The gens Aurelia 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 flourished from the third century BC to the latest period of the

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

. The first of the Aurelian

gens In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; : gentes ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same ''nomen gentilicium'' and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens, sometimes identified by a distinct cognomen, was cal ...

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 Gaius Aurelius Cotta in 252 BC. From then to the end 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 ...

, the Aurelii supplied many distinguished statesmen, before entering a period of relative obscurity under the early emperors. In the latter part of the first century, a family of the Aurelii rose to prominence, obtaining patrician status, and eventually the throne itself. A series of emperors belonged to this family, through birth or adoption, including

Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ( ; ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoicism, Stoic philosopher. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors ...

and the members of the

Severan dynasty The Severan dynasty, sometimes called the Septimian dynasty, ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235. It was founded by the emperor Septimius Severus () and Julia Domna, his wife, when Septimius emerged victorious from civil war of 193 - 197, ...

.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, p. 436 ("

Aurelia Gens The gens Aurelia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome, which flourished from the third century BC to the latest period of the Empire. The first of the Aurelian gens to obtain the consulship was Gaius Aurelius Cotta in 252 BC. From then to th ...

"). In 212, the ''

Constitutio Antoniniana The (Latin for "Constitution r Edictof Antoninus"), also called the Edict of Caracalla or the Antonine Constitution, was an edict issued in AD 212 by the Roman emperor Caracalla. It declared that all free men in the Roman Empire were to be ...

'' of

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 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...

(whose full name was Marcus Aurelius Antoninus) granted

Roman citizenship Citizenship in ancient Rome () was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, traditions, and cu ...

to all free residents of the Empire, resulting in vast numbers of new citizens who assumed the nomen ''Aurelius'', in honour of their patron, including several emperors: seven of the eleven emperors between

Gallienus Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (; – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empire. He ...

and

Diocletian Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...

(

Claudius Gothicus Marcus Aurelius Claudius "Gothicus" (10 May 214 – August/September 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 Batt ...

Quintillus Marcus Aurelius Claudius Quintillus (died 270) was a short-lived Roman emperor. He took power after the death of his brother, Emperor Claudius Gothicus, in 270 CE. After reigning for a few weeks Quintillus was overthrown by Aurelian, who had be ...

Probus Probus may refer to: People * Marcus Valerius Probus (c. 20/30–105 AD), Roman grammarian * Marcus Pomponius Maecius Probus, consul in 228 * Probus (emperor), Roman Emperor (276–282) * Probus of Byzantium (–306), Bishop of Byzantium from 293 t ...

Carus Marcus Aurelius Carus ( – July or August 283) was Roman emperor from 282 to 283. During his short reign, Carus fought the Germanic tribes and Sarmatians along the Danube frontier with success. He died while campaigning against the Sassanid ...

Carinus Marcus Aurelius Carinus (died 285) was Roman Emperor from 283 to 285. The eldest son of the Emperor Carus, he was first appointed '' Caesar'' in late 282, then given the title of ''Augustus'' in early 283, and made co-emperor of the western p ...

Numerian Numerian (; died November 284) was Roman emperor from 283 to 284 with his older brother Carinus. They were sons of Carus, a general raised to the office of praetorian prefect under Emperor Probus in 282.Leadbetter, "Carus." Early life and Ca ...

and

Maximian Maximian (; ), nicknamed Herculius, was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar (title), Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus (title), Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocleti ...

) bore the name "Marcus Aurelius". So ubiquitous was the name in the latter centuries of the Empire that it suffered abbreviation, as ''Aur.'', and it becomes difficult to distinguish members of the Aurelian gens from other persons bearing the name.

Origin

The nomen ''Aurelius'' is usually connected with the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

adjective ''aureus'', meaning "golden", in which case it was probably derived from the color of a person's hair. However, Festus reports that the original form of the nomen was ''Auselius'', and that the medial 's' was replaced by 'r' at a relatively early period; the same process occurred with the archaic nomina ''Fusia, Numisia, Papisia, Valesia'', and ''Vetusia'', which became ''Furia, Numeria, Papiria, Valeria'', and ''Veturia'' in classical

. According to Festus, ''Auselius'' was derived from a

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 ...

word for the sun.

Praenomina

All of 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 ...

used by the chief families of the Aurelii were common throughout Roman history. The Aurelii of the Republic primarily used ''

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 ...

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" (<

, Marcus'', and '' Publius'', to which the Aurelii Orestides added '' Gnaeus''. The Aurelii Fulvi of imperial times used ''

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'', and ''Lucius'', while the Aurelii Symmachi used ''

Quintus Quintus is a male given name derived from ''Quintus (praenomen), Quintus'', a common Latin language, Latin forename (''praenomen'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Quintus derives from Latin word ''quintus'', meaning "fifth". Quintus is ...

'' and ''Lucius''.

Branches and cognomina

There were three main stirpes of the Aurelii in republican times, distinguished by 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 ...

''Cotta'' (also spelled ''Cota'')'', Orestes'', and ''Scaurus''. ''Cotta'' and ''Scaurus'' appear on coins, together with a fourth surname, ''Rufus'', which does not occur among the ancient writers. A few personal cognomina are also found, including ''Pecuniola'', apparently referring to the poverty of one of the Aurelii during the

First Punic War The First Punic War (264–241 BC) was the first of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the early 3rd century BC. For 23 years, in the longest continuous conflict and grea ...

