Pinaria (gens)

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The gens Pinaria was one of the most ancient patrician families at Rome. According to tradition, the gens originated long before the founding of the city. The Pinarii are mentioned under the kings, and members of this gens attained the highest offices of the Roman state soon after the establishment of the Republic, beginning with Publius Pinarius Mamercinus Rufus, consul in 489 BC. [1]

Contents

Origin

The origin of the Pinarii is related in two different traditions. The more famous of these held that a generation before the Trojan War, Hercules came to Italy, where he was received by the families of the Potitii and the Pinarii. He taught them a form of worship, and instructed them in the rites by which he was later honored; but due to the tardiness of the Pinarii to the sacrificial banquet, Hercules assigned them the subordinate position. For centuries, these families supplied the priests for the cult of Hercules, until nearly the entire Potitian gens perished in a plague at the end of the fourth century BC. [2] [3] [4] [1]

The extinction of the Potitii was frequently attributed to the actions of Appius Claudius Caecus, who in his censorship in 312 BC, directed the families to instruct public slaves in the performance of their sacred rites. Supposedly the Potitii were punished for their impiety in doing so, while the Pinarii refused to relinquish their office, which they held until the latest period. [lower-roman 1] [4] [2] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

In the later Republic, it was sometimes asserted that the Pinarii were descended from Pinus, a son of Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome. Several other families made similar claims; the Aemilii had long claimed to be descended from Mamercus, the son of Numa, while in later times the Pomponii and Calpurnii claimed to be descended from sons named Pompo and Calpus. Mamercus and Pompo were genuine praenomina of Sabine origin, like Numa himself, although Calpus and Pinus are not otherwise attested. The Marcii also claimed descent from Numa's grandson, Ancus Marcius, the fourth Roman king. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

Praenomina

The Pinarii of the early Republic used the praenomina Publius and Lucius . They are also thought to have used Mamercus , although no examples of this name as a praenomen amongst the Pinarii are found in ancient writers; however, the use of Mamercus or Mamercinus as a cognomen by the oldest family of the gens seems to prove that the praenomen was once used by the gens. In later times, some of the Pinarii bore the names Marcus and Titus .

Branches and cognomina

The only family of the Pinarii mentioned in the early days of the Republic bore the cognomen Mamercinus. Later, the surnames of Natta, Posca, Rusca, and Scarpus appear, but no members of these families obtained the consulship. Natta and Scarpus are the only cognomina that occur on coins. [1]

The family of the Pinarii Mamercini, all of whom bore the agnomen Rufus, meaning "red", derived their surname from the praenomen Mamercus, which must have been borne by an ancestor of the gens. In Greek authors, it is sometimes found as Mamertinus, apparently by analogy with the Mamertini, a group of Italian mercenaries. [16] [17]

Natta or Nacca, referring to a fuller, was the surname of an old and noble family of the Pinarii, which flourished from the fourth century BC into imperial times. Cicero mentions the family, and an ancient bronze statue of one of its members, which was struck by lightning in 65 BC. [18] [19] [20]

Members

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

Early Pinarii

Pinarii Mamercini

Pinarii Nattae

Others

The Pinarii are the focus of the novels Roma and Empire , by Steven Saylor. These novels follow the history of Rome, up to the reign of Hadrian, and concern the fortunes of the Potitii and Pinarii, through the passing down of a family heirloom. Most of the Pinarii depicted in the novels are fictional, though Saylor keeps to the known facts about the family.

Footnotes

  1. In some versions of the story, Claudius' blindness was a further punishment for inducing the Potitii to abandon their sacred duty. Although the traditional account is that the Potitii were utterly extinguished, leading some scholars to doubt their existence as a separate gens, at least one family of Potitii was known to Cicero, while another Potitius appears in an inscription dating to the early Empire.

See also

Related Research Articles

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The gens Tullia was a family at ancient Rome, with both patrician and plebeian branches. The first of this gens to obtain the consulship was Manius Tullius Longus in 500 BC, but the most illustrious of the family was Marcus Tullius Cicero, the statesman, orator, and scholar of the first century BC. The earliest of the Tullii who appear in history were patrician, but all of the Tullii mentioned in later times were plebeian, and some of them were descended from freedmen. The English form Tully, often found in older works, especially in reference to Cicero, is now considered antiquated.

Aemilia gens Ancient Roman patrician family

The gens Aemilia, originally written Aimilia, was one of the greatest patrician families at Rome. The gens was of great antiquity, and claimed descent from Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome. Its members held the highest offices of the state, from the early decades of the Republic to imperial times. The Aemilii were almost certainly one of the gentes maiores, the most important of the patrician families. Their name was associated with two major roads, an administrative region of Italy, and the Basilica Aemilia at Rome.

Licinia gens families from Ancient Rome who shared Licinius nomen

The gens Licinia was a celebrated plebeian family at Rome, which appears from the earliest days of the Republic until imperial times, and which eventually obtained the imperial dignity. The first of the gens to obtain the consulship was Gaius Licinius Calvus Stolo, who, as tribune of the plebs from 376 to 367 BC, prevented the election of any of the annual magistrates, until the patricians acquiesced to the passage of the lex Licinia Sextia, or Licinian Rogations. This law, named for Licinius and his colleague, Lucius Sextius, opened the consulship for the first time to the plebeians. Licinius himself was subsequently elected consul in 364 and 361 BC, and from this time, the Licinii became one of the most illustrious gentes in the Republic.

