Appius (), feminine Appia, 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 ...

, usually abbreviated Ap. or sometimes App., and best known as a result of its extensive use by the patrician ''

gens Claudia The gens Claudia (), sometimes written Clodia, was one of the most prominent patrician houses at ancient Rome. The gens traced its origin to the earliest days of the Roman Republic. The first of the Claudii to obtain the consulship was Appius ...

''. The praenomen also gave rise to the patronymic '' gens Appia''.George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', vol. VIII (1897)''Dictionary of Greek & Roman Biography & Mythology''

Origin and meaning

As with many praenomina, there is no satisfactory explanation of the meaning of Appius. The origin of the name has been obscured by the fact that it is chiefly known from its association with gens Claudia, and was borne by no other major figures in Roman history.

Titus Livius Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...

relates the story of how, in the early days 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 ...

, a wealthy

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 ...

by the name of ''Attius Clausus'' emigrated to Rome from the town of Cures, together with his family and retainers, and was admitted to the patriciate. He subsequently Latinized his name, becoming Appius Claudius. The Claudii became one of the greatest of the Roman gentes, supplying numerous magistrates over several centuries.

, ''

Ab Urbe Condita ''Ab urbe condita'' (; 'from the founding of Rome, founding of the City'), or (; 'in the year since the city's founding'), abbreviated as AUC or AVC, expresses a date in years since 753 BC, 753 BC, the traditional founding of Rome. It is ...

'', books I-V The Claudian gens was also one of the proudest and most conservative families at Rome, nearly always siding with the aristocratic party against the plebs and the more reform-minded amongst the patricians. Many of them were known as much by the praenomen Appius as by the nomen Claudius, and the most famous of Roman roads, the ''Via Appia'', or

Appian Way The Appian Way (Latin and Italian language, Italian: Via Appia) is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient Roman Republic, republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. Its importance is in ...

, was named for its builder,

Appius Claudius Caecus Appius Claudius Caecus ( 312–279 BC) was a statesman and writer from the Roman Republic. He is best known for two major building projects: the Appian Way (Latin: Via Appia), the first major Roman road, and the first Roman aqueduct, aqueduc ...

. For this reason, it is often said that the Claudii, who made constant use of the name Appius, were the only family to use that praenomen, and that it must have been a Latinization of the Oscan praenomen ''Attius'' or ''Attus''. However, the name was by no means unique to the Claudian gens. During a political crisis in the middle of the 5th century BC, the Capitol was seized by a force of political refugees and slaves in a brief revolt led by

Appius Herdonius Appius Herdonius (died 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 t ...

. Herdonius was a Sabine, like the ancestors of the Claudii, but his name shows that Appius had an existence independent of that gens. During the later years of the Republic, and continuing into Imperial times, the praenomen Appius was used by several plebeian gentes, including the Annii, Junii, Modii, Popidii, Saufeii, Silvii, and Villii. It must also have been used by the ancestors of gens Appia. Thus, it would be more accurate to say that the Claudii were the only ''patrician'' family to make regular use of the name. It may well have been more widespread amongst the plebeians, although most of the names that have come down to us from the period of the early Republic are from the leading patrician houses. As for whether Appius was introduced to Latin through contact with the Sabines or other Oscan-speaking peoples, it cannot be determined whether it was originally Oscan, or whether it belongs to the class of praenomina that were common to the Latin, Oscan, and Umbrian languages. It may be that when Attius Clausus adopted a Latin name, he chose a praenomen that was the Latin cognate of his own, or that he chose the Latin praenomen that sounded the closest. Appius was unique in that it was never passed on to emancipated slaves, a Roman freedman of an Appius would instead take on the praenomen of the emancipators father; hence P. Clodius App. l. Eros.

People with the name

Notable people with the name include: * Appius Claudius Crassus (5th century BC), decemvir of the Roman Republic *

(4th and 3rd century BC), politician and builder of the Appian Way *

Appius Claudius Caudex Appius Claudius Caudex ( 264 BC) was a Roman politician. He was the younger brother of Appius Claudius Caecus, and served as consul in 264 BC. In that year, he drew Rome into conflict with Carthage over possession of Sicily. In 265 BC, ...

(264 BC), consul *

Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 212 BC) Appius Claudius Pulcher (died 211 BC) was a Roman general and politician of the 3rd century BC, active in the Second Punic War. Family He was the son of Publius Claudius Pulcher (consul 249 BC), and the father of Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 1 ...

Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 185 BC) Appius Claudius Pulcher was a Roman politician of the 2nd century BC. Life He was the son of Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 212 BC) and the brother of Publius Claudius Pulcher (consul 184 BC). In 197 BC and the three following years, he served as ...

Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 135 BC) Appius Claudius Pulcher (Latin: APP•CLAVDIVS•C•F•APP•N•PVLCHER) was a Roman politician of the 2nd century BC. Life Son of Gaius Claudius Pulcher (who was consul in 177 BC), he was elected consul for 143 BC, and, to obtain a pretext fo ...

Appius Claudius Pulcher (praetor 88 BC) Appius Claudius Pulcher ( – 76 BC) was a Roman noble, general and politician of the 1st century BC. He was the father of a number of renowned Romans, most notable: the infamous Clodius and Clodia. Biography There is uncertainty about who h ...

Appius Claudius Pulcher (praetor 57 BC) Appius Claudius Pulcher (97–49 BC) was a Roman patrician, politician and general in the first century BC. He was consul of the Roman Republic in 54 BC. He was an expert in Roman law and antiquities, especially the esoteric lore of the augural co ...

Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 38 BC) Appius Claudius Pulcher was a Roman politician. An early supporter of Augustus, he was elected consul in 38 BC. Biography A member of the patrician branch of the Claudii family, Pulcher was the son of Gaius Claudius Pulcher, praetor in 56 BC. He ...

Gaius Octavius Appius Suetrius Sabinus Gaius Octavius Appius Suetrius Sabinus (fl. 3rd century) was a Roman senator and military officer who was appointed consul twice, firstly in AD 214, and secondly in AD 240. Biography Originating from the town of Histonium, and the son of a senato ...

(fl. 3rd century), a Roman senator and military officer

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Appius Ancient Roman praenomina

Origin and meaning

People with the name

See also

Notes