. ''Cotta'', the surname of the oldest and most illustrious branch of the Aurelii under the Republic, probably refers to a cowlick, or unruly shock of hair; but its derivation is uncertain, and an alternative explanation might be that it derives from a dialectical form of ''cocta'', literally "cooked", or in this case "sunburnt".Chase, pp. 109, 110. Marcus Aurelius Cotta, moneyer in 139 BC, minted an unusual denarius, featuring Hercules in a

biga Biga may refer to: Places * Biga, Çanakkale, a town and district of Çanakkale Province in Turkey * Sanjak of Biga, an Ottoman province * Biga Çayı, a river in Çanakkale Province * Biga Peninsula, a peninsula in Turkey, in the northwest part ...

driven by

centaur A centaur ( ; ; ), occasionally hippocentaur, also called Ixionidae (), is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse that was said to live in the mountains of Thessaly. In one version o ...

s, presumably alluding to some mythological event connected with the gens, but the exact symbolism is unknown. The Aurelii Cottae were prominent from the First Punic War down to the time of

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 ...

, after which they faded into obscurity. The last of this family appearing in history include Marcus Aurelius Cotta Maximus Messalinus, a friend of

, who squandered his family fortune through reckless prodigality, and his son, who received a stipend from

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

in order to maintain his household in a manner befitting his illustrious forebears. The Cottae were related to

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

and

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 ...

through Aurelia Cotta, who was Caesar's mother. The Aurelii Scauri were a relatively small family, which flourished during the last two centuries of the Republic. Their surname, ''Scaurus'', belongs to a common class of cognomina derived from an individual's physical features, and referred to someone with swollen ankles. ''Orestes'', the surname of a family that flourished for about a century toward the end of the Republic, was a Greek name, and belonged to a class of surnames of foreign origin, which appear during the middle and late Republic. In Greek mythology,

Orestes In Greek mythology, Orestes or Orestis (; ) was the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and the brother of Electra and Iphigenia. He was also known by the patronymic Agamemnonides (), meaning "son of Agamemnon." He is the subject of several ...

was the son of

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans during the Trojan War. He was the son (or grandson) of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of C ...

and

Clytemnestra Clytemnestra (, ; , ), in Greek mythology, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, and the half-sister of Helen of Sparta. In Aeschylus' ''Oresteia'', she murders Agamemnon – said by Euripides to be her second husband – and the Trojan p ...

, and avenged his father's murder by slaying his own mother, and after escaping the judgment of the

Erinyes The Erinyes ( ; , ), also known as the Eumenides (, the "Gracious ones"), are chthonic goddesses of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes them as "the Erinyes, that under earth tak ...

, became king of

Mycenae Mycenae ( ; ; or , ''Mykē̂nai'' or ''Mykḗnē'') is an archaeological site near Mykines, Greece, Mykines in Argolis, north-eastern Peloponnese, Greece. It is located about south-west of Athens; north of Argos, Peloponnese, Argos; and sou ...

. The circumstances by which the name became attached to a branch of the Aurelii are unclear, but perhaps allude to some heroic deed, or military service in Greece. The Aurelii Fulvi, who rose to prominence in imperial times, originally came from

Nemausus Deus Nemausus is often said to have been the Celtic patron god of Nemausus (Nîmes). The god does not seem to have been worshipped outside this locality. The city certainly derives its name from Nemausus, which was perhaps the sacred wood in which ...

Gallia Narbonensis Gallia Narbonensis (Latin for "Gaul of Narbonne", from its chief settlement) was a Roman province located in Occitania and Provence, in Southern France. It was also known as Provincia Nostra ("Our Province"), because it was the first ...

.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, pp. 210–212 ("

Antoninus Pius Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius (; ; 19 September 86 – 7 March 161) was Roman emperor from AD 138 to 161. He was the fourth of the Five Good Emperors from the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. Born into a senatorial family, Antoninus held var ...

"), vol. II, p. 189 (" Fulvus"). Titus Aurelius Fulvus, the first of the family to attain the consulship, was made a patrician about AD 73 or 74.Jones, ''The Emperor Domitian'', p. 52. In the second century, the Aurelii Fulvi obtained the Empire itself, when the consul's grandson, Titus Aurelius Fulvus, was adopted as the successor to

Hadrian Hadrian ( ; ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. Hadrian was born in Italica, close to modern Seville in Spain, an Italic peoples, Italic settlement in Hispania Baetica; his branch of the Aelia gens, Aelia '' ...

, becoming the emperor

. Most of the emperors who followed were born or adopted into the gens, through the end of the Severan dynasty. The surname ''Fulvus'' was a common surname, referring to someone with yellowish, yellow-brown, tawny, or strawberry blond hair. The Aurelii Galli were a family that achieved notability during the second century, attaining the consulship on at least three occasions. Their surname, ''Gallus'', had two common derivations, referring either to a cockerel, or to a

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

. In the latter case, it might indicate that the first of this family was of Gallic descent, that he was born in Gaul, that he had performed some noteworthy deed in Gaul, or that in some manner he resembled a Gaul. The Aurelii Symmachi were one of the last great families of the western empire, holding the highest offices of the Roman state during the fourth and fifth centuries. The Symmachi were regarded as members of the old Roman aristocracy, and acquired a reputation for their wisdom and learning.

Members

Aurelii Cottae

* Gaius Aurelius L. f. C. n. Cotta,

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...

in 252 and 248 BC, during the First Punic War, he fought against the

Carthaginians The Punic people, usually known as the Carthaginians (and sometimes as Western Phoenicians), were a Semitic people, Semitic people who Phoenician settlement of North Africa, migrated from Phoenicia to the Western Mediterranean during the Iron ...

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. ...

, taking the towns of

Himera Himera (Greek language, Greek: ), was a large and important ancient Greece, ancient Greek city situated on the north coast of Sicily at the mouth of the river of the same name (the modern Imera Settentrionale), between Panormus (modern Palermo) ...

and

Lipara Lipari (; ) is a ''comune'' including six of seven islands of the Aeolian Islands (Lipari, Vulcano, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi and Alicudi) and it is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the northern coast of Sicily, Southern Italy; it is admin ...

, and receiving a triumph for his victories in the former year. He was censor in 241, and

magister equitum The , in English Master of the Horse or Master of the Cavalry, was a Roman magistrate appointed as lieutenant to a dictator. His nominal function was to serve as commander of the Roman cavalry in time of war, but just as a dictator could be n ...

to the

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...

