Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
[Footnote 51: When Plutarch wrote, the system of naming persons among
the Romans had undergone some changes, or at least the old fashion was
not strictly observed, and this will explain his remark at the end of
the chapter. A Roman had usually three names, as Caius Julius Cæsar.
The first name, which was called the Prænomen, denoted the individual:
the most common names of this class were Quintus, Caius, Marcus,
Lucius, and so on. The second name denoted the gens, and was called
the Gentile name, as Cornelius, Julius, Licinius, Mucius, Sempronius,
and so on. The same gens often contained different families; thus
there were Licinii Crassi, Licinii Luculli, and so on. This third name
was called the Cognomen, and was given to the founder of the family or
to some member of the gens in respect of some personal peculiarity or
other accidental circumstance, as Scipio, Cicero, Crassus, Lucullus,
Gracchus. A fourth name, or Agnomen, was sometimes added, as in the
case of Publius Cornelius Scipio, the elder, who received the name of
Africanus from his conquest of Africa. This agnomen might be the third
name, when there was no cognomen, as in the case of Lucius Mummius,
who received the name of Achaicus because he overthrew the Achæan
League in that war, of which the concluding event was the destruction
of Corinth, which belonged to the League. Poseidonius means that the
prænomen (Quintus, Marcus, &c.) was more used in speaking of or to an
individual; but in Plutarch's time the cognomen or agnomen was most
used. We speak of the three Cæsars, Vespasianus and his two sons Titus
and Domitianus, yet the gentile name of all of them was Flavius. The
complete names of the first two were Titus Flavius Vespasianus, and of
the third Titus Flavius Domitianus.
Women had usually one name, derived from their gens; thus all the
women of the Cornelii, Julii, Licinii, were called Cornelia, Julia,
Licinia; and if there were several daughters in a family, they were
distinguished by the names First, Second, and so on. If there were two
daughters only, they were called respectively Major and Minor. Sulla
called one of his daughters Fausta. (See Cicero, _Ad Div._ viii. 7,
Paula Valeria; and the note of P. Manutius.)]
[Footnote 52: Some understand the word ([Greek: eikon] εἰκών) to mean
a bust here. The word is used in both senses, and also to signify a
picture. When the statue of Tiberius Gracchus the father is spoken of
(Caius Gracchus, c. 10), Plutarch uses a different word ([Greek:
andrias] ὰνδρίας). Plutarch speaks of Ravenna as in Gaul, which he
calls Galatia; but though Ravenna was within the limits of Cisalpine
Gaul, the name of Italy had been extended to the whole Peninsula south
of the Alps about B.C. 44.]
[Footnote 53: Literally "shows:" they might be plays or they might be
other amusements.]
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