In 342, during the dictatorship of
Marcus Valerius Corvus, Aemilius served as
Magister Equitum. The following year he was elected to his first
consulship with
Gaius Plautius Venox Hypsaeus. Gaius Plautius led his troops to victories in
Priverno and
Volsci, while Lucius Aemilius travelled to
Samnium where he received the region's ambassadors who demanded peace. The praetor laid the petition of the Samnites before the Senate, and the Senators voted to renew the treaty with them. After the peace was accepted by the
Roman Senate, Lucius Aemilius left Samnium. The Roman army was at once recalled, after receiving a year's pay and rations for three months, which the consul had stipulated should be the price of a truce, to last until the envoys should return. According to
Livy, Aemilius was encouraged by his colleagues to resign before the end of his term of office because of the impending
Latin War. In 335 he was appointed
dictator (
dictator comitiorum habendorum causa). In 329 Aemilius was again elected to the
consulship alongside
Gaius Plautius Decianus. There was great alarm at Rome at this time because of a report that the Gauls were marching southward. Accordingly, while Decianus proceeded against
Privernum, which was continuing to resist the Romans, Lucius Aemilius began to levy a large army in order to oppose the Gauls. However, the report of the Gaulish invasion proved to be unfounded, so both consuls united their forces against Privernum. The town was taken and Mamercinus, as well as his colleague, obtained a triumph as a result. The capture of this town must have been regarded as a very glorious achievement since Mamercinus received the surname of Privernas. In 326 he was selected as
interrex. In 316 he again served as dictator (
dictator rei gerundae causa). His primary mission as dictator was to fight the
Samnites. ==Bibliography==