Gaius Duilius Gaius Duilius ( 260–231 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. As consul in 260 BC, during the First Punic War, he won Rome's first ever victory at sea by defeating the Carthaginians at the Battle of Mylae. He later served as censor in 258, a ...

in 231.''

Fasti Capitolini The ''Fasti Capitolini'', or Capitoline Fasti, are a list of the chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, extending from the early fifth century BC down to the reign of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Together with similar lists found at Rom ...

'', ; 1940, 59, 60. *Gaius Aurelius C. f. L. n. Cotta, legate of the consul Claudius Marcellus in 216 BC. * Marcus Aurelius C. f. L. n. Cotta, plebeian aedile in 216 BC. In 212, during the Second Punic War, he served under the consul Appius Claudius Pulcher at

Puteoli Pozzuoli (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula. History Antiquity Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of ''Dicaearchia ...

. He was appointed '' decemvir sacrorum'' in 203, and the following year was an ambassador to

Philip V of Macedon Philip V (; 238–179 BC) was king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon from 221 to 179 BC. Philip's reign was principally marked by the Social War (220–217 BC), Social War in Greece (220-217 BC) ...

. He died in 201. * Gaius Aurelius C. f. C. n. Cotta, ''praetor urbanus'' in 202 BC, and consul in 200, carried on the war against the

Gauls The Gauls (; , ''Galátai'') were a group of Celts, Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman Gaul, Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). Th ...

in Italy. When the enemy was defeated by the

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 ...

Lucius Furius Purpureo Lucius Furius Purpureo was a Roman politician and general, becoming consul in the year 196 BC. Lucius Furius was from the '' gens Furia'' patrician family in Rome. Military tribune Purpureo was a military tribune in 210 BC during the Second Punic ...

, Cotta distracted himself by raiding and plundering the countryside. * Marcus Aurelius M. f. C. n. Cotta, served as the legate of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus during the war against

Antiochus III Antiochus III the Great (; , ; 3 July 187 BC) was the sixth ruler of the Seleucid Empire, reigning from 223 to 187 BC. He ruled over the region of Syria and large parts of the rest of West Asia towards the end of the 3rd century BC. Rising to th ...

in 189 BC. He brought Antiochus' ambassadors and other representatives of the east to Rome, where he gave his report to the

senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. * Lucius Aurelius C. f. C. n. Cotta,

military tribune A military tribune () was an officer of the Roman army who ranked below the legate and above the centurion. Young men of Equestrian rank often served as military tribunes as a stepping stone to the Senate. The should not be confused with the ...

in 181 BC, was one of the commanders of the third legion in the war against the

Ligures The Ligures or Ligurians were an ancient people after whom Liguria, a region of present-day Northern Italy, north-western Italy, is named. Because of the strong Celts, Celtic influences on their language and culture, they were also known in anti ...

, together with Sextus Julius Caesar. * Lucius Aurelius L. f. C. n. Cotta, as

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 154 BC, attempted to use his sacrosanctity as tribune to evade his creditors. Consul in 144 BC, he was denied the command against

Viriathus Viriathus (also spelled Viriatus; known as Viriato in Portuguese language, Portuguese and Spanish language, Spanish; died 139 Anno Domini, BC) was the most important leader of the Lusitanians, Lusitanian people that resisted Roman Republic, Roma ...

through the influence of

Scipio Aemilianus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Aemilianus (185 BC – 129 BC), known as Scipio Aemilianus or Scipio Africanus the Younger, was a Roman general and statesman noted for his military exploits in the Third Punic War against Carthage and durin ...

, who subsequently accused him of various crimes. Cotta was acquitted, chiefly out of spite against Scipio. * Lucius Aurelius L. f. L. n. Cotta, consul in 119 BC, attempted to prosecute

Gaius Marius Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbrian War, Cimbric and Jugurthine War, Jugurthine wars, he held the office of Roman consul, consul an unprecedented seven times. Rising from a fami ...

, then tribune of the plebs, for a law he had proposed to reduce the influence of the

optimates ''Optimates'' (, ; Latin for "best ones"; ) and ''populares'' (; Latin for "supporters of the people"; ) are labels applied to politicians, political groups, traditions, strategies, or ideologies in the late Roman Republic. There is "heated ...

in the

comitia The Roman assemblies were meetings of the Roman people duly convened by a magistrate. There were two general kinds of assemblies: a '' contio'' where a crowd was convened to hear speeches or statements from speakers without any further arrangem ...

. Marius threatened to imprison Cotta, and the senate abandoned the consul's scheme. * Marcus Aurelius (L. f. L. n.) Cotta, in 139 BC. He married Rutilia, the sister of

Publius Rutilius Rufus Publius Rutilius Rufus (158 BCafter 78 BC) was a Roman statesman, soldier, orator and historian of the Rutilia ''gens'', as well as a great-uncle of Gaius Julius Caesar (through his sister Rutilia, Caesar's maternal grandmother). He achieved th ...

, consul in 105, and their three sons Marcus, Gaius, and Lucius became consuls in 74, 75, and 65 respectively.Crawford, ''Roman Republican Coinage'', p. 263. * Aurelia L. f. L. n., the wife of

Gaius Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...

, proconsul of

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 ...

early in the first century BC, and mother of the dictator

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...

. * Lucius Aurelius (L. f. L. n.) Cotta, in 105 BC and

''circa'' 103; he tried to obstruct the prosecution of

Quintus Servilius Caepio Quintus Servilius Caepio may refer to: * Quintus Servilius Caepio (consul 140 BC) * Quintus Servilius Caepio (consul 106 BC) * Quintus Servilius Caepio (quaestor 103 BC) * Quintus Servilius Caepio (adoptive father of Brutus) * Quintus Servilius ...

by the tribune

Gaius Norbanus Gaius Norbanus, nicknamed ''Balbus'' (died 82 BC) was a Roman politician who was elected consul in 83 BC alongside Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus. He committed suicide in exile at Rhodes after being proscribed by Lucius Cornelius Sulla short ...

