusion of all other names until the end of the Republic, when they revived the ancient praenomen '' Paullus''. This was done in honor of the
Aemilii The gens Aemilia, originally written Aimilia, was one of the greatest patrician families at ancient Rome. The gens was of great antiquity, and claimed descent from Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome. Its members held the highest offices ...
Paulli, from whom the later Fabii Maximi were descended, having been adopted into the Fabia gens at the end of the 3rd century BC. A variety of surnames associated with the Aemilii were also used by this family, and one of the Fabii was called ''Africanus Fabius Maximus'', although his proper name was ''Quintus Fabius Maximus Africanus''. In a manuscript of Cicero, ''
Servius Servius may refer to: * Servius (praenomen), a personal name during the Roman Republic * Servius the Grammarian (fl. 4th/5th century), Roman Latin grammarian * Servius Asinius Celer (died AD 46), Roman senator * Servius Cornelius Cethegus, Roma ...
'' appears among the Fabii Pictores, but this seems to have been a corruption in the manuscript, which originally read ''Numerius''.
Ernst Badian Ernst Badian (8 August 1925 – 1 February 2011) was an Austrian-born classical scholar who served as a professor at Harvard University from 1971 to 1998. Early life and education Badian was born in Vienna in 1925 and in 1938 fled the Nazis wit ...
,
reviews of ''Cicero. Scripta Quae Manserunt Omnia. Fasc. 4. Brutus'', E. Malcovati; ''Cicero. Brutus'', A. E. Douglas
, ''Journal of Roman Studies'', Vol. 57, No. 1/2 (1967), pp. 223–230.


Branches and cognomina

The
cognomina 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 ...
of the Fabii under the Republic were ''Ambustus, Buteo, Dorso'' or ''Dorsuo, Labeo, Licinus, Maximus'' (with the agnomina ''Aemilianus, Allobrogicus, Eburnus, Gurges, Rullianus, Servilianus'', and ''Verrucosus''), ''Pictor'', and ''Vibulanus''. Other cognomina belonged to persons who were not, strictly speaking, members of the gens, but who were
freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...
or the descendants of freedmen, or who had been enrolled as
Roman citizens Citizenship in ancient Rome () was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, traditions, and cu ...
under the Fabii. The only cognomina appearing on coins are ''Hispaniensis, Labeo, Maximus'', and ''Pictor''. In imperial times it becomes difficult to distinguish between members of the gens and unrelated persons sharing the same nomen. Members of the gens are known as late as the second century, but persons bearing the name of ''Fabius'' continue to appear into the latest period of the Empire. The eldest branch of the Fabii bore the cognomen ''Vibulanus'', which may allude to an ancestral home of the gens. The surname ''Ambustus'', meaning "burnt", replaced ''Vibulanus'' at the end of the fifth century BC; the first of the Fabii to be called ''Ambustus'' was a descendant of the Vibulani. The most celebrated ''stirps'' of the Fabia gens, which bore the surname ''Maximus'', was in turn descended from the Fabii Ambusti. This family was famous for its statesmen and its military exploits, which lasted from the
Samnite Wars The First, Second, and Third Samnite Wars (343–341 BC, 326–304 BC, and 298–290 BC) were fought between the Roman Republic and the Samnites, who lived on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains south of Rome and north of the Lucanian tribe. ...
, in the fourth century BC until the wars with the Germanic invaders of the second century BC. Most, if not all of the later Fabii Maximi were descendants of
Quintus Fabius Maximus Aemilianus Quintus Fabius Maximus Aemilianus was a Roman statesman and consul (145 BC). Fabius was by adoption a member of the patrician gens Fabia, but by birth he was the eldest son of Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus and Papiria Masonis and the eld ...
, one of the
Aemilii The gens Aemilia, originally written Aimilia, was one of the greatest patrician families at ancient Rome. The gens was of great antiquity, and claimed descent from Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome. Its members held the highest offices ...
Paulli, who as a child was adopted into that illustrious family. ''Buteo'', which described a type of hawk, was originally given to a member of the Fabia gens because such a bird on one occasion settled upon his ship with a favorable omen. This tradition, related by Plinius, does not indicate which of the Fabii first obtained this surname, but it was probably one of the Fabii Ambusti. Crawford suggests that the ''buteo'' of the legend was not a hawk, but a
flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes () are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbe ...
, based on the appearance of a bird resembling a flamingo on the coins of Gaius Fabius Hadrianus, who may have sought to associate himself with that family by the use of such a symbol. Hadrianus and his descendants form the last distinguishable family of the Fabii. Their surname was probably derived from the Latin colony of Hatria, and it is likely that they were not lineal descendants of the Fabii Buteones, but newly-enfranchised citizens. The flamingo might also allude to the family's coastal origins.Crawford, ''Roman Republican Coinage'', pp. 326, 327. The surname ''Pictor'', borne by another family of the Fabii, signifies a painter, and the earliest known member of this family was indeed a painter, famed for his work in the temple of
Salus Salus (, "safety", "salvation", "welfare") was the Roman goddess of safety and well-being (welfare, health and prosperity) of both the individual and the state. She is sometimes equated with the Greek goddess Hygieia, though their functions d ...
, built by
Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus ( late 4th century BC) was a Roman general and statesman, he was elected consul of the Roman Republic thrice, he was also appointed '' dictator'' or ''magister equitum'' thrice, and censor in 307 BC. In 311, he made a ...
between 307 and 302 BC. The later members of this family, several of whom were distinguished in the arts, appear to have been his descendants, and must have taken their cognomen from this ancestor. The cognomen ''Labeo''—originally denoting someone with prominent lips—appears at the beginning of the second century BC; Quintus Fabius Labeo, the first of that name, was also a poet, but his line vanished before the end of the century.


