What is a gens?

A gens is a group of families sharing a common nomen: for example, M. Cornelius Gualterus Graecus, Cn. Cornelius Lentulus, and Ti. Cornelius Scipio are all Cornelii, or members of the gens Cornelia.

Membership of a gens is hereditary: a Roman child is in the gens of his or her father. Some ancient gentes claimed that all their members were descended from a common ancestor, but this was perhaps never true; in any case it was not true by the middle of the ancient republic, and is certainly not true today.

Nonetheless, in ancient times many noble gentes maintained close internal ties of kinship and support, and members of the same gens were often political allies. Many gentes also had shared religious traditions (sacra gentilicia), and it was socially unacceptable for members of the same gens to marry.

• List of Nova Roman gentes

Branches (domús)

A gens is further divided to branches (stirpes) which are in Nova Roma - mistakenly - called domús. A domus (or more correctly: stirps) includes all members of the gens who share the same nomen-cognomen combination: for example, Cn. Cornelius Lentulus Maior, Cn. Cornelius Lentulus, and L. Cornelia Lentula are all Cornelii Lentuli, or members of the domus Cornelia Lentula. Members of the same domus are officially considered real blood relatives by Nova Roma, brothers, close or distant paternal cousins. A new citizen who wants to take the nomen-cognomen combination of an already existing domus, can only do so if a majority vote of the members of the domus allows him to take the name of the domus, and acknowledges him as a real relative. Membership of a domus is hereditary: a Roman child is in the domus of his father.

Families

The domús are divided to families, headed by a pater familias (father) or a mater familias (mother) who act as the leaders of the family and speak for it when necessary. The holders of this position must be registered as such with the censors. The pater familias or mater familias may, at his, her, or their discretion, expel members of his, her, or their family, accept new members into it by adoption, or allow members to form new Nova Roman families belonging to the same order (patrician or plebeian)

Families are the basic operating units of Nova Roman society, each family having the sacred and inalienable right to self-government, to their own identity and cultural family traditions, religious or otherwise.

Families being the backbone of Roman society, the prerogatives and responsibilities of the familia are of primary importance to Nova Roma. Each family has the right to determine its own course of action and parents shall have the undisputed right and responsibility to see to the education and raising of their children.

For a description of historically attested gentes of ancient Rome, see the page on Gens.

Unhistorical Gentes of Nova Roma

In addition to the historically attested gentes of ancient Rome, Nova Rom has seen a series of unattested or unverified nomen names. This list is not exhaustive. Provided information on any historical links may not be verified. Authentic historical names may be classified as unattested or unhistorical if they did not fall within or clsoe to the Republic period.

Apollonia

Probably a nomen of greek origin. The Apolloni attested in the Smith' Dictionary were artists, medici, etc.

We can not be sure if there was a Roman gens Apollonia during the old republic. A number of Apollonii, and one Apollonia, are attested in inscriptions dating from republican times, even going back to before the Hannibalic War, but it's insecure if they were Roman citizens. The name appears to derive from the Greek name Apollonios. Many of the inscriptions may record slaves rather than citizens. The only ancient republican Apollonius who we can be confident was probably a Roman citizen, or at least an important Italian aristocrat, is T. Apollonius C. f..

Among the modern Apollonii the praenomina Marcus, Tiberius, Servius, Aulus, and Sextus are commonly used. The praenomina Decimus, Gnaeus, Manius, Appius, and Vibius are never used by members of the gens.

Adriana

Unhistorical gens created in Fl. Vedio (II) M. Cassio (II) cos. ‡ MMDCCLIV a.u.c. by Marianus Adrianus Sarus, citizen of Provincia Hispania when he joined Nova Roma.

Aeteia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested.

Aeternia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested.

Agoria

Gens Agoria was revived as a Gens name available to citizens of Nova Roma in 2002 by Galus Agorius Taurinus. While researching details of the historical struggle between Christianity and Roman Pagans, he came across a reference to Praetextatus in Pierre Chuvin's book "A Chronicle of the Last Pagans".

GENS AGORIA is a Gens of Nova Roma named after Vettius Agorius Praetextatus, an important fourth-century Roman imperial official and "leader of the pagans in the Senate, a devout adherent of traditional religion". Praetextatus was proconsul of Achaea in 362 under the philhellenic pagan Emperor Julian the 'Apostate', a particular honour. Praetextatus was prefect of Rome in 367 under the Emperor Valentinian, when Christian factions were disputing the papacy. During this period he restored the Portico of the Twelve Gods with its statues in the Roman Forum. He was prefect of the Praetorian guard when he died in 384, and consul elect for 385, the year of his wife's death.

