Quintus Valerius Falto was a Roman general and statesman during the middle era of 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 ...

. He fought in the final phase of the ongoing

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 ...

; he led the Roman fleet to victory during the

Battle of the Aegates The Battle of the Aegates was a naval battle fought on 10 March 241 BC between the fleets of Carthage (state), Carthage and Roman Republic, Rome during the First Punic War. It took place among the Aegates Islands, off the western coast of the ...

, for which he was awarded a minor Triumph. Quintus was elected consul in 239 BC alongside Gaius Mamilius Turrinus. He was the brother of his successor, the consul Publius Valerius Falto who served in 238 BC. Falto was also the first

Praetor Peregrinus ''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 discha ...

at Rome in 242 BC, the development of which was occasioned by the

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

with

Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...

which required a second Praetor, but the consul of the year, Aulus Postumius Albinus, was not allowed to leave the city because he was also a priest of

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...

. After his superior,

Gaius Lutatius Catulus Gaius Lutatius Catulus ( 242–241 BC) was a ancient Rome, Roman statesman and Commander, naval commander in the First Punic War. He was born a member of the plebeian gens Lutatius. His Roman naming conventions, cognomen "Catulus" means "puppy" ...

, was injured at the Siege of Drepana, Falto took over command of the Roman forces. He was in command of the Roman fleet that won the Battle of the Aegates. He conducted himself with such bearing that, on his return, he demanded to share in the triumph to which Catulus was entitled. His claim was rejected on the grounds that he was not the commanding officer. However, after arbitration under

Aulus Atilius Calatinus Aulus Atilius Caiatinus (or Calatinus; 258–241 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who achieved prominence for his military activities during the First Punic War against Carthage. As consul in 258 BC, he enjoyed several successes in Sicily, ...

which, again, ruled against him, the people insisted Falto deserved the honor, and so his triumph was held on 6 October 241 BC.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valerius Falto, Quintus Ancient Roman patricians 3rd-century BC Roman consuls Falto, Quintus