, but failed. He was praetor in an uncertain year; Broughton places his praetorship ''circa'' 95. Cicero describes him as a mediocre orator, who deliberately presented himself as a rustic. * Marcus Aurelius M. f. L. n. Cotta, consul in 74 BC, received the province of

Bithynia Bithynia (; ) was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Paphlagonia to the northeast a ...

during the war with Mithradates. He was defeated, and lost his entire fleet, for which he blamed his quaestor, Publius Oppius, whom Cicero defended. Cotta himself was later condemned for extortion in his province, on the accusation of Gaius Papirius Carbo. * Gaius Aurelius M. f. L. n. Cotta, a distinguished orator, praised by Cicero. During the Social War, he had supported the cause of the allies, and was subsequently exiled until 82 BC. Consul in 75, he attempted to reverse one of

Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (, ; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman of the late Roman Republic. A great commander and ruthless politician, Sulla used violence to advance his career and his co ...

's most onerous laws, arousing the ire of the optimates. He was granted a triumph for his successes as

proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a Roman consul, consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military ...

of Gaul, but died from an old wound on the day before the ceremony. * Lucius Aurelius M. f. L. n. Cotta, as praetor in 70 BC, carried the , expanding the classes of persons who could serve on juries. He became consul in 65, after accusing the consuls elect of ''

ambitus In ancient Roman law, ''ambitus'' was a crime of political corruption, mainly a candidate's attempt to influence the outcome (or direction) of an election through bribery or other forms of soft power. The Latin word ''ambitus'' is the origin of ...

'', and became a target of the

First Catilinarian conspiracy The so-called first Catilinarian conspiracy was an almost certainly fictitious conspiracy in the late Roman Republic. According to various ancient tellings, it involved Publius Autronius Paetus, Publius Cornelius Sulla, Lucius Sergius Catil ...

. He was censor in 64, but the tribunes of the plebs compelled him to resign. He was an ally of both Cicero and

. * Marcus Aurelius M. f. M. n. Cotta, son of the consul of 74 BC, upon assuming the toga virilis, avenged his father by charging Carbo, his father's accuser, of extortion in his province, the same crime for which the elder Cotta had been condemned. Probably the same Cotta who as

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 ...

of Sardinia in 49, fled to Africa before the arrival of Caesar's legate, Quintus Valerius Orca. * Marcus Aurelius M. f. M. n. Cotta, probably a son of the propraetor Marcus, adopted a son of

Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus (64 BC – AD 8 or c. 12) was a Roman general, author, and patron of literature and art. Family Corvinus was the son of a consul in 61 BC, Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger,Syme, R., ''Augustan Aristocracy'', p. ...

, who became ''Marcus Aurelius Cotta Maximus Messalinus''. * Marcus Aurelius M. f. M. n. Cotta Maximus Messalinus, son of

, was adopted into the gens Aurelia. He was consul in AD 20, and an intimate friend of the emperor

. He gained a reputation for hostility and cruelty, causing a number of leading senators to accuse him of ''majestas''. The emperor, however, defended him in a missive to the senate, whereupon Messalinus was acquitted. He was also the patron of

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

.''Fasti Ostienses'', , 245, 4531–4546, 5354, 5355. * Aurelius M. f. M. n. Cotta, a nobleman who received an annual stipend from the Emperor Nero in AD 58, because he had dissipated his family estate in profligacy. He was doubtless the son of Marcus Aurelius Cotta Maximus Messalinus.

Aurelii Scauri

* Gaius Aurelius Scaurus, praetor in 186 BC, was assigned the province of

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

. * Marcus Aurelius M. f. Scaurus, in 118 BC, perhaps the same as the consul of 108. * Marcus Aurelius Scaurus, consul ''suffectus'' in 108 BC. As a

legate Legate may refer to: People * Bartholomew Legate (1575–1611), English martyr * Julie Anne Legate (born 1972), Canadian linguistics professor * William LeGate (born 1994), American entrepreneur Political and religious offices *Legatus, a hig ...

in Gaul in 105, he was defeated and captured by the

Cimbri The Cimbri (, ; ) were an ancient tribe in Europe. Ancient authors described them variously as a Celtic, Gaulish, Germanic, or even Cimmerian people. Several ancient sources indicate that they lived in Jutland, which in some classical texts was ...

at the

Battle of Arausio The Battle of Arausio took place on 6 October 105 BC, at a site between the town of Arausio, now Orange, Vaucluse, and the Rhône river, where two Roman armies, commanded by proconsul Quintus Servilius Caepio and consul Gnaeus Mallius Maximus ...

. Scaurus was slain by the Cimbric chief,

Boiorix Boiorix or Boeorix was a king of the Cimbri tribe during the Cimbrian War. His most notable achievement was the spectacular victory against the Romans at the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC, seen as the worst Roman military disaster since the Battle ...

, when he warned his captors that they could not hope to defeat Rome. * Marcus Aurelius (M. f.) Scaurus, a quaestor mentioned in

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 ...

's oration against

Verres Gaius Verres ( 114 – 43 BC) was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. His extortion of local farmers and plundering of temples led to his prosecution by Cicero, whose accusations were so devastating that his defence advo ...

Aurelii Orestides

* Lucius Aurelius L. f. L. n. Orestes, consul in 157 BC. * Lucius Aurelius L. f. L. n. Orestes, consul in 126 BC, was sent against the Sardinians, over whom he triumphed in 122.

