Flavius Gaudentius
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The gens Flavia 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 ...
. Its members are first mentioned during the last three centuries of the Republic. The first of the Flavii to achieve prominence was
Marcus Flavius Marcus Flavius was Tribune of the Plebs in 327 and again in 323 BC.Valerius Maximus, ''Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium libri IX'' ix. 10. § 1. In 329 BC, Flavius was accused of seducing married women by the aedile, Gaius Valerius Potitus (cons ...
,
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 327 and 323 BC; however, no Flavius attained 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 ...
until
Gaius Flavius Fimbria Gaius Flavius Fimbria (c. 115 – 85 BC) was a Roman general. Born to a recently distinguished senatorial family, he became one of the most violent and bloodthirsty partisans of the consul Cornelius Cinna and his ally, Gaius Marius, in the civ ...
in 104 BC. The gens became illustrious during the first century AD, when the family of the Flavii Sabini claimed the imperial dignity.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. II, p. 169 ("Flavia Gens"). Under the
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
, the number of persons bearing this nomen becomes very large, perhaps due to the great number of
freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom a ...
under the
Flavian dynasty The Flavian dynasty ruled the Roman Empire between AD 69 and 96, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian (69–79), and his two sons Titus (79–81) and Domitian (81–96). The Flavians rose to power during the civil war of 69, known ...
of emperors. It was a common practice for freedmen to assume the nomina of their patrons, and so countless persons who obtained the Roman franchise under the Flavian emperors adopted the name ''Flavius'', which was then handed down to their descendants. During the later period of the Empire, the name ''Flavius'' frequently descended from one emperor to another, beginning with Constantius, the father of
Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...
. The name became so ubiquitous that it was sometimes treated as a praenomen, to the extent of being regularly abbreviated ''Fl.'', and it is even described as a praenomen in some sources, although it was never truly used as a personal name. After the name fell into disuse among the Byzantine emperors, it was used as a title of legitimacy among the barbarian rulers of former Roman provinces, such as Spain, where the
Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...
and their Spanish successors used the title "
Emperor of All Spain is a Latin title meaning "Emperor of All Spain". In Spain in the Middle Ages, the title "emperor" (from Latin ''imperator'') was used under a variety of circumstances from the ninth century onwards, but its usage peaked, as a formal and pract ...
", and the kings of the barbarian successor kingdoms of Italy, such as the
Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths ( la, Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Gothic kingdoms within the Roman Empire, based upon the large Gothic populations who ...
and the
Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...
also used it, with a special meaning as the "protector" of the Italian peoples under Lombard rule. The vast majority of persons named ''Flavius'' during the later Empire could not have been descended from the Flavia gens; and indeed, the distinction between nomina and
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 ...
was all but lost, so that in many cases one cannot even determine with certainty whether it is a nomen or a cognomen. However, because it is impossible to determine which of these persons used ''Flavius'' as a gentile name, they have been listed below.


Origin

The Flavii of the Republic claimed
Sabine The Sabines (; lat, Sabini; it, Sabini, all exonyms) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines di ...
ancestry, and may have been related to the Flavii who lived at
Reate Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina re ...
during the first century AD, from whom the emperor
Vespasian Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
descended; but the
gentilicium The (or simply ) was a hereditary name borne by the peoples of Roman Italy and later by the citizens of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. It was originally the name of one's (family or clan) by patrilineal descent. However, as Rome expand ...
is also found in other parts of Italy, such as Etruria and
Lucania Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto. It bordered with Samnium and Campania in the north, Apulia in the east, and Bruttiu ...
. The nomen ''Flavius'' is of
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 ...
origin, and is derived from the surname ''Flavus'', used by a number of gentes, and meaning "golden" or "golden-brown". It probably referred to the blond hair possessed by an early member of the family. In modern use, ''Flavius'' is a personal name, and widely used in romance languages, including
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
and
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
''Flavio'' (fem. ''Flavia''), French ''Flavien'' (fem. ''Flavie''),
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
''Flávio'' (fem. ''Flávia''), and
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
''Flavius'' or ''Flaviu'' (fem. ''Flavia'').


