Numerius Fabius Ambustus
Encyclopedia
Numerius Fabius Ambustus was an ancient Roman commander who was the son of Marcus Fabius Ambustus
, and brother to Caeso
and Quintus
. In 406 BC, he and his forces captured the Volsci
an city of Anxur (modern Terracina
) by securing the high ground above the town, from which they were able to launch attacks against its walls. When the town's defenders attempted to respond to these harassing attacks, the remainder of Numerius' forces used escalade
to scale the walls and enter the town. After the victory, his forces began to torture the inhabitants of the city in retaliation for the Volsci
an massacre of the Roman garrison at Verruga in which the Roman prisoners had been horribly tortured. Numerius eventually showed mercy, and around 2500 Volscians were permitted to surrender with their lives.
Numerius was consular tribune in 406 BC
, and again in 390. Also in 390, with his two brothers he was sent as ambassador to the Gaul
s, when the latter were besieging Clusium
, and participated in an attack against the besieging Gauls. The Gauls demanded that the three should be surrendered to them for violating the law of nations; and when the Roman Senate
refused to give up the guilty parties, the Gauls marched against Rome, which they sacked after the battle of the Allia
.
Many scholars believe the entire story of the events at Clusium to be fiction, as Clusium had no real reason to appeal to Rome for help, and the Gauls needed no real provocation to sack Rome. The story, it is hypothesized, exists to provide an explanation for an otherwise unmotivated attack on Rome, and to depict Rome as a bulwark of Italy against the Gauls.
His son was Marcus Fabius Ambustus (consul 360 BC)
.
Marcus Fabius Ambustus (pontifex maximus 390 BC)
Marcus Fabius Ambustus was a statesman of ancient Rome who served as Pontifex Maximus in the year that Rome was taken by the Gauls, 390 BC. His three sons--Caeso, Numerius, and Quintus--were sent as ambassadors to the Gauls, when the latter were besieging Clusium, and participated in an attack...
, and brother to Caeso
Caeso Fabius Ambustus
Caeso Fabius Ambustus, was an ancient Roman who was the son of Marcus Fabius Ambustus, and brother to Numerius and Quintus. He was quaestor 409 BC with three plebeians as his colleagues, which was the first time that quaestors were chosen from the plebs...
and Quintus
Quintus Fabius Ambustus (tribune)
Quintus Fabius Ambustus was a politician in the Roman Republic, the son of Marcus Fabius Ambustus . In 390 BC, when his father was pontifex maximus, he and two of his brothers, Numerius and Caeso, were sent as emissaries to a Gaulish army besieging Clusium...
. In 406 BC, he and his forces captured the Volsci
Volsci
The Volsci were an ancient Italic people, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. They then inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the south, the Hernici on the east, and stretching roughly from...
an city of Anxur (modern Terracina
Terracina
Terracina is a town and comune of the province of Latina - , Italy, 76 km SE of Rome by rail .-Ancient times:...
) by securing the high ground above the town, from which they were able to launch attacks against its walls. When the town's defenders attempted to respond to these harassing attacks, the remainder of Numerius' forces used escalade
Escalade
Escalade is the act of scaling defensive walls or ramparts with the aid of ladders, and was a prominent feature of siege warfare in medieval times...
to scale the walls and enter the town. After the victory, his forces began to torture the inhabitants of the city in retaliation for the Volsci
Volsci
The Volsci were an ancient Italic people, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. They then inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the south, the Hernici on the east, and stretching roughly from...
an massacre of the Roman garrison at Verruga in which the Roman prisoners had been horribly tortured. Numerius eventually showed mercy, and around 2500 Volscians were permitted to surrender with their lives.
Numerius was consular tribune in 406 BC
406 BC
Year 406 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Tribunate of Cossus, Ambustus, Cossus and Potitus...
, and again in 390. Also in 390, with his two brothers he was sent as ambassador to the Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
s, when the latter were besieging Clusium
Clusium
Clusium was an ancient city in Italy, one of several found at the site. The current municipality of Chiusi partly overlaps this Roman walled city. The Roman city remodeled an earlier Etruscan city, Clevsin, found in the territory of a prehistoric culture, possibly also Etruscan or proto-Etruscan...
, and participated in an attack against the besieging Gauls. The Gauls demanded that the three should be surrendered to them for violating the law of nations; and when the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
refused to give up the guilty parties, the Gauls marched against Rome, which they sacked after the battle of the Allia
Battle of the Allia
The Battle of the Allia was a battle of the first Gallic invasion of Rome. The battle was fought near the Allia river: the defeat of the Roman army opened the route for the Gauls to sack Rome. It was fought in 390/387 BC.-Background:...
.
Many scholars believe the entire story of the events at Clusium to be fiction, as Clusium had no real reason to appeal to Rome for help, and the Gauls needed no real provocation to sack Rome. The story, it is hypothesized, exists to provide an explanation for an otherwise unmotivated attack on Rome, and to depict Rome as a bulwark of Italy against the Gauls.
His son was Marcus Fabius Ambustus (consul 360 BC)
Marcus Fabius Ambustus (consul 360 BC)
Marcus Fabius N.f. Ambustus was a statesman and general of the Roman Republic. He was the son of Numerius Fabius Ambustus.He served as consul three times: in 360, 356, and 354 BC. His consulships occurred during a time in which Rome was reasserting itself following its defeat at the hands of the...
.