Members


Fabii Vibulani et Ambusti

* Caeso Fabius Vibulanus, father of Quintus, Caeso, and Marcus, consuls from 485 to 479 BC. * Quintus Fabius K. f. Vibulanus, consul in 485 and 482 BC. He waged war against the
Volsci The Volsci (, , ) were an Italic tribe, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. At the time they inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the ...
and
Aequi 300px, Location of the Aequi (Equi) in central Italy, 5th century BC. The Aequi were an Italic tribe on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains to the east of Latium in central Italy who appear in the early history of ancient Rome. After a long stru ...
. He fell in battle against the Veientes in 480. * Caeso Fabius K. f. Vibulanus, quaestor in 485 BC, he prosecuted
Spurius Cassius Vecellinus Spurius Cassius Vecellinus or Vicellinus (died 485 BC) was one of the most distinguished men of the early Roman Republic. He was three times consul, and celebrated two triumphs. He was the first ''magister equitum'', and the author of the first ag ...
, consul of the preceding year, on a charge of treason. Consul in 484, 481, and 479, Fabius continued the war against the Aequi and Veii. He led the Fabii at the
Battle of the Cremera The Battle of the Cremera was fought between the Roman Republic and the Etruscan city of Veii, in . It most likely occurred on 18 July, although Ovid gives a different date of 13 February. Background Since the overthrow of the Roman monarchy ...
, where he died. * Marcus Fabius K. f. Vibulanus, consul in 483 and 480 BC. He resigned two months before the end of his second consulship, after sustaining injuries in a battle against Veii, during which his brother Quintus was slain. * Quintus Fabius M. f. K. n. Vibulanus, consul in 467, 465, and 459. The only survivor of the Battle of the Cremera. He fought against the Aequi in each of his consulships, and was awarded a triumph during the last one. He was finally a member of the second
Decemvirate The decemviri or decemvirs (Latin for "ten men") refer to official ten-man commissions established by the Roman Republic. The most important were those of the two decemvirates, formally the decemvirate with consular power for writing laws () w ...
in 450, and also urban prefect in 462 and 458. * Marcus Fabius Vibulanus, named by
Diodorus Diodorus Siculus or Diodorus of Sicily (;  1st century BC) was an ancient Greek historian from Sicily. He is known for writing the monumental universal history '' Bibliotheca historica'', in forty books, fifteen of which survive intact, b ...
as one of the consuls in 457 BC, together with
Cincinnatus Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus () was a Roman patrician, statesman, and military leader of the early Roman Republic who became a famous model of Roman virtue—particularly civic virtue—by the time of the late Republic. Modern historians quest ...
. The majority of ancient sources name Gaius Horatius Pulvillus and Quintus Minucius Esquilinus as the consuls of this year. * Marcus Fabius Q. f. M. n. Vibulanus, consul in 442 BC, legate during the war against Veii in 437,
consular tribune 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 Or ...
in 433, and legate in 431. * Numerius Fabius Q. f. M. n. Vibulanus, consul in 421, and consular tribune in 415 and 407 BC. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. M. n. Vibulanus, consul in 423 and consular tribune in 416 and 414 BC. * Quintus Fabius M. f. Q. n. Vibulanus Ambustus, consul in 412 BC.Livy, iv. 52. * Caeso Fabius M. f. Q. n. Ambustus, consular tribune in 404, 401, 395, and 390 BC.Plutarch, "The Life of Camillus", 17. * Numerius Fabius M. f. Q. n. Ambustus, consular tribune in 406 and 390 BC. * Quintus Fabius M. f. Q. n. Ambustus, consular tribune in 390 BC. * Marcus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Ambustus, pontifex maximus in 390 BC.Livy, v. 35, 36, 41. * Marcus Fabius K. f. M. n. Ambustus, consular tribune in 381 and 369 BC, and censor in 363; supported the ''
lex Licinia Sextia The Licinio-Sextian rogations were a series of laws proposed by Tribune of the Plebs, tribunes of the plebs, Gaius Licinius Stolo and Lucius Sextius Lateranus, enacted around 367 BC. Livy calls them ''rogatio'' – though he does refer to th ...
'', which granted the plebeians the right to hold the consulship.''
Fasti Capitolini The ''Fasti Capitolini'', or Capitoline Fasti, are a list of the chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, extending from the early fifth century BC down to the reign of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Together with similar lists found at Rom ...
''.
* Fabia M. f. K. n., married
Servius Sulpicius Praetextatus Servius Sulpicius Praetextatus was a Roman aristocrat of the Roman Republic who served four times as consular tribune, in 377 BC, 376, 370, and 368. He married the elder daughter of Marcus Fabius Ambustus. An anecdote frequently told said that hi ...
, consular tribune in 377, 376, 370, and 368 BC.Livy, vi. 34.Zonaras, vii. 24.Aurelius Victor, ''De Viris Illustribus'', 20. * Fabia M. f. K. n., married Gaius Licinius Calvus Stolo, consul in 364 and 361 BC. * Marcus Fabius N. f. M. n. Ambustus, consul in 360, 356, and 354 BC, and ''
princeps senatus The ''princeps senatus'' ( ''principes senatus''), in English the leader of the senate, was the first member by precedence on the membership rolls of the Roman Senate. Although officially out of the ''cursus honorum'' and possessing no ''imperium ...
''; triumphed over the Tiburtines. * Gaius Fabius N. f. M. n. Ambustus, consul in 358 BC. * Marcus Fabius M. f. N. n. Ambustus, ''
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 ...
'' in 322 BC. * Quintus Fabius Ambustus, nominated
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 ...
in 321 BC, but compelled to resign due to a fault in the auspices. * Gaius Fabius M. f. N. n. Ambustus, appointed ''magister equitum'' in 315 BC, in place of Quintus Aulius, who fell in battle.