Junia gens Ancient Roman family

The gens Junia was one of the most celebrated families of ancient Rome. The gens may originally have been patrician, and 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.

Cornelia gens Families from Ancient Rome

The gens Cornelia was one of the greatest patrician houses at ancient Rome. For more than seven hundred years, from the early decades of the Republic to the third century AD, the Cornelii produced more eminent statesmen and generals than any other gens. At least seventy-five consuls under the Republic were members of this family, beginning with Servius Cornelius Maluginensis in 485 BC. Together with the Aemilii, Claudii, Fabii, Manlii, and Valerii, the Cornelii were almost certainly numbered among the gentes maiores, the most important and powerful families of Rome, who for centuries dominated the Republican magistracies. All of the major branches of the Cornelian gens were patrician, but there were also plebeian Cornelii, at least some of whom were descended from freedmen.

Calpurnia gens families from Ancient Rome who shared Calpurnius nomen

The gens Calpurnia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome, which first appears in history during the third century BC. The first of the gens to obtain the consulship was Gaius Calpurnius Piso in 180 BC, but from this time their consulships were very frequent, and the family of the Pisones became one of the most illustrious in the Roman state. Two important pieces of Republican legislation, the lex Calpurnia of 149 BC and lex Acilia Calpurnia of 67 BC were passed by members of the gens.

Caecilia (gens) families from Ancient Rome who shared Caecilius nomen

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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.

Memmia (gens) Families from Ancient Rome who shared the Memmius nomen

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Pomponia (gens) families from Ancient Rome who shared Pomponius nomen

The gens Pomponia was a plebeian family at Rome. Its members appear throughout the history of the Roman Republic, and into imperial times. The first of the gens to achieve prominence was Marcus Pomponius, tribune of the plebs in 449 BC; the first who obtained the consulship was Manius Pomponius Matho in 233 BC.

Lucretia (gens) families from Ancient Rome who shared Lucretius nomen

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The gens Cluvia was a plebeian family at Ancient Rome, known from the later Republic, and early imperial times. The first member of the gens to achieve prominence was Gaius Cluvius Saxula, praetor in 175 and 173 BC.

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The gens Rutilia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens appear in history beginning in the second century BC. The first to obtain the consulship was Publius Rutilius Rufus in 105 BC.

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Juventia (gens) families from Ancient Rome who shared Iuventius nomen

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The gens Pupia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are mentioned as early as 409 BC, when Publius Pupius was one of the first plebeian quaestors, but over the course of centuries they achieved little of significance, and rarely held any of the higher offices of the Roman state.

Lucius Pinarius Mamercinus was a consular tribune of the Roman republic in 432 BC.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, pp. 366, 367 ("Pinaria Gens").
  2. 1 2 Livy, i. 6, 7.
  3. Dionysius, i. 38-40.
  4. 1 2 Macrobius, iii. 6.
  5. Servius, viii. 268.
  6. Festus, p. 237, ed. Müller.
  7. Hartung, Die Religion der Römer, vol. ii., p. 30.
  8. Niebuhr, History of Rome, vol. i. p. 88.
  9. Göttling, Geschichte der Römische Staatsverfassung, p. 178.
  10. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. II, p. 940 ("Marcia Gens")
  11. Livy, i. 7, 20, 32.
  12. Plutarch, "The Life of Numa", 21.
  13. Grueber, Coins of the Roman Republic, ii. p. 311, no. 733; p. 361, no. 62.
  14. Chase, pp. 119, 128, 140, 141.
  15. Grant, Roman Myths, pp. 123, 139.
  16. Chase, p. 114.
  17. Cassell's Latin & English Dictionary, s. v. Rufus.
  18. Festus, s. v. Natta.
  19. Appuleius, Metamorphoses, ix. p. 636, ed. Ouden.
  20. Cicero, De Divinatione, i. 12, ii. 20, 21.
  21. Dionysius, iii. 67.
  22. Plutarch, "A Comparison of Lycurgus and Numa", 3.
  23. Livy, ii. 56.
  24. Dionysius, ix. 40.
  25. Diodorus Siculus, xi. 66.
  26. Macrobius, i. 13.
  27. Livy, iv. 25.
  28. Diodorus Siculus, xii. 60.
  29. Livy, vii. 3, 25.
  30. Tacitus, Annales, iv. 34.
  31. Horace, Satirae, i. 6. 124.
  32. Cicero, De Republica, ii. 60.
  33. Broughton, vol I, p. 64.
  34. Livy, xxiv. 37-39.
  35. Livy, xl. 18, 25, 34.
  36. 1 2 Broughton, vol. I, p. 387.
  37. Cicero, De Oratore, ii. 65.
  38. Cicero, De Oratore, ii. 66.
  39. 1 2 Suetonius, "The Life of Caesar", 83.
  40. 1 2 Appian, Bellum Civile, iii. 22, iv. 107.
  41. Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum, vi. 1. § 23, viii. 15, Epistulae ad Familiares, xii. 24, Epistulae ad Quintum Fratrem, iii. 1. § 6.
  42. Cassius Dio, li. 5, 9.
  43. Suetonius, "The Life of Augustus", 27.
  44. Alison E. Cooley, The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy (Cambridge: University Press, 2012), p. 468

Bibliography