The gens Mamilia was a plebeian family at

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

during the period of the Republic. The gens was originally one of the most distinguished families of

Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable distance from Rome ( ...

, and indeed in the whole of

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil ( Old Latium) on w ...

. It is first mentioned in the time of the Tarquins; and it was to a member of this family,

Octavius Mamilius Octavius Mamilius (died 498/496 BC) was ''princeps'' ("leader, prince") of Tusculum, an ancient city of Latium. He was the son-in-law of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh and last king of Rome. According to tradition, the '' gens Mamilia'' ...

, that Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh and last King of Rome, betrothed his daughter. The gens obtained

Roman citizenship Citizenship in ancient Rome (Latin: ''civitas'') was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in Ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, t ...

in the 5th century BC, and some of its members must subsequently have settled at Rome, where Lucius Mamilius Vitulus became the first of the family to hold the

consulship A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum'' (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politic ...

in 265 BC, the year before the First Punic War.

Origin

The Mamilii traced their nomen and origin to the mythical Mamilia, the daughter of

Telegonus Telegonus (; Ancient Greek: Τηλέγονος means "born afar") is the name shared by three different characters in Greek mythology. * Telegonus, a king of Egypt who was sometimes said to have married the nymph Io. * Telegonus, a Thracian son ...

, who was regarded as the legendary founder of Tusculum and the son of Ulysses and the goddess

Circe Circe (; grc, , ) is an enchantress and a minor goddess in ancient Greek mythology and religion. She is either a daughter of the Titan Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse or the goddess Hecate and Aeëtes. Circe was renowned for her vas ...

. This origin was referred to on a coin of the gens, the obverse of which depicts the head of Mercury or

Hermes Hermes (; grc-gre, wikt:Ἑρμῆς, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travelle ...

, the ancestor of Ulysses, and the reverse Ulysses himself, clad in the humble disguise he assumed to avoid being recognized by the suitors of

Penelope Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or el, Πηνελόπη, ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and naiad Periboea. Pe ...

Praenomina

The earliest of the Mamilii to occur in history bore the praenomen '' Octavius'', which was rare at Rome. His descendants used the praenomina ''

Lucius Lucius ( el, Λούκιος ''Loukios''; ett, Luvcie) is a male given name derived from '' Lucius'' (abbreviated ''L.''), one of the small group of common Latin forenames ('' praenomina'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from ...

, Quintus,

Gaius Gaius, sometimes spelled ''Gajus'', Kaius, Cajus, Caius, was a common Latin praenomen; see Gaius (praenomen). People * Gaius (jurist) (), Roman jurist *Gaius Acilius *Gaius Antonius *Gaius Antonius Hybrida *Gaius Asinius Gallus *Gaius Asinius P ...

'', and '' Marcus'', all of which were very common names throughout Roman history.

Branches and cognomina

The Mamilii were divided into three families, with the

cognomina A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "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 here ...

''Limetanus, Turrinus'', and ''Vitulus'', of which the two latter were the most ancient and important. ''Limetanus'' is the only surname which occurs on coins. ''Vitulus'' was a surname in both the Mamilia and Voconia gentes. Niebuhr supposes that ''Vitulus'' is merely another form of ''Italus'', and remarks that we find in the same manner in the Mamilia gens the surname ''Turrinus''; that is, ''Tyrrhenus'', an

Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy *Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization **Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities ** Etrusca ...

. "It was customary, as is proved by the oldest Roman

Fasti In ancient Rome, the ''fasti'' (Latin plural) were chronological or calendar-based lists, or other diachronic records or plans of official and religiously sanctioned events. After Rome's decline, the word ''fasti'' continued to be used for simil ...

, for the great houses to take distinguishing surnames from a people with whom they were connected by blood, or by the ties of public hospitality." The ancients, however, connected the surname ''Vitulus'' with the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word signifying a " calf", which was depicted on a coin of one of the Voconii Vituli. Although the connection of ''Turrinus'' and ''Tyrrhenus'' is by no means impossible, or even unlikely, it could also have been derived from ''turris'', "a tower". An ancient tower known as the '' Turris Mamilia'' stood in the

Subura The Suburra, or ''Subura'' (unknown etymology), was a vast and populous neighborhood of Ancient Rome, located below the '' Murus Terreus'' on the ''Carinae'' and stretching on the slopes of the Quirinal and Viminal hills up to the offshoots of th ...

, and figured in a ritual battle between the residents of two neighborhoods at Rome for the head of the

October Horse In Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion, the October Horse (Latin ''Equus October'') was an animal sacrifice to Mars (mythology), Mars carried out on October 15, coinciding with the end of the Roman agriculture, agricultural and mili ...