Fabii Dorsuones et Licini

* Gaius Fabius Dorsuo, bravely left the
Capitoline Hill The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; ; ), between the Roman Forum, 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 (mythology), Saturn. The wo ...
to perform a sacrifice when Rome was occupied by the
Gauls The Gauls (; , ''Galátai'') were a group of Celts, Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman Gaul, Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). Th ...
following the
Battle of the Allia The Battle of the Allia was fought between the Senones – a Gauls, Gallic tribe led by Brennus (leader of the Senones), Brennus, who had invaded Northern Italy – and the Roman Republic. The battle was fought at the confluence of the Tibe ...
in 390 BC, eluding the Gallic sentries both on his departure and his return. * Marcus Fabius (C. f.) Dorsuo, consul in 345 BC, carried on the war against the Volsci and captured Sora. * Gaius Fabius M. f. M. n. Dorsuo Licinus, consul in 273 BC, died during his year of office. * Marcus Fabius C. f. M. n. Licinus, consul in 246 BC.


Fabii Maximi

* Quintus Fabius M. f. N. n. Maximus Rullianus, magister equitum in 325 or 324, consul in 322, 310, 308, 297, and 295 BC, dictator in 315 and censor in 304, ''princeps senatus''; triumphed in 322, 309, and 295. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. M. n. Maximus Gurges, consul in 292, 276, and 265 BC, ''princeps senatus''; triumphed in 291 and 276. * Quintus Fabius (Maximus),
aedile Aedile ( , , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enforce public orde ...
in 266 BC, he assaulted the ambassadors of Apollonia, and was remanded to the custody of the Apolloniates, but was dismissed unharmed. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Maximus Verrucosus, nicknamed ''Cunctator'', consul in 233, 228, 215, 214 and 209 BC, censor in 230, and dictator in 221 and 217, ''princeps senatus''; triumphed in 233. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Maximus, consul in 213 BC. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Maximus, appointed
augur An augur was a priest and official in the ancient Rome, classical Roman world. His main role was the practice of augury, the interpretation of the will of the List of Roman deities, gods by studying events he observed within a predetermined s ...
in 203 BC. * Quintus Fabius Maximus,
praetor ''Praetor'' ( , ), also ''pretor'', was the title granted by the government of ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected ''magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to disch ...
''peregrinus'' in 181 BC. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Maximus Aemilianus, consul in 145 BC, the son of Lucius Aemilius Paullus, conqueror of
Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...
; as a child he was adopted by Quintus Fabius Maximus the praetor. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Maximus Allobrogicus, consul in 121 BC, and censor in 108; triumphed over the
Allobroges The Allobroges (Gaulish language, Gaulish: *''Allobrogis'', 'foreigner, exiled'; ) were a Gauls, Gallic people dwelling in a large territory between the Rhône river and the Alps during the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman period. The Allob ...
. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Maximus Allobrogicus, son of the consul of 121 BC; remarkable only for his vices. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Maximus Servilianus, consul in 142 BC. *
Quintus Fabius Maximus Eburnus Quintus Fabius Maximus Eburnus (fl. 2nd century BC) was a Roman statesman of the patrician ''gens'' Fabia. He was consul in 116 BC. Family Eburnus was the son of Quintus Fabius Maximus Servilianus, consul in 142 BC, himself adopted from the g ...
, consul in 116 BC, he condemned one of his sons to death; being accused by
Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo ( – 87 BC) was a Roman general and politician, who served as consul in 89 BC. He is often referred to in English as Pompey Strabo, to distinguish him from his son, the famous Pompey the Great, or from Strabo the geograp ...
, he went into exile. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Maximus,
legate Legate may refer to: People * Bartholomew Legate (1575–1611), English martyr * Julie Anne Legate (born 1972), Canadian linguistics professor * William LeGate (born 1994), American entrepreneur Political and religious offices *Legatus, a hig ...
of
Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...
, and consul ''suffectus'' in 45 BC. * Paullus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Maximus, consul in 11 BC. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Maximus Africanus, better known as ''Africanus Fabius Maximus,'' consul in 10 BC. * Quintus Fabius Allobrogicinus Maximus, named in an inscription from the Augustan era, now lost. * Paullus Fabius Paulli f. Q. n. Persicus, consul in AD 34. * (Fabia) Eburna, inferred by
Ronald Syme Sir Ronald Syme, (11 March 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. He was regarded as the greatest historian of ancient Rome since Theodor Mommsen and the most brilliant exponent of the history of the Roma ...
from an inscription naming Eutychia, the slave-girl of a woman named Eburna; another inscription names a slave-woman named Alexa, perhaps belonging to the same Eburna. * Fabius Numantinus, one of eight young men admitted to an undetermined sacerdotal college, possibly the ''sodales Titii'', between AD 59 and 64.


