The gens Sammia or Samia was an obscure

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 of equestrian rank 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 ...

. Few members of this

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 ...

are mentioned in history, but a number are known from inscriptions.

Praenomina

The main

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 ...

of the Sammii 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" (<

'' and '' Sextus'', to which they sometimes added other common names, including ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', and ''

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 ...

''. There is also one example of the rare praenomen ''Tertius'', perhaps indicative of the family's connection to

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 ...

, where unusual praenomina were fashionable.

Branches and cognomina

There seems to have been a large family by this name at

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 ...

. They probably held a hereditary priesthood, as several of them bear the title of ''

flamen A (plural ''flamines'') was a priest of the ancient Roman religion who was assigned to one of fifteen deities with official cults during the Roman Republic. The most important of these were the three (or "major priests"), who served the importa ...

'' or ''flaminica''. Some of them 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 ...

''Aper'', referring to a wild boar, and belonging to a common class of surnames derived from the names of familiar animals and objects.

Members

* Samia, buried at Corduba in

Hispania Baetica Hispania Baetica, often abbreviated Baetica, was one of three Roman provinces created in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula) in 27 BC. Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Tarraconensis. Baetica remained one of ...

, aged fifty-one. * Samius, an eques in the time of

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...

, sought the protection of

Publius Suillius Rufus Publius Suillius Rufus was a Roman senator who was active during the Principate. He was notorious for his prosecutions during the reign of Claudius; and he was the husband of the step-daughter of Ovid. Rufus was suffect consul in the '' nundinium' ...

, at a time when Suillius was ruthlessly prosecuting various persons for supposed offenses against the emperor. After paying Suillius 400,000

sestertii The ''sestertius'' (: ''sestertii'') or sesterce (: sesterces) was an ancient Roman coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions. During the Roman Empire it was a large brass coin. The name ''sester ...

, Samius learned that his counsel was in league with his enemies, and he fell on his sword in Suillius' house, in AD 47. This was one of the events that led to Suillius' downfall and banishment. * Samius, built a second- or third-century monument at Acium 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. ...

to his son, Ruber. * Samius, named in an inscription from Ostia in

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whic ...

. * Gaius Samius C. f., named in an inscription from Tegianum in

Lucania Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy, corresponding to the modern-day region of Basilicata. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto. It bordered with Samnium and ...

, dating between 50 and 30 BC. * Lucius Samius, named in an inscription from Rome. * Lucius Sammius L. f. Aemilianus, a

Flamen A (plural ''flamines'') was a priest of the ancient Roman religion who was assigned to one of fifteen deities with official cults during the Roman Republic. The most important of these were the three (or "major priests"), who served the importa ...

of Pan in

, had also been prefect of a cohort of Spanish soldiers. Named in an inscription from

, together with his foster-son, Lucius Sammius Maternus, and Lucius Sammius Eutychus.. * Lucius Samius Agilis, dedicated a monument 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 ...

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

to his wife, Julia, aged about thirty-eight. * Sextus Sammius Aper,

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

of Sextus Sammius Macer, perhaps his freedman, for whom he dedicated a monument at Rome.. * Sextus Sammius Sex. f. Aper, a resident of Nemausus buried at Rome, had been one of the

duumviri The duumviri (Latin for 'two men'), originally duoviri and also known in English as the duumvirs, were any of various joint magistrates of ancient Rome. Such pairs of Roman magistrates were appointed at various periods of Roman history both in ...

''jure dicundo'', a priest, and

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...

of the

vigiles ''Vigiles'' or more properly the ''Vigiles Urbani'' ("watchmen of the Rome, City") or ''Cohortes Vigilum'' ("Cohort (military unit), cohorts of the watchmen") were the firefighters and police of ancient Rome. History The ''triumviri, triumviri ...