Gaius Gracchus Gaius Sempronius Gracchus ( – 121 BC) was a reformist Roman politician and soldier who lived during the 2nd century BC. He is most famous for his tribunate for the years 123 and 122 BC, in which he proposed a wide set of laws, i ...

and Marcus Aurelius Scaurus served under his command. Orestes and his brother, Gaius, were orators mentioned in passing by Cicero.Cicero, ''Brutus'', 28. * Gaius Aurelius L. f. L. n. Orestes, and his brother, Lucius, were orators briefly mentioned by Cicero. * Lucius Aurelius L. f. L. n. Orestes, consul in 103 BC, with

as his colleague. Orestes died during his year of office. * Gnaeus Aurelius Orestes, ''

praetor urbanus ''Praetor'' ( , ), also ''pretor'', was the Title#Titles for heads of state, 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 ''Roman magistr ...

'' in 77 BC, issued a decision that was appealed to the consul Mamercus Aemilius Lepidus. Lepidus sustained the appeal, negating Orestes' decision. Broughton identifies him with the consul of 71. * Gnaeus Aurelius Cn. f. Orestes, adopted by Gnaeus Aufidius, the historian, assuming the name of Gnaeus Aufidius Orestes. After he failed to win election as tribune of the plebs, he succeeded in obtaining the consulship for 71 BC. Cicero, however, suggests that his election was due largely to the lavish gifts that he distributed among the people. * Aurelia Orestilla, the second wife of

Catiline Lucius Sergius Catilina ( – January 62 BC), known in English as Catiline (), was a Roman politician and soldier best known for instigating the Catilinarian conspiracy, a failed attempt to seize control of the Roman state in 63 BC. ...

, who reputedly slew his grown son in order to overcome her objection to their marriage. According to Cicero's correspondent,

Marcus Caelius Rufus Marcus Caelius Rufus (died 48 BC) was an orator and politician in the late Roman Republic. He was born into a wealthy equestrian family from Interamnia Praetuttiorum, on the central east coast of Italy. He is best known for his prosecut ...

, Aurelia's daughter was betrothed to

Quintus Cornificius Quintus Cornificius (died 42 BC) was an ancient Roman of senatorial rank from the ''gens'' Cornificia. He was a general, orator and poet, a friend of Catullus and a correspondent of Cicero. He was also an augur. He wrote a now lost epyllion titl ...

Aurelii Fulvi

* Titus Aurelius Fulvus, the grandfather of the emperor Antoninus Pius, was legate of the third legion during the reign of

, and subsequently a supporter of

Vespasian Vespasian (; ; 17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79. The last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for 27 years. His fiscal reforms and consolida ...

, under whom he served as consul ''suffectus circa'' AD 71, and governor of

Hispania Citerior Hispania Citerior (English: "Hither Iberia", or "Nearer Iberia") was a Roman province in Hispania during the Roman Republic. It was on the eastern coast of Iberia down to the town of Cartago Nova, today's Cartagena in the autonomous community of ...

from 75 to 78. He was consul for the second time in 85, together with the emperor

Domitian Domitian ( ; ; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was Roman emperor 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 Flavian dynasty. Described as "a r ...

. At one time, he was ''praefectus urbi''. * Titus Aurelius T. f. Fulvus, the father of Antoninus Pius, was consul in AD 89, for the first four months of the year. * Titus Aurelius T. f. T. n. Fulvus Boionius (Arrius?) Antoninus, better known as

, emperor from AD 138 to 161. He had been consul in AD 120, then distinguished himself as Proconsul of Asia, and was adopted by Hadrian shortly before the emperor's death.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, pp. 210–212 ("

"). * Marcus Aurelius T. f. T. n. Fulvus Antoninus, a son of Antoninus Pius, who must have died before AD 138, as Antoninus had no living sons when he was adopted by Hadrian.Cassius Dio, lxix. 21. * Marcus Galerius Aurelius T. f. T. n. Antoninus, another son of Antoninus Pius, must also have died before AD 138. * Aurelia T. f. T. n. Fadilla, daughter of Antoninus Pius, and wife of Lucius Aelius Lamia Silvanus, died shortly after her father was appointed governor of Asia. * Anna Galeria T. f. T. n. Faustina, another daughter of Antoninus Pius, married her cousin, Marcus Aurelius, and was empress from AD 161 to her death, about 175. She was noted for her extravagance and intrigues, which the emperor appears to have indulged, or at least tolerated. * Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, born Marcus Annius Verus, a nephew of Antoninus Pius, by whom he was adopted on the orders of Hadrian in AD 138, and whom he succeeded as emperor from 161 to 180.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, pp. 439–443 (" Marcus Aurelius Antoninus"). * Lucius Aurelius Verus, born Lucius Ceionius Commodus, was adopted by Antoninus Pius upon the latter's adoption by Hadrian in AD 138. He was appointed emperor together with Marcus Aurelius in 161, reigning until his death in 169. * Annia Aurelia M. f. Galeria Lucilla, daughter of

, married the emperor Lucius Verus. When he died young, a rumour began that Lucilla had poisoned him. Her second husband was the general

Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus ( Greek: Πομπηιανός; 125 – 193 AD) was a politician and military commander during the 2nd century in the Roman Empire. A general under Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Pompeianus distinguished himself during Ro ...

, whom she despised as her inferior. She joined a plot against her brother, the emperor Commodus, but after being detected was banished to Capreae, where she was put to death about AD 183.Julius Capitolinus, "The Life of Marcus Aurelius", 7, 26, "The Life of Lucius Verus", 2. * Annia Galeria M. f. Aurelia Faustina, daughter of Marcus Aurelius, and wife of Gnaeus Claudius Severus, consul in AD 167. Their son,

Tiberius Claudius Severus Proculus Tiberius Claudius Severus Proculus (about 163-by 218) was a Roman Senator. Via his mother he was a grandson of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, but he played only a limited role in dynastic politics. Descent and family Severus Proculus was of noble desce ...

