Who is Servius Romanus you might ask? Well, in this episode we’re about to find out. But when we tell you it’ll be brief – we are telling only the truth! On the back of the putative introduction of pay for Roman soldiers in 406 BCE (a much disputed idea in scholarship), Rome is facing challenges from their neighbours. These challenges are coming from many directions, so it’s no doubt a relief when someone helps them out. Enter: Servius Romanus.

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Episode 149 – The Brief Life and Times of Servius Romanus

Siege at Veii!

Watch out Veii, Rome is coming for you! Veii seems to be well aware of the Roman threat, however, and might just be looking to call in the broader Etruscan peoples to support them. How will things pan out for Veii in the years 405 and 404? We consider the fairly limited details for your listening pleasure.

But what about the Volscians?

Rome is facing trouble on multiple fronts (perhaps indicated by the sheer number of military tribunes with consular power listed for both the years 405 and 404). It comes as no surprise that pursuing an aggressive policy against Veii opens the way for more conflict from the Volscii. Listen out for mentions of places including Ferentium, Ecetra, and Artena.

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Aerial photograph of the modern town of Artena in Lazio, Italy.
Photo by FrancescoSchiraldi85 via Wikimedia Commons.

Our Players for 405 BCE

Military Tribunes with Consular Power

• Titus Quinctius T. f. L. n. Capitolinus Barbatus (Pat)


• Quintus Quinctius (L. f. L. n.) Cincinnatus (Pat)


• Gaius Iulius Sp. f. Vopisci n. Iullus (Pat)


• Aulus Manlius A. f. Cn. n. Vulso Capitolinus (Pat)


• Lucius Furius L. f. Sp. n. Medullinus (Pat)


• Manius Aemilius Mam(ercus). f. M(arcus). n. Mamercinus (or Mamercus) (Pat)

Our Players for 404 BCE

Military Tribunes with Consular Power

• Gaius Valerius L. f. Vol. n. Potitus Volusus (Pat)


• Manius Sergius L. f. L. n. Fidenas (Pat)


• Publius Cornelius (M. f. M. n.) Maluginensis (Pat)


• Gnaeus Cornelius P. f. A. n. Cossus (Pat)


• Kaeso Fabius M. f. Q. n. Ambustus (Pat)


• Spurius Nautius Sp. f. Sp. n. Rutilus (Pat)

Things to listen out for

• Challenges with the extant source material


• The organisation of the Etruscan federation


• The Shrine of Voltuma (the Central Perk?)


• What’s going on with the politics of Sicily and Carthage?


• The intriguing modern history of Artena


• Military strategy re citadels in action


• Food security in the ancient world compared with climate change today


• A sneaky mention of Velitrae

Our Sources

• Dr Rad reads Livy, ab Urbe Condita, 4.60-61


• Dr G reads Diodorus Siculus 14.17.1; 14.19.1; Fasti Capitolini for 405 and 404 BCE


• Bradley, G. 2020. Early Rome to 290 BC (Edinburgh University Press).


• Broughton, T. R. S., Patterson, M. L. 1951. The Magistrates of the Roman Republic Volume 1: 509 B.C. – 100 B.C. (The American Philological Association)


• Cornell, T. J. 1995. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c. 1000-264 BC) (Taylor & Francis)


• Forsythe, G. 2006. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War(University of California Press) 


• Lomas, Kathryn (2018). The rise of Rome. History of the Ancient World. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. doi:10.4159/9780674919938. ISBN978-0-674-65965-0. S2CID239349186.


• Ogilvie, R. M. 1965. A Commentary on Livy: Books 1-5 (Clarendon Press). 

Sound Credits

Our theme music was composed by Bettina Joy de Guzman.

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