The gens Aufidia was a

plebeian In ancient Rome, the plebeians or plebs were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words "commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins of the gro ...

family at

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

, which occurs in history from the later part of the

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

to the third century AD. The first member to obtain the

consulship The consuls were the highest elected public officials of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC). Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum''an ascending sequence of public offices to which politicians aspire ...

was Gnaeus Aufidius Orestes, in 71 BC.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, p. 418 ("Aufidia Gens").

Praenomina

In Republican times, the Aufidii used the

praenomina 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 ...

'' Gnaeus'', ''

Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September AD 81) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, becoming the first Roman emperor ever to succeed h ...

'', ''

Marcus Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...

'', and '' Sextus''. ''

Lucius Lucius is a masculine given name derived from Lucius (Latin ; ), abbreviated L., one of the small group of common Latin forenames () found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius probably derives from Latin word ( gen. ), meaning "light" (<

'' and ''

Gaius Gaius, sometimes spelled Caius, was a common Latin praenomen; see Gaius (praenomen). People * Gaius (biblical figure) (1st century AD) *Gaius (jurist) (), Roman jurist * Gaius Acilius * Gaius Antonius * Gaius Antonius Hybrida * Gaius Asinius Gal ...

'' are not found prior to the second century AD. The character '' Tullus Aufidius'' in

Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

play ''

Coriolanus ''Coriolanus'' ( or ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same ...

'' predates the earliest historical mention of the gens by some three hundred years, and is identified as ''Attius Tullius'' in Livy; there is no other evidence that the praenomen '' Tullus'' was used by the Aufidii.

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, '' The Tragedy of Coriolanus''.

Branches and cognomina

The

cognomina A ''cognomen'' (; : ''cognomina''; from ''co-'' "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 hereditar ...

of the Aufidii under the Republic are ''Lurco'' and ''Orestes''. Gnaeus Aufidius Orestes was descended from the Aurelii Orestides, but was adopted by the historian Gnaeus Aufidius in his old age.

Members

* Gnaeus Aufidius,

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

in 170 BC. * Gnaeus Aufidius Cn. f.,

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 disch ...

''circa'' 107 BC and

propraetor In ancient Rome, a promagistrate () was a person who was granted the power via '' prorogation'' to act in place of an ordinary magistrate in the field. This was normally ''pro consule'' or ''pro praetore'', that is, in place of a consul or praet ...

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

the following year. Cicero tells that he also wrote a ''History of Rome'' in Greek, despite being blind. At an advanced age, he adopted Gnaeus Aufidius Orestes, the consul of 71. * Gnaeus Aufidius T. f., praetor in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

in the late second century BC. * Titus Aufidius, a jurist, was

quaestor A quaestor ( , ; ; "investigator") was a public official in ancient Rome. There were various types of quaestors, with the title used to describe greatly different offices at different times. In the Roman Republic, quaestors were elected officia ...

in 84 BC, and afterwards praetor in Asia. * Gnaeus Aufidius Cn. f. Cn. n. Orestes, consul in 71 BC. *

Marcus Aufidius Lurco Marcus Aufidius Lurco also known simply as Aufidius Lurco, was a Roman plebeian tribune who lived in the 1st century BC. Lurco was a member of the gens Aufidia, a plebeian family that appeared in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire. They became a ...

, tribune of the plebs in 61 BC. * Aufidius Namusa, a pupil of the jurist

Servius Sulpicius Rufus Servius Sulpicius Rufus (c. 105 BC – 43 BC), was a Roman orator and jurist. He was consul in 51 BC. Biography Early life He studied rhetoric with Cicero, accompanying him to Rhodes in 78 BC, though Sulpicius decided subsequently to pursue lega ...

, who compiled a work based on the books of Sulpicius' various students. * Sextus Aufidius, warmly recommended by

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

to Quintus Cornificius, proconsul of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

in 43 BC. * Titus Aufidius, a physician and native of Sicily, who probably lived during the first century BC. * (Publius) Aufidius Bassus, an orator and historian, who lived during the reigns of

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

and

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus ( ; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC to Roman politician Tiberius Cl ...

. * Publius Juventius Celsus Titus Aufidius Hoenius Severianus, or simply "Titus Aufidius", an influential jurist of the late first century and early second century, was consul ''suffectus'' in AD 115, and ''ordinarius'' in 129. * Aufidius Chius, an eminent jurist known only from the '' Fragmenta Vaticana'', is probably a misreading for some other jurist, perhaps "Aufidius Celsus", referring to Publius Juventius Celsus Titus Aufidius Hoenius Severianus. * Lucius Aufidius Panthera,

praefectus ''Praefectus'', often with a further qualification, was the formal title of many, fairly low to high-ranking, military or civil officials in the Roman Empire, whose authority was not embodied in their person (as it was with elected Magistrates) b ...

of the fleet at

Britannia The image of Britannia () is the national personification of United Kingdom, Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used by the Romans in classical antiquity, the Latin was the name variously appli ...

, in the early second century, known for an altar he dedicated to

Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...

, at Lemanis, now in

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

. * Lucius Aufidius Panthera Sassina, an officer in the Roman auxilium Ala Ulpium Contrariorum, stationed in

Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, on the west by Noricum and upper Roman Italy, Italy, and on the southward by Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia and upper Moesia. It ...

in AD 133. *

Gaius Aufidius Victorinus Gaius Aufidius Victorinus was a Roman senator and general of the second century. A friend of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the son-in-law of the advocate and orator Marcus Cornelius Fronto, he was twice consul and governor of several Roman provin ...