Fabii Pictores

* Gaius Fabius M. f. Pictor, painted the interior of the temple of
Salus Salus (, "safety", "salvation", "welfare") was the Roman goddess of safety and well-being (welfare, health and prosperity) of both the individual and the state. She is sometimes equated with the Greek goddess Hygieia, though their functions d ...
, dedicated in 302 BC. * Gaius Fabius C. f. M. n. Pictor, consul in 269 BC. * Numerius Fabius C. f. M. n. Pictor, ambassador in 273 BC, he accompanied Quintus Fabius Maximus Gurges to the court of
Ptolemy II Philadelphos Ptolemy II Philadelphus (, ''Ptolemaîos Philádelphos'', "Ptolemy, sibling-lover"; 309 – 28 January 246 BC) was the pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt from 284 to 246 BC. He was the son of Ptolemy I, the Macedonian Greek general of Alexander the Gr ...
. Consul in 266, he triumphed over the Sassinates, and again over the
Sallentini The Messapians were an Iapygian tribe who inhabited Salento in classical antiquity. Two other Iapygian tribes, the Peucetians and the Daunians, inhabited central and northern Apulia respectively. All three tribes spoke the Messapian language, ...
and
Messapii The Messapians were an Iapygians, Iapygian tribe who inhabited Salento in classical antiquity. Two other Iapygian tribes, the Peucetians and the Daunians, inhabited central and northern Apulia respectively. All three tribes spoke the Messapian la ...
. * Quintus Fabius C. f. C. n. Pictor, ambassador in 216 BC, he was sent to consult the
oracle of Delphi An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophecy, prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by Deity, deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divina ...
in order to find ways to appease the gods after the disaster of Cannae. Pictor is known as the earliest of the Latin historians, although he wrote in Greek; he was an important source for later annalists, but most of his own work has been lost. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. C. n. Pictor, praetor in 189 BC, received
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
as his province, but was compelled by the pontifex maximus to remain at Rome, because he was
Flamen Quirinalis In ancient Roman religion, the Flamen Quirinalis was the flamen or high priest of the god Quirinus. He was one of the three ''flamines maiores'', third in order of importance after the Flamen Dialis and the Flamen Martialis. Like the other two hig ...
; his abdication was rejected by the senate, which designated him praetor ''peregrinus''. He died in 167. * Numerius Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Pictor, an annalist and antiquarian of the second century BC. * Numerius Fabius N. f. Q. n. Pictor, ''
triumvir monetalis The ''triumvir monetalis'' ( ''tresviri'' or ''triumviri monetales'', also called the , abbreviated IIIVIR A. A. A. F. F.) was a moneyer during the Roman Republic and the Empire, who oversaw the minting of coins. In that role, he would be respon ...
'' in 126 BC.