, was consul in 200. * Titus Aelius Aurelius M. f., son of

, probably died young. * Titus Aurelius M. f. Fulvus Antoninus Geminus, son of Marcus Aurelius and twin brother of Commodus, died at the age of four, ''circa'' AD 165. * Domitia M. f. Faustina, daughter of Marcus Aurelius, apparently died young. * Lucius Aurelius M. f. Commodus Antoninus, son of Marcus Aurelius, emperor from AD 177 to 192. After a promising beginning, he gave himself over to luxury, self-indulgence, and tyranny. He was assassinated at the end of 192. * Annia Aurelia M. f. Fadilla, daughter of Marcus Aurelius, married

Marcus Peducaeus Plautius Quintillus Marcus Peducaeus Plautius Quintillus (died 205) was a Roman noble closely related by birth, adoption, and marriage to the Nerva-Antonine emperors. Through his marriage to Fadilla, the daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Empress Faustina the Yo ...

. * Vibia Aurelia M. f. Sabina, daughter of Marcus Aurelius, married

Lucius Antistius Burrus Lucius Antistius Burrus Adventus (–188 AD) was a Roman senator who lived in the 2nd century. He was one of the sons-in-law of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Faustina the Younger. Burrus originally came from a senatorial family from Thibilis, ...

Aurelii Galli

* Lucius Aurelius Gallus, consul ''suffectus'' in an uncertain year between AD 128 and 133. * Lucius Aurelius Gallus, consul ''suffectus Ex. Kal. Jul.'' in AD 146. * Lucius Aurelius Gallus, consul in AD 174. * Lucius Aurelius Gallus, consul in AD 198. * Lucius Aurelius Gallus, governor of

Moesia Inferior Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; ) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River. As a Roman domain Moesia was administered at first by the governor of Noricum as 'Civitates of Moesia and Triballi ...

from AD 201 to about 204.

Aurelii Symmachi

* Aurelius Valerius Symmachus Tullianus, consul in 330. * Lucius Aurelius Avianius Symmachus ''signo'' Phosphorius, ''praefectus urbi'' in AD 364, and consul-designate for 377. He was a superb diplomat, and among the most esteemed members of the senate. * Quintus Aurelius L. f. Symmachus ''signo'' Eusebius, one of the most respected scholars and rhetoricians of the late fourth century, and a passionate defender of Rome's pagan traditions. He was ''praefectus urbi'' in AD 384 and consul in 391. * Quintus Fabius Q. f. L. n. Memmius Symmachus, held a number of high offices, including the quaestorship and praetorship, before becoming proconsul of Africa in AD 415. He was ''praefectus urbi'' in AD 418. * Quintus Aurelius (Q. f. Q. n.) Symmachus, consul in AD 446 with

Flavius Aetius Flavius Aetius (also spelled Aëtius; ; 390 – 21 September 454) was a Roman Empire, Roman general and statesman of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, closing period of the Western Roman Empire. He was a military commander and the most inf ...

. * Quintus Aurelius Q. f. (Q. n.) Memmius Symmachus, consul in AD 485, and ''praefectus urbi'', was the father-in-law of

Boethius Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, commonly known simply as Boethius (; Latin: ''Boetius''; 480–524 AD), was a Roman Roman Senate, senator, Roman consul, consul, ''magister officiorum'', polymath, historian, and philosopher of the Early Middl ...

Others

* Publius Aurelius Pecuniola, a kinsman of the consul Gaius Aurelius Cotta, under whom he served during the siege of

in 252 BC. As a result of his negligence, his camp was set on fire, and nearly captured. As a punishment, Pecuniola was scourged, and demoted to the rank of legionary. * Lucius Aurelius,

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 ...

''urbanus'' in 196 BC. * Aurelius Opilius, a freedman who became a philosopher, rhetorician, and grammarian, and a friend of

, whom he accompanied into exile at

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

, around 92 BC. * Aurelius Cornelius Celsus, a physician, perhaps named Aulus, rather than Aurelius. He probably lived in the time of Augustus, or at the latest in the mid-first century. He employed a scientific approach to medicine, and his treatise, ''De Medicina'', in eight books, still survives. * Lucius Aurelius Priscus, consul ''suffectus'' in AD 67. * Quintus Aurelius Pactumeius Fronto, consul ''suffectus'' in AD 80. He entered office on the Kalends of March, and held the consulate for two months. * Titus Aurelius Quietus, consul ''suffectus'' in AD 82. He served from the Kalends of September, perhaps until the end of the year. * Aurelia Messalina, the wife of Ceionius Postumius and mother of

Clodius Albinus Decimus Clodius Albinus ( 150 – 19 February 197) was a Roman imperial pretender between 193 and 197. He was proclaimed emperor by the legions in Britain and Hispania after the murder of Pertinax in 193 (known as the "Year of the Five Emperors") ...

. * Aurelius, a physician, one of whose prescriptions is quoted by

Galen Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus (; September 129 – AD), often Anglicization, anglicized as Galen () or Galen of Pergamon, was a Ancient Rome, Roman and Greeks, Greek physician, surgeon, and Philosophy, philosopher. Considered to be one o ...

. * Marcus Aurelius Verianus, governor of

Roman Egypt Roman Egypt was an imperial province of the Roman Empire from 30 BC to AD 642. The province encompassed most of modern-day Egypt except for the Sinai. It was bordered by the provinces of Crete and Cyrenaica to the west and Judaea, ...

in 188. *

Marcus Aurelius Cleander Marcus Aurelius Cleander (; died 19 April 190), commonly known as Cleander, was a Roman freedman who gained extraordinary power as chamberlain and favourite of the emperor Commodus, rising to command the Praetorian Guard and bringing the princi ...

, a freedman of Commodus, whom the emperor entrusted with the maintenance of his household, and then the imperial bureaucracy. He enriched himself by selling magistracies, but following a grain shortage in AD 190, the

praefectus annonae The ("prefect of the provisions"), also called the ("prefect of the grain supply"), was a Roman official charged with the supervision of the grain supply to the city of Rome. Under the Republic, the job was usually done by an aedile. However, ...

incited a riot against him. The emperor made no effort to defend his favourite, who was put to death to placate the mob. * Quintus Aurelius Polus Terentianus, governor of Dacia in 193. *

Lucius Aurelius Commodus Pompeianus Lucius Aurelius Commodus Pompeianus ( 177 – 211/212) was a Roman senator active in the early 3rd century. He was the son of Lucilla, the daughter of Marcus Aurelius, and her second husband Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus, a general active politic ...

