Magister equitum (340 BC) The first mention of Cursor in history took place in 340 with his appointment as
Magister equitum by his cousin, the dictator
Lucius Papirius Crassus. The reason for the appointment of a dictator was the death of the consul
Publius Decius Mus while fighting the
Latins, and the illness of the other, the famous
Titus Manlius Torquatus. Since 341 Rome had been waging the
Latin War against its former Latin allies. Livy says that the dictator Crassus was supposed to repel an army from the city of
Antium which was operating in southern
Latium, but did not engage them. However, modern historians reject most of the details told by Livy on this war, as he made several anachronisms derived from the
Social War of 91–87 BC.
Praetor (332 BC) '' ("citizenship without suffrage"). This policy was likely inspired by
Quintus Publilius Philo, who was the leading proponent of the Roman expansion towards Campania, and also seating censor in 332.
Consul I (326 BC) The elections for 326 were subject to an intense political battle related to the
Struggle of the Orders—the plebeians' campaign to obtain equal rights with the patricians, which took place during the fourth century. The consul elected first in the previous year, the plebeian Publilius Philo, was normally in charge of holding the elections, but as he was besieging Naples and could not come back to Rome, he appointed the plebeian
Marcus Claudius Marcellus dictator for this purpose. However, the all-patrician
College of Augurs found that Marcellus had been faultily appointed and led to his resignation. This move was doubtless a political manoeuvre from the patricians, as by doing so the augurs forced the appointment of an
interrex, who was always a patrician. Interreges typically occurred when a plebeian were in position to conduct the elections. However, Livy records 15 interreges in the elections for 326, the highest number ever in a single election, which means that the political struggle lasted for at least 70 days—as an interrex served for up to five days, and was replaced by another one if he could not succeed in holding the elections. The 15th interrex was
Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas, who presided over the elections of Cursor and the plebeian
Gaius Poetelius Libo Visolus. Poetelius was the consul
prior, which means the
Centuriate Assembly elected him before Cursor; it was the first time that a plebeian (Poetelius) was elected consul
prior through an election held by a patrician. Some sources make Poetelius the same as the man who was already consul in 360 and 346, but such a gap is improbable and Cursor's colleague was more likely his son. Aemilius Privernas and Cursor possibly belonged to a group of patricians headed by the
Aemilii that supported the demands of the plebeian elite, at the time championed by Publilius Philo. Both consuls held command during the
Second Samnite war, which had started the previous year after the Samnites took control of Naples. Livy does not distinguish the consuls' activity; he says that they captured
Allifae (modern
Alife), Callifae (perhaps near
Pratella), and Rufrium (likely
Presenzano). All three cities are located in the valley of the
Volturno in northern Campania. However, the story can be doubted as Livy tells later that Allifae was still under Samnite control. The main feature of their consulship was the
Lex Poetelia Papiria de nexis, which abolished
nexum, a form of debt-bondage.
First dictatorship and the quarrel with Rullianus (325 BC) The next year, Cursor was appointed dictator by the consul
Lucius Furius Camillus, who was too ill to lead the army against the Samnites. Cursor in turn chose
Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus as his magister equitum. Livy tells that while they were already campaigning in Samnium, Cursor learnt that the auspices had not been properly taken and he had to redo the process in Rome. He left Rullianus on the field, but forbade him to engage the enemy. Rullianus disobeyed when he heard of the presence of a reckless Samnite army, which he crushed at
Imbrinium. He then burnt the spoils to prevent Cursor from using them in a triumph, and sent a letter to the senate about his victory. Once aware of his subordinate's disobedience, Cursor rushed to the camp and sentenced him to death. Despite supplications from the army, the senate, and the
tribunes of the plebs, Cursor only withdrew his death order when Rullianus and his father
Marcus Fabius Ambustus knelt and apologised before him. The story is very elaborate and most details are invented. Several modern historians have suggested it is an anticipation of the rivalry between the dictator
Fabius Maximus (Rullianus' grandson) and his magister equitum
Marcus Minucius Rufus in 217 BC. However, it is possible that the bare event—that Cursor and Rullianus quarrelled—is historical. Livy mentions that the story was told by
Fabius Pictor, the first Roman historian and a relative of Rullianus. Perhaps some details—such as the episode of the burnt spoils—come from family tradition, or private archives kept by the
Fabii. At the end of his dictatorship, Cursor vowed the construction of the
Temple of Quirinus, which was finally dedicated by his son during his first consulship on 17 February 293. The temple was built on the top of the
Quirinal Hill, east of the current
Palazzo Barberini. The reason for the long delay (32 years) was possibly that the construction had to be funded by Cursor and also because his son waited until he became consul to make the dedication. This ceremony could only be summoned by a magistrate with
imperium. The vowing of a temple to Quirinus by Cursor was the first time in Roman history that an individual pledged to build a temple on private money alone. The few temples built before were funded by the state, but Cursor's example was rapidly followed by many others in the third century, thanks to the rapid conquest of Italy by the Republic, which brought considerable booty.