Fabii Buteones

* Numerius Fabius M. f. M. n. Buteo, consul in 247 BC, during the
First Punic War The First Punic War (264–241 BC) was the first of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the early 3rd century BC. For 23 years, in the longest continuous conflict and grea ...
. * Marcus Fabius M. f. M. n. Buteo, consul in 245 BC, censor, probably in 241; appointed dictator in 216 to fill the vacancies in 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 ...
after the
Battle of Cannae The Battle of Cannae (; ) was a key engagement of the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Ancient Carthage, Carthage, fought on 2 August 216 BC near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeast Italy. The Carthaginians and ...
. * Fabius M. f. M. n. Buteo, according to
Orosius Paulus Orosius (; born 375/385 – 420 AD), less often Paul Orosius in English, was a Roman priest, historian and theologian, and a student of Augustine of Hippo. It is possible that he was born in '' Bracara Augusta'' (now Braga, Portugal), ...
, accused of theft, and slain in consequence by his own father. *
Marcus Fabius Buteo Marcus Fabius Buteo (died around 210-209 BC) was a Roman politician during the 3rd century BC. He served as consul in 245 BC, and as censor, and in 216 BC, being the oldest living ex-censor, he was appointed dictator, ''legendo senatui'', for th ...
, praetor in 201 BC, obtained
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
as his province. * Quintus Fabius Buteo, praetor in 196 BC, obtained the province of
Hispania Ulterior Hispania Ulterior (English: "Further Hispania", or occasionally "Thither Hispania") was a Roman province located in Hispania (on the Iberian Peninsula) during the Roman Republic, roughly located in Baetica and in the Guadalquivir valley of moder ...
. * Quintus Fabius Buteo, praetor in 181 BC, obtained
Gallia Cisalpina Cisalpine Gaul (, also called ''Gallia Citerior'' or ''Gallia Togata'') was the name given, especially during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, to a region of land inhabited by Celts (Gauls), corresponding to what is now most of northern Italy. Afte ...
as his province. * Numerius Fabius Buteo, praetor in 173 BC, obtained the province of
Hispania Citerior Hispania Citerior (English: "Hither Iberia", or "Nearer Iberia") was a Roman province in Hispania during the Roman Republic. It was on the eastern coast of Iberia down to the town of Cartago Nova, today's Cartagena in the autonomous community of ...
, but died at
Massilia Massalia (; ) was an ancient Greek colony (''apoikia'') on the Mediterranean coast, east of the Rhône. Settled by the Ionians from Phocaea in 600 BC, this ''apoikia'' grew up rapidly, and its population set up many outposts for trading in mode ...
on his way to his province. * Quintus Fabius Buteo,
quaestor A quaestor ( , ; ; "investigator") was a public official in ancient Rome. There were various types of quaestors, with the title used to describe greatly different offices at different times. In the Roman Republic, quaestors were elected officia ...
in 134 BC; apparently the son of Quintus Fabius Maximus Aemilianus, and nephew of
Scipio Aemilianus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Aemilianus (185 BC – 129 BC), known as Scipio Aemilianus or Scipio Africanus the Younger, was a Roman general and statesman noted for his military exploits in the Third Punic War against Carthage and durin ...
, by whom he was entrusted with the command of four thousand volunteers during the
Numantine War The Numantine WarThe term Numantine War can refer to the whole conflict lasting from 154 to 133 or to just the latter part, from 143 to 133. Thus, the two conflicts are sometimes called the Numantine Wars (plural) and subdivided into the First a ...
.


Fabii Labeones

* Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Labeo, quaestor urbanus in 196 BC. Praetor then
propraetor In ancient Rome, a promagistrate () was a person who was granted the power via '' prorogation'' to act in place of an ordinary magistrate in the field. This was normally ''pro consule'' or ''pro praetore'', that is, in place of a consul or praet ...
in 189 and 188, he defeated the naval forces of
Antiochus III Antiochus III the Great (; , ; 3 July 187 BC) was the sixth ruler of the Seleucid Empire, reigning from 223 to 187 BC. He ruled over the region of Syria and large parts of the rest of West Asia towards the end of the 3rd century BC. Rising to th ...
, for which he received a naval triumph the following year. He was triumvir for establishing the colonies of Potentia and
Pisaurum Pesaro (; ) is a (municipality) in the Italian region of Marche, capital of the province of Pesaro and Urbino, on the Adriatic Sea. According to the 2011 census, its population was 95,011, making it the second most populous city in the Marche, ...
in 184, and
Saturnia Saturnia () is a spa town in Tuscany in north-central Italy that has been inhabited since ancient times. It is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Manciano, in the province of Grosseto. Famous for the spa which gives it its name, its population ...
in 183. He was consul in 183, and proconsul in
Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...
the following year. He also became pontiff in 180, and was part of a commission of ten men sent to advise Aemilius Paullus on the settlement of
Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...
in 167. He was also a poet, according to
Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is ''De vita Caesarum'', common ...
. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Labeo, a learned orator known whose eloquence is mentioned by Cicero. He must have lived about the middle of the second century BC, and either he or more probably his son was proconsul in Spain, where the name occurs on some milestones., .Crawford, ''Roman Republican Coinage'', p. 294. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. Q. n. Labeo, ''triumvir monetalis'' in 124 BC. He was probably proconsul in Spain between 120 and 100 BC.


Fabii Hadriani

* Gaius Fabius C. f. Q. n. Hadrianus, ''triumvir monetalis'' in 102 BC. A supporter of Cinna and Carbo during the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
against
Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (, ; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman of the late Roman Republic. A great commander and ruthless politician, Sulla used violence to advance his career and his co ...
, he was appointed praetor 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 84 BC. He remained there as propraetor for two years, but his government was so oppressive that the colonists and merchants at Utica burnt him to death in his own praetorium. * Marcus Fabius C. f. C. n. Hadrianus, legate between 72 and 68 BC under Lucius Licinius Lucullus during the
Third Mithridatic War The Third Mithridatic War (73–63 BC), the last and longest of the three Mithridatic Wars, was fought between Mithridates VI of Pontus and the Roman Republic. Both sides were joined by a great number of allies, dragging the entire east of th ...
. He was defeated by
Mithridates Mithridates or Mithradates (Old Persian 𐎷𐎡𐎰𐎼𐎭𐎠𐎫 ''Miθradāta'') is the Hellenistic period, Hellenistic form of an Iranian languages, Iranian theophoric name, meaning "given by Mithra". Its Modern Persian form is Mehrdad. It ...
in 68. * Gaius Fabius M. f. C. n. Hadrianus, praetor in 58 BC, and subsequently proconsul in
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, where he minted coins.