Praenomina

The early Flavii used the
praenomina The ''praenomen'' (; plural: ''praenomina'') was a personal name chosen by the parents of a 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 birt ...
'' Marcus, 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 ''
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 ...
''. Of these, only ''Gaius'' and ''Lucius'' are known from the family of the Fimbriae. The name '' Gnaeus'' occurs once, but as the son of a freedman of the family, and thus does not seem to be representative of the gens. The Flavii Sabini appear to have restricted themselves to the praenomen ''
Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death. Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...
'' alone, and distinguished their sons by the use of different surnames, usually by giving the younger sons surnames derived from their maternal ancestors.


Branches and cognomina

The Flavii of the Republic used 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 ...
''Fimbria'', ''Gallus'', ''Lucanus'', and ''Pusio''. Only the Fimbriae, whose surname refers to a fringe or border, represented a distinct family.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. II, pp. 150, 151 (" Fimbria"). ''Gallus'' and ''Lucanus'' belong to a class of surnames derived from places of origin or association, referring to
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 ...
and
Lucania Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto. It bordered with Samnium and Campania in the north, Apulia in the east, and Bruttiu ...
, respectively, although ''Gallus'', a very common surname, could also refer to a cockerel.Chase, pp. 113, 114. ''Pusio'' was originally a nickname indicating a little boy, and would have been bestowed on someone small or youthful. The Flavii Sabini, whose surname indicates Sabine ancestry, rose to prominence under the Empire. They were descended from Titus Flavius Petro, a soldier from
Reate Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina re ...
who fought under Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Within two generations they had attained such respectability that two of his grandsons held the consulship in consecutive years, AD 51 and 52; the younger of these marched to Rome at the head of an army in the year of the four emperors, AD 69, and claimed the imperial dignity as the emperor
Vespasian Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
. However, within less than thirty years, the family was largely destroyed through the workings of Vespasian's son, the emperor
Domitian Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Fl ...
. The Flavii Titiani may be descended from the Flavii Sabini through the consul Titus Flavius Clemens, a nephew of Vespasian; the first of this branch, Titus Flavius Titianus, who was governor of Egypt from AD 126 to 133, may have been his son. A family of the Flavii bearing the surname ''Valens'' lived at Hatria, and from there migrated to Rome in imperial times, where two of them served as prefects of different cohorts.


As an imperial title

''Flavius'' was borne by all members of Constantine's dynasty.Rösch, ''Onoma Basileias'', pp. 49, 50. Imperial propaganda claimed that
Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...
descended from the Flavians via
Claudius Gothicus Marcus Aurelius Claudius "Gothicus" (10 May 214 – January/April 270), also known as Claudius II, was Roman emperor from 268 to 270. During his reign he fought successfully against the Alemanni and decisively defeated the Goths at the Battle ...
, but this was certainly a fabrication created to legitimize Constantine's rule. Following its use by the Constantinians, the name assumed the attributes of an imperial title, much as "Antoninus" had been treated by the
Severan dynasty The Severan dynasty was a Roman imperial dynasty that ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235, during the Roman imperial period. The dynasty was founded by the emperor Septimius Severus (), who rose to power after the Year of the Five Empero ...
(
Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor S ...
, Diadumenian and Elagabalus), who followed the Antonines. It was borne by the Valentinian dynasty, Valentinian and Theodosian dynasty, Theodosian dynasties, and subsequently by barbarian rulers claiming to be their rightful successors. By the late 4th century, "Flavius" (often abbreviated as "Fl") became a synonim for nobility, and was often used as a courtesy title for all high-profile officers and generals of the empire. From the sole rule of Honorius (emperor), Honorius onward, the name was not used in official contexts during the fifth century, and the few surviving examples are of transcribed imperial letters, reflecting the entrenched association of the name with the imperial office in popular perception, rather than official nomenclature. Under Justinian I, the name once again became part of the imperial nomenclature; it remained so under his successors until the time of Justinian II.


