The gens Crepereia was a

plebeian In ancient Rome, the plebeians or plebs were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words "commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins of the gro ...

family of

equestrian rank The (; , though sometimes referred to as "knights" in English) constituted the second of the property/social-based classes of ancient Rome, ranking below the senatorial class. A member of the equestrian order was known as an (). Descriptio ...

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

. The family appears in history from the first century BC to the first or second century AD.

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...

describes the strict discipline of the Crepereii.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, p. 889 (" Crepereius").

Origin

"If a man's nomen is uncommon enough," write

Barbara Levick Barbara Mary Levick (21 June 1931 – 6 December 2023) was a British historian and epigrapher, focusing particularly on the Late Roman Republic and Early Empire. She was recognised within her field as one of the leading Roman historians of her ...

and Shelagh Jameson, "it can reveal something of the origin and history of his family." The ''Crepereius'' is uncommon, attested only in Italy and certain portions of the Roman Empire, becoming relatively common only in North Africa.

Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (116–27 BCE) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Virgil and Cicero). He is sometimes call ...

states that the word ''creper'' is

Sabine The Sabines (, , , ; ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines divided int ...

, which provides a likely origin for this family. One branch of this gens during the first century BC proceeded east to the Greek-speaking provinces where they prospered as '' negotiatores''; inscriptions bearing the name of this ''gens'' can be found at

Attaleia Antalya is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Tauru ...

and

Pisidian Antioch Antioch in Pisidia – alternatively Antiochia in Pisidia or Pisidian Antioch () and in Roman Empire, Latin: ''Antiochia Caesareia'' or ''Antiochia Colonia Caesarea'' – was a city in the Turkish Lakes Region, which was at the crossro ...

. On the other hand, the Crepereii attested in North Africa, who number about 50, are explained as descendants of one or more recruits who served in the

Legio III Augusta Legio III Augusta ("Third Augustan Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army The Imperial Roman Army was the military land force of the Roman Empire from 27 BC to 476 AD, and the final incarnation in the long history of the Roman army ...

during the first or second century AD.

Branches and cognomina

Among those

cognomina A ''cognomen'' (; : ''cognomina''; from ''co-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditar ...

appearing in history are ''Rocus'', from ''raucus'', "hoarse, shouting, raucous", and ''Gallus'', a common surname with two ambivalent derivations: from ''gallus'', a cockerel, belonging to a common class of surnames derived from the names of familiar objects and animals; or ''Gallus'', a

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

, frequently applied to persons of Gallic descent, appearance, or habits.

Members

* Marcus Crepereius was one of the judges in the case of

Verres Gaius Verres ( 114 – 43 BC) was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. His extortion of local farmers and plundering of temples led to his prosecution by Cicero, whose accusations were so devastating that his defence advo ...

. However, he was designated one of the

military tribune A military tribune () was an officer of the Roman army who ranked below the legate and above the centurion. Young men of Equestrian rank often served as military tribunes as a stepping stone to the Senate. The should not be confused with the ...

s for 69 BC, and was therefore unable to take part in the trial after the first of January that year. * Quintus Crepereius M. f. Rocus, perhaps the son or brother of the judex Marcus Crepereius, minted several coins depicting

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

and

Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...

, the gods of

Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...

, from which it may be inferred that he had some connection with that city, perhaps after its restoration by

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...

. *

Crepereius Gallus Crepereius Gallus was a Roman notable in the first century AD and an associate of Agrippina, the mother of the emperor Nero. His entire contribution to written history is contained in a single chapter of the ''Annals'' of the historian Tacitus, wh ...

, a friend of Agrippina, who perished in the ship that was sunk with the intention of causing Agrippina's death. He might be the same Gaius Crepereius Gallus mentioned as a

procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * Procurator (Ancient Rome), the title of var ...

in an inscription from Antioch in

Galatia Galatia (; , ''Galatía'') was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (cf. Tylis), who settled here ...

. * Crepereius Calpurnianus, a native of

Pompeiopolis Pompeiopolis () was a Roman city in ancient Paphlagonia, identified in the early 19th century with the ruins of Zımbıllı Tepe, located near Taşköprü, Kastamonu Province in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. The exact location is 40 km ...

, wrote a history of the wars between Rome and

Parthia Parthia ( ''Parθava''; ''Parθaw''; ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Medes during the 7th century BC, was incorporated into the subsequent Achaemeni ...

