Cincinnatus, Lucius Quinctius, << `sihn` suh NAY tuhs, LOO shuhs KWIHNGK tee uhs >> (519?-439? B.C.), a Roman statesman and general, was a legendary model of patriotism. In 458 B.C., Rome was threatened by the Aequi, a tribe of central Italy. The Senate sent messengers to tell Cincinnatus that they would like him to become dictator and defeat the Aequi. The messengers found Cincinnatus plowing his fields. He agreed to do so and led the army to rescue a consul (chief government official) who was in great danger from the Aequi. Cincinnatus defeated the enemy, marched his army back to Rome, and resigned as dictator. He returned to his farm 16 days after he took office.
George Washington was sometimes called the “American Cincinnatus” because he also held his office only as long as necessary. After the American Revolution (1775-1783), a group of former officers formed the patriotic Society of the Cincinnati. The city of Cincinnati, Ohio, is named after this organization.