. * Sextus Sammius Apronianus, buried at Nemausus, with a monument from his mother, Sammia Helpizusa.. * Sammia Charitus, dedicated a monument at Nemausus to her husband, Lucius Julius Onesimus. * Samia Chloe, buried at Rome, aged twenty-five. * Samia Clementina, named in an inscription from Beneventum in Campania. * Sammius T. f. Connius, the son of Titus Sammius Tertiolus, a

scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of Printing press, automatic printing. The work of scribes can involve copying manuscripts and other texts as well as ...

, and Connia Conniola.. * Gaius Samius Crescens, a soldier in the twelfth urban cohort, in the century of Maternus, buried at

Mutina Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbi ...

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 ...

, aged forty-two, having served for twenty-nine years, with a monument from his brother, Samius Fortis, dating to the second century.. * Sammius Cycnus, dedicated a tomb at

Aquileia Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Natiso (modern Natisone), the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times. Today, the city is small ( ...

Venetia and Histria Venetia et Histria (Latin: ''Regio X Venetia et Histria'') was an administrative subdivision in the northeast of Roman Italy. It was originally created by Augustus as the tenth ''regio'' in 7 AD alongside the nine other ''regiones''. The region h ...

to his foster-son, Sammius Sabinus.. * Sammia Emerita, dedicated tombs at Sitifis in

Mauretania Caesariensis Mauretania Caesariensis (Latin for "Caesarea, Numidia, Caesarean Mauretania") was a Roman province located in present-day Algeria. The full name refers to its capital Caesarea, Numidia, Caesarea Mauretaniae (modern Cherchell). The province had ...

to her sons, Cornelius Noreius, aged sixteen, and Samalus Firmianus, aged fifty-six. * Lucius Sammius Eutychus, named in the same inscription from Nemausus with Lucius Sammius Aemilianus and Lucius Sammius Maternus. * Samius Fortis, a soldier in the eighth cohort of the

Praetorian Guard The Praetorian Guard (Latin language, Latin: ''cohortes praetoriae'') was the imperial guard of the Imperial Roman army that served various roles for the Roman emperor including being a bodyguard unit, counterintelligence, crowd control and ga ...

, dedicated a monument at Mutina to his brother, Gaius Samius Crescens. * Sammia Helpizusa, dedicated a monument at Nemausus to her son, Sextus Sammius Apronianus. * Sammia Honorata, flaminica 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 ...

, was buried at Rome, with a monument from her cousin. * Tertius Sammius Karus,

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 ...

and decurion at Nemausus, buried in a family sepulchre with his wife, Sammia Atica, and son, Lucius Hortentius. * Sammia Lais, buried at Nemausus, with a monument from her husband, Sextus Sammius Mercurialis.. * Sextus Sammius Macer, a freedman, perhaps of Sextus Sammius Aper, his patron, who built a tomb for Macer at Rome. * Lucius Sammius Maternus, the foster-son of Lucius Sammius Aemilianus, named in an inscription from Nemausus, together with Lucius Sammius Eutychus. * Sextus Sammius Mercurialis, dedicated a monument at Nemausus to his wife, Sammia Lais. * Titus Sammius Passer, built a tomb at Tarnasicum in

Noricum Noricum () is the Latin name for the kingdom or federation of tribes that included most of modern Austria and part of Slovenia. In the first century AD, it became a province of the Roman Empire. Its borders were the Danube to the north, R ...

for himself and his wife, Eppaea Lucria. * Lucius Sammius Perfectus, probably buried at

Viminacium Viminacium (also ''Viminatium)'' was a major city, military camp, and the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman province of Moesia (modern-day Serbia). Following the division of Moesia in 87, following Domitian's Domitian's Dacian War, Dacian War, i ...

Moesia Superior 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 Triballia ...

, had named Mercator and Macedonis, perhaps his freedmen, as his heirs. * Sammia Placentina, buried at

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

in Gallia Narbonensis, in the latter half of the second century, with a monument from her husband, Sammius Primitivus.. * Sammius Primitivus, dedicated a monument at Vienna to his wife, Sammia Placentina, dating to the later second century. * Samius or Sammius Priscus, mentioned 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 ...

in ''De Remediis Parabilibus''. * Sammius Sabinus, buried at Aquileia, aged ten, with a monument from his foster-father, Sammius Cycnus. * Sammia Sammiola, buried at Bellicum in

Gallia Lugdunensis () was a province of the Roman Empire in what is now the modern country of France, part of the Celtic territory of Gaul formerly known as Celtica. It is named after its capital Lugdunum (today's Lyon), possibly Roman Europe's major city west of ...

