Catia (gens)

Last updated March 18, 2019

The gens Catia was a plebeian family at Rome from the time of the Second Punic War to the 3rd century AD. The gens achieved little importance during the Republic, but held several consulships in imperial times.

The plebs were, in ancient Rome, the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census. The precise origins of the group and the term are unclear, though it may be that they began as a limited political movement in opposition to the elite (patricians) which became more widely applied.

In historiography, ancient Rome is Roman civilization from the founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, encompassing the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and Roman Empire until the fall of the western empire. The civilization began as an Italic settlement in the Italian Peninsula, conventionally founded in 753 BC, that grew into the city of Rome and which subsequently gave its name to the empire over which it ruled and to the widespread civilisation the empire developed. The Roman empire expanded to become one of the largest empires in the ancient world, though still ruled from the city, with an estimated 50 to 90 million inhabitants and covering 5.0 million square kilometres at its height in AD 117.

The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and by the Romans the War Against Hannibal, was the second of three wars between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of Greek polities and Numidian and Iberian forces on both sides. It was one of the deadliest human conflicts of ancient times. Fought across the entire Western Mediterranean region for 17 years and regarded by ancient historians as the greatest war in history, it was waged with unparalleled resources, skill, and hatred. It saw hundreds of thousands killed, some of the most lethal battles in military history, the destruction of cities, and massacres and enslavements of civilian populations and prisoners of war by both sides.

Origin

The Catii may have been of Vestinian origin; Gaius Catius, who served under Marcus Antonius, is said to have belonged to this ancient race. [1] However, members of the family were already at Rome by the time of the Second Punic War, when Quintus Catius was plebeian aedile. [2] The philosopher Catius was an Insuber, a native of Gallia Transpadana, and may have been a freedman of the gens, or perhaps his name arose by coincidence. [3] The nomen Catius itself may perhaps be related to a Roman divinity of that name, invoked for the purpose of granting children thoughtfulness and prudence. [3] The nomen Cattius, found in imperial times, may be a variation. [4]

Vestini were an Italic tribe who occupied the area of the modern Abruzzo included between the Gran Sasso and the northern bank of the Aterno river. Their main centres were Pitinum (near modern L'Aquila), Aufinum (Ofena), Peltuinum, Pinna (Penne) and Aternum (Pescara, shared with the Marrucini).

Marcus Antonius, commonly known in English as Mark Antony or Anthony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from an oligarchy into the autocratic Roman Empire.

Aedile was an office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings (aedēs) and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enforce public order.

Members

Quintus Catius, plebeian aedile in 210 BC, he served in the Second Punic War. [2]
Gaius Catius, tribunus militum in the army of Marcus Antonius, in 43 BC. [1]
Catius, an Epicurean philosopher, thought to have been an Insubrian Gaul; he may have been a freedman of the gens. [5] [6] [3]
Catia, mentioned by the poet Horatius. [7]
Tiberius Catius Asconius Silius Italicus, an epic poet, and consul in AD 68, at the end of Nero's reign. [8] [9] [10]
Catius Crispus, mentioned by the elder Seneca. [11]
Tiberius Catius Caesius Fronto, the son or adopted son of Silius Italicus, he was consul suffectus ex Kal. Sept. in AD 96, shortly before the assassination of the emperor Domitian; he is supposed to be the same as the orator Catius Fronto, a contemporary of Vespasian, who defended Marius Priscus, Gaius Julius Bassus, and Varenus Rufus. [lower-roman 1] [12] [13] [10]
Catius Lepidus, a friend of the younger Pliny. [14]
Catius Marcellus, consul suffectus in AD 153. [4]
Publius Catius Sabinus, consul in AD 216, during the reign of Caracalla; this was his second consulship, but the year of his first is not known. [9] [15] [4]
Sextus Catius Clementinus Priscillianus, consul in AD 230, under Severus Alexander. [9] [4]
Gaius Catius Clemens, possibly a brother of Priscillianus, was consul suffectus, probably around AD 235. [4]
Lucius Catius Celer, possibly a brother of Priscillianus, was an imperial legate in the time of Gordian III. He had previously been consul suffectus, probably around AD 241. [9] [4]
Catia Clementina, according to an inscription, the wife of Iallius Bassus, and mother of Iallia Clementina. [16]

Quintus Catius was an officer (legatus) of the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War.

A military tribune was an officer of the Roman army who ranked below the legate and above the centurion. Young men of Equestrian rank often served as military tribune as a stepping stone to the Senate. The tribunus militum should not be confused with the elected political office of tribune of the people (tribunus plebis) nor with that of tribunus militum consulari potestate.

Catius was an Epicurean philosopher, identified ethnically as an Insubrian Celt from Gallia Transpadana. Epicurean works by Amafinius, Rabirius, and Catius were the earliest philosophical treatises written in Latin. Catius composed a treatise in four books on the physical world and on the highest good. Cicero credits him, along with the lesser prose stylist Amafinius, with writing accessible texts that popularized Epicurean philosophy among the plebs, or common people.

