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

B02 NOMEN; NOTM)EN.
were very numerous. These two namles, a prae- gentilicium; 3. cognomen priinum 4. cognomen
nomen and a nomen gentilicium or simply nomen, secundum or agnomen. Sometimes the name of
were indispensable to a Roman, and they were at the tribe to which a person belonged, was added
the same time sufficient to designate him; hence to his name, in the ablative case, as Q. Verres Rothe numerous instances of Romans being designated milia (Cic. c. Verr. i. 8), C. Claudius Palatina
only by these two names, even in cases where a (Cic. c. Verr. ii. 43), Ser. Sulpicius Lemonia (Cic.
third or fourth name was possessed by the person. Philip. ix. 7). No one was allowed to assume a
Plebeians, however, in many cases only possessed nomen gentilicium or a cognomen which did not
two names, as C. Marius, Q. Sertorius, Cn. Pom- belong to him, and he who did so was guilty of
peius, &c. The praenomen characterised a Roman falsum. (Dig. 48. tit. 11. s. 13.)
citizen as an individual, and gave him, as it were, It must have been in comparatively few cases
his caput [CAPUT] at the time when he received that persons had a fourth name or agnomen, but the
it. As women had not the full caput of men, they three others were, at least at a late period, when
only bore the feminine form of the nomen gentili- the plebeian aristocracy had become established,
cium, as Cornelia, Sempronia, Tullia, Terentia, thought indispensable to any one who claimed to
Porcia, &c. In later times, however, we find that belong to an ancient family. (Juvenal, v. 127.) In
women also sometimes had a praenomen, which the intercourse of common life, however, and espethey received when they married, and which was cially among fiiends and relatives, it was custhe feminine form of the praenomen of their hus- tomary to address one another only by the praebands; such as Caia, Lucia, Publia. (Scaevol. ap. nomen or cognomen, as may be seen in the letters
Voal. letax. 1. c.) Caia Caecilia, the wife of L. of Cicero. It was but very seldom that persons
Tarquinius, if the name be historical, is an excep- were addressed by their nomien gentiliciunm. The
tion to this rule. (Val. Max. 1. c.; see Cic. pIo most common mode of stating the name of a perAlluren. 12.) WVhen Macrobius (I. c.) states that son in cases where legal accuracy was not the obgirls received their name (hle evidently means the ject, was that of mentioning the praenomen and
praenomen) on the eighth day after their birth, he cognomen, with the omission of the nomen gentilialludes, as in the case of boys receiving theirs on ciunm, which was easily understood. Thus Caius
the ninth day, to alln innovation of later times, and Julius Caesar would during the better ages of the
among the female praenomina given at such an republic and in familiar address be called Caius,
early age we may reckon Prima, Secunlda, Tertia, otherwise Caius Caesar, or even Caius Julius, but
Quarta, Postunma, &c. (Varro, de Ling. Lat. ix. never Julius Caesar, which was only done during
60; Suet. Caes. 50; Capitol. ~AlcX. et Balb. 5.) the latter period of the republic and under the ellVestal Virgins, at the appointment to their priest- pire, as in Albius Tibullus, Cornelius Nepos, Mehood (cacptio), when they left the patria potestas, nenius Agrippa, &c. A very common mode of
received, like married women, a praenomen, e.g. stating the name of a person during these latter
Caia Tarratia, or Caia Suffetia. (Plin. H, N. times, was that of merely mentioning the cognoxxxiv. 11.) men, provided the person bearing it was sufficientlv
Every Roman citizen, besides belonging to a known or notorious, as we speak of.Milton and
gens, was also a member of a familia, contained in Johnson, without adding any other distinction,
a gens, and, as a member of such a familia, he had although there are many persons bearing the saimet
or might have a third name or cognomen. Such namle. The most common of these cases among
cognomina were derived by the Romans from a the Romans are Verres, Carbo, Cato, Caepio,
variety of mental or bodily peculiarities, or from Cicero, Caesar, Stlla, &c. In the time of Augussome remarkable event in the life of the person tus and Tiberius it became very common to invert
who was considered as the founder of the familia. the ancient order of riomen and cognomen, and to
Such cognomina are, Asper, Imperiosus, Magnus, say, e p.. Drusus Clautdius, or Silvanus Plautius,
Maximus, Publicola, Brutus, Capito, Cato, Naso, instead of Claudius Drusun and Plautius Silvanus.
Labeo, Caecus, Cicero, Scipio, Sulla, Torquatus, (Vell. Pat. ii. 97, 112.)
&c. These names were in most cases hereditary, Roman women had likewise sometimes a cognoand descended to the latest members of a familia; men, although instances of it are very rare. It
in some cases they ceased with the death of the was sometimes, like that of men, derived from perperson to whom they were given for special rea- sonal peculiarities, such as Rufa and Pusilla
sons. Many Romans had a second cognomen (Horat. Sat. ii. 3. 216); sometimes from the nomen
(cognomlen secunclzen or aqnownzeo), which was given gentilicimitl of their husbands, as Junia Claudilla,
to them as an honorary distinction, and in comme- Ennia Naevia (Suet. Cati.U. 12), Livia Ocellina
moration of some memorable deed or event of their (Suet. tGalb. 3), and sometimes from the cognomen
life, e.g. Africanus, Asiaticus, Hispallus, Cretensis, of their husbands, as Caecilia Metella.
Macedonicus, Numnantianus, &c. Such agnomina During the latter part of the republic, and the
were sometimes given by one general to another, early period of the empire, when the Roman fransometimes by the army and confirmed by the chise was given to whole countries and provinces,
chief-general, sometimes by the people in the co- the persons who thus acquired the civitas fremitia, and sometimes they were assumed by the quently adopted the praenomen and nomen of the
person himself, as in the case of L. Cornelius Scipio person through whose interest they had obtained
Asiaticus. Sometimes also a person adopted a the distinction, or of the emperor himself. After
second cognomen which was derived from the name the time of Caracalla (A. D. 212), when all the free
of his mother, as M. Porcius Cato Salomnianus or inhabitants of the empire had obtained the Roman
Saloninus, who was the son of M. Cato Censorius franchise, aid when the gentilician relations which
and of Salonia. (Gellius, xiii. 19; Plunt. Cet.:.1'j. had already gradually fallen into oblivion were
24.) totally forgotten, any person might adopt what
The regular order in which these names followed name he pleased, either ancient or newly invented,
one another was this:- 1. praenomen; 2. nomen and even change his hame, if he did not like