Julii / Caesares

**Al Khalifah** · 04-26-2005, 14:58

In which case, why are the Brutii and Scipii named for their cognomia. The system is inconsistent and I assumed that whatever they did the majority of the time would be correct.

**Franconicus** · 04-26-2005, 15:08

I think I have the answer now.

The name of the family was Julii. Old noble Roman family. They claim to descent from Jullus, the son of the Trojan prince Aneas. Aneas himself was a son of the goodness Venus. When Cesar was born, the Julii were noble but poor with not much political influence.

**Brutus** · 04-26-2005, 15:18

I think that Al Khalifa means that the Brutii should be called the Junii and the Scipii should be called the Cornelii if the naming system were to be correct. Right?

**Franconicus** · 04-26-2005, 15:28

Originally Posted by Al Khalifah

In which case, why are the Brutii and Scipii named for their cognomia. The system is inconsistent and I assumed that whatever they did the majority of the time would be correct.

Very interesting!!

This is what I found:

The male Roman had three names:

praenomina (kind of Christian name)
There were only 19 different available. Some of them were only used by one family. From the 5th son they took the number (Quintus = 5th, Sixtus...)

nomen gentile (this is the name of his father's family)

cognomina (this name is individual, too, due to some properties of the child)
Later, the cognomia stood for the stirps.

Sometimes there were agnomen; Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (=the winner in Africa)

**Brutus** · 04-26-2005, 15:34

Originally Posted by Franconicus

Very interesting!!

This is what I found:

The male Roman had three names:

praenomina (kind of Christian name)
There were only 19 different available. Some of them were only used by one family. From the 5th son they took the number (Quintus = 5th, Sixtus...)

nomen gentile (this is the name of his father's family)

cognomina (this name is individual, too, due to some properties of the child)
Later, the cognomia stood for the stirps.

Sometimes there were agnomen; Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (=the winner in Africa)

Nice work! Didn't know that about the praenomina. Just giving your child a number sounds nice...

**Craterus** · 04-26-2005, 15:42

praenomina (kind of Christian name)
There were only 19 different available. Some of them were only used by one family. From the 5th son they took the number (Quintus = 5th, Sixtus...)

Only 19 available? Not much choice then..