Footnotes

↑ Niebuhr, in his Life of Cornelius Fronto, supposes him to be the same Fronto spoken of by Juvenal, who owned the house of the poet Horatius.

Related Research Articles

The gens Junia was one of the most celebrated families in Rome. The gens may originally have been patrician. The family was already prominent in the last days of the Roman monarchy. Lucius Junius Brutus was the nephew of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh and last King of Rome, and on the expulsion of Tarquin in 509 BC, he became one of the first consuls of the Roman Republic.

The gens Pompeia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome, first appearing in history during the second century BC, and frequently occupying the highest offices of the Roman state from then until imperial times. The first of the Pompeii to obtain the consulship was Quintus Pompeius in 141 BC, but by far the most illustrious of the gens was Gnaeus Pompeius, surnamed Magnus, a distinguished general under the dictator Sulla, who became a member of the First Triumvirate, together with Caesar and Crassus. After the death of Crassus, the rivalry between Caesar and Pompeius led to the Civil War, one of the defining events of the final years of the Roman Republic.

The gens Marcia, occasionally written Martia, was one of the oldest and noblest houses at ancient Rome. They claimed descent from the second and fourth Roman Kings, and the first of the Marcii appearing in the history of the Republic would seem to have been patrician; but all of the families of the Marcii known in the later Republic were plebeian. The first to obtain the consulship was Gaius Marcius Rutilus in 357 BC, only a few years after the passage of the lex Licinia Sextia opened this office to the plebeians.

The gens Octavia was a plebeian family at Rome, which was raised to patrician status by Caesar during the first century BC. The first member of the gens to achieve prominence was Gnaeus Octavius Rufus, quaestor circa 230 BC. Over the following two centuries, the Octavii held many of the highest offices of the state; but the most celebrated of the family was Gaius Octavius, the grandnephew and adopted son of Caesar, who was proclaimed Augustus by the senate in 27 BC.

The gens Aelia, occasionally written Ailia, was a plebeian family in Rome, which flourished from the fifth century BC until at least the third century AD, a period of nearly eight hundred years. The archaic spelling Ailia is found on coins, but must not be confused with Allia, which is a distinct gens. The first member of the family to obtain the consulship was Publius Aelius Paetus in 337 BC.

The gens Asinia was a plebeian family at Ancient Rome, which rose to prominence during the first century BC. The first member of this gens mentioned in history is Herius Asinius, commander of the Marrucini during the Social War. The Asinii probably obtained Roman citizenship in the aftermath of this conflict, as they are mentioned at Rome within a generation, and Gaius Asinius Pollio obtained the consulship in 40 BC.

The gens Caesonia was a plebeian family of ancient Rome. They first appear in history during the late Republic, remaining on the periphery of the Roman aristocracy until the time of Nero. Another family of Caesonii attained the consulship several times beginning in the late second century; it is not clear how or whether they were related to the earlier Caesonii.

The gens Titia was a plebeian family at Rome. The gens is rarely mentioned in the Republican period, and did not rise out of obscurity till a very late time. None of its members obtained the consulship under the Republic, and the first person of the name who held this office was Marcus Titius in BC 31.

The gens Maria was a plebeian family of Rome. Its most celebrated member was Gaius Marius, one of the greatest generals of antiquity, and seven times consul.

The gens Sosia, occasionally written Sossia, was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens occur in history from the end of the Republic down to the third century AD. The first of the Sosii to attain the consulship was Gaius Sosius in 32 BC, and the family would continue holding various positions in the Roman state until the third century.

The gens Maecia was a plebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens are rarely mentioned before the time of Cicero, but in Imperial times they rose to prominence, achieving the consulship on at several occasions.

The gens Minicia was a plebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the first century, achieving the consulate under the emperor Claudius. Owing to the similarity of their names, the Minicii are regularly confused with members of the ancient and far more prominent gens Minucia.

Munatia (gens) families from Ancient Rome who shared the Munatius nomen

The gens Munatia was a plebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned during the second century BC, but they did not obtain any of the higher offices of the Roman state until imperial times.

The gens Stertinia, was a plebeian family of ancient Rome. It first rose to prominence at the time of the Second Punic War, and although none of its members attained the consulship in the time of the Republic, a number of Stertinii were so honoured in the course of the first two centuries of the Empire.

The gens Novia was a minor plebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens first appear during the final century of the Republic, but the first of the Novii to obtain the consulship was Decimus Junius Novius Priscus in AD 78.

The gens Oppia was an ancient Roman family, known from the first century of the Republic down to imperial times. The gens may originally have been patrician, as they supplied priestesses to the College of Vestals at a very early date, but all of the Oppii known to history were plebeians. None of them obtained the consulship until imperial times.

