Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

NOMEN. NOMEN. 801I
The Sabines, from the earliest times down to others. When, therefore, Varro and Appian say
the end of their existence, had two names (Val. that the earliest Romans had only one name, they
MIax. de Nomineun Ratione), one indicating the were probably thinking of the Latins. There ocindividual as such (praenonzes), e.g. A lbus, Volesus, cur, indeed, even at an early period, Latins with
Pompus (Val. Max. I.c.), Talus (Fest. s.v.), Caius, two names, such as Geminus Metius, Metills
Titus, Quintus, Appius, &c., and the second the Suffetius, Vitrivius Vaccus, Turnus Hierdonius,
gens to which the individual belonged, which ter- &c.; but these names seem to be either two
minated like the Roman nomina gentilicia in ius or nomina gentilicia, or one a nomen gentilicium alnd
cius, e. g. Tatius, Pompilius, Claudius, &c. It is the other a cognomen, and the Latins do not apmoreover a feature peculiar to the Sabines that a pear to have had genuine praenomina such as
person sometimes, instead of a praenomen and a occur among the Sabines and afterwards among
nomen gentilicium, had two nomina gentilicia, one the Romans.
indicating the gens of his fiather and the other that The Etruscans in the Roman historians generally
of his mother. The latter sometimes preceded and bear only one name, as Porsenna, Spurinali, whicht
sometimes followed the former. This custom is apparently confirms the opinion of Varro; but on
clear from Livy (xxxix. 13, 17), who mentions a many urns in the tombs of Etruria such names
Campanial (Sabine) woman, Paculla Minia, who terminating in zac are frequently preceded by a
was married to a man who bore the name of Cer- praenomen. Miiller (Etraslk. i. p. 413, &c.), and
rinius from his gens, and one of the sons of these GOttling (1. c. p. 31)u who followts him, are of
parents was called Minius Cerrinius. Another opinion that no Etruscan ever bore a nomen gentiinstance is the name of the Sabine angur Attius liciurm, and that the names terminating in nen rtl'm
Navius, where, according to Dionysius (iii. p. 70), mere cognomina or agnomina. Niebulhr (list. of
Attius is the ovo'pa ovwyyeervTscd'v. Dionysius, Rone, i. p. 381, note 922, and p. 500, note 1107),
however, must be mistaken in making Navins an on the other hand, thinks, and with more probaUiO/Aa 7rpoo'vyopiLtcsv, if he meant this to be the bility, that the Etruscan na corresponds to the
same as the Ronman praenomnen, which the name Sabine and Roman ies, and that accordingly such
Navius never was. In all probability therefore names as Porsenna, Spurinna, Caecina, Perperna,
both Attius and Navius are nomina gentilicia. A Vibenna, Ergenna, Mastarna, &c. are real nonlina -
third instance seems to be Minatius Magiuis (Vell. gentilicia.
Pat. ii. 16), the son of Decius Magins. This prac- From this comparison of the three original tribes,
tice must have been very common amnong the Sl- it is clear that when the Romans became united
bines, for in most cases in which the two names of into one nationl, they chiefly followed the custoni
a person have come down to us, both have the ter- of the Sabines, and:perhaps that of the Latins.
rination ics, as Marius Egnatius, 1Herius Asinius (Val. Max. 1. c.) Originally every Roman citizen
(Appian. B. C. i. 40), Statius Gellius (Liv. ix. 44), belonged to a gens, and derived his name (noviles
Ofilius Calavius. A more complete list of such or nomze geetiliciucns) from his gens. This unlenie
Sabine names is given by Gbttling (Gesc/l. d. lRl;m. gentiliciulls generally terminated in ins, or with a
Staatsr. p. 6. note 3), who supposes that a son bore preceding e, i eicus, which in later times was oftel
the two iomina gentilicia of his father and mother changed into actrs, as Annins, Anneius, and Anonly as long as he was unmarried, and that at his naeus; Appuleius and Appulaeus. Nomina gernlmarriage he only retained the nomen gentiliciuum of tilicia terminating in ilius or elius, sometimes
his fatller, and, instead of that of his mother, took change their termination into the dilminutive illus
that of his wife. Of this, however, there is not and ells, as Opillus, Ilostillus, Quintillus, and
sufflicient evidence. Thus much is certain, that the Ofellus, instead of Opilius, Hostilius, Quilltilius,
Sabines at all times had two names, one a real and Ofelius. (Horat. S&t. ii. 2. 3, et passim.) Besidce
praenomen, or a nomen gentilicium serving as a this nomen gentilicium every Roman had a name,
praenomen, and the second a real nlomen gentili- called praenomen, which preceded the nomen gencium, derived from the gens of the fatther. The tilicium, and which was peculiar to him as an in.
Sabine women bore, as we have seen in the case of dividual, e. g. Caius, Lucii.e, Marcus, Cneius, SexPavculla Minia, likewise two names, c. g. Vestia tus, &c. In early times this name was given to
Oppia, Faucula Cluvia (Liv. xxvi. 33), but whether boys when they attained the age of pubertas, that
in case they both terminate in ia they are nomina is, at the age of fourteen, or, according to others,
gentilicia, and whether the one, as Gttling, thinks, at the age of seventeen (Gellius, x., 28), when
is derived from the gens of the woman's father, they received the toga virilis. (Fest. s. v. Ptubes;
and the other from that of her husbauld, cannot be Scaevola ap. Val. lize. 1. c.) At a later time it
decided. Many Sabines also appear to have had a was customary to give to boys a praenomen on the
cognomen, besides their praenomen and nomen ninth day after their birth, and to girls on the
gentilicium; but wherever this occurs, the prae- eighth day. This solemnity was preceded by a
nomen is generally omitted, e. g. Herennius Bassus lustratio of the child, whence the day was called
(Liv. xxiii. 43), Calavius Perolla (Liv. xxxiii. 8), clies lustricus, dies inosinurmz, or lominalia. (Macrob.
Vettius Cato (Appian. B. C. i. 40), Insteius Cato, Sat. i. 16; Tertull. de Idolol. 6.) The praenomen
Popaedius Silo, Papius Mutilus (Vell. Pat. ii. 16). given to a boy was in most cases that of the father,
Such a cognomen must, as among the Romnans, but sometimes that of the grandfather or greathave distinguished the several familiae contained grandfather. Ience we frequently meet with inin one gemis. stances like M. Tullius, M. F., that is, Marcus
The Latins in the earliest times had generally Tullius, Marci filius, or C. Octavius, C. F., C. N.,
only one name, as is seen in the instances adduced C. P., that is, Caius Octavius, Caii filius, Caii nepos,
by Varro (alp. Val. Axlc. 1. c.), Romulus, Remius, Caii pronepos. Sometimes, however, the pracnomlen
Faustulas, to which we may add the names of the was given without any reference to father or grandkings of the Aborigines (Latins), Latinus, Ascanius, fsther, &c. There existed, according to Varro,
Capetus, Capys, Procas, Numitor, Amulius, and about thirty'praenomina, while nomina gentilicia
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