Quick Facts
- Flourished:
- 3rd century bc
- Flourished:
- c.300 BCE - c.251 BCE
- Title / Office:
- Roman dictator (287BC), ancient Rome
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Quintus Hortensius
Roman dictator
Quintus Hortensius (flourished 3rd century bc) was a dictator of Rome in 287 who ended two centuries of âstruggle between the ordersâ (the plebeiansâ fight to gain political equality with patricians). When the plebeians, pressed by their patrician creditors, seceded to the Janiculan hill, Hortensius was appointed dictator to end the strife. He passed a law (the Lex Hortensia) whereby the resolutions of the plebeians (plebiscites) were made binding on all the citizens without requiring the approval of the Senate and so were equivalent to measures passed by the other assemblies. He is said to have died while still dictator.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking âSign Upâ, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.