Vipsania gens

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Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa approves the construction of the Aqua Virgo. Relief Agrippa fontana di Trevi Roma.jpg
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa approves the construction of the Aqua Virgo.

The gens Vipsania or Vipsana was an obscure plebeian family of equestrian rank at ancient Rome. Few members of this gens appear in history, although a number are known from inscriptions. By far the most illustrious of the family was Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, a close friend and adviser of Augustus, whom the emperor intended to make his heir. After Agrippa died, Augustus adopted his friend's sons, each of whom was considered a possible heir to the Empire, but when each of them died or proved unsuitable, Augustus chose another heir, the future emperor Tiberius. [1]

Contents

Origin

The Vipsanii are not mentioned in history until the very end of the Republic. Their nomen, Vipsanius, resembles other gentilicia ending in -anius, which were typically derived from place names or cognomina ending in -anus. Several inscriptions give the name as Vipsanus, perhaps the original form of the nomen. According to some scholars, the gens Vipsania was originally from Pisae in Etruria. [2] [3]

Praenomina

The only praenomina associated with the main family of the Vipsanii were Lucius and Marcus , two of the most common names throughout Roman history. Vipsanii named Gaius , Publius , Quintus , Sextus , and Titus are known from inscriptions and coins. [4]

Branches and cognomina

Only one distinct family of the Vipsanii appears in history, with the cognomen Agrippa. This was originally a praenomen, used by a few families of the early Republic, including the patrician Furii and Menenii, but by the end of the Republic it seems to have been used exclusively as a cognomen. Its origin and meaning were obscure even in antiquity; the most familiar explanation was that it was one of many praenomina derived from the circumstances of childbirth, and referred to a child delivered feet-first. [lower-roman 1] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Members

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

Vipsanii Agrippae

Vipsanii from inscriptions

Undated Vipsanii

See also

Notes

  1. This is the explanation given by Pliny, and followed by a number of other ancient authors. Modern scholars are skeptical of this explanation; Chase suggests that the name was borrowed from Greek, and was a compound name based on αγρός and ἵππος, thus making the definition something like "field horse". The Romans then adapted it to resemble their own names. However, in this case one would expect the Latin form to be Agrippus, and while the Romans did occasionally use surnames of Greek origin, the earliest examples seem to date to the fourth century BC; and Agrippa would be unique as a praenomen of Greek origin.
  2. The exact name and identity of this individual subject to controversy. [12] Marcus Agrippa personally disliked being referred to by his obscure nomen gentilicium Vipsanius and avoided its use. It would also have been odd to mention him without including his best well known name Agrippa . Donatus' Vita 44 says M. Vipranius, but it is widely assumed to be a corruption in the text, and is nearly always corrected to Vipsanius. [13] The name Vipranius is otherwise unattested. [14] [13] [15]
    Harry Jocelyn disagreed with majority opinion, and asserted that the original is correct. [16] Oliver Lyne agreed with Jocelyn's article, underscoring that the individual's name should not be amended to "Vipsanius", nor should he be identified with Agrippa. [17] P. T. Eden disagreed with Jocelyn that the name should not be amended, but held that it was unlikely that Agrippa would have expressed himself with such technical terms (worthy of Quintilian) on poetry, and that if it was actually Agrippa, then he probably derived his opinion from Quintus Caecilius Epirota, who was the first to lecture on Vergil. [13]
    Nicholas Horsfall has pointed out that Agrippa is not the only Vipsanius with whom it is possible to identify the critic. For example, an otherwise unknown grammarian Vipsanius is mentioned by Isidore of Seville; but Horsfall emphasizes, in contrast to Eden, that Agrippa was not an unlettered man. On the other hand, he notes that Agrippa probably would not jeer at Vergil for having been enfranchised by Maecenas, since he himself was elevated from an obscure family, and would be unlikely to draw attention to it by this kind of comment. [18] Gian Biagio Conte shares Horsfall's opinion, and regards an identification with the grammarian as possible. [19] Peter White also opined that this Vipsanius should probably not be assumed to be the general Agrippa, but perhaps instead with the grammarian, as the general disliked using his nomen. [20]
  3. The name Postumus, originally a praenomen, like Agrippa, is derived from the adjective postremus, last or hindmost, and was originally given to last-born children; but by confusion with post humus, after burial, came to be applied to children born after their fathers' death. Since the two meanings often coincided, the distinction in this case may be academic, but in this instance the name seems to have been given because Marcus was born after his father's death.

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  98. AE 2006, 235.
  99. CIL X, 7101.
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  105. CIL IX, 3407.
  106. 1 2 3 CIL IX, 3040.
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  142. CIL VI, 28997.
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  146. CIL VI, 26880.
  147. CIL VI, 8877.
  148. CIL XV, 7678.
  149. CIL VI, 29001.
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  151. CIL VIII, 19064.
  152. 1 2 CIL VI, 36667.
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  156. CIL VI, 36556.
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  163. CIL XIV, 3434.
  164. CIL VI, 35116.
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Bibliography