The gens Petillia or Petilia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens first appear in history at the beginning of the second century BC, and the first to obtain the consulship was Quintus Petillius Spurinus in 176 BC. [1]
The nomen Petillius, also spelled Petilius, Petelius, and Petellius, is almost certainly derived from the cognomen Petilus, meaning "slender", and belongs to a class of gentilicia formed using the typically diminutive suffixes -illius and -ellius. [2] The name is regularly confused with that of the Poetelii , an older plebeian family that occurs from the time of the Decemvirs down to the period of the Samnite Wars, but they do not appear to have been the same. [1]
The only surnames of the Petillii in the time of the Republic were Capitolinus and Spurinus, of which only the former occurs on coins. A number of Petillii are found without cognomina. [1]
Spurinus, belonging to one of the earliest Petillii appearing in history, appears to be connected with the Etruscan gentile Spurina, hinting at an Etruscan origin of the gens, or perhaps a maternal ancestor of the Petillii. [3] An alternative explanation might be as a diminutive of the praenomen Spurius , which the Etruscan scholar Wilhelm Deecke discussed in connection with similar Etruscan names. Although Deecke noted the use of the praenomen Spurie by the Etruscans, the orthography used in Greek transliterations argued in favour of a Latin origin. [4]
The cognomen Capitolinus is said to have been bestowed upon one of the Petillii who was caretaker of the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill in the time of Augustus. However, Capitolinus was a relatively common surname, typically signifying someone who lived on the Capitol. [5] Coins this family depicts the Temple of Jupiter on the reverse, while the obverses depict either a head of Jupiter, or an eagle, as a symbol of Jupiter. [1] [6]
The gens Artoria was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Few members of this gens are mentioned in history, but a number are known from inscriptions. Under the later Empire at least some of them were of senatorial rank.
The gens Accia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome during the late Republic. The gens is known primarily from two individuals, Lucius Accius, a tragic poet of the second century BC, and Titus Accius, best known for his prosecution of Aulus Cluentius Habitus in Cicero's oration Pro Cluentio. Other Accii are known from inscriptions.
The gens Acutia was a minor plebeian family at Ancient Rome. Members of this gens are mentioned from the early Republic to imperial times. The first of the Acutii to achieve prominence was Marcus Acutius, tribune of the plebs in 401 BC.
The gens Poppaea was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens first appear under the early Empire, when two brothers served as consuls in AD 9. The Roman empress Poppaea Sabina was a descendant of this family, but few others achieved any prominence in the Roman state. A number of Poppaei are known from inscriptions. The name is sometimes confused with that of Pompeia.
The gens Mutia was an obscure plebeian family at Rome. None of its members is known to have held any magistracy, but many are known from inscriptions, including a large number of freedmen.
The gens Neria was a minor plebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the time of Caesar, when Gnaeus Nerius was quaestor, but few if any others are known to have held Roman magistracies. Many Nerii are known from inscriptions. A coin issued by the quaestor Nerius depicts the head of Saturn on the obverse, and standards labeled with the names of the consuls on the reverse, perhaps alluding to Caesar having broken open the treasury, or showing the legitimacy of the Senate to the legions against the rebellion of Caesar.
The gens Occia was a minor plebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned under Tiberius, but must have been at Rome for much longer; for Tacitus speaks of Occia, a Vestal Virgin who died in AD 19, after serving faithfully for fifty-seven years. A few of the Occii pursued political careers in this period, but most are known only from inscriptions.
The gens Ostoria, occasionally written Hostoria, was a plebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the early years of the Empire. Although only a few of them achieved any prominence in the Roman state, many others are known from inscriptions. The most illustrious of the Ostorii was probably Publius Ostorius Scapula, who was consul during the reign of Claudius, and afterward governor of Britain.
The gens Pescennia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the time of Cicero, but it was not until imperial times that they came to prominence. The Pescennii were of equestrian rank. The most illustrious of the family was Gaius Pescennius Niger, an able general, who was proclaimed emperor in AD 193, only to be defeated and put to death by Septimius Severus the following year.
The gens Praecilia or Precilia, also written as Praecillia or Precillia, was an obscure plebeian family at ancient Rome. Few members of this gens are mentioned in history, but a number are known from inscriptions.
The gens Romania was an obscure plebeian family at ancient Rome. No members of this gens appear in history, but many are known from inscriptions.
The gens Safinia was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Few members of this gens are mentioned in history, but a number are known from inscriptions.
The gens Saturia was an obscure plebeian family of equestrian rank at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the time of Cicero, and a number of them had distinguished military careers, but none of them attained any of the higher offices of the Roman State.
The gens Seccia, Secia, or Siccia was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Few members of this gens occur in history, but a number are known from inscriptions. The best known members include Lucius Siccius Dentatus, who won martial fame in the fifth century BC, and Gaius Secius Campanus suffect consul under Domitian.
The gens Septicia was an obscure plebeian family at ancient Rome. Hardly any members of this gens are mentioned in ancient writers, but a number are known from inscriptions. The most famous of the Septicii was Gaius Septicius Clarus, Prefect of the Praetorian Guard under the emperor Hadrian.
The gens Spuria was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Few members of this gens occur in ancient writers, but many are known from inscriptions. Although at least some were of equestrian rank, and a number of Spurii held public offices in the various municipia, the most illustrious person of this name may have been Lucius Spurius Maximus, a tribune of the Vigiles at Rome during the reign of Septimius Severus.
The gens Spedia was an obscure plebeian family at ancient Rome. No members of this gens are mentioned in ancient writers, but many are known from inscriptions, and several were locally important, serving as duumvirs at Antinum in Samnium, Pompeii in Campania, and Sarmizegetusa in Dacia.
The gens Tampia was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in history during the time of Nero, but few achieved any distinction in the Roman state. The nomen Tampius is easily confused with that of Ampius. The most illustrious of the Tampii was Lucius Tampius Flavianus, who held the consulship twice during the latter half of the first century.
The gens Tituria was an obscure plebeian family at ancient Rome. Few members of this gens appear in history, of whom the most famous is Quintus Titurius Sabinus, one of Caesar's legates during the Gallic Wars. Other Titurii are known from inscriptions.
The gens Varena or Varenia, rarely Vorena, was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Only a few members of this gens are mentioned in Roman literature, but many others are known from inscriptions. Several of the Vareni held minor magistracies at Rome or in other towns during imperial times, including Lucius Varenus Lucullus, who was a military tribune and pontifex during the first century, and Quintus Varenus Ingenuus, who served as aedile and quaestor. Vorena, a woman of this family during the second or third century, seems to have been a Vestal Virgin.