Members

, a prince of

, and son-in-law of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. He was

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in tim ...

of the

army at the

Battle of Lake Regillus The Battle of Lake Regillus was a legendary Roman victory over the Latin League shortly after the establishment of the Roman Republic and as part of a wider Latin War. The Latins were led by an elderly Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the se ...

, in 498 BC, and was slain by

Titus Herminius Aquilinus Titus Herminius, surnamed Aquilinus (died 498/496 BC), was one of the heroes of the Roman Republic. He participated in two of the most famous conflicts that attended the birth of the Republic, and was elected consul in 506 BC. However, his greate ...

. *

Lucius Mamilius Lucius ( el, Λούκιος ''Loukios''; ett, Luvcie) is a male given name derived from ''Lucius'' (abbreviated ''L.''), one of the small group of common Latin forenames (''praenomina'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from L ...

, perhaps the grandson of Octavius, was dictator of Tusculum in 460 BC, and sent an army to help recover the

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

during the revolt of

Appius Herdonius Appius Herdonius (d. 460 BC) was a Sabine who led an uprising against Rome at the head of slaves and exiles. With his troops, he managed, in 460 BC, to seize the Capitoline Hill and Arx at night. According to Livy, Herdonius appeared from the top o ...

. The following year the Romans helped him recover the citadel of Tusculum from the

Aequi 300px, Location of the Aequi (Equi) in central Italy, 5th century BC. The Aequi ( grc, Αἴκουοι and Αἴκοι) were an Italic tribe on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains to the east of Latium in central Italy who appear in the early hist ...

. In recognition of his service, in 458 the senate granted him

. * Lucius Mamilius, ''

triumvir monetalis The ''triumvir monetalis'' ( ''tresviri'' or ''triumviri monetales'', also called the , abbreviated IIIVIR A. A. A. F. F.) was a moneyer during the Roman Republic and the Empire, who oversaw the minting of coins. In that role, he would be respons ...

'', probably between 189 and 180 BC.

Mamilii Vituli

* Marcus Mamilius Vitulus, grandfather of the consuls of 265 and 262 BC. * Quintus Mamilius M. f. Vitulus, father of the consul of 265 and 262 BC. * Lucius Mamilius Q. f. M. n. Vitulus, consul in 265 BC, the year before the beginning of the First Punic War. * Quintus Mamilius Q. f. M. n. Vitulus, consul in 262 BC, during the First Punic War. With his colleague, Lucius Postumius Megellus, he took the city of

Agrigentum Agrigento (; scn, Girgenti or ; grc, Ἀκράγας, translit=Akrágas; la, Agrigentum or ; ar, كركنت, Kirkant, or ''Jirjant'') is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy and capital of the province of Agrigento. It was one o ...

. * Gaius Mamilius Vitulus, father of the praetor of 207 BC. * Gaius Mamilius C. f. Vitulus, the first plebeian elected ''

curio maximus The ''curio maximus'' was an obscure priesthood in ancient Rome that had oversight of the ''curiae'', groups of citizens loosely affiliated within what was originally a tribe. Each curia was led by a ''curio'', who was admitted only after the age ...

'', in 209 BC, during the Second Punic War; he was

praetor Praetor ( , ), also pretor, was the title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected '' magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to discharge vari ...

in 207, and received

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

as his province. In 203 he was one of the ambassadors sent to Philip, King of

Macedon Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an Classical antiquity, ancient monarchy, kingdom on the periphery of Archaic Greece, Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. Th ...

. He died in the pestilence of 174 BC.

Mamilii Turrini

* Quintus Mamilius Turrinus, grandfather of the consul of 239 BC. * Quintus Mamilius Q. f. Turrinus, father of the consul of 239 BC. * Gaius Mamilius Q. f. Q. n. Turrinus, consul in 239 BC. * Quintus Mamilius Turrinus,

plebeian aedile ''Aedile'' ( ; la, aedīlis , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enf ...

in 207 and praetor in 206 BC; by lot he obtained the ''jurisdictio peregrina'', but he was sent by the senate into

Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...

Mamilii Limetani

* Gaius Mamilius Limetanus,

tribune of the plebs Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune ( la, tribunus plebis) was the first office of the Roman state that was open to the plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the power o ...

in 109 BC, carried a law inquiring into the cases of persons who had assisted

Jugurtha Jugurtha or Jugurthen ( Libyco-Berber ''Yugurten'' or '' Yugarten'', c. 160 – 104 BC) was a king of Numidia. When the Numidian king Micipsa, who had adopted Jugurtha, died in 118 BC, Jugurtha and his two adoptive brothers, Hiempsal and A ...

in his opposition to the senate, and who had received bribes from him to neglect their duty to the state.

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

, ''

Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC), often referred to simply as Brutus, was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Serv ...

'', 33, 34. * Gaius Mamilius C. f. Limetanus, ''triumvir monetalis'' in 82 BC.

Footnotes

References

{{SmithDGRBM Roman gentes