Ceionia gens

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The gens Ceionia or gens Caeionia or the Caeionii family was an ancient Roman senatorial family of imperial times. The first member of the gens to obtain the consulship was Lucius Ceionius Commodus in AD 78. The rise of this family culminated in the elevation of the emperor Lucius Verus, born Lucius Ceionius Commodus, in AD 161. [1]

Contents

Origin

The Ceionii were probably of Etruscan origin. Their nomen resembles other Etruscan names, such as Cilnius, and the family does not appear in history before the first century. The historian Aelius Spartianus wrote that they came from Etruria, or perhaps from the town of Faventia, which was itself of Etruscan origin. [1] [2]

Praenomina

The praenomina used by the Ceionii were Lucius, Gaius , and Marcus .

Branches and cognomina

The most illustrious family of the Ceionii bore the cognomen Commodus, meaning "friendly, obliging," or "pleasant." The agnomen Verus, meaning "true", was borne by some members of this family. Many other surnames occur, some of which were ordinary cognomina, such as Rufus, meaning "red" or "reddish," or Bassus, "stout". [3] [4] However, as with many families of imperial times, many surnames were acquired from other families to whom the Ceionii were related or otherwise politically connected. [1]

Postumus, a surname belonging to the father of the emperor Albinus, is derived from the praenomen Postumus , referring to a youngest child, although a popular false etymology derived it from post humus, "after burial", meaning a child born after his father's death. [5] [4] In a letter referred to by the historian Julius Capitolinus, Ceionius Postumus claimed to be a descendant of the ancient patrician house of the Postumii, whose nomen was itself derived from the praenomen Postumus. [6] Ceionius named his son Albinus, supposedly in reference both to the extraordinary whiteness of his skin, and to the noble family of the Postumii Albini; however, several other members of the gens also bore the surname Albinus. [7] [3]

Members

This list includes abbreviated praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see filiation.

Ceionii Commodi

Ceionii Albini

Ceionii Juliani

Others

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. I, pp. 653 ("Ceionius"), 816–820 ("Commodus").
  2. ↑ Aelius Spartianus, "The Life of Aelius Verus", 2.
  3. 1 2 Chase, p. 110.
  4. 1 2 Cassell's Latin & English Dictionary.
  5. ↑ Chase, pp. 111, 150.
  6. ↑ Chase, p. 131.
  7. 1 2 Julius Capitolinus, "The Life of Clodius Albinus", 4.
  8. ↑ Gallivan, "The Fasti for A. D. 70-96", pp. 189, 214.
  9. ↑ Acts of the Arval Brethren, CIL VI, 2056, AE 1898, 141.
  10. ↑ Fasti Ostienses , CIL XIV, 244.
  11. ↑ Smallwood, Documents Illustrating the Principates of Nerva, Trajan, and Hadrian.
  12. ↑ Aelius Spartianus, "The Life of Aelius Verus".
  13. ↑ Cassius Dio, lxix. 17, 20, 21, lxxi. 1 ff.
  14. ↑ Aelius Spartianus, "The Life of Hadrian", 23, "The Life of Aelius Verus".
  15. ↑ Julius Capitolinus, "The Life of Antoninus Pius", 4, "The Life of Marcus Aurelius", 4, 5, 7 ff.
  16. ↑ Julius Capitolinus, "The Life of Marcus Aurelius", 4, 29, "The Life of Lucius Verus", 10.
  17. 1 2 Syme, "Antonine Relatives: Ceionii and Vettuleni", p. 306.
  18. ↑ Aelius Lampridius, "The Life of Commodus", 11.
  19. 1 2 3 Syme, Ammianus and the Historia Augusta, p. 155.
  20. ↑ Julius Capitolinus, "The Life of Clodius Albinus".
  21. ↑ Aelius Spartianus, "The Life of Septimius Severus", 11.
  22. ↑ Cassius Dio, lxx. 4–7.
  23. ↑ Herodian, ii. 15, iii. 5–7.
  24. ↑ Julius Capitolinus, "The Life of Clodius Albinus", 6.
  25. ↑ Aelius Spartianus, "The Life of Septimius Severus", 13.
  26. ↑ Flavius Vopiscus, "The Life of Aurelian", 9.
  27. ↑ CIL VI, 314b.
  28. ↑ CIL VI, 1173, AE 1909, 173.
  29. ↑ PLRE, vol. I, pp. 978–980.
  30. ↑ CIL VI, 31413, CIL VI, 31414, CIL VI, 36959, CIL VI, 36959.
  31. ↑ CIL VI, 512
  32. ↑ PLRE, vol. 1, p. 976.
  33. ↑ Mommaerts & Kelley, "The Anicii of Gaul and Rome", pp. 120, 121.
  34. ↑ Flavius Vopiscus, "The Life of Firmus", 2.
  35. ↑ Syme, Ammianus and the Historia Augusta, pp. 155, 192, 199.
  36. ↑ RE, vol. X (1), col. 93 (Iulianos 33).
  37. ↑ PLRE, vol. 1, p. 476 (Iulianus 26), 1137 (stemma 12).
  38. ↑ CIL VI, 1159; CIL XI, 4118
  39. ↑ PLRE, vol. 1, p. 476 (Iulianus 27), 1137 (stemma 12).
  40. ↑ CIL VI, 1675; ILS 1264
  41. ↑ RE, vol. III (2), col. 1864 (Ceionius 31).
  42. ↑ PLRE, vol. 1, pp. 474–475 (Iulianus 25), 1137 (stemma 12).
  43. ↑ PLRE, vol. 1, p. 178 (Camenius 2), 1137 (stemma 12).
  44. ↑ PLRE, vol. 1, p. 376, 1137 (stemma 12).
  45. ↑ Velleius Paterculus, ii. 119.
  46. ↑ Eck, "Die Fasti consulares der Regierungszeit des Antoninus Pius", p. 78.
  47. ↑ Aelius Lampridius, "The Life of Commodus", 8, 10, 17.
  48. ↑ Aelius Spartianus, "The Life of Didius Julianus", 6.
  49. ↑ Cassius Dio, lxxiii. 4, 13, 22, lxxiv. 16.
  50. ↑ Flavius Vopiscus, "The Life of Aurelian", 31.

Bibliography

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