Others

* Fabius Dorsennus, a Latin comic playwright, whose style and care was criticized by
Quintus Horatius Flaccus Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC),Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman Lyric poetry, lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Oc ...
. * Lucius Fabius Hispaniensis, quaestor under Gaius Annius Luscus in
Hispania Hispania was the Ancient Rome, Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two Roman province, provinces: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. During the Principate, Hispania Ulterior was divide ...
from 82 to 81 BC. Like all magistrates in the year, he was probably appointed by Sulla. In late 81 he defected to
Sertorius Quintus Sertorius ( – 73 or 72 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who led a large-scale rebellion against the Roman Senate on the Iberian Peninsula. Defying the regime of Sulla, Sertorius became the independent ruler of Hispania for m ...
amidst his rebellion, probably after being proscribed. He was one of the conspirators in Sertorius' assassination in 73. * Fabius, perhaps
tribune of the plebs Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune () was the first office of the Roman Republic, Roman state that was open to the plebs, plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the pow ...
in 64 BC. He might have carried a bill reducing the number of attendants a candidate could bring with him at an election. * Gaius Fabius, tribune of the plebs in 55 BC, passed a law complementing
Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...
's agrarian law. He served under Caesar as a legate from 54 to 49 BC, during the second half of the
Gallic Wars The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, and Switzerland). Gauls, Gallic, Germanic peoples, Germanic, and Celtic Britons, Brittonic trib ...
and at the start of the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. * Quintus Fabius Sanga, warned
Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...
about the conspiracy of
Catiline Lucius Sergius Catilina ( – January 62 BC), known in English as Catiline (), was a Roman politician and soldier best known for instigating the Catilinarian conspiracy, a failed attempt to seize control of the Roman state in 63 BC. ...
, after being informed by the ambassadors of the Allobroges. * Quintus Fabius Vergilianus, legate of Appius Claudius Pulcher in
Cilicia Cilicia () is a geographical region in southern Anatolia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (). The region inclu ...
in 51 BC; during the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, he espoused the cause of
Pompeius Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. ...
. * Publius Fabius Blandus, named in a sepulchral inscription from
Firmum Picenum Fermo (; ancient: Firmum Picenum) is a town and ''comune'' of the Marche, Italy, in the Province of Fermo. Fermo is on a hill, the Sabulo, elevation , on a branch from Porto San Giorgio on the Adriatic coast railway. History The oldest huma ...
, dating between the late first century BC and the first half of the first century AD.. * Fabia P. f. Pollitta, probably the daughter of Publius Fabius Blandus, named in the same inscription from Firmum Picenum. * Fabia P. l. Bassa, the freedwoman of Publius Fabius Blandus, named in the same inscription from Firmum Picenum. * Publius Fabius Firmanus, consul ''suffectus'' in the early years of the reign of the emperor Claudius. * Fabius Rusticus, a historian of the mid-first century AD, frequently quoted by
Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. Tacitus’ two major historical works, ''Annals'' ( ...
on the life of
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...
. * Fabius Fabullus, legate of
Legio V Alaudae Legio V Alaudae ("Fifth Legion of the Lark"), sometimes also known as Legio V Gallica ("Fifth Gallic Legion"), was a legion of the Roman army founded in 52 BC by the general Gaius Julius Caesar (dictator of Rome 49-44 BC). It was levied in Tra ...
, chosen as a leader of the soldiers who mutinied against
Aulus Caecina Alienus Aulus Caecina Alienus ( 40 – 79) was a Roman general active during the Year of the Four Emperors. Biography Caecina was born in Vicetia (modern Vicenza) around 40 A.D. He was ''quaestor'' of Hispania Baetica (southern Iberia) in 68 A.D. On the d ...
in AD 69; perhaps the same man to whom the murder of the emperor
Galba Galba ( ; born Servius Sulpicius Galba; 24 December 3 BC – 15 January AD 69) was Roman emperor, ruling for 7 months from 8 June AD 68 to 15 January 69. He was the first emperor in the Year of the Four Emperors and assumed the throne follow ...
was attributed. * Fabius Valens, Gaius Fabius Valens, one of the principal generals of Vitellius, and consul ''suffectus ex kal. Sept.'' in AD 69. * Fabius Priscus, one of the legates sent against Gaius Julius Civilis, Civilis in AD 70. * Roman graffiti#Outside the shop of Fabius Ululitremulus, Fabius Ululitremulus, a shopkeeper in Pompeii. A Roman graffiti, graffito from the doorpost of his shop alludes to the Aeneid, and praises Minerva as the patron of the fullones. *Marcus Fabius Rufus, the last owner of a rich villa in Pompeii. * Quintilian, Marcus Fabius Quintilianus, the most celebrated of Roman rhetoricians, granted the insignia and title of consul by Domitian. * Lucius Fabius Tuscus, consul ''suffectus'' in 100. * Lucius Fabius Justus, a distinguished rhetorician, and a friend of both Tacitus and the younger Pliny the Younger, Pliny. * Lucius Julius Gainius Fabius Agrippa. A Roman descendant of the Herodian dynasty, Gymnasium (ancient Greece), gymnasiarch of Apamea, Syria, Apamea and one of the most prominent citizens of the city in the 110s. Possibly an ancestor to Roman usurper, usurper Jotapianus, though it is unclear if the initial "F." in Jotapianus' name stands for "Fabius". * Ceionia Fabia, an adoptive granddaughter of Hadrian, and sister of the emperor Lucius Verus. Her name indicates descent from the gens Fabia, though her ancestry is obscure. * Quintus Fabius Catullinus, consul in AD 130. * Fabius Cornelius Repentinus, appointed ''praetorian prefect, praefectus praetorio'' in the reign of Antoninus Pius. * Fabius Mela, an eminent jurist, probably of the mid-2nd century. * Lucius Fabius Cilo, Lucius Fabius Cilo Septimianus, consul ''suffectus'' in AD 193 and consul in 204. * Fabius Sabinus, one of the ''consiliarii'' of Alexander Severus, perhaps the same Sabinus later driven out of Rome by order of Elagabalus.Aelius Lampridius, ''The Life of Alexander Severus'', c. 68, ''The Life of Elagabalus'', c. 16. * Fabia Orestilla, supposedly the wife of Gordian I, and mother of his children. Her name appears only in the ''Augustan History''. * Quintus Fabius Clodius Agrippianus Celsinus, Proconsul of Caria in 249. * Pope Fabian, Fabianus, Pope from 236 to 250. Supposedly of noble Roman birth, his father's name was reportedly Fabius. * Titus Fabius Titianus, consul in AD 337. * Aconia Fabia Paulina, a pagan priestess during the late fourth century, wife of Vettius Agorius Praetextatus. * Saint Fabiola, a Christian ascetic of the late fourth century, she was later declared a saint. * Quintus Fabius Memmius Symmachus, a politician of the late fourth and early fifth century, who was appointed Quaestor at the age of ten. Possibly a pagan, he was alleged to have built a temple to Flora (deity), Flora. * Fabius Planciades Fulgentius, a Latin grammarian, probably not earlier than the sixth century. * Fabia Eudokia, Fabia Eudocia, first Byzantine Empress, empress-consort of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius. She was born in the Exarchate of Africa, and died in AD 612, reportedly due to epilepsy. One of her two known children was Constantine III (Byzantine emperor), Constantine III.