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/museums/Museo_Nazionale_Romano/Palazzo_Altemps/inscriptions/Vettius_Praetextatus.html

Ambrosia

The name Ambrosius is derived from the Greek name Αμβροσιος (Ambrosios) meaning "immortal." It was a common Roman cognomen. St. Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan (c340-397) was born at Trier, where his father Aurelius Ambrosius was Praefectus of Gallia Narbonensis.

As a nomen, Ambrosius is documented in the Late Empire. Ambrosius Theodosius Macrobius was a Roman grammarian and Neoplatonic philosopher who flourished during the reigns of Honorius and Arcadius (395-423). As usual for this period, his praenomen is not known. He tells us that that Latin was to him a foreign tongue, but no evidence about his origin survives. He is variously thought to have been Greek or African. He might have been the Macrobius who was mentioned in the Codex Theodosianus as a praetorian prefect of Spain in 399-400, proconsul of Africa in 410, and lord chamberlain in 422. His Saturnalia is a dialogue in seven books. It is chiefly a literary evaluation of Vergil. Macrobius also wrote a commentary on Cicero's Dream of Scipio, which was popular in the Middle Ages and influenced Chaucer. Macrobius was among the first to hold the idea of a spherical earth.

Ambrosius Aurelianus (fl. 440), called the "Last of the Romans", led the Romans in Britain following the withdrawal of the legions in 410. He gave his name to Amesbury in Wiltshire. According to Gildas, Ambrosius was "courageous, faithful, valiant and true; a man of Roman birth who had alone survived the conflict, his parents, who had worn the purple, having perished in the struggle; his descendants, greatly degenerated in these days from the excellence of their grandfather, still provoke their conquerors [the Saxons] to battle, and by the grace of God their prayers for victory are heard."^[1] According to Bede, Ambrosius came to power in 479.^[2] Fragments of his life were preserved in the Historia Britonum.^[3] In Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudo-history, he is incorrectly called Aurelius Ambrosius and said, controversially, to have been a son of Constantine III, who was elected Emperor of Britannia, Gaul and Hispania in the reign of [Honorius].^[4] Ambrosius' history became entangled with, and obscured by, the legend of King Arthur, his supposed nephew.

Gens Ambrosia was one of the original gentes of Nova Roma. Its early members were patrician. When its founder Lucian Ambrosius Neptunius left Nova Roma in April 2751 a.u.c., Merlinia Ambrosia Artoria became the materfamilias. Its members have previously shared an interest in Roman Britannia.

Apula

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. A known Nova Roman is Franciscus Apulus Caesar.

Arminia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. Nova Romans with this name include Lucius Arminius Faustus, Titus Arminius Genialis, and Gaius Arminius Reccanellus.

Bianchia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. A registered Nova Roman with this name is Marcus Bianchius Antonius.

Capenia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested.

Constantina

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. A registered Nova Roman with this name is Manius Constantinus Serapio.

Cordia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested.

Fidelia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. A registered Nova Roman with this name is Lucius Fidelius Lusitanus.

Gladia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. A registered Nova Roman with this name is Decimus Gladius Lupus.

Iriminia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested.

Lucia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. Lucius is a common praenomen in the ancient Roman Republic.

Martiania

A gens that didn't appear until the imperial period. A Martinianus was noted as a magister officiorum to the emperor Licinius, by whom he was elevated to the dignity of Caesar, when active preparations were in progress for the last great struggle against Constantine. Martinianus was compelled to surrender himself to the conqueror, along with his patron, whose fate he shared towards thr. end of A. D. 323. A rare coin in third brass is found in some collections bearing the legend D. N. MARTINIANUS P. F. AUG., which would indicate that he was created Augustus ; and this conclusion might be drawn from the words of Victor. (De Caes. 41.) [Compare VALENS, AURELIUS VALERIUS.] (Exerpta Vales. 25, 28, 29; Victor, de Caes. 41, Epit. 41 ; Zosim. 2.25, 26, 28.).^[5]

Gens Martiania is one of the early gentes of Nova Roma. It was formed when Marcus Martianius Gangalius became the 173rd citizen in MMDCCLVI.

The Roman name Martiania unites two of the gens' primary interests: the study of classical Roman civilization, and the exploration of space in general but particularly the exploration of the planet Mars. It is a name which simultaneously recalls the past and summons the future. Symbolic of these twin influences is Martianus Minneus Felix Capella, a Roman writer of the early 5th century, who espoused the heliocentric theory of the universe a thousand years before Nicolaus Copernicus revived the idea.