The gens Passiena, occasionally written Passienia, Passenia, Passennia, or Passenna, was a plebeian family at Rome, originally of equestrian rank, but at least one member was later admitted to the patriciate. Members of this gens appear in history from the early years of the Empire down to the third century, and several obtained the consulship, beginning with Lucius Passienus Rufus in 4 BC.

Tiberius Catius Caesius Fronto was a Roman senator who was suffect consul in the nundinium September–December 96 with Marcus Calpurnius [...]icus as his colleague. These two consuls were presiding over the Roman Senate when the Emperor Domitian was assassinated, and Nerva elevated as emperor. Fronto was an acquaintance of Pliny the Younger, and he is mentioned as many as four times in the collected letters.

The gens Roscia, probably the same as Ruscia, was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are mentioned as early as the fifth century BC, but after this time they vanish into obscurity until the final century of the Republic. A number of Roscii rose to prominence in imperial times, with some attaining the consulship from the first to the third centuries.

The gens Sallustia, occasionally written Salustia, was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the time of Cicero, and from that time they attained particular distinction as statesmen and writers. The most illustrious of the family was the historian Gaius Sallustius Crispus, who wrote valuable works on the Jugurthine War and the Conspiracy of Catiline, which still exist.

References

1 2 Cicero, Epistulae ad Familiares, x. 23.
1 2 Livy, xxvii. 6, 43, xxviii. 45.
1 2 3 Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. I, p. 634 ("Catius").
1 2 3 4 5 6 Mennen, pp. 69, 93–95, 133.
↑ Cicero, Epistulae ad Familiares, xv. 16.
↑ Quintilian, x. 1. § 24.
↑ Horace, Satirae, 1, 2, 95 sq.
↑ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, p. 824 ("C. Silius Italicus").
1 2 3 4 PIR, vol. I, p. 321.
1 2 Grainger, pp. 7–11.
↑ Seneca the Elder, Suasoriae, 2, 16.
↑ Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, ii. 11, iv. 9, vi. 13.
↑ PIR, vol. i. p. 320.
↑ Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 4, 7.
↑ Corpus Juris Civilis, 2. tit. 19. s. 7; 9. tit. 32. s. 3, et alibi.
↑ PIR, vol. i. p. 323.

Bibliography

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Epistulae ad Familiares .
Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace), Satirae (Satires).
Titus Livius (Livy), History of Rome .
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (Seneca the Elder), Suasoriae (Rhetorical Exercises).
Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (Quintilian), Institutio Oratoria (Institutes of Oratory).
Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (Pliny the Younger), Epistulae (Letters).
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology , William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849).
Paul von Rohden, Elimar Klebs, & Hermann Dessau, Prosopographia Imperii Romani (The Prosopography of the Roman Empire, abbreviated PIR), Berlin (1898).
John D. Grainger, Nerva and the Roman Succession Crisis, A.D. 96-99, Psychology Press (2004).
Inge Mennen, Power and Status in the Roman Empire, AD 193–284, Brill (2011).

Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman statesman, orator, lawyer and philosopher, who served as consul in the year 63 BC. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the Roman equestrian order, and is considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.

Epistulae ad Familiares is a collection of letters between Roman politician and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero and various public and private figures. The letters in this collection, together with Cicero's other letters, are considered the most reliable sources of information for the period leading up to the fall of the Roman Republic. Traditionally spanning 16 books, and featuring letters from 62 to 43 BCE, the collection was likely first published by Cicero's freedman and personal secretary Marcus Tullius Tiro sometime after Cicero's death in 43 BCE.

Quintus Horatius Flaccus, known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus. The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his Odes as just about the only Latin lyrics worth reading: "He can be lofty sometimes, yet he is also full of charm and grace, versatile in his figures, and felicitously daring in his choice of words."

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[12] Niebuhr, in his Life of Cornelius Fronto, supposes him to be the same Fronto spoken of by Juvenal, who owned the house of the poet Horatius.

[Cicero_ad_Fam-1] 1 2 Cicero, Epistulae ad Familiares, x. 23.

[Livy_Q_Catius-2] 1 2 Livy, xxvii. 6, 43, xxviii. 45.

[DGRBM_Catius-3] 1 2 3 Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. I, p. 634 ("Catius").

[Mennen-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mennen, pp. 69, 93–95, 133.

[5] Cicero, Epistulae ad Familiares, xv. 16.

[6] Quintilian, x. 1. § 24.

[7] Horace, Satirae, 1, 2, 95 sq.

[8] Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, p. 824 ("C. Silius Italicus").

[PIR_1_321-9] 1 2 3 4 PIR, vol. I, p. 321.

[Grainger-10] 1 2 Grainger, pp. 7–11.

[11] Seneca the Elder, Suasoriae, 2, 16.

[13] Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, ii. 11, iv. 9, vi. 13.

[14] PIR, vol. i. p. 320.

[15] Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 4, 7.

[16] Corpus Juris Civilis, 2. tit. 19. s. 7; 9. tit. 32. s. 3, et alibi.

[17] PIR, vol. i. p. 323.