The gens Ceionia or gens Caeionia or the Caeionii family was an

ancient Roman 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 ...

senatorial 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 eld ...

family of imperial times. The first member of the

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 Lucius Ceionius Commodus in AD 78. The rise of this family culminated in the elevation of the emperor

Lucius Verus Lucius Aurelius Verus (; 15 December 130 – 23 January 169) was Roman emperor from 161 until his death in 169, alongside his adoptive brother Marcus Aurelius. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. Verus' succession together with Ma ...

, born Lucius Ceionius Commodus, in AD 161.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, pp. 653 (" Ceionius"), 816–820 ("

Commodus Commodus (; ; 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was Roman emperor from 177 to 192, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father Marcus Aurelius and then ruling alone from 180. Commodus's sole reign is commonly thought to mark the end o ...

").

Origin

The Ceionii were probably of

Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *Etruscan civilization (1st millennium BC) and related things: **Etruscan language ** Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan coins **Etruscan history **Etruscan myt ...

origin. Their nomen resembles other Etruscan names, such as ''Cilnius'', and the family does not appear in history before the first century. The historian

Aelius Spartianus The ''Historia Augusta'' (English: ''Augustan History'') is a late Roman collection of biographies, written in Latin, of the Roman emperors, their junior colleagues, designated heirs and usurpers from 117 to 284. Supposedly modeled on the sim ...

wrote that they came from

Etruria Etruria ( ) was a region of Central Italy delimited by the rivers Arno and Tiber, an area that covered what is now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and north-western Umbria. It was inhabited by the Etruscans, an ancient civilization that f ...

, or perhaps from the town of

Faventia Faenza (, ; ; or ; ) is an Italian city and comune of 59,063 inhabitants in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated southeast of Bologna. Faenza is home to a historical manufacture of majolica-ware glazed earthenware pottery, known f ...

, which was itself of Etruscan origin.

Praenomina

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 Ceionii were ''

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" (<

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 ...

'', and ''

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 ...

''.

Branches and cognomina

The most illustrious family of the Ceionii bore the

cognomen 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 ...

''Commodus'', meaning "friendly, obliging," or "pleasant." The

agnomen An ''agnomen'' (; : ''agnomina''), in the Roman naming convention, was a nickname, just as the ''cognomen'' had been initially. However, the ''cognomina'' eventually became family names, and so ''agnomina'' were needed to distinguish between sim ...

''Verus'', meaning "true", was borne by some members of this family. Many other surnames occur, some of which were ordinary cognomina, such as ''Rufus'', meaning "red" or "reddish," or ''Bassus'', "stout".Chase, p. 110.''Cassell's Latin & English Dictionary''. However, as with many families of imperial times, many surnames were acquired from other families to whom the Ceionii were related or otherwise politically connected. ''Postumus'', a surname belonging to the father of the emperor Albinus, is derived from the praenomen ''

Postumus Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus ( 259–269) was a Roman commander of Batavian origin, who ruled as emperor of the splinter state of the Roman Empire known to modern historians as the Gallic Empire. The Roman army in Gaul threw off its al ...

'', referring to a youngest child, although a popular

false etymology A false etymology (fake etymology or pseudo-etymology) is a false theory about the origin or derivation of a specific word or phrase. When a false etymology becomes a popular belief in a cultural/linguistic community, it is a folk etymology (or po ...

derived it from ''post humus'', "after burial", meaning a child born after his father's death. In a letter referred to by the historian

Julius Capitolinus The ''Historia Augusta'' (English: ''Augustan History'') is a late Roman collection of biographies, written in Latin, of the Roman emperors, their junior colleagues, designated heirs and usurpers from 117 to 284. Supposedly modeled on the sim ...

, Ceionius Postumus claimed to be a descendant of the ancient patrician house of the

Postumii The gens Postumia was a noble patrician family at ancient Rome. Throughout the history of the Republic, the Postumii frequently occupied the chief magistracies of the Roman state, beginning with Publius Postumius Tubertus, consul in 505 BC, the ...

, whose '' nomen'' was itself derived from the praenomen ''Postumus''. Ceionius named his son ''Albinus'', supposedly in reference both to the extraordinary whiteness of his skin, and to the noble family of the Postumii Albini; however, several other members of the gens also bore the surname ''Albinus''.Julius Capitolinus, "The Life of Clodius Albinus", 4.