See also

* List of Roman gentes


Footnotes


References


Bibliography


Ancient sources

* Cicero, Marcus Tullius Cicero, ''Brutus (Cicero), Brutus'', ''Cato Maior de Senectute'', ''De Natura Deorum'', ''De Officiis'', ''De Oratore'', ''Epistulae ad Brutum'', ''Epistulae ad Familiares'', ''In Pisonem'', ''In Vatinium Testem'', ''In Verrem'', ''Philippicae'', ''Pro Balbo'', ''Pro Caelio, Pro Murena'', ''Tusculanae Quaestiones''. * Julius Caesar, Gaius Julius Caesar, (attributed), ''De Bello Hispaniensis'' (On the War in Spain). * Gaius Sallustius Crispus (Sallust), ''Bellum Catilinae'' (The Conspiracy of Catiline). * Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca historica, Bibliotheca Historica'' (Library of History). * Propertius, Sextus Aurelius Propertius, ''Elegiae'' (Elegies). * Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace), ''Epistles (Horace), Epistulae'' (Letters). * Dionysius of Halicarnassus, ''Romaike Archaiologia'' (Roman Antiquities). * Titus Livius (Livy), ''Ab Urbe Condita Libri, History of Rome''. * Publius Ovidius Naso (Ovid), ''Fasti (poem), Fasti'', ''Ex Ponto'' (From Pontus). * Marcus Velleius Paterculus, ''Compendium of Roman History''. * Valerius Maximus, ''Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium'' (Memorable Facts and Sayings). * Lucius Annaeus Seneca (Seneca the Younger), ''Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium'' (Moral Letters to Lucilius). * Gaius Plinius Secundus (Pliny the Elder), ''Natural History (Pliny), Naturalis Historia'' (Natural History). * Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (Pliny the Younger), ''Epistulae (Pliny), Epistulae'' (Letters). * Sextus Julius Frontinus, ''Strategemata'' (Stratagems). * Tacitus, Publius Cornelius Tacitus, ''Histories (Tacitus), Historiae'', ''Agricola (book), De Vita et Moribus Iulii Agricolae'' (On the Life and Mores of Julius Agricola), ''Dialogus de oratoribus, Dialogus de Oratoribus'' (Dialogue on Oratory). * Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus (Plutarch), ''Parallel Lives, Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans''. * Suetonius, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, ''De Viris Illustribus''. * Juvenal, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, ''Satires of Juvenal, Satirae'' (Satires). * Aulus Gellius, ''Noctes Atticae'' (Attic Nights). * Appianus Alexandrinus (Appian), ''Bellum Civile'' (The Civil War), ''Hispanica'' (The Spanish Wars), ''Iberica''. * Sextus Pompeius Festus, ''Epitome de M. Verrio Flacco de Verborum Significatu'' (Epitome of Marcus Verrius Flaccus: On the Meaning of Words). * Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus (Cassius Dio), ''Roman History''. * Aelius Lampridius, Aelius Spartianus, Flavius Vopiscus, Julius Capitolinus, Trebellius Pollio, and Vulcatius Gallicanus, ''Historia Augusta'' (Augustan History). * Aurelius Victor, Sextus Aurelius Victor (attributed), ''De Origo Gentis Romanae'' (On the Origin of the Roman People), ''De Viris Illustribus'' (On Famous Men), ''Epitome de Caesaribus'' (Epitome of the Lives of the Caesars). * Eutropius (historian), Eutropius, ''Breviarium Historiae Romanae'' (Abridgement of the History of Rome). * Orosius, Paulus Orosius, ''Historiarum Adversum Paganos'' (History Against the Pagans). * ''Digesta seu Pandectae'' (Digest (Roman law), The Digest). * Paul the Deacon, Paulus Diaconus, ''Epitome de Sex. Pompeio Festo de Significatu Verborum'' (Epitome of Sextus Pompeius Festus, Festus' ''De Significatu Verborum''), ed. Karl Otfried Müller. * John Zonaras, Joannes Zonaras, ''Epitome Historiarum'' (Epitome of History).