Members

*
Marcus Flavius Marcus Flavius was Tribune of the Plebs in 327 and again in 323 BC.Valerius Maximus, ''Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium libri IX'' ix. 10. § 1. In 329 BC, Flavius was accused of seducing married women by the aedile, Gaius Valerius Potitus (cons ...
,
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 BC 327 and 323. * Gnaeus Flavius (jurist), Gnaeus Flavius, the son of a freedman, he was secretary to Appius Claudius Caecus, and served as aedile in 304 BC. * Flavius, or Flavius Lucanus, a Lucanian, who went over to Mago (Barcid), Mago during the Second Punic War, and delivered the proconsul Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (consul 215 BC), Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, in return for the promise that the Lucanians should be free and retain their own constitution. * Quintus Flavius, an augur who, according to Valerius Maximus, was accused by the aedile Gaius Valerius (perhaps the same who was curule aedile in BC 199). When fourteen tribes had already voted against Flavius, who again asserted his innocence, Valerius declared that he did not care whether the man was guilty or innocent, provided he secured his punishment; and the people, indignant at such conduct, acquitted Flavius. * Quintus Flavius, of Tarquinii, murdered the slave Panurgus, who belonged to Gaius Fannius Chaereas, and who was to be trained as an actor by Quintus Roscius, the celebrated comedian. * Lucius Flavius, an equestrian order, eques, who gave evidence against Verres in BC 70. He probably lived in Sicily, and was engaged in mercantile pursuits. He appears to be the same Lucius Flavius who is mentioned as ''procurator'' (that is, the agent or steward) of Gaius Matrinius in Sicily. * Gaius Flavius, brother of Lucius, and likewise an eques, whom Cicero recommended in BC 46 to Manius Acilius, praetor of Sicily, as an intimate friend of Cicero's late son-in-law, Gaius Calpurnius Piso Frugi. * Gaius Flavius Pusio, is mentioned by Cicero as one of the equites who opposed the tribune Marcus Drusus. * Lucius Flavius, praetor in BC 58, and a supporter of Pompeius. He was also a friend of both Cicero and Julius Caesar, Caesar, and may have been the same Flavius whom Caesar entrusted with one legion and the province of Sicily in BC 49. * Gaius Flavius, an eques of Asta, a Roman colony in Hispania, Spain. He and other equites, who had belonged to the party of Pompeius, went over to Caesar in BC 45. It is uncertain whether he is the same Gaius Flavius who is mentioned among the enemies of Augustus, Octavian, and who was put to death in BC 40, after the taking of Perusia. * Gaius Flavius, a friend of Marcus Junius Brutus, Brutus, whom he accompanied to Philippi in the capacity of ''praefectus fabrum''. Flavius fell in the Battle of Philippi, and Brutus lamented over his death. * Flavius Gallus, a military tribune serving under Mark Antony, Marcus Antonius in his unfortunate campaign against the Parthian Empire, Parthians in BC 36. During Antonius' retreat, Gallus made an inconsiderate attack upon the enemy, for which he paid with his life.


Flavii Fimbriae

* Gaius Flavius Fimbria, the father of Gaius Flavius Fimbria, the consul of 104 BC. * Gaius Flavius Fimbria (consul), Gaius Flavius C. f. Fimbria, Roman consul, consul in 104 BC; acquitted of extortion, despite significant evidence. With other consulars, took up arms against the revolt of Lucius Appuleius Saturninus, Saturninus in 100. A clever jurist and powerful orator, his reputation had faded by Cicero's time, when his speeches were scarcely to be found. * Gaius Flavius Fimbria (cavalry prefect), Gaius Flavius C. f. C. n. Fimbria, a violent partisan of Gaius Marius, at whose funeral he tried to kill Quintus Mucius Scaevola Pontifex, Quintus Mucius Scaevola, the Pontifex Maximus. Sent to Asia (Roman province), Asia in an expedition against Mithradates Eupator, Mithridates and Sulla, Fimbria led a mutiny against the consul Lucius Valerius Flaccus (consul 86 BC), Valerius Flaccus, whom he murdered, taking command of the army. With much savagery, he subdued much of Asia, but when his men went over to Sulla, he took his own life. * Flavius C. f. C. n. Fimbria, brother of Gaius, was likewise in the service of the Marian party in the war against Sulla, 82 BC, and was legate to Gaius Norbanus. He and other officers of the party of Gnaeus Papirius Carbo (consul 85 BC), Carbo were invited to a banquet by Publius Albinovanus, and then treacherously murdered. * Lucius Flavius Fimbria, consul ''suffectus'' in AD 71, during the months of July and August.