Members

Ceionii Commodi

* Lucius Ceionius Commodus, consul in AD 78. * Lucius Ceionius (L. f.) Commodus, consul in AD 106. * Lucius Ceionius L. f. (L. n.) Commodus Verus, consul in AD 136, adopted by the emperor

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 '' ...

as his heir. * Lucius Ceionius L. f. L. n. Commodus, better known as ''Lucius Verus'', emperor with his adoptive brother

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 ...

from AD 161 to 169. * Ceionia L. f. L. n. Fabia, one of the sisters of Lucius Verus, was originally betrothed to Marcus Aurelius; the engagement was dissolved at the request of

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 ...

, and she married Plautius Quintillus, consul in AD 159.Syme, "Antonine Relatives: Ceionii and Vettuleni", p. 306. * Ceionia L. f. L. n. Plautia, a sister of Lucius Verus, married Quintus Servilius Pudens, consul in AD 166. * Gaius Avidius Ceionius L. f. L. n. Commodus, the brother of Lucius Verus.

Ceionii Albini

* Ceionius Postumus, said by the ''

Historia Augusta The ''Historia Augusta'' (English: ''Augustan History'') is a late Roman collection of biographies, written in Latin, of the Roman emperors, their junior colleagues, Caesar (title), designated heirs and Roman usurper, usurpers from 117 to 284. S ...

'' to be the father of the emperor Albinus. Syme said he is an invention of the author. * Decimus Clodius Albinus, emperor from AD 196 to 197. * Ceionius Postumianus, a relative of the emperor Albinus, who helped him gain the attention of the Antonines. Syme said he is an invention of the ''Historia Augusta''. * Ceionius Albinus, a distinguished man, probably a relative of the emperor Albinus, put to death by

Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; ; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through cursus honorum, the ...

. Syme said he is an invention of the ''Historia Augusta''. * Ceionius Albinus, ''

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 ...

'' under the emperor Valerian; his full name may have been Marcus Nummius Ceionius Annius Albinus. A Nummius Albinus was ''praefectus urbi'' in AD 256. *

Gaius Ceionius Rufius Volusianus Gaius Ceionius Rufius Volusianus (c. 246 – c. 330) was a Roman senator who had a lengthy political career and who was appointed consul at least twice, the known dates being AD 311 and 314. Biography It has been speculated that Rufius Volusi ...

, of Rome in AD 310 and 311, and from 313 to 315, as well as consul in 311 and 314. * Ceionius C. f. Rufius Albinus, consul in AD 335, and ''praefectus urbi'' from 335 to 337. * Gaius Ceionius Rufius Volusianus ''signo'' Lampadius,

praetorian prefect The praetorian prefect (; ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief ai ...

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 AD 354 and 355, proconsul of Africa, and ''praefectus urbi'' in 365. * Ceionius C. f. Rufius Albinus, ''praefectus urbi'' from AD 389 to 391. * Ceionius C. f. Rufius Volusianus, vicar 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 ...

before 390. * Publius Ceionius C. f. Caecina Albinus, grandfather of Eustochius,

Bishop of Tours The Archdiocese of Tours (; ) is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archdiocese has roots that go back to the 3rd century, while the formal erection of the diocese dates from the 5th century. The ecclesiastical p ...

during the mid-5th century.

Ceionii Juliani

* Ceionius Julianus, ''praefectus urbi'' in AD 310 and 311, a friend of the historian Vopiscus. Possibly fictitious or a confusion with the other Juliani. * Marcus Ceionius Julianus Camenius, 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 ...

from 326 to 333 and of Rome in 333–334. * Publius Publilius Ceionius M. f. Julianus, of Tuscany and

Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...

before 370. * Alfenius Ceionius P. f. M. n. Julianus Camenius, a pagan, held several priesthoods and was

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

in 381. * Caeionius Camenius, possibly a son of Alfenius. * Caeionia Fusciana, sister of Caeionius Camenius.

Others

* Ceionius, under

Publius Quinctilius Varus Publius Quinctilius Varus (46 BC or before – September AD 9) was a Roman general and politician. Serving under Augustus, who founded the Roman Empire, he is generally remembered for having lost three Roman legions in the Battle of the Teutob ...

, took his own life after the disaster of

Teutoburg Forest The Teutoburg Forest ( ; ) is a range of low, forested hills in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Until the 17th century, the official name of the hill ridge was Osning. It was first renamed the ''Teutoburg Forest'' ...