Modern sources

* Joseph Hilarius Eckhel, ''Doctrina Numorum Veterum'' (The Study of Ancient Coins, 1792–1798). * Barthold Georg Niebuhr, ''The History of Rome'', Julius Charles Hare and Connop Thirlwall, trans., John Smith, Cambridge (1828). * Wilhelm Adolf Becker, ''Handbuch der Römischen Alterhümer'' (Handbook of Roman Antiquities), Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, Leipzig (1846). * Karl Wilhelm Göttling, ''Geschichte der Römischen Staatsverfassung von Erbauung der Stadt bis zu C. Cäsar's Tod'' (History of the Roman State from the Founding of the City to the Death of Caesar), Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses, Halle (1840). * ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', William Smith (lexicographer), William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849). * Theodor Mommsen ''et alii'', ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (The Body of Latin Inscriptions, abbreviated ''CIL''), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1853–present). * ''Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità'' (News of Excavations from Antiquity), Accademia dei Lincei (1876–present). * August Pauly, Georg Wissowa, ''et alii'', ''Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft'', J. B. Metzler, Stuttgart (1894–1980). * George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', vol. VIII, pp. 103–184 (1897). * Paul von Rohden, Elimar Klebs, & Hermann Dessau, ''Prosopographia Imperii Romani'' (The Prosopography of the Roman Empire, abbreviated ''PIR''), Berlin (1898). * Friedrich Münzer, ''Roman Aristocratic Parties and Families'', translated by Thérèse Ridley, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 (originally published in 1920). * ''Inscriptiones Christianae Urbis Romae'' (Christian Inscriptions from the City of Rome), New Series, Rome (1922–present). * Stéphane Gsell, ''Inscriptions Latines de L'Algérie'' (Latin Inscriptions from Algeria), Edouard Champion, Paris (1922–present). * Thomas Robert Shannon Broughton, T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', American Philological Association (1952). * Attilio Degrassi, ''Inscriptiones Latinae Liberae Rei Publicae'' (abbreviated ''ILLRP''), Florence (1957–1963). * Lily Ross Taylor, ''The Voting Districts of the Roman Republic'', University of Michigan Press (1960). * D.P. Simpson, ''Cassell's Latin and English Dictionary'', Macmillan Publishing Company, New York (1963). * Robert Maxwell Ogilvie, ''Commentary on Livy, books 1–5'', Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1965. * Graham Vincent Sumner, ''The Orators in Cicero's Brutus: Prosopography and Chronology'', (Phoenix Supplementary Volume XI.), Toronto and Buffalo, University of Toronto Press (1973). * Michael Crawford (historian), Michael Crawford, ''Roman Republican Coinage'', Cambridge University Press (1974, 2001). * Christoph Konrad
"Some Friends of Sertorius"
in ''The American Journal of Philology'', vol. 108, No. 3 (1987). * J. A. Crook, F. W. Walbank, M. W. Frederiksen, R. M. Ogilvie (editors), ''The Cambridge Ancient History, vol. VIII, Rome and the Mediterranean to 133 B.C.'', Cambridge University Press, 1989. *
Ronald Syme Sir Ronald Syme, (11 March 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. He was regarded as the greatest historian of ancient Rome since Theodor Mommsen and the most brilliant exponent of the history of the Roma ...
, ''The Augustan Aristocracy'', Clarendon Press, Oxford (1989). * Giuseppe Camodeca
"Novità sui fasti consolari delle tavolette cerate della Campania"
''Publications de l'École française de Rome'', vol. 143 (1991). * Tim Cornell, T. J. Cornell, ''The Beginnings of Rome'', London and New York, Routledge, 1995. * Francis X. Ryan, ''Rank and Participation in the Republican Senate'', Stuttgart, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1998. * Sander M. Goldberg, ''Constructing Literature in the Roman Republic, Poetry and its Reception'', Cambridge University Press, 2005. * C. J. Smith, ''The Roman Clan: the Gens from Ancient Ideology to Modern Anthropology'', Cambridge University Press (2006), . * Léon Homo, ''Roman Political Institutions'', Routledge (2013), . {{Refend Fabii, Characters in Book VI of the Aeneid Roman gentes