Flavii Sabini

* Titus Flavius Petro, grandfather of the emperor Vespasian, was a native of the municipium of
Reate Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina re ...
, and served as a centurion in the army of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus at the Battle of Pharsalus, 48 BC.Suetonius, "The Life of Vespasian", 1. * Titus Flavius Sabinus (father of Vespasian), Titus Flavius T. f. Sabinus, father of Vespasian, was one of the farmers of the tax of the quadragesima in Asia (Roman province), Asia, which he collected with so much fairness that many cities erected statues to his honour with the inscription, ''καλως τελωνησαντι''. He afterwards carried on business as a money-lender among the Helvetii, and died in their country. * Titus Flavius Sabinus (consul AD 52), Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Sabinus, the elder brother of Vespasian, was consul ''suffectus'' in AD 52, and ''praefectus urbi'' for most of Nero's reign. The emperor Vitellius offered to surrender the empire into his hands until the arrival of Vespasian, but the soldiers of each refused this arrangement, and Sabinus was murdered by Vitellius' troops, despite the emperor's attempts to save him. * Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Sabinus Vespasianus, the emperor
Vespasian Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
, was consul ''suffectus'' in AD 51, and proconsul in Africa (Roman province), Africa and Judea (Roman province), Judaea under Nero. He became emperor in AD 69, on the death of Vitellius, and reigned until his death in 79. * Domitilla the Elder, Flavia Domitilla, otherwise known as ''Domitilla the Elder'', the wife of Vespasian. * Titus Flavius Sabinus (consul AD 69), Titus Flavius (T. f. T. n.) Sabinus, consul ''suffectus'' in AD 69, was probably a nephew of the emperor Vespasian. He was one of the generals appointed by the emperor Otho to oppose the forces of Vitellius, but after Otho's death, he submitted to the conqueror, and caused his troops in the north of Italy to submit to the generals of Vitellius. * Titus Flavius Sabinus (consul AD 82), Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Sabinus, son of the consul of 52, and nephew of Vespasian, he was consul with his cousin, the emperor Domitian, in AD 82, but afterwards slain by the emperor on the pretext that the herald proclaiming his consulship had called him ''Imperator'' instead of ''consul''. * Titus Flavius Clemens (consul), Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Clemens, son of the consul of 52, and nephew of Vespasian, he was consul with his cousin, the emperor Domitian, in AD 95. Although the emperor had intended Clemens' sons to succeed him in the empire, and renamed them ''Vespasian'' and ''Domitian'', he had his cousin put to death during his consulship, according to Cassius Dio on a charge of atheism, implying that he had become a Christian. * Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Sabinus Vespasianus, the emperor Titus, reigned from AD 79 to 81. * Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Domitianus, the emperor
Domitian Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Fl ...
, emperor from AD 81 to 96. * Domitilla the Younger, Flavia Domitilla, otherwise known as ''Domitilla the Younger'', the daughter of Vespasian. * Julia Flavia, daughter of the emperor Titus; she married her cousin, Titus Flavius Sabinus, consul in AD 82. He was murdered by Julia's uncle, the emperor Domitian, who then took his niece for a mistress. * Flavia Domitilla (wife of Clemens), Flavia Domitilla, daughter of Domitilla the Younger, and granddaughter of Vespasian; she married her cousin, Titus Flavius Clemens, consul in AD 95. He was murdered by Domitilla's uncle, the emperor Domitian, and Domitilla was exiled.


Flavii Titiani

* Titus Flavius Titianus, governor of Egypt (Roman province), Egypt from AD 126 to 133. * Titus Flavius Titianus, governor of Egypt from AD 164 to 167. * Titiana, mother of Flavia Titiana, the wife of Pertinax. * Titus Flavius Claudius Sulpicianus, consul ''suffectus'' circa AD 170, and proconsul in Asia, 186. His daughter, Flavia Titiana, married the future emperor Pertinax, and Sulpicianus served as ''praefectus urbi'' under Pertinax and Didius Julianus. He was put to death by Septimius Severus in 197. * Titus Flavius Titianus (consul), Titus Flavius Titianus, consul ''suffectus'' circa AD 200; he was probably the same Titus Flavius Titianus who was procurator of Alexandria under
Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor S ...
, and who was put to death by Theocritus, circa 216. * Flavia Titiana, the wife of Pertinax, and Roman empress in AD 193. * Titus Flavius Postumius Titianus, consul in AD 301.


Flavii Apri

* Marcus Flavius Aper, consul in AD 130. * Marcus Flavius M. f. Aper, consul in 176. * Titus Flavius Aper Commodianus, legate of Germania Inferior in 222–223, and consul in an unknown year. * Lucius Flavius Aper, of Pannonia Inferior in the second half of the 3rd century. He may be identified with Aper, praetorian prefect and father-in-law of the emperor Numerian, whose death he allegedly and unsuccessfully tried to conceal, and was thereupon slain by Diocletian.