, consul in AD 209. * Marcus Aurelius Sebastenus, equestrian governor of

Mauretania Tingitana Mauretania Tingitana (Latin for "Tangerine Mauretania") was a Roman province, coinciding roughly with the northern part of present-day Morocco. The territory stretched from the northern peninsula opposite Gibraltar, to Sala Colonia (or Chellah ...

from AD 215 to 217. * Aurelius Philippus, the tutor of

Severus Alexander Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – March 235), also known as Alexander Severus, was Roman emperor from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. Alexander took power in 222, when he succeeded his slain c ...

, who afterward wrote a life of the emperor. * Lucius Julius Aurelius Septimius Vabalathus Athenodorus, king of the

Palmyrene Empire The Palmyrene Empire was a short-lived breakaway state from the Roman Empire resulting from the Crisis of the Third Century. Named after its capital city, Palmyra, it encompassed the Roman provinces of Syria Palaestina, Arabia Petraea, and Egypt ...

. * Marcus Aurelius Olympius Nemesianus, an esteemed poet during the reign of the emperor

, and the author of ''Cynegetica'', a treatise on hunting with dogs, most of which has been lost. Several fragments of his other works have survived. * Aurelius Arcadius Charisius, a jurist, who probably flourished during the fourth century. * Sextus Aurelius Victor, a Latin historian of the fourth century, and the author of several important historical and biographical works. He was governor of

Pannonia Secunda Pannonia Secunda was one of the provinces of the Roman Empire. It was formed in 296 AD, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. The capital of the province was Sirmium (today Sremska Mitrovica). Pannonia Secunda comprised parts of present-day Serb ...

under the emperor Julian, and prefect of Rome in AD 389 under

Theodosius I Theodosius I ( ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed as the orthodox doctrine for Nicene C ...

. * Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, a jurist, poet, and Christian philosopher of the late fourth and early fifth century. * Aurelius Onesimus, a legionary in the Legio I Illyricorum.

''Stemma'' of the Aurelii Cottae

''Stemma'' made from Münzer and Badian.Münzer, ''Aristocratic Parties'', p. 295.Badian, ''Studies'', p. 64.

Footnotes

References

{{Reflist

Bibliography

Ancient sources

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 ...

, ''Academica Priora'', ''

Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC) was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, which was reta ...

'', ''De Domo Sua'', ''De Lege Agraria contra Rullum'', ''

De Legibus ''On the Laws'', also known by its Latin name ( abbr. ), is a Socratic dialogue written by Marcus Tullius Cicero during the last years of the Roman Republic. It bears the same name as Plato's famous dialogue, '' The Laws''. Unlike his previou ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

De Oratore ''De Oratore'' (''On the Orator'') is a dialogue written by Cicero in 55 BC. It is set in 91 BC, when Lucius Licinius Crassus dies, just before the Social War and the civil war between Marius and Sulla, during which Marcus Antonius, the oth ...

'', '' Divinatio in Quintum Caecilium'', ''

Epistulae ad Atticum ''Epistulae ad Atticum'' (Latin for "Letters to Atticus") is a collection of letters from Roman politician and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero to his close friend Titus Pomponius Atticus. The letters in this collection, together with Cicero's oth ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', '' In Catilinam'', ''In Pisonem'', ''

In Verrem "''In Verrem''" ("Against Verres") is a series of speeches made by Cicero in 70 BC, during the corruption and extortion trial of Gaius Verres, the former governor of Sicily. The speeches, which were concurrent with Cicero's election to the aedil ...

'', ''Orator ad Marcum Brutum'', ''

Philippicae The ''Philippics'' () are a series of 14 speeches composed by Cicero in 44 and 43 BC, condemning Mark Antony. Cicero likened these speeches to those of Demosthenes against Philip II of Macedon; both Demosthenes' and Cicero's speeches became ...

'', ''Pro Fonteio'', ''Pro Murena'', ''Pro Plancio'', ''Pro Sestio''. *

, ''Apud Ciceronis ad Familiares''. *

, ''

Commentarii de Bello Civili '' Commentarii de Bello Civili'' (''Commentaries on the Civil War''), or ''Bellum Civile'', is an account written by Julius Caesar of his war against Gnaeus Pompeius and the Roman Senate. It consists of three books covering the events of 49– ...

''. * Gaius Sallustius Crispus (

Sallust Gaius Sallustius Crispus, usually anglicised as Sallust (, ; –35 BC), was a historian and politician of the Roman Republic from a plebeian family. Probably born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines, Sallust became a partisan of Julius ...

), ''Bellum Catilinae'' (The Conspiracy of Catiline), ''Historiae'' (The Histories). *

Cornelius Nepos Cornelius Nepos (; c. 110 BC – c. 25 BC) was a Roman Empire, Roman biographer. He was born at Hostilia, a village in Cisalpine Gaul not far from Verona. Biography Nepos's Cisalpine birth is attested by Ausonius, and Pliny the Elder calls ...

, ''De Viris Illustribus'' (On the Lives of Famous Men). * Quintus Horatius Flaccus (

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...

), '' Satirae'' (Satires). * 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 ...

''. *

Marcus Velleius Paterculus Marcus Velleius Paterculus (; ) was a Roman historian, soldier and senator. His Roman history, written in a highly rhetorical style, covered the period from the end of the Trojan War to AD 30, but is most useful for the period from the death o ...

, ''Compendium of Roman History''. *

Valerius Maximus Valerius Maximus () was a 1st-century Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes: ' ("Nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' or ''Facta et dicta memorabilia''). He worke ...

