NAMES OF PERSONS
[*] 108. A Roman had regularly three names:—(1) the praenōmen , or personal name; (2) the nōmen , or name of the gēns or house; (3) the cōgnōmen , or family name:— Thus in Mārcus Tullius Cicerō we have—- Mārcus, the praenōmen , like our Christian or given name;
- Tullius , the nōmen , properly an adjective denoting of the Tullian gēns (or house) whose original head was a real or supposed Tullus;
- Cicerō, the cōgnōmen , or family name, often in origin a nickname,—in this case from cicer, a vetch, or small pea.
[*] Note.--When two persons of the same family are mentioned together, the cōgnōmen is usually put in the plural: as, Pūblius et Servius Sullae .
[*] a. A fourth or fifth name was sometimes given as a mark of honor or distinction, or to show adoption from another gēns. Thus the complete name of Scipio the Younger was Pūblius Cornēlius Scīpiō Āfricānus Aemiliānus : Āfricānus , from his exploits in Africa; Aemiliānus , as adopted from the Æmilian gēns. 1[*] Note.--The Romans of the classical period had no separate name for these additions, but later grammarians invented the word āgnōmen to express them.
[*] b. Women had commonly in classical times no personal names, but were known only by the nōmen of their gēns. Thus, the wife of Cicero was Terentia , and his daughter Tullia . A second daughter would have been called Tullia secunda or minor, a third daughter, Tullia tertia , and so on. [*] c. The commonest prænomens are thus abbreviated:—A. Aulus . | L. Lūcius. | Q. Quīntus . |
App. (Ap.) Appius . | M. Mārcus. | Ser. Servius . |
C. (G.) Gāius (Caius) (cf. § 1. a). | M'. Mānius . | Sex. (S.) Sextus . |
Cn. (Gn.) Gnaeus (Cneius). | Mām . Māmercus . | Sp. Spurius . |
D. Decimus . | N. ( Num .) Numerius | T. Titus. |
K. Kaesō (Caeso). | P. Pūblius . | Ti. (Tib.) Tiberius . |