Others

* Flavius Scaevinus, a senator of dissolute life, took part in the Pisonian conspiracy, conspiracy of Piso against Nero. It was through Milichus, the freedman of Scaevinus, that the conspiracy was discovered by Nero. Milichus was liberally rewarded by the emperor, and Scaevinus put to death. * Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus, consul in AD 81. He had been governor of Judea (Roman province), Judaea from 73 to 81, and led the Roman forces at the siege of Masada, which fell in 74. * Josephus, Titus Flavius Josephus, a historian of Jewish origin, who was captured by the future emperor Vespasian after the siege of Yodfat, Iotapata. He was spared execution, and eventually found favour with Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian, adopting the name ''Titus Flavius'' in honour of his patrons. * Flavius Hyrcanus, Titus Flavius Hyrcanus, the third son of Josephus. * Flavius Justus, Titus Flavius Justus, the fourth son of Josephus. * Flavius Simonides Agrippa, Titus Flavius Simonides Agrippa, the fifth son of Josephus. * Arrian, Lucius Flavius Arrianus, called by the Athenians ''the young Xenophon'', a historian of the second century. He was Greek, but received the Roman franchise and the right to hold high office from the emperor Hadrian in AD 124, whence he adopted the name ''Lucius Flavius''. He held the consulship in AD 146. * Clement of Alexandria, Titus Flavius Clemens, also known as ''Clement of Alexandria'', one of the early Church fathers, lived from the middle of the second century to the second decade of the third century. He may have been born at Athens. His relationship to the other Flavii, or to Titus Flavius Clemens, the consul of AD 95, who may have been a convert to Christianity, is unknown; Clement's parents are thought to have been well-to-do pagans. Given the large number of new citizens who adopted the nomen ''Flavius'' during this period, his name could be coincidental. * Flavius Caper, a Roman Philologist, grammarian of uncertain date; he may have lived in the second century. * Flavius Flavianus, equestrian governor of Mauretania Tingitana AD 153. * Flavius Calvisius, apparently the same as Gaius Calvisius Statianus, the governor of Egypt (Roman province), Egypt under Marcus Aurelius, took part in the revolt of Avidius Cassius, but was treated by the emperor with great leniency, and was only banished to an island. * Titus Flavius Piso, governor of Egypt ''circa'' AD 181. * Titus Flavius Genialis, praetorian prefect with Tullius Crispinus in AD 193. * Flavius Heracleo, the commander of the Roman soldiers in Mesopotamia (Roman province), Mesopotamia in the reign of Alexander Severus, was slain by his own troops. * Flavius Maternianus, ''Praefectus urbi'' under
Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname "Caracalla" () was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor S ...
, was either put to death or treated with great indignity by Macrinus, AD 217. * Philostratus, Flavius Philostratus, author of the ''Life of Apollonius of Tyana'', is called ''Flavius'' by John Tzetzes, Tzetzes in ''Βιος Σοφιστων'' (Lives of the Sophists). * Flavius Ingenianus, governor of Mauretania Tingitana in the later third century. * Flavius Scribonianus, a Roman noble of consular and senatorial rank who was a steward in charge of running the Olympic Games. His name was inscribed on a discus found at Olympia, Greece, Olympia, dated from the third century. * Flavius Vopiscus of Syracuse, Sicily, Syracuse, one of the six ''scriptores'' of the ''Historia Augusta'', whose name is prefixed to the biographies of Aurelian, Tacitus (emperor), Tacitus, Florianus, Probus (emperor), Probus, the Four Tyrants (Firmus, Saturninus (253–268), Saturninus, Proculus, and Bonosus (usurper), Bonosus), Carus, Numerianus, and Carinus. Modern scholarship has called Vopiscus' existence into question. * Placidus (martyr), Flavia, a Saint, venerated along with Placidus (martyr), Placidus and several others, and said to have been martyred under the emperor Diocletian, or in other accounts by pirates. * Eusebius (consul 347), Flavius Eusebius, consul in AD 337. He was the father of Eusebius and Hypatius, consuls in AD 359, and probably also the empress Eusebia, wife of Constantius II. * Eusebius (consul 359), Flavius Eusebius, consul in AD 359, together with his brother, Hypatius. Falsely accused of treason in 371, he was soon recalled. * Hypatius (consul 359), Flavius Hypatius, consul in AD 359, together with his brother, Eusebius. He was praetorian prefect of Italy and Illyricum from 382 to 383. * Eusebia (empress), Flavia Aurelia Eusebia, wife of the emperor Constantius II. * Flavius Martinus, a vicarius, or deputy administrator, of Roman Britain, Britannia during the middle fourth century. * Flavius Lucius Dexter, Flavius Dexter, the son of Pacian, was praetorian prefect, and a devoted advocate of Christianity. He was a contemporary of Jerome, who dedicated to him his book ''De Viris Illustribus (Jerome), De Viris Illustribus''. * Flavius Mallius Theodorus, consul in AD 399, and a contemporary of Augustine of Hippo, who dedicated to him his work, ''De Vita Beata''. * Avianus, Flavius Avianus, the author of a collection of forty-two Aesopic fables in Latin elegiac couplet, elegiac verse, dedicated to a certain Theodosius, who is addressed as a man of great learning and highly cultivated mind. * Stilicho, Flavius Stilicho, a Roman general under the emperors Theodosius I, Theodosius and Honorius (emperor), Honorius; he dealt several crushing defeats to Alaric I, Alaric, king of the Visigoths. Edward Gibbon called him "the last of the Roman generals." * Felix (consul 428), Flavius Felix, consul in AD 428, and a leading figure under Valentinian III and Theodosius II. In 430, he and his wife were accused of plotting against Aëtius, who had him put to death. * Flavius Aëtius, a Roman general under the emperor Valentinian III, who helped maintain imperial authority in Italy, Spain and Gaul. He defeated Chlodion, king of the Salian Franks, Franks, and with the help of Theodoric I, Theodoric, king of the Visigoths, defeated Attila, Attila the Hun at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, Catalaunian Plains in AD 451. He was consul in 432, 437, and 446, but in 454 the suspicious emperor slew him with his own hand. * Flavius Felix, an Africa (Roman province), African who flourished towards the close of the fifth century, the author of five short pieces in the Latin Anthology.Latin Anthology, vol. iii, pp. 34–37, vol. iv., p. 86 (ed. Burmann), No. 291–295 (ed. Meyer). * Belisarius, Flavius Belisarius, a Byzantine general under the emperor Justinian I, Justinian; he reconquered much of the western empire, and was consul ''sine collega'' in AD 535. *Flavius Paulus, a 7th-century Roman general in Visigothic Spain


