Background
Camillus may have been born about 447 b. c.
Camillus belonged to the lineage of the Furii Camilli, whose origin had been in the Latin city of Tusculum.
The father of Camillus was Lucius Furius Medullinus, a patrician tribune of consular powers. Camillus had more than three brothers: the eldest one was Lucius junior, who was both consul and tribune of consular powers. The Latin noun camillus denoted a child acolyte at religious rituals. During Camillus's infancy, his relative Quintus Furius Paculus was the Roman Pontifex Maximus.
Career
During his exile Brennus' Gauls sacked Rome (390 b. c. ).
Camillus also won many victories over Rome's neighbors in Latium; in all he celebrated four triumphs.
When accused of having unfairly distributed the spoil taken at Veii, which was captured by him after a ten years' siege, he went into voluntary exile at Ardea.
The real cause of complaint against him was no doubt his patrician haughtiness and his triumphal entry into Rome in a chariot drawn by white horses.
Subsequently the Romans, when besieged in the Capitol by the Gauls, created him dictator; he completely defeated the enemy and drove them from Roman territory.
He afterwards fought successfully against the Aequi, Volsci and Etruscans, and repelled a fresh invasion of the Gauls in 367.
Though patrician in sympathy, he saw the necessity of making concessions to the plebeians and was instrumental in passing the Licinian laws.
The story of Camillus is no doubt largely traditional.
He died in 365 b. c. So many legends have accumulated around Camillus that the truth cannot be discovered.