, ''Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium'' (Memorable Facts and Sayings). * Quintus Asconius Pedianus, ''Commentarius in Oratio Ciceronis In Cornelio'' (Commentary on Cicero's Oration ''In Cornelio''). * Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella, ''De Re Rustica''. * Gaius Plinius Secundus (Pliny the Elder), ''Natural History (Pliny), Historia Naturalis'' (Natural History). *Sextus Julius Frontinus, ''Strategemata'' (Stratagems). * Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (Quintilian), ''Institutio Oratoria'' (Institutes of Oratory). *Tacitus, Publius Cornelius Tacitus, ''Annals (Tacitus), Annales'', ''Histories (Tacitus), Historiae'', ''Germania (book), De Origine et Situ Germanorum'' (The Origin and Situation of the Germans, or "Germania"). *Suetonius, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, ''The Twelve Caesars, De Vita Caesarum'' (Lives of the Caesars, or The Twelve Caesars), ''De Illustribus Grammaticis'' (On the Illustrious Grammarians). * Appianus Alexandrinus (Appian), ''Bella Mithridatica'' (The Mithridatic Wars), ''Bellum Civile'' (The Civil War). * Aelius Galenus (

), ''De Compositione Medicamentorum Secundum Locos Conscriptorum'' (On the Composition of Medications According to the Place Prescribed). * Cassius Dio, ''Roman History''. *Herodianus, ''History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus''. * Aelius Lampridius, Aelius Spartianus, Flavius Vopiscus, Julius Capitolinus, Trebellius Pollio, and Vulcatius Gallicanus, ''Historia Augusta'' (Augustan History). *Eutropius (historian), Eutropius, ''Breviarium Historiae Romanae'' (Abridgement of the History of Rome). * Sextus Aurelius Victor, ''De Caesaribus'' (On the Caesars), ''De Viris Illustribus'' (On Famous Men). *Ammianus Marcellinus, ''Res Gestae''. *Codex Theodosianus. *Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, ''Epistulae''. *Orosius, Paulus Orosius, ''Historiarum Adversum Paganos'' (History Against the Pagans). *''Digesta'', or ''Pandectae'' (Digest (Roman law), The Digest). *Paul the Deacon, Paulus, ''Epitome de Sex. Pompeio Festo de Significatu Verborum'' (Epitome of Sextus Pompeius Festus, Festus' ''De Significatu Verborum''). *Joannes Zonaras, ''Epitome Historiarum'' (Epitome of History).

Modern sources

*Jan Gruter, ''Inscriptiones Antiquae Totius Orbis Romani'' (Ancient Inscriptions from the Whole Roman World), Heidelberg (1603). *Ludovico Antonio Muratori, ''Novus Thesaurus Veterum Inscriptionum'' (New Treasury of Ancient Inscriptions), Milan (1739–42). *Johann Christian Wernsdorf, ''Poëtae Latini Minores'' (Minor Latin Poets), Altenburg, Helmstedt (1780–1799). *Joseph Hilarius Eckhel, ''Doctrina Numorum Veterum'' (The Study of Ancient Coins, 1792–1798). *''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', William Smith (lexicographer), William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849). *Theodor Mommsen ''et alii'', ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (The Body of Latin Inscriptions, abbreviated ''CIL''), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1853–present). * René Cagnat ''et alii'', ''L'Année épigraphique'' (The Year in Epigraphy, abbreviated ''AE''), Presses Universitaires de France (1888–present). * George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', vol. VIII (1897). *Friedrich Münzer, ''Roman Aristocratic Parties and Families'', translated by Thérèse Ridley, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 (originally published in 1920). *Thomas Robert Shannon Broughton, T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', American Philological Association (1952). *Ernst Badian, ''Studies in Greek and Roman History'', Blackwell (1964). *Anthony Birley, Anthony R. Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', B. T. Batsford, London (1966). * Geza Alföldy, ''Fasti Hispanienses'', F. Steiner, Wiesbaden (1969). *Michael Crawford (historian), Michael Crawford, ''Roman Republican Coinage'', Cambridge University Press (1974, 2001). *T. P. Wiseman,
Legendary Genealogies in Late-Republican Rome
, ''Greece & Rome'', Second Series, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Oct., 1974), pp. 153–164. * Guido Bastianini,
Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30^a al 299^p
(List of the Prefects of Egypt from 30 BC to AD 299), in ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', vol. 17 (1975). *''Dicționar de istorie veche a României'' (Dictionary of Ancient Romanian History), Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică (1976). *Paul A. Gallivan, "Some Comments on the ''Fasti'' for the Reign of Nero", in ''Classical Quarterly'', vol. 24, pp. 290–311 (1974), "The ''Fasti'' for A.D. 70–96", in ''Classical Quarterly'', vol. 31, pp. 186–220 (1981). *Brian W. Jones, ''The Emperor Domitian'', Routledge, London (1992). *Benet Salway
"What’s in a Name? A Survey of Roman Onomastic Practice from c. 700 B.C. to A.D. 700"
in ''Journal of Roman Studies'', vol. 84, pp. 124–145 (1994). * J.E.H. Spaul,
Governors of Tingitana
, in ''Antiquités Africaines'', vol. 30 (1994). *John C. Traupman, ''The New College Latin & English Dictionary'', Bantam Books, New York (1995). * Olli Salomies, "Adoptive and Polyonymous Nomenclature in the Roman Empire—Some Addenda", in ''Epigrafie e Ordine Senatorio, 30 Anni Dopo'', Edizioni Quasar, Rome, pp. 511–536 (2014). Aurelii, Roman gentes

Origin

Praenomina

Branches and cognomina

Members

Aurelii Cottae

Aurelii Scauri

Aurelii Orestides

Aurelii Fulvi

Aurelii Galli

Aurelii Symmachi

Others

''Stemma'' of the Aurelii Cottae

See also

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

Ancient sources

Modern sources