Category:Gens Aemilia (Nova Roma)

AEMILIA GENS, originally written AIMILIA, one of the most ancient patrician houses at Rome. Its origin is referred to the time of Numa, and it is said to have been descended from Mamercus, who received the name of Aemilius on ac­count of the persuasiveness of his language. This Mamercus is represented by some as the son of Pythagoras, and by others as the son of Numa, while a third account traces his origin to Ascanius, who had two sons, Julius and Aemylos. (Plut. Aemil. 2, Num. 8, 21; Festus, s. v. Aemil.) Amulius is also mentioned as one of the ancestors of the Aemilii. (Sil. Ital. viii. 297.) It seems pretty clear that the Aemilii were of Sabine origin ; and Festus derives the name Ma­mercus from the Oscan, Mamers in that language being the same as Mars. The Sabines spoke Oscan. Since then the Aemilii were supposed to have come to Rome in the time of Numa, and Numa was said to have been intimate with Pytha­goras, we can see the origin of the legend which makes the ancestor of the house the son of Pythagoras. The first member of the house who ob­tained the consulship was L. Aemilius Mamercus, in b. c. 484.

The family-names of this gens are : Barbula, Buca, Lepidus, Mamercus or Mamercinus, Papus, Paullus, Regillus, Scaurus. Of these names Buca, Lepidus, Paullus, and Scaurus are the only ones that occur on coins.

Source: Smith

Praenomina

Praenomina commonly used by members of this gens in ancient times were:

Used by the Aemilii Mamerci and Mamercini:

Gaius, Lucius, Mamercus, Manius, Quintus, Tiberius.

Used by the Aemilii Papi:

Gnaeus, Lucius, Marcus, Quintus.

Used by the Aemilia Barbulae:

Lucius, Marcus, Quintus.

Used by the Aemilii Paulli:

Lucius, Marcus.

Used by the Aemilii Lepidi:

Lucius, Mamercus, Manius, Marcus, Quintus.

Used by the Aemilii Regilli:

Lucius, Marcus.

Used by the Aemilii Scauri:

Lucius, Marcus.

In modern times the most common praenomina have been Marcus, Lucius, Gaius, and Decimus. The praenomina Sextus, Gnaeus, Spurius, Manius, Appius, and Vibius have not been used by the Aemilii in the modern era.