Category:Gens Numeria (Nova Roma)

NUMERIUS, a praenomen among the Romans of rather rare occurrence. Hence the copyists of munuscripts frequently changed N., its contracted form, into M. Varro says that this praenomen was given to those who were born quickly ; and that women in childbirth were accustomed to pray to a goddess Numeria, who must have been a deity of some importance, as the pontifex mentioned her in the ancient prayers (Var. Fragm. p. 319, Bipont. ; comp. Hartung, Die Religion der Romer, vol. ii. p. 240).

As a Roman praenomen the feminine Nu­meria could not be used any more than Marca (Varr. L. L. ix. 55, ed. Miiller). Festus relates that Numerius was never used as a praenomen by any patrician house, till the Fabius, who alone sur­vived after the six and thirty had been slaughtered by the Etruscans, married the wealthy daughter of Otacilius Maleventanus, on the condition that the first child should receive the praenomen of its maternal grandfather, Numerius. (Festus, p. 171 ed. Miiller.)

Numerius also occurs as the gentile name of a few persons :

1. Numerius, one of the friends of Marius, provided a vessel for him at Ostia, when he was proscribed by Sulla in b.c. 88 (Plut. Mar. 35). Numerius, however, is probably only the praenomen of the friend of Marius.

2. Q. Numerius Rufus, tribune of the plebs, b. c. 57. [rufus.]

3. Numerius Atticus.

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