Gnaeus Fulvius Centumalus Maximus
Encyclopedia
Gnaeus Fulvius Centumalus Maximus (d. 210 BC) was a consul
of the Roman Republic
in 211 BC. As consul, Fulvius defended Rome
against Hannibal with his colleague Publius Sulpicius Galba Maximus
during the Second Punic War
.
Fulvius was curule aedile in 214 BC, presenting a four-day program of theatrical events
(ludi scaenici
) with his colleague Publius Sempronius Tuditanus
. As praetor
the following year, he was stationed at Suessula and received the knights from Capua
who had decided to defect from Hannibal and join Rome.
For his consular province (provincia)
he was assigned to Apulia
. He returned to Rome to hold elections for the following year, while Sulpicius went to assume command in Greece. Fulvius's imperium
in Apulia was prorogued
for the year 210. He was killed at the Battle of Herdonia
in a surprise attack by Hannibal.
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
in 211 BC. As consul, Fulvius defended Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
against Hannibal with his colleague Publius Sulpicius Galba Maximus
Publius Sulpicius Galba Maximus
Publius Sulpicius Galba Maximus was a consul of Rome in 211 BC, when he defended the city against the surprise attack by Hannibal.He was proconsul in Greece from 210 to 206, continuing the First Macedonian War against Philip V of Macedon...
during the Second Punic War
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
.
Fulvius was curule aedile in 214 BC, presenting a four-day program of theatrical events
Theatre of ancient Rome
The theatre of ancient Rome was a thriving and diverse art form, ranging from festival performances of street theatre, nude dancing, and acrobatics, to the staging of Plautus's broadly appealing situation comedies, to the high-style, verbally elaborate tragedies of Seneca...
(ludi scaenici
Ludi
Ludi were public games held for the benefit and entertainment of the Roman people . Ludi were held in conjunction with, or sometimes as the major feature of, Roman religious festivals, and were also presented as part of the cult of state.The earliest ludi were horse races in the circus...
) with his colleague Publius Sempronius Tuditanus
Publius Sempronius Tuditanus
Publius Sempronius C.f. Tuditanus was a Roman Republican consul and censor, best known for leading about 600 men to safety at Cannae in August, 216 BC.-Tuditanus at Cannae:...
. As praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
the following year, he was stationed at Suessula and received the knights from Capua
Capua
Capua is a city and comune in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy, situated 25 km north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. Ancient Capua was situated where Santa Maria Capua Vetere is now...
who had decided to defect from Hannibal and join Rome.
For his consular province (provincia)
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
he was assigned to Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
. He returned to Rome to hold elections for the following year, while Sulpicius went to assume command in Greece. Fulvius's imperium
Imperium
Imperium is a Latin word which, in a broad sense, translates roughly as 'power to command'. In ancient Rome, different kinds of power or authority were distinguished by different terms. Imperium, referred to the sovereignty of the state over the individual...
in Apulia was prorogued
Prorogatio
In the constitution of ancient Rome, prorogatio was the extension of a commander's imperium beyond the one-year term of his magistracy, usually that of consul or praetor...
for the year 210. He was killed at the Battle of Herdonia
Battle of Herdonia (210 BC)
The second battle of Herdonia took place in 210 BC during the so called Second Punic War. Hannibal, leader of the Carthaginians, who had invaded Italy eight years ago, encircled and destroyed a Roman army which was operating against his allies in Apulia...
in a surprise attack by Hannibal.