. * Sextus Sammius Satyrninus, built a sepulchre at Rome for himself and his family. * Sammia L. f. Secundina, flaminica of Augustus at Nemausus. * Quintus Sammius Secundus, one of the

quindecimviri sacris faciundis In ancient Rome, the were the fifteen () members of a college (''collegium'') with priestly duties. They guarded the Sibylline Books, scriptures which they consulted and interpreted at the request of the Senate. This ''collegium'' also oversaw ...

Lugdunum Lugdunum (also spelled Lugudunum, ; modern Lyon, France) was an important Colonia (Roman), Roman city in Gaul, established on the current site of Lyon, France, Lyon. The Roman city was founded in 43 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus, but cont ...

in Gallia Lugdunensis in AD 160. * Sextus Sammius Servatianus, built a monument at Nemausus. * Sammia Q. f. Severina, flaminica of Augustus at Nemausus, where she was buried with a monument from her friend, Gaius Terentius Anicetus. * Lucius Sammius L. f. Severus, buried at Nemausus, in a tomb built by his wife, Allia Rusticilla. * Sextus Sammius Severus, a

centurion In the Roman army during classical antiquity, a centurion (; , . ; , or ), was a commander, nominally of a century (), a military unit originally consisting of 100 legionaries. The size of the century changed over time; from the 1st century BC ...

in the first legion, had been a standard bearer for thirteen years, and was made centurion in AD 50. * Sammia Su .. buried at Lugdunum. * Samia Ɔ. l. Tertia, a freedwoman named in an inscription from Rome. * Titus Sammius Tertiolus, scriba of the public treasury, buried at Vienna, aged twenty-six, with a monument from his wife, Connia Conniola, and son, Sammius Connius. * Sammius Tertullinus, made an offering to

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

Aeclanum Aeclanum (also spelled Aeculanum, , ) was an ancient town of Samnium, Southern Italy, about 25 km east-southeast of Benevento, Beneventum, on the Via Appia. It lies in Passo di Mirabella, near the modern Mirabella Eclano. It is now an archa ...

Samnium Samnium () is a Latin exonym for a region of Southern Italy anciently inhabited by the Samnites. Their own endonyms were ''Safinim'' for the country (attested in one inscription and one coin legend) and ''Safineis'' for the The language of t ...

, dating to the first half of the third century. * Sammius Victor, a centurion in the sixth legion, stationed in

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

References

Bibliography

Publius Cornelius Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historiography, Roman historians by modern scholars. Tacitus’ two major historical ...

, ''

Annales Annals are a concise form of historical writing which record events chronologically, year by year. The equivalent word in Latin and French is ''annales'', which is used untranslated in English in various contexts. List of works with titles contai ...

''. * Aelius Galenus (

), ''De Remediis Parabilibus'' (On Remedies Easy to Prepare). * ''

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). * ''Bulletin Archéologique du Comité des Travaux Historiques et Scientifiques'' (Archaeological Bulletin of the Committee on Historic and Scientific Works, abbreviated ''BCTH''), Imprimerie Nationale, Paris (1885–1973). * 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). * Pio Ciprotti, "Inscriptiones parietales Ostienses" (Inscriptions from the Walls of Ostia), in ''Studia et Documenta Historiae et Iuris'', vol. 27, pp. 324–341 (1961). * Fanou Papazoglou, '' Inscriptions de la Mésie Supérieure'' (Inscriptions of Moesia Superior, abbreviated ''IMS''), Belgrade (1976–present). {{DEFAULTSORT:Sammia gens Roman gentes

Praenomina

Branches and cognomina

Members

See also

References

Bibliography