Constantinian dynasty

* Constantius Chlorus, Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus", emperor from AD 305 to 306, and the father of Constantine the Great. * Helena (mother of Constantine), Flavia Julia Helena, the first wife of Constantius Chlorus, and mother of the emperor Constantine. * Flavia Maximiana Theodora, probably the daughter of Afranius Hannibalianus, and stepdaughter of Maximian; she was the second wife of Constantius Chlorus. * Constantine the Great, Flavius Valerius Constantinus "the Great", emperor from AD 306 to 337. * Julius Constantius, eldest son of Constantius Chlorus and Theodora, and brother of Constantine. He was named consul in AD 335, but put to death following the emperor's death in 337. His sons, Constantius Gallus and Julian, were spared, and would eventually be named heirs by their cousin, Constantius II, who had married their sister. * Flavius Dalmatius, son of Constantius Chlorus and Theodora, and brother of Constantine; styled the "Roman censor, censor" from AD 333, but was slain following the death of Constantine. * Flavius Hannibalianus, son of Constantius Chlorus and Theodora, was granted the title ''nobilissimus'', but perished in the massacre of the Flavian dynasty following the death of his brother, Constantine. * Flavia Julia Constantia, daughter of Constantius Chlorus and Theodora, and sister of Constantine, was given by him in marriage to his colleague, the emperor Licinius. * Flavia Maxima Fausta, daughter of Maximian, and second wife of Constantine; she was put to death in AD 326, shortly after the execution of her stepson, Crispus. The reasons are unclear, but rumors circulated of an affair between the empress and her stepson, or of a false allegation against Crispus by his stepmother, leading to his death. * Crispus, Flavius Julius Crispus, named Caesar (title), caesar by his father, Constantine I, in AD 317. Put to death in unclear circumstances in AD 326. * Constantina, the elder daughter of Constantine and Fausta, she was given in marriage first to her cousin Hannibalianus, and following his death in the dynastic purge of AD 337, to her cousin Constantius Gallus. She died in 354. * Helena (wife of Julian), Helena, the younger daughter of Constantine and Fausta, she was given in marriage to her cousin, Julian, the future emperor. The couple was childless, and Helena suffered several miscarriages, which rumor blamed on the machinations of the empress Eusebia (empress), Eusebia. * Constantine II (emperor), Flavius Claudius Constantinus, son of Constantine, and emperor with his brothers Constantius and Constans from AD 337 to 340. * Constantius II, Flavius Julius Constantius, son of Constantine, and emperor with his brothers Constantinus and Constans from AD 337 to 361. * Constans I, Flavius Julius Constans, son of Constantine, and emperor with his brothers Constantinus and Constantius from AD 337 to 350. * Constantius Gallus, Flavius Claudius Constantius Gallus, named Caesar (title), caesar by his cousin, Constantius II, in AD 351, but put to death in 354. * Julian (emperor), Flavius Claudius Julianus, emperor from AD 361 to 363. * Dalmatius, Flavius Dalmatius, son of Dalmatius the censor, and nephew of Constantine; he was proclaimed Caesar (title), Caesar in 335, but slain by his soldiers following Constantine's death in 337. * Hannibalianus, Flavius Hannibalianus, son of Dalmatius the censor, and nephew of Constantine, who probably intended to place him at the head of a campaign against the Sassanid Empire, but this plan ended with the emperor's death in AD 337, and Hannibalianus was slain in the turmoil that followed. * Nepotianus, Julius Nepotianus, son of Eutropia, and nephew of Constantine, in AD 350 he revolted against Magnentius, but his small force, composed of ordinary citizens and gladiators, was quickly defeated by Magnentius' ''magister officiorum'', Marcellinus (magister officiorum), Marcellinus. Nepotianus and his mother were put to death. * Flavia Maxima Constantia, daughter of Constantius II, and wife of the emperor Gratian. * Anastasia, daughter of Hannibalianus and Constantina.


