GAIUS LUSCINUS

See also:

• GAIUS LUSCINUS FABRICIUS (i.e. " the one-eyed ")
• FABRICIUS, GEORG (1516-1571)
• FABRICIUS, HIERONYMUS
• FABRICIUS, JOHANN ALBERT (1668-1736)
• FABRICIUS, JOHANN CHRISTIAN (1745-18o8)

FABRICIUS (i.e. " the one-eyed ")  , Roman general, was the first member of the Fabrician gens who settled in Rome . He migrated to Rome from Aletrium (Livy ix . 43), one of the Hernican towns which was allowed to retain its independence as a reward for not having revolted . In 285 he was one of the ambassadors sent to the Tarentines to dissuade them from making war on the Romans . In 282 (when consul) he defeated the Bruttians and Lucanians, who had besieged Thurii (Livy, Epit . 12) . After the defeat of the Romans by Pyrrhus at Heraclea (280), Fabricitfs was sent to treat for the ransom and exchange of the prisoners . All attempts to bribe him were unsuccessful, and Pyrrhus is said to have been so impressed that he released the prisoners without ransom (Plutarch, Pyrrhus, 18) . The story that Pyrrhus attempted to frighten Fabricius by the sight of an elephant is probably a fiction . In 278 Fabricius was elected consul for the second time, and was successful in negotiating terms of peace with Pyrrhus, who sailed aw ay to Sicily . Fabricius afterwards gained a series of victories over the Samnites, the Lucanians and the Bruttians, and on his return to Rome received the honour of a triumph . Notwithstanding the offices he had filled he died poor, and pro-vision had to be made for his daughter out of the funds of the state (Val .

Max. iv . 4, To) . Fabricius was regarded by the Romans of later times as a

model of ancient simplicity and incorruptible integrity .