Fundania (gens)

The gens Fundania was a plebeian family at Rome, which first came into notice in the middle of the third century BC. Although one of its members obtained the consulship in BC 243, the Fundanii never attained much importance in the state.^[1]

Praenomina used

The Fundanii are known to have used the praenomina Quintus, Gaius, Marcus, and Lucius, all of which were amongst the most common names throughout Roman history.^[1]

Branches and cognomina

Fundulus is the only cognomen that occurs among the Fundanii.^[1]

Members

This list includes abbreviated praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see filiation.

Fundanii Funduli

• Quintus Fundanius Fundulus, grandfather of the consul of 243 BC.
• Gaius Fundanius Q. f. Fundulus, father of the consul of 243 BC.
• Gaius Fundanius C. f. Q. n. Fundulus, consul in 243 BC. As plebeian aedile in 246, he and his colleague, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, had impeached Claudia, daughter of Appius Claudius Caecus, and imposed a heavy fine, which was used to build a temple to Libertas on the Aventine Hill. As consul, Fundanius went into Sicily to oppose Hamilcar Barca during the First Punic War. After first refusing Hamilcar's request for a truce for the interment of the dead, Fundanius relented and asked Hamilcar for the same terms, which the Carthaginian granted.^[2][3][4]
• Marcus Fundanius Fundulus, plebeian aedile in 213 BC, together with his colleague, Lucius Villius Tappulus, accused certain Roman matrons before the Tribal Assembly of a disorderly life, and procured their banishment.^[5]

Others

• Marcus Fundanius, tribune of the plebs in BC 195, together with his colleague, Lucius Valerius, proposed the abolition of the lex Oppia, a sumptuary law restricting the dress and manners of Roman women. They were opposed by the tribunes Marcus and Publius Junius Brutus, and by the consul Marcus Porcius Cato, but were vigorously supported by the Roman matrons, and by the other consul, Lucius Valerius Flaccus; and the law was rescinded.^[6]
• Gaius Fundanius, father-in-law of Marcus Terentius Varro, in whose dialogue De Re Rustica he appears as one of the speakers. From Varro's description it appears that Fundanius was a scholar, who was acquainted with at least the statistics of agriculture. Varro also cited him in one of his philological treatises.^[7]
• Fundania C. f., the wife of Varro, had purchased an estate, and Varro composed his three books, De Re Rustica, as a manual for her instruction in its management. The first book, De Agricultura, is dedicated to her.^[8]
• Marcus Fundanius, defended by Cicero in BC 65. The fragments of Cicero's oration do not enable us to understand either the nature of the charge or the result of the trial. Cicero's brother, Quintus, wrote that Fundanius would be of service to Cicero in his upcoming election for the consulship. He may be the same Fundanius mentioned by Quintus when he was serving as proconsul of Asia in 59.^[9][10]
• Gaius Fundanius (M. f.), a friend of Cicero; possibly the same as the eques Gaius Fundanius, who deserted Gnaeus Pompeius a few days before the Battle of Ategua, and went over to Caesar in BC 45.^[11][12]
• Gaius Fundanius, a writer of comedies in the age of Augustus. Horace praises his management of the slaves and intrigantes of the comic drama.^[13]
• Lucius Fundanius, grandfather of the consul of AD 116.
• Lucius Fundanius L. f., father of the consul of AD 116.
• Lucius Fundanius L. f. L. n. Lamia Aelianus, consul in AD 116.

See also

List of Roman gentes

References

1. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, William Smith, Editor.
2. Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita xxiv. 16.
3. Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticae x. 6.
4. Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, Fragmenta Vaticana p. 53.
5. Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita xxv. 2.
6. Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita xxxiv. 1.
7. Marcus Terentius Varro, Rerum Rusticarum libri III i. 2. § 13, Fragmenta p. 349, ed. Bipont.
8. Marcus Terentius Varro, Rerum Rusticarum libri III i. 1.
9. Marcus Tullius Cicero, Fragmenta p. 445, ed. Orelli; Epistulae ad Quintum Fratrem i. 3. § 10.
10. Quintus Tullius Cicero, de Petit. Cons. 5
11. Marcus Tullius Cicero, Epistulae ad Quintum Fratrem i. 2. § 3.
12. Gaius Julius Caesar (attributed), De Bello Hispaniensis 11.
13. Quintus Horatius Flaccus, Satirae i. 10, 41, 42, ii. 8, 19.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "^{article name needed}". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.