Flavii in fiction

* The character Flavius in Shakespeare's play, ''Julius Caesar (play), Julius Caesar'', is based on Lucius Caesetius Flavus, a member of the Caesetia gens. *Flavius Maximus, a character in the Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek episode "Bread and Circuses (Star Trek: The Original Series), Bread and Circuses." *Chancellor (later President) Flavia is a fictional Time Lord, Time Lady in ''Doctor Who'', played by Dinah Sheridan. *Flavius, a slave of and friend to Pandora in Anne Rice's Novel "Pandora", part of The Vampire Chronicles. *Flavius, part of Katniss Everdeen's prep team along with Venia and Octavia in the Hunger Games books. *Flavia Gemina, the main character in Caroline Lawrence's novels The Roman Mysteries. *Flavius Metellus, the main antagonist of the video game ''Assassin's Creed Origins'', is a lieutenant of Julius Caesar and the leader of the Order of the Ancients, a precursor organization to the Templar Order.


Flavianus

Flavianus (disambiguation), Flavianus is the adjectival form of the name and was used as a cognomen. It is sometimes anglicized as Flavian.


Flavian legions

Some Roman legions were called ''Flavia'', as they had been levied by the Flavian emperors: * Legio IV Flavia Felix, Legio IV ''Flavia Felix'' * Legio XVI Flavia Firma, Legio XVI ''Flavia Firma'' * Legio I ''Flavia Constantia'' * Legio I ''Flavia Gallicana Constantia'' * Legio I ''Flavia Martis'' * Legio I ''Flavia Pacis'' * Legio I ''Flavia Theodosiana'' * Legio II Flavia Constantia, Legio II ''Flavia Constantia'' * Legio II Flavia Virtutis, Legio II ''Flavia Virtutis'' * Legio III ''Flavia Salutis''


See also

* Flavianus (disambiguation), People named Flavianus or Flavian (disambiguation), Flavian * List of Roman gentes


References


Bibliography

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(List of the Prefects of Egypt from 30 BC to AD 299), in ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', vol. 17 (1975). * Gerhard Rösch, ''Onoma Basileias: Studien zum offiziellen Gebrauch der Kaisertitel in spätantiker und frühbyzantinischer Zeit'', Verlag der österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (1978), . * Paul A. Gallivan, "The ''Fasti'' for A.D. 70–96", in ''Classical Quarterly'', vol. 31, pp. 186–220 (1981). * J.E.H. Spaul,
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