Sextus Julius Frontinus
Sextus Julius Frontinus was a Roman military officer and politician born around 40 CE. Initially, he served as a military leader before transitioning into governance and engineering. He held the position of praetor in 70 CE and was appointed by Emperor Vespasian to govern Great Britain, where he played a critical role in subduing the Silures tribe and establishing strategic forts to aid subsequent military campaigns. In 95 CE, he became the curator of the aqueducts in Rome, a role in which he authored his most renowned work, *De aquis urbis Romae*, a comprehensive account of Rome's aqueduct system that included both engineering insights and legal regulations. Additionally, Frontinus wrote *Strategemata*, a guide on military strategy that traced tactics from ancient Greek military history. Some of his other writings, such as *De re militari*, have not survived or remain uncertain regarding their authorship. He passed away in 103 CE at approximately sixty-three years of age, leaving a legacy in both military and engineering disciplines.
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Subject Terms
Sextus Julius Frontinus
Statesman
- Born: c. 35
- Birthplace: Unknown
- Died: c. 103
- Place of death: Unknown
Biography
Sextus Julius Frontinus was born in the year 40 c. e. and was originally a military man but later segued into politics and engineering. A praetor in 70 c. e., he was sent by the Emperor Vespasian to govern Great Britain. Frontinus managed to subdue the Silures, a rebellious tribe in Southeast Wales, and erect several carefully situated forts to create a strategic base from which Agricola, who succeeded him in 78 c. e., was able to eliminate other hostile factions.
In 95 c. e., the prestigious office of curator aquarum, curator of the aqueducts, was conferred to him in Rome. It was at this position that Frontinus published his most famous work, De aquis urbis Romae, a two-volume detailed architectural history of the aqueduct system in Rome which included engineering descriptions and the laws concerning them. Frontinus would also go on to publish Strategemata, a military strategy guide of tactical maneuvers that also served to trace the course of military achievement dating back to the ancient Greeks. Other works, including the military science pamphlet “De re militari,” have either been lost in the passage of time or uncertainty exists concerning whether or not he was the author in some cases. Frontinus died in 103 c. e. having reached his early sixties.