Gnaeus (or Gaius) Marcius Coriolanus was a Roman general who is said to have lived in the 5th century BC. He received his toponymic cognomen "Coriolanus" because of his exceptional valor in a Roman siege of the Volscian city of Corioli. He was subsequently exiled from Rome, and led troops of Rome's enemy the Volsci to besiege the city. In later ancient times, it was generally accepted by historians that Coriolanus was a real historical individual, and a consensus narrative story of his life appeared, retold by leading historians such as Livy, Plutarch, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus. More recent scholarship has cast doubt on the historicity of Coriolanus, with some portraying him as either a wholly legendary figure or at least disputing the accuracy of the conventional story of his life or the timing of the events. According to Plutarch, his ancestors included prominent patricians such as Censorinus and even an early King
Gnaeus (o Gaius) Marcius Coriolanus fue un general romano que se dice que vivió en el siglo V a.C. Recibió su apellido toponímico "Coriolanus" debido a su valor excepcional en un asedio romano de la ciudad volcánica de Corioli. Posteriormente fue exiliado de Roma, y llevó a las tropas del enemigo de Roma, el Volsci, a asediar la ciudad. En tiempos antiguos posteriores, se aceptó generalmente por los historiadores que Coriolanus era un individuo histórico real, y apareció una historia narrativa consensuada de su vida, retomada por historiadores líderes como Livio, Plutarco y Disión de Halicarnus. La académica más reciente ha puesto en duda la historicidad de Coriolanus, con algunos que lo retrataban como una figura totalmente legendaria o al menos discutiendo la exactitud de la historia convencional de su vida o el timing de los acontecimientos de su vida.