Porcius Cato
The gens Porcia, rarely written Portia, was a plebeian family at Ancient Rome. Its members first appear in history during the third century BC. The first of the gens to achieve the consulship was Marcus Porcius Cato in 195 BC, and from then until imperial times, the Porcii regularly occupied the highest offices of the Roman state.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. III, p. 498 ("Porcia Gens"). Origin The nomen ''Porcius'' was derived from ''porcus'', a pig. It belongs to a class of gentilicia derived from the names of common animals and objects, such as ''Asinius'', ''Ovinius'', ''Caprarius'', and ''Taurus''. The Porcii were reputed to have come from the ancient city of Tusculum in Latium. This tradition was alluded to in a speech given by the emperor Claudius. Praenomina The chief praenomina of the Porcii were ''Marcus'' and ''Lucius'', two of the most common names throughout Roman history. The Porcii Catones favoured ''Marcus'', almost to the ...
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