, in AD 9. * Marcus Ceionius Silvanus, consul in AD 156. * Marcia Aurelia Ceionia Demetrias, a

freedwoman A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...

of the emperor Lucius Verus, and mistress of the emperor

, in whose downfall she played a prominent part; she was later put to death by

Didius Julianus Marcus Didius Julianus (; 29 January 133 – 2 June 193) was Roman emperor from March to June 193, during the Year of the Five Emperors. Julianus had a promising political career, governing several provinces, including Dalmatia (Roman province) ...

. * Ceionius Virius Bassus, consul in AD 271, and a friend of the emperor

Aurelian Aurelian (; ; 9 September ) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 270 to 275 AD during the Crisis of the Third Century. As emperor, he won an unprecedented series of military victories which reunited the Roman Empire after it had nearly disinte ...

, to whom he wrote a letter respecting the destruction of

Palmyra Palmyra ( ; Palmyrene dialect, Palmyrene: (), romanized: ''Tadmor''; ) is an ancient city in central Syria. It is located in the eastern part of the Levant, and archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first menti ...

.Flavius Vopiscus, "The Life of Aurelian", 31. * Ceionius Varus, ''praefectus urbi'' in AD 284 and 285.

References

Bibliography

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''. * Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus (

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history of ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

), ''Roman History''. *

Herodian Herodian or Herodianus () of Syria, sometimes referred to as "Herodian of Antioch" (c. 170 – c. 240), was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled ''History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus'' (τῆς με ...

us, ''History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus''. * '' Acts of the Arval Brethren''. * Aelius Lampridius, Aelius Spartianus, Flavius Vopiscus, Julius Capitolinus, Trebellius Pollio, and Vulcatius Gallicanus, ''

'' (Augustan History). * ''

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). *

Theodor Mommsen Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; ; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19th ce ...

''et alii'', ''

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum The ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (''CIL'') is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions throw ...

'' (The Body of Latin Inscriptions, abbreviated ''CIL''), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1853–present). * René Cagnat ''et alii'', ''

L'Année épigraphique ''L'Année épigraphique'' (''The Epigraphic Year'', standard abbreviation ''AE'') is a French publication on epigraphy (i.e the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing). It was set up by René Cagnat, as holder of the chair of 'Epigraphy a ...

'' (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). *

Ronald Syme Sir Ronald Syme, (11 March 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. He was regarded as the greatest historian of ancient Rome since Theodor Mommsen and the most brilliant exponent of the history of the Roma ...

, "Antonine Relatives: Ceionii and Vettuleni", in ''Athenaeum'', vol. xxxv (1957). * D.P. Simpson, ''Cassell's Latin and English Dictionary'', Macmillan Publishing Company, New York (1963). * Anthony R. Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', B. T. Batsford, London (1966). * E. Mary Smallwood, ''Documents Illustrating the Principates of Nerva, Trajan, and Hadrian'', Cambridge University Press (1966). * * * Paul A. Gallivan
"The ''Fasti'' for A.D. 70–96"
in ''

Classical Quarterly The Classical Association (CA) is an educational organisation which aims to promote and widen access to the study of classical subjects in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1903, the Classical Association supports and advances classical learning ...

'', vol. 31, pp. 186–220 (1981). * T. S. M. Mommaerts & D. H. Kelley, "The Anicii of Gaul and Rome", in ''Fifth-century Gaul: a Crisis of Identity?'', John Drinkwater and Hugh Elton, eds., Cambridge University Press, (1992). *

Werner Eck Werner Eck (born 17 December 1939) is professor of Ancient History at Cologne University, Germany, and a noted expert on the history and epigraphy of imperial Rome.Eck, W. (2007) ''The Age of Augustus''. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell, cover notes. Hi ...

, "Die Fasti consulares der Regierungszeit des Antoninus Pius, eine Bestandsaufnahme seit Géza Alföldys Konsulat und Senatorenstand", in ''Studia Epigraphica in Memoriam Géza Alföldy'', Werner Eck, Benedictus Fehér, and Péter Kovács, eds., Bonn (2013). * {{cite book , editor1=August Pauly , editor2=Georg Wissowa , editor3=Wilhelm Kroll , editor4=Kurt Witte , editor5=Karl Mittelhaus , editor6=Konrat Ziegler , title=Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft , title-link=Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft , location=Stuttgart , publisher=J. B. Metzler , date=1894–1980 , ref={{harvid, RE Etruscan families Roman gentes