Marcus Furius Camillus facts for kids

Marcus Furius Camillus (born around 448 BC, died around 365 BC) was a famous Roman leader. He was a politician and a soldier during the early Roman Republic. He is best known for capturing the city of Veii and for defending Rome from an attack by the Gauls.

However, many stories about Camillus are like legends. Modern historians think that some of his famous deeds might not have happened exactly as told. Some stories might even be completely made up or given to him by mistake.

Who Was Camillus?

The name Camillus came from a special title. It was given to young noble people who helped with religious duties. It is possible that young Marcus Furius Camillus served in this role.

His family name is similar to that of another Roman leader, Lucius Furius Medullinus. This might mean they were brothers.

His Early Career

Camillus first held a public job in 401 BC. He served as a consular tribune in 401 BC and again in 398 BC. A consular tribune was a high-ranking official who acted like a consul, leading armies and governing. He fought against tribes near Rome called the Falisci and the Capenates.

His very first job, before any others, was supposedly as a censor in 403 BC. A censor was a Roman official who counted citizens and managed public morals.

The Capture of Veii

Camillus is said to have been chosen as a dictator to lead a war against the city of Veii. A dictator in Rome was a temporary leader given full power during a crisis. He supposedly captured Veii in 396 BC.

The story of how Veii was captured is mostly a legend. It says that after a ten-year siege, like the Greek story of the Trojan War, a lake nearby, the Alban Lake, mysteriously rose. A prophecy said Veii would fall if the lake was drained. The Romans then built a tunnel to drain the lake.

Camillus, as the commander, also supposedly convinced Veii's goddess, Juno Regina, to leave the city and move to Rome. Old tunnels found near Veii might suggest that Romans did break into the city this way.

After Veii was captured, its people were supposedly sold into slavery. Their land was then given to Roman citizens. This helped Rome grow. Camillus then celebrated a triumph, which was a big parade to celebrate a victory. He also built a temple to the goddess Juno in Rome.

The Falisci and Exile

In 394 BC, Camillus supposedly made the Falisci tribe surrender. He did this by showing great Roman honesty. A schoolmaster from the Falisci brought his students, who were noble children, to Camillus. He offered them as hostages. But Camillus refused to accept them. He punished the schoolmaster for his betrayal. The Falisci were so impressed by Camillus's fairness that they surrendered.

After these victories, Camillus was supposedly put on trial. Some stories say he was accused of taking war treasures for himself. Others say he spent too much money on his triumph, buying four white horses. He was found guilty and sent away from Rome.

However, historians believe this story of his trial and exile probably didn't happen. It might have been made up later to explain why he wasn't in Rome when the Gauls attacked. This way, he wouldn't be blamed for Rome's defeat.

The Gallic Attack

Around 390 BC, a large group of Gauls, who were people from what is now France, came into Italy. They defeated the Roman army at the Battle of the Allia. Then, they marched into Rome and looted it. They even made the Romans hiding on the Capitoline hill surrender. The Romans had to pay a lot of gold for the Gauls to leave.

Camillus to the Rescue?

According to Roman stories, Camillus was called back from exile during this time. He was made dictator again. The story says that just as the Gauls were weighing the gold ransom, Camillus arrived with a new army. He defeated the Gauls, saved Rome, and got the gold back.

However, many historians think this dramatic story was made up much later. Other ancient writers, like Polybius, say the Gauls stayed in Rome for about seven months. They then left on their own after the Romans paid them. They left because their own lands were being attacked.

Also, there is no strong archaeological proof that Rome was badly damaged during this attack. This suggests that the Gauls mostly stole valuable items rather than destroying buildings.

Rebuilding Rome

After the attack, some Romans wanted to move the city to Veii, which Camillus had captured. But Camillus supposedly argued strongly against this. He convinced the Romans to rebuild their city where it was. Historians think this story might reflect later disagreements about land.

Despite the historical doubts, ancient Roman tradition says that Camillus's great leadership helped Rome rebuild quickly. He also supposedly put down rebellions by Roman allies. Because of these achievements, he was called the city's "second founder."

Later Career

After his supposed victories, Camillus is said to have led Rome to take the city of Tusculum in 381 BC. Tusculum was already surrounded by Roman land. The city surrendered quickly. Its people were given Roman citizenship and some self-rule. This made Tusculum one of the first Roman municipiums, which were towns that governed themselves but were part of Rome.

Manlius and Reforms

Camillus's role in some later events is also debated by historians. For example, some stories say he was made dictator in 384 BC to stop Marcus Manlius Capitolinus. Manlius was a Roman noble who was accused of trying to become king. Camillus supposedly had Manlius arrested and executed. However, other accounts don't mention Camillus in this event.

Camillus is also said to have played a key role in important political changes. These changes were called the Licinio-Sextian rogations. They were a set of laws proposed by two tribunes, Gaius Licinius Stolo and Lucius Sextius Lateranus.

These laws aimed to help the common people (plebeians). They included:

• Helping people with their debts.
• Limiting how much public land a person could own.
• Allowing plebeians to be elected as consuls, which was the highest office.

Camillus was supposedly made dictator twice to deal with these reforms. He tried to stop them at first. But then, he helped find a compromise. This compromise allowed plebeians to become consuls. It also created new offices for patricians (nobles). This brought peace between the two groups. Camillus then built a temple to Concordia, the goddess of harmony.

Historians doubt that Rome was without leaders for as long as some stories say. They also question some details of Camillus's involvement. However, the laws themselves, like allowing plebeians to be consuls, did happen.

His Death

According to ancient Roman tradition, Camillus died during a sickness that spread through Rome in 365 BC. However, historians think that later writers might have just assumed he died in that epidemic. They probably didn't have actual proof of how he died.

Was He Real?

The main stories about Camillus come from ancient Roman writers like Livy and Plutarch. These writers used older stories that made Camillus seem like the most important person of his time. Livy even organized his books around Camillus's life.

A name similar to Camillus is found in an old Etruscan tomb from around 300 BC. It shows a "Marce Camitlnas" killing a "Gneve Tarchunies Rumach." Some scholars think this might refer to Marcus Furius Camillus. But it's not certain.

Historians generally believe that a person named Camillus probably existed. Records of Roman officials (called fasti) suggest he was important. However, many scholars agree that the stories about him are full of "myth, extra details, and fantasy." One historian even said Camillus is "probably not much less fictional than the first Romulus," Rome's legendary founder.

His Legacy

By the time of the late Roman Republic, hundreds of years after he lived, Romans believed many things about Camillus. They thought he had:

• Captured Veii.
• Saved Rome from the Gauls.
• Protected the city from all enemies.
• Allowed common people to hold high government jobs.
• Brought peace within Rome.

They also believed he held six consular tribuneships and was dictator five times. Because of all this, he was honored as the "second founder" of Rome. A bronze statue of Camillus was even placed in the Forum, Rome's main public square.

Camillus became a source of exempla for Romans. These were fables or stories that taught lessons about how to act morally and follow Roman traditions. The story of him refusing the Faliscan schoolmaster's hostages is a famous example of his great honesty. Another story, likely not true, says he resigned a dictatorship because of a small mistake in how he was appointed. This was used to show how much Romans respected their laws.

Camillus's memory was even used by the first Roman emperor, Augustus. Some historians suggest that Livy's history book was written to show Camillus as a hero who re-founded Rome after a difficult period. This made Camillus a figure similar to Rome's first founder, Romulus, and to Augustus himself, who also "re-founded" Rome after a time of trouble.

See also

In Spanish: Marco Furio Camilo para niños