, which has been lost. * Lucius Crepereius Euhodus, a freedman buried at Rome in the latter part of the second century, along with Crepereia Tryphaena. Their tomb was found near the Palace of Justice in 1889. * Crepereia Tryphaena, a freedwoman buried at Rome in the latter part of the second century, along with Lucius Crepereius Euhodus. * Crepereius Proculus. * Lucius Crepereius Rogatus ''signo'' Secundinus, a Roman senator and a pagan, from around the late third or early fourth century. * Crepereius Amantius, a ''vir clarissimus'' probably from around the mid-fourth century, and possibly ordinary

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...

in 345. * Crepereius Donatianus, addressee of a law of

Constantine I Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

, dated 13 December 319. * Lucius Crepereius Madalianus, suffect consul probably by 335, and proconsul of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

after 341. * Crepereius Optatianus, ''legatus Karthaginis'' in 361.,

References

Bibliography

Marcus Terentius Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (116–27 BCE) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Virgil and Cicero). He is sometimes call ...

, ''De Lingua Latina'' (On the Latin Language). *

Marcus Tullius Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...

, ''

In Verrem "''In Verrem''" ("Against Verres") is a series of speeches made by Cicero in 70 BC, during the corruption and extortion trial of Gaius Verres, the former governor of Sicily. The speeches, which were concurrent with Cicero's election to the aedil ...

''. *

Publius Cornelius Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historiography, Roman historians by modern scholars. Tacitus’ two major historical ...

, ''

Annales Annals are a concise form of historical writing which record events chronologically, year by year. The equivalent word in Latin and French is ''annales'', which is used untranslated in English in various contexts. List of works with titles contai ...

''. *

Lucian Lucian of Samosata (Λουκιανὸς ὁ Σαμοσατεύς, 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who is best known for his characteristic tongue-in-cheek style, with which he frequently ridi ...

, ''Quomodo Historia Conscribenda Sit'' (How to Write History). * Andreas Morell, ''Thesaurus Morellianus'',

Siwart Haverkamp Sigebertus or Sijvert Evert "Siwart" Haverkamp (14 December 1684, Leeuwarden - 25 April 1742, Leiden) was a Dutch classicist. He published a translation of the complete works of Josephus, an edition of which was owned by Thomas Jefferson ...

et al. (eds.), Jacob Wetstein, Amsterdam (1734–1752). * ''

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' is a biographical dictionary of classical antiquity, edited by William Smith (lexicographer), William Smith and originally published in London by John Taylor (English publisher), Tayl ...

'',

William Smith William, Willie, Will, Bill, or Billy Smith may refer to: Academics * William Smith (Master of Clare College, Cambridge) (1556–1615), English academic * William Smith (antiquary) (c. 1653–1735), English antiquary and historian of University C ...

, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849). *

Theodor Mommsen Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; ; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19th ce ...

''et alii'', ''

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum The ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (''CIL'') is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions throw ...

'' (The Body of Latin Inscriptions, abbreviated ''CIL''), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1853–present). * René Cagnat ''et alii'', ''

L'Année épigraphique ''L'Année épigraphique'' (''The Epigraphic Year'', standard abbreviation ''AE'') is a French publication on epigraphy (i.e the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing). It was set up by René Cagnat, as holder of the chair of 'Epigraphy a ...

'' (The Year in Epigraphy, abbreviated ''AE''), Presses Universitaires de France (1888–present). * George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', vol. VIII, pp. 103–184 (1897). * Barbara Levick and Shelagh Jameson,
C. Crepereius Gallus and His Gens
, in ''

Journal of Roman Studies The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies (The Roman Society) was founded in 1910 as the sister society to the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. The Society is the leading organisation in the United Kingdom for those interest ...

'', vol. 54, pp. 98–106 (1964). *

A.H.M. Jones Arnold Hugh Martin Jones FBA (9 March 1904 – 9 April 1970), known also as A. H. M. Jones or Hugo Jones, was a prominent 20th-century British historian of classical antiquity, particularly of the later Roman Empire. Biography Jones's best-know ...

& J.R. Martindale & J. Morris, ''The

Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire ''Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire'' (abbreviated as ''PLRE'') is a work of Roman prosopography published in a set of three volumes collectively describing many of the people attested to have lived in the Roman Empire from AD 260, the date ...

'', Cambridge University Press (1971–1992). * John C. Traupman, ''The New College Latin & English Dictionary'', Bantam Books, New York (1995). * {{cite book , last=Jones , first=A.H.M. , url=https://archive.org/details/prosopography-later-roman-empire , title=Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire , author2=J.R. Martindale , author3=J. Morris , publisher=Cambridge University Press , year=1971–1992 , isbn=0-521-07233-6 , ref={{sfnref, PLRE , author-link=A. H. M. Jones , author-link2=John Robert Martindale , author-link3=John Morris (historian) , name-list-style=amp Roman gentes

Origin

Branches and cognomina

Members

See also

References

Bibliography