These images were merely the busts of persons down to the shoulders, made of wax, and painted, which they used to place in the courts of their houses, enclosed in wooden cases, and seem not to have brought out, except on solemn occasions. There were titles or inscriptions written below them, pointing out the honors they had enjoyed, and the exploits they had performed. Anciently, this right of images was peculiar to the Patricians; but afterwards, the Plebeians also acquired it, when admitted to curule offices. Those who were the first of their family, that had raised themselves to any curule office, were called _homines novi_, new men or upstarts. Those who had no images of themselves, or of their ancestors, were called _ignobiles_. Those who favored the interests of the Senate were called optimates, and sometimes procĕres or principes. Those who studied to gain the favor of the multitude, were called populares, of whatever order they were. This was a division of factions, and not of rank or dignity. The contests between these two parties, excited the greatest commotions in the state, which finally terminated in the extinction of liberty. CHAPTER IV. _Gentes and Familiæ; Names of the Romans, &c._ The Romans were divided into various clans, (gentes,) and each clan into several families. Those of the same gens were called gentiles, and those of the same family, agnati. But relations by the father's side were also called agnati, to distinguish them from cognati, relations only by the mother's side. The Romans had three names, to mark the different clans and families, and distinguish the individuals of the same family--the prænomen, nomen and cognomen. The prænomen was put first, and marked the individual. It was commonly written with one letter; as A. for Aulus: C. for Caius--sometimes with two; as Ap. for Appius. The nomen was put after the prænomen, to mark the gens, and commonly ended in ius; as Cornelius, Fabius. The cognomen was put last, and marked the family; as Cicero, Cæsar. Sometimes there was also a fourth name, called the agnomen, added from some illustrious action, or remarkable event. Thus, Scipio was called Africanus, from the conquest of Carthage and Africa: for a similar reason, his brother was called Asiaticus. These names were not always used; commonly two, and sometimes only the sirname. But in speaking to any one, the prænomen was generally used as being peculiar to citizens, for slaves had no prænomen. The sirnames were derived from various circumstances, either from some quality of the mind; as Cato, from catus, wise: or from the habit of the body; as Calvus, Crassus, &c.: or from cultivating particular fruits; as Lentulus, Piso, &c. Quintus Cincinnatus was called Serranus, because the ambassadors from the senate found him sowing, when they brought him word that he was made dictator.