The motto of the gens, "contendere, explorare, invenire, et non cedere", is a Latin translation of "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield," a line from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Ulysses." This line is inscribed on a monument in Antarctica to Robert Scott's tragic expedition to the South Pole, men who made the ultimate sacrifice to expand human knowledge.

The traditions of the gens Martiania encourage its members to be active in building social, civil, and religious institutions that existed in the classical Roman world. Additionally, they encourage membership and active participation in space advocacy organizations to further the goals of exploring and eventually colonizing the planet Mars.

Marcus Martianius Gangalius was appointed Aedilis Curulis and webmaster of Nova Roma in the year MMDCCLII; however, he opposed the dictator Flavius Vedius Germanicus and was removed from his positions. He served as Legatus of California Superior from MMDCCLIII to MMDCCLVIII, and he has been a Soldalus Palatini since MMDCCLVII.

Other early members were:

• Gaia Martiania Gangalia Cunicula
• Leona Martiania Gangalia Bactrica Bellatrix
• Marca Martiania Gangalia Marcella
• Fausta Martiania Gangalia Minervalis
• Titus Martianius Lupus
• Marcus Martianius Lupus

Meridia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. GENS MERIDIA is a fictitious gens created for the film Gladiator.

Moravia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. Nova Romans with this name include Gaius Moravius Laureatus Armoricus, Arnamentia Moravia Aurelia, and Marcus Moravius Piscinus Horatianus.

Pellia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested.

Portia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. Portius is just a mispelling of the name Porcius.

Promethea

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. A registered Nova Roman with this name is Marcus Decius Prometheus Golias.

Ritulia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. Probably is an incorrect form of Rutilia.

Servia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. SERVIUS, a common Roman praenomen, also occurs as the gentile name of a few persons, though even in the case of these persons the gentile name may have been dropped, and Servius be simply a praenomen.

Silvia

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. SILVIUS, the son of Ascanius, is said to have been so called because he was born in a wood. All the succeeding kings of Alba bore the cognomen Silvius. The series of these mythical kings is given somewhat differently by Livy, Ovid, and Dionysius (Liv. i. 3 j Ov. Met. xiv. 609, &c. ; Dionys. i. 70, 71).

Spuria

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. Spurius is a roman praenomen.

Triboniana

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested.

Ulleria

This Gens is unhistorical or unattested. A registered Nova Roman with this name is Publius Ullerius Stephanus Venator.

Valeriana

The Gens Valeriana is a Nova Roman plebeian gens born Q. Maximo M. Minucio cos. ‡ MMDCCLIII a.u.c. with the citizenship of Gaius Valerianus Germanicus.

Nova Roman Gentes Historical Snapshots

Patrician gentes in M. Moravio T. Iulio cos. ‡ MMDCCLXI a.u.c. (2008)

1. Annaea
2. Annia (from Ulleria)
3. Antonia
4. Aurelia (from Ambrosia)
5. Cassia
6. Claudia
7. Cornelia
8. Fabia
9. Flavia
10. Fulvia (from Ambrosia)
11. Iulia
12. Iunia
13. Lucretia (from Gladia)
14. Minucia
15. Octavia
16. Sergia (from Silvania, which became extinct, then again from Ambrosia)
17. Tullia
18. Ulleria (unhistorical)
19. Valeria (from Ambrosia)
20. Vedia
21. Velia

Patrician gentes that became extinct since Cn. Salvio Cn. Equitio cos. ‡ MMDCCLVII a.u.c. (2004)

1. Aelia (extinct) (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
2. Ambrosia (unhistorical) (extinct)
3. Decia (elevated from plebeian status for religious objectives in 2013) (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
4. Equitia (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
5. Gladia (unhistorical) (extinct)
6. Petronia (from Africanus Secundus) (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
7. Terentia (from Cornelius) (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)

Patrician gentes around Cn. Salvio Cn. Equitio cos. ‡ MMDCCLVII a.u.c. (2004)

The comments in parentheses refer to their current status.

1. Aelia (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
2. Africana Secunda (unhistorical) (extinct)
3. Ambrosia (unhistorical) (extinct)
4. Annaea
5. Antonia
6. Cassia
7. Claudia
8. Cordia (unhistorical) (extinct)
9. Cornelia
10. Equitia (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
11. Fabia
12. Flavia
13. Gladia (unhistorical) (extinct)
14. Grylla (unhistorical) (extinct)
15. Hadriania (unhistorical) (extinct)
16. Iulia
17. Iunia
18. Luciana (unhistorical) (extinct)
19. Maria (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
20. Minucia
21. Octavia
22. Planincola (unhistorical) (extinct)
23. Portia (unhistorical) (extinct)
24. Silvania (unhistorical) (extinct)
25. Tullia
26. Ulleria (unhistorical)
27. Vedia
28. Velia

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Patrician gentes on May 4, L. Equitio Dec. Iunio cos. ‡ MMDCCLII a.u.c. (1999)

The comments in parentheses refer to their current status.

