Servius (), feminine Servia, is a Latin ''
praenomen
The praenomen (; plural: praenomina) was a first name chosen by the parents of a Ancient Rome, Roman child. It was first bestowed on the ''dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the ...
'', or
personal name
A personal name, full name or prosoponym (from Ancient Greek ''prósōpon'' – person, and ''onoma'' –name) is the set of names by which an individual person or animal is known. When taken together as a word-group, they all relate to that on ...
, which was used throughout the period of the
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...
, and well into imperial times. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic ''
gens Servilia''. The name was regularly abbreviated Ser.
Servius was never one of the most common praenomina; about ten other names were used more frequently. Most families did not use it, although it was a favorite of the
''gens Cornelii'' and the
''gens Sulpicii'', two of the greatest patrician houses at Rome. The name gradually became less common towards the end of the Republic, but was still used in imperial times.
Origin and meaning of the name
The original meaning of Servius was forgotten by the late Republic. Chase derives the name from the verb ''servo'', ''to keep'' or ''preserve''. This seems consistent with other Latin praenomina, such as ''
Sertor'', which appears to have a similar meaning.
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 ...
had nothing to say about the name, although the epitome, ''De Praenominibus'' ("Concerning Praenomina") by Julius Paris, suggests that it was given to a child whose mother died in childbirth.
Dionysius of Halicarnassus
Dionysius of Halicarnassus (,
; – after 7 BC) was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Augustus. His literary style was ''atticistic'' – imitating Classical Attic Greek in its prime.
...
, apparently followed by Festus, indicated that it was given to a child whose mother was held in bondage. This etymology was based on the similarity between ''Servius'' and ''servus'', a slave, and although it is certainly an example of
false etymology
A false etymology (fake etymology or pseudo-etymology) is a false theory about the origin or derivation of a specific word or phrase. When a false etymology becomes a popular belief in a cultural/linguistic community, it is a folk etymology (or po ...
, the association of these words is probably the main reason that Servius was not more common.
[George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', vol. VIII (1897)]
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Servius (Praenomen)
Ancient Roman praenomina