Consul II (320 BC) Like in 326, the elections for 320 were subject to trouble. In 321, the two consuls were trapped in a Samnite ambush and forced to
pass under the yoke, a famous event known as the
disaster of the Caudine Forks. They shut themselves in their home once they returned to Rome, and only appointed a dictator for holding the elections. However, the dictator Quintus Fabius Ambustus (perhaps the uncle of Fabius Rullianus) was forced to resign after a fault was found during his appointment; his successor Marcus Aemilius Papus likewise resigned. This led the consuls to in turn abdicate; possibly followed by all the other magistrates. The elections were then held immediately, without waiting until the end of the consular year. Two interreges are mentioned, Fabius Rullianus, then
Marcus Valerius Corvus, who successfully presided over the elections. Following the early abdication of the consuls, the consular year started for some years in late autumn or early winter. Cursor was thus elected consul a second time, together with the plebeian Quintus Publilius Philo, consul for the third time. Livy states explicitly that Philo was the consul
prior and Cursor
posterior, but the
Fasti Capitolini reverse the consuls' order and give Cursor the first place. The Fasti were made under
Augustus by the
College of Pontiffs, whose members often moved their ancestors to first place in order to enhance the prestige of their family—a policy supported by Augustus who tried to revive several prominent patrician gentes—since being elected
prior was the subject of great pride. Conversely, they moved to second place some men that had repeated consulships, such as Philo, to avoid the comparison with Augustus, who continuously held the consulship between 31 and 23 BC. The election of both consuls broke the
Lex Genucia, passed in 342, which theoretically forbade iteration of a magistracy within ten years. Cursor had been consul in 326, and Philo in 327. However,
Corey Brennan suggests that the ban was not on iteration within any ten-year period, but within the first ten years after the law was passed; this interval had lapsed by 332. Philo is the only securely attested political ally of Cursor, as they are found together in office several times, and they likely ran in the elections together in a political ticket. This pattern of a patrician and a plebeian repeatedly sharing the consulship or other magistracies is a feature of Roman politics in the middle Republic, and multiple instances are known, including that of Cursor's son, who shared the consulship twice with
Spurius Carvilius Maximus. Cursor and Philo were at the time the most competent generals, and Livy writes it was the main reason behind their election because of the military situation after the Caudine Forks. Stephen Oakley nevertheless doubts that their election was as unanimous as Livy tells. Philo received command of the army in Samnium, near Caudium, where he won a battle. Meanwhile, Cursor could advance unhindered to
Arpi in
Apulia, from where he besieged
Luceria in order to recover the Roman hostages given to the Samnites after the Caudine Forks. Then Philo moved to Luceria and took over the siege, while Cursor destroyed the supply lines of the Samnites to force an engagement. At this point, a delegation of
Taras attempted to mediate between the Romans and the Samnites, probably trying to favour the latter. While pretending to consider the Tarentine offer, Cursor prepared for battle. The next day, the consuls rejected the peace offer and attacked the surprised Samnites, who were defeated. Cursor then resumed the siege of Luceria, which later surrendered. The Roman hostages were returned, the standards recovered, and Cursor forced the garrison to in turn pass under the yoke, so he could wash the humiliation of the Caudine Forks. This story told by Livy has nevertheless been strongly challenged by modern historians as early as 1870. E. T. Salmon considers that Livy's story is "utterly incredible", because a peace treaty was concluded after the Caudine Forks and that five years of peace followed. He assigns the events told by Livy in 320 to 315, when Cursor was also in charge of the military operations. Other historians have moved to later years the events told by Livy, notably the Tarentine mediation.
Consul III (319 BC) Cursor was reelected consul in 319, this time as consul
prior, with the plebeian
Quintus Aulius Cerretanus, who had already been consul in 323.
Consul IV (315 BC) In 315, Cursor was elected to a fourth consulship, alongside his former colleague Publilius Philo, again as consul
prior. The Second Samnite War entered in its second phase that year, following the five year peace signed after the Caudine Forks, which is probably the main reason for the election of Philo and Cursor, as they were the two most experienced commanders at Rome. As explained above, Livy's description of the campaign for 320 mostly refer to events that took place in 315, so Cursor likely besieged and took Luceria that year. However, his account of the events for 315 are very confused: he says that Fabius Rullianus was appointed dictator and commanded the army for the whole year, while the consuls stayed in Rome, which is constitutionally impossible. A more credible explanation is that Fabius became dictator only when the Samnite threat arose.
Consul V (313 BC) In 313, Cursor was elected consul
prior alongside the plebeian
Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus, who had already been consul in 317.
Dictator (310 BC) The final mention of Cursor in the sources took place in 310, when he was appointed dictator for the second time. He in turn appointed as magister equitum his former colleague Bubulcus Brutus. In 310 BC, when the
Samnites again rose, Cursor was appointed dictator for the second time, and gained a decisive victory at Longula, in honour of which he celebrated a magnificent triumph. Captured Samnite weapons were displayed in the triumphal procession. According to Livy, the Samnite gold-plated shields made a strong impression, so Cursor gave them to the silversmiths of the
Forum to hang outside their
tabernae as decorations. This practice of publicly displaying enemy spoils was new at the time in Rome, and was inspired by the Greeks. Livy adds that from this point on aediles regularly decorated the Forum for the
Ludi Romani after the precedent set by Cursor. Several modern historians have nevertheless cast some doubts on the whole event, as many features of both the battle and its subsequent triumph closely resemble the later triumph of Cursor's son in 293, likewise against the Samnites. His
cognomen,
Cursor, means "The Runner", as he was able to walk over 50
Roman miles a day in full marching order and demanded the same from his soldiers. Legend says that when cavalry veterans came to him asking for some privileges, he gave them but one privilege: Such harshness to his soldiers allowed them to be defeated initially. But later he had regained their good-will by more lenient treatment and lavish promises of booty; they fought with enthusiasm and gained a complete victory. His son of the
same name, also a distinguished general, completed the subjection of Samnium (272 BC). He set up a
sundial, the first of its kind in Rome, in the
temple of Quirinus. ==Legacy==