1. Gens Aelia (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
2. Gens Ambrosia (extinct)
3. Gens Antonia
4. Gens Aurelia
5. Gens Cassia
6. Gens Claudia
7. Gens Cordia (unhistorical) (extinct)
8. Gens Cornelia
9. Gens Drusia or Drusa (unhistorical) (extinct)
10. Gens Equitia (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
11. Gens Flavia
12. Gens Germanica (unhistorical) (extinct)
13. Gens Gladia (unhistorical) (extinct)
14. Gens Hadriania or Hadriana (unhistorical) (extinct)
15. Gens Iulia
16. Gens Iunia
17. Gens Leonina (unhistorical) (extinct)
18. Gens Luciania or Luciana (unhistorical) (extinct)
19. Gens Maria (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
20. Gens Minucia
21. Gens Nigeria or Nigra (unhistorical) (extinct)
22. Gens Octavia
23. Gens Planincolia or Planincola (unhistorical) (extinct)
24. Gens Poppaea (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
25. Gens Portia (unhistorical) (extinct)
26. Gens Silvania (unhistorical) (extinct)
27. Gens Terentia (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
28. Gens Titia (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
29. Gens Vedia
30. Gens Velia

Gentes on April 21, Fl. Vedio M. Cassio cos. ‡ MMDCCLI a.u.c. (1998)

On the 21st of April (the birthday of Rome), 1998, at 10:54 AM, these were the gentes of Nova Roma, in order of creation, all patrician, except gens Caecilia.

The comments in parentheses refer to their current status.

• 1, Gens Vedia
• 2, Gens Cassia
• 3, Gens Iunia
• 4, Gens Maria (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
• 5, Gens Antonia
• 6, Gens Octavia
• 7, Gens Nigeria or Nigra (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 8, Gens Iulia
• 9, Gens Equitia (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
• 10, Gens Aelia (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
• 11, Gens Silvania (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 12, Gens Cornelia
• 13, Gens Velia
• 14, Gens Hadriania or Hadriana (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 15, Gens Cordia (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 16, Gens Planincola (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 17, Gens Drusia or Drusa (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 18, Gens Germanica (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 19, Gens Maternia (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 20, Gens Aurelia
• 21, Gens Terentia (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
• 22, Gens Gladia (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 23, Gens Luciania or Luciana (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 24, Gens Titia (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
• 25, Gens Poppaea (extinct as patrician, continues as plebeian)
• 26, Gens Leonina (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 27, Gens Ambrosia (unhistorical) (extinct)
• 28, Gens Flavia
• 29, Gens Claudia
• 30, Gens Caecilia Metella (this was the original plebeian gens)
• 31, Gens Portia (unhistorical) (extinct)

The first plebeian gens to be elevated to the patrician order was gens Minucia. M. Minucius Audens was raised to Patrician status in December of 1998, while Cincinnatus and Palladius were in the last days of their terms as praetores urbani. Cassius and Palladius as censors nominated Audens, Cassius as consul presented the nomination to the senate. Audens sent a letter to the senate Dec. 24, 1998 thanking us for our "unanimous approval in raising my Gens Minucia to Patrician Level."

Later many of the original patrician gentes became extinct, and the following gentes were elevated to patrician status to replace them:

• Africana Secunda,
• Annaea,
• Antonia,
• Fabia,
• Grylla,
• Minucia,
• Nigra,
• Tullia,
• Ulleria.

After about 13 years without another elevation, C. Decius Laterensis was adlected into the patriciate in order to be eligible for the flamen Martialis priesthood, which was deemed an urgency to be filled. With his adlection to the patriciate, a new patrician gens was created, the gens Decia.

1. ↑ Gildas, De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, circa 540
2. ↑ Bede, Chronica Majora, 725
3. ↑ Nennius, Historia Britonum, circa 833
4. ↑ Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britanniae, circa 1136.
5. ↑ William Smith. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. London. John Murray: printed by Spottiswoode and Co., New-Street Square and Parliament Street. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DM%3Aentry+group%3D11%3Aentry%3Dmartinianus-bio-1