CAMILLUS, MARCUS FURIUS, a celebrated Roman, who lived about the middle of the 4th century after the foundation of the city. There is so much of the fabulous in all that is told about him that one might very reasonably suppose that Livy and Plutarch have derived the traditions respecting this warrior from some old poem. (Niebuhr, 'H. R.,' vol. ii. p. 472.) That there was such a person, and that his actions entitled him to the gratitude of his countrymen, cannot, we think, be doubted, and even Niebuhr has not attempted to deny him the personality which he is unwilling to concede to Romulus and Coriolanus. (' H. R.' ii. p. 501.) Camillus was created dictator five times, and triumphed four times, but never served the office of consul. (Plutarch, init.) This was principally owing to the substitution of the military tribunate for the consulship in the early part of his life. His first dictatorship was in the tenth year of the siege of Veii, which was taken by him probably by means of a mine, by which part of the wall was overthrown. (Niebuhr, 'H.R.' ii. p. 481, who has aufficiently refuted the ordinary tradition.) He also conquered the Faliscans, who, according to the legend, yielded unconditionally to him in consequence of his generosity in restoring to them their chiluirenithom a traitorous schoolmaster had delivered into his hands. (Plutarch, ' Camill.' x.) He was impeached, in AO:LC. 364, by the tribune L. Apuleius, on a charge of peculation in the distribution of the plunder of Veii, and his guilt was so manifest that even his own clients could not acquit him. (Liv. v. 32.) Camillus retired to Arden,
and lived there as an inquilinue till the battle of the Allia and the capture of Rome : he then took. up arms for his country, and led the Ardeates against the Gaula, over whom he obtained some advantages. At length the people, sensible of the necessity of his recal, restored him to his civic rights by an ordinance of the plebe passed at Veii, and after two battles, the one fought in the city and the other on the road to Gabii, he completely exterminated the invading army. It was probably owing to his influence that the Romans were induced to rebuild their own city in preference to migrating to Veil, as many wished to do, and for this and his other services be was :filled the second Romulus. In his fourth dictatorship he had some more disputes with the plebeians, in consequence of which he abdicated his office. (Liv. vi. 38.) fle died of the plague in the year of Rome 390. (Liv. vii. 1 ; Plutarch, still.) his son and brother were also eminent men, but with these exceptions no one of his family, according to Tacitus (' Annal,' ii. 52), obtained military renown till the age of Tiberius, when Furiva Camllloa, proconsul of Africa, triumphed over the Numidians. The son of this Camillus raised a rebellion in Dalmatia in the reign of Claudius, and proclaimed himself emperor, but in a few days his soldiers returned to their allegiance, and. Camillus committed suicide.