FIDENAE

fidenae, an ancient town of latium, situated about 5 m. n. of rome on the via salaria, which ran between it and the tiber. it was for some while the frontier of the roman territory and was often in the hands of veii. it appears to have fallen under the roman sway after the capture of this town, and is spoken of by classical authors as a place almost deserted in their time. it seems, however, to have had some importance as a post station. the site of the _arx_ of the ancient town is probably to be sought on the hill on which lies the villa spada, though no traces of early buildings or defences are to be seen: pre-roman tombs are to be found in the cliffs to the north. the later village lay at the foot of the hill on the eastern edge of the high-road, and its _curia_, with a dedicatory inscription to m. aurelius by the _senatus fidenatium_, was excavated in 1889. remains of other buildings may also be seen. see t. ashby in _papers of the british school at rome_, iii. 17. fiduciary (lat. _fiduciaries_, one in whom trust, fiducia, is reposed), of or belonging to a position of trust, especially of one who stands in a particular relationship of confidence to another. such relationships are, in law, those of parent and child, guardian and ward, trustee and _cestui que trust_, legal adviser and client, spiritual adviser, doctor and patient, &c. in many of these the law has attached special obligations in the case of gifts made to the "fiduciary," on whom is laid the onus of proving that no "undue influence" has been exercised. (see contract; children, law relating to; infant; trust.)