Septimia gens

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The gens Septimia was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. The gens first appears in history towards the close of the Republic, and they did not achieve much importance until the latter half of the second century, when Lucius Septimius Severus obtained the imperial dignity. [1]

Contents

Origin

The nomen Septimius is a patronymic surname, derived from the rare Latin praenomen Septimus , originally given to a seventh child or seventh son, or to a child born in September, originally the seventh month of the Roman calendar. [2] [3] Several other gentes obtained their nomina in this way, including the Quinctii from Quintus , the Sextii from Sextus , and the Octavii from Octavius . [2]

Praenomina

The chief praenomina of the Septimii were Publius , Lucius , Gaius , and Titus . There are a few instances of other names, including Aulus , Marcus , and Quintus. The ancestor of the family must have been named Septimus, although none of the members who are known to history bore this praenomen.

Branches and cognomina

The Septimii of the Republic were not clearly divided into separate families. A number of surnames are found at various periods, of which the most notable are Severus, meaning "stern, serious, severe," Aper, a wild boar, and Geta, referring to one of the Getae, a Thracian people. [4] [5] All three cognomina were associated with the imperial family. They were of equestrian rank, and had probably lived in Leptis Magna for some time, for Statius addressed one of his poems to a certain Septimius Severus of that city. [6] [7]

Members

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

Septimii Apri, Severi et Getae

See also

Notes

  1. The Historia Augusta calls him the emperor's patruus, his paternal uncle.

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References

  1. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, p. 784 ("Septimia Gens").
  2. 1 2 Chase, pp. 150, 151.
  3. Petersen, pp. 347, 348.
  4. Chase, pp. 111, 114.
  5. Cassell's Latin and English Dictionary, s.v. severus.
  6. 1 2 Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, p. 806 ("L. Septimius Severus").
  7. 1 2 Statius, Silvae, iv. 5, praefatio.
  8. Pliny the Elder, Historia Naturalis, xxxiv. 8. s. 19. § 35.
  9. Cicero, In Verrem, Act. i. 13, Pro Cluentio, 41.
  10. Sallust, The Conspiracy of Catiline, 27.
  11. Cassius Dio, xlii. 3, 4, 38.
  12. Caesar, De Bello Civili, iii. 104.
  13. Plutarch, "The Life of Pompeius", 78.
  14. Appian, Bellum Civile, ii. 84.
  15. Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum, ii. 24.
  16. Cicero, Pro Flacco, 4, 35.
  17. Cicero, Post Reditum in Senatu, 9, Epistulae ad Atticum, xii. 13, 14.
  18. Varro, De Lingua Latina, v. 1, vii. 109, ed. Müller.
  19. Vitruvius, De Architectura]], vii. praefatio, p. 194, ed. Bipontina.
  20. Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum, xiv. 11.
  21. Appian, Bellum Civile, iv. 23.
  22. Horace, Carmen Saeculare, ii. 6, Epistulae, i. 9.
  23. Suetonius, "The Life of Horatius".
  24. Tacitus, Annales, i. 32.
  25. Plutarch, "The Life of Galba", 14.
  26. Terentianus, p. 2427 (ed. Putschius).
  27. Servius, Ad Virgilii Aeneidem, ii. 15.
  28. Jerome, "Epistula ad Paulinum", 7.
  29. Sidonius Apollinaris, "Epistula ad Polem. Carm. ix. ad Fel."
  30. Wernsdorf, Poëtae Latini Minores, vol. ii, pp. 247, 279.
  31. Anthologia Latina, i. 27, iii. 57, 191, 192 (ed. Meyer).
  32. Bastianini, "Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto", p. 277.
  33. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. I, pp. 1002–1004 ("Dictys Cretensis").
  34. CIL VI, 2099.
  35. Lampridius, "The Life of Alexander Severus", 17, 48.
  36. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, pp. 1006–1012 ("Tertullianus").
  37. Birley, Septimius Severus, pp. 218 ff.
  38. Birley, Septimius Severus, Appendix B, No. 23.
  39. Reynolds & Ward-Perkins, Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania, 412.
  40. Birley, Septimius Severus, Appendix B, No. 26.
  41. Birley, Septimius Severus, Appendix B, No. 16.
  42. Aelius Spartianus, Septimius Severus, 1.
  43. Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, viii. 19493.
  44. Birley, Septimius Severus, Appendix B, No. 20.
  45. PIR, S. 328.
  46. 1 2 Birley, p. 214.
  47. CIL II, 2008.
  48. Birley, Septimius Severus, Appendix B, No. 15.
  49. PIR, S. 319.
  50. Birley, Septimius Severus, Appendix B, No. 25.
  51. Cassius Dio, lxxiv–lxxvi.
  52. Herodian, ii–iii.
  53. Spartianus, "The Life of Septimius Severus".
  54. Eutropius, viii.
  55. Aurelius Victor, De Caesaribus, xx.
  56. Orosius, vii. 17.
  57. Birley, Septimius Severus, Appendix B, No. 21.
  58. PIR, S. 326.
  59. CIL VI, 31648.
  60. Birley, Septimius Severus, Appendix B, Nos. 8, 9, 17.
  61. Spartianus, "The Life of Caracalla", 3.
  62. PIR, S. 311.
  63. Spartianus, "The Life of Caracalla".
  64. Spartianus, "The Life of Geta".
  65. PLRE, vol. I, p. 157.

Bibliography