, consul ''suffectus'' in AD 155, was ''

praefectus urbi The ''praefectus urbanus'', also called ''praefectus urbi'' or urban prefect in English, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, an ...

'' ''circa'' 179 to 183, and consul ''ordinarius'' in 183.Leunissen, ''Konsuln und Konsulare''. * Marcus Aufidius C. f. Fronto, consul in AD 199. * Marcus Aufidius M. f. C. n. Fronto, son of the consul of AD 199.Orelli, ''Inscriptionum Latinarum Selectarum'', n. 1176. * Gaius Aufidius Victorinus, consul in AD 200. * Gaius Aufidius Marcellus, consul for the second time in AD 226; the date of his first consulship is unknown.

Aufidii in literature

* Tullus Aufidius, general of the

Volsci The Volsci (, , ) were an Italic tribe, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. At the time they inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the ...

an army in '' The Tragedy of Coriolanus'' by

. * Aufidius Victorinus, governor of

Germania superior Germania Superior ("Upper Germania") was an imperial province of the Roman Empire. It comprised an area of today's western Switzerland, the French Jura and Alsace regions, and southwestern Germany. Important cities were Besançon ('' Vesont ...

in ''Romanike'' (2006–2014) by Codex Regius.

References

Bibliography

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

, ''De Domo Sua'', ''

De Officiis ''De Officiis'' (''On Duties'', ''On Obligations'', or ''On Moral Responsibilities'') is a 44 BC treatise by Marcus Tullius Cicero divided into three books, in which Cicero expounds his conception of the best way to live, behave, and observe mor ...

'', ''

Epistulae ad Familiares ''Epistulae ad Familiares'' (''Letters to Friends'') is a collection of letters between Ancient Rome, Roman politician and orator Cicero, Marcus Tullius Cicero and various public and private figures. The letters in this collection, together wit ...

'', ''Pro Plancio'', ''Tusculanae Disputationes''. * Titus Livius (

Livy 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 ...

), ''

History of Rome The history of Rome includes the history of the city of Rome as well as the civilisation of ancient Rome. Roman history has been influential on the modern world, especially in the history of the Catholic Church, and Roman law has influenced m ...

''. * Eutropius, ''Breviarium Historiae Romanae'' (Abridgement of the History of Rome). * ''Digesta'', or ''Pandectae'' ( The Digest). *

Johann Caspar von Orelli Johann Caspar von Orelli (Latin ''Iohannes Caspar Orellius''; 13 February 1787 – 6 January 1849), was a Swiss classical scholar. Life He was born at Zürich of a distinguished Italian-speaking family from Locarno which had taken refuge in ...

, ''Inscriptionum Latinarum Selectarum Amplissima Collectio'' (An Extensive Collection of Select Latin Inscriptions), Orell Füssli, Zürich (1828). * ''

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' is a biographical dictionary of classical antiquity, edited by William Smith (lexicographer), William Smith and originally published in London by John Taylor (English publisher), Tayl ...

'',

William Smith William, Willie, Will, Bill, or Billy Smith may refer to: Academics * William Smith (Master of Clare College, Cambridge) (1556–1615), English academic * William Smith (antiquary) (c. 1653–1735), English antiquary and historian of University C ...

, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849). * ''

Wilhelm Dittenberger Wilhelm (William) Dittenberger (August 31, 1840 in Heidelberg – December 29, 1906 in Halle (Saale)) was a German philologist in classical epigraphy. Life Wilhelm Dittenberger was the son of the Protestant theologian Wilhelm Theophor Dittenberg ...

, Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecarum (Collection of Greek Inscriptions, abbreviated SIG), Leipzig (1883).'' *

Adolf Kirchhoff Johann Wilhelm Adolf Kirchhoff (6 January 1826 – 26 February 1908) was a German classical scholar and epigraphist. Biography The son of historical painter Johann Jakob Kirchhoff, he was born in Berlin, and educated there. He then taught in ...

Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff Enno Friedrich Wichard Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff (22 December 1848 – 25 September 1931) was a German classical philologist. Wilamowitz, as he is known in scholarly circles, was a renowned authority on Ancient Greece and its literatur ...

, ''et alii'', ''Inscriptiones Graecae'' (Greek Inscriptions), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1878–present). * ''Inscriptiones Graecae XII,5. Inscriptiones Cycladum (Greek Inscriptions, abbreviated IG)'', ed. Friedrich Hiller von Gaertringen. 2 vols. Berlin 1903–1909. * T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', American Philological Association (1952–1986). * Paul M. M. Leunissen, ''Konsuln und Konsulare in der Zeit von Commodus bis Severus Alexander'' (Consuls and Consulars from the Time of Commodus to Severus Alexander), Verlag Gieben, Amsterdam, (1989). * ''The Roman Inscriptions of Britain'' (abbreviated ''RIB''), Oxford, (1990–present). * T. Corey Brennan, ''The Praetorship in the Roman Republic'', 2 volumes, Oxford, 2000. {{DEFAULTSORT:Aufidia (Gens) Roman gentes

Praenomina

Branches and cognomina

Members

Aufidii in literature

See also

References

Bibliography