The gens Secundia 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 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 ...

. 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 ...

is known almost entirely from inscriptions, as none of its members held any of the higher offices of the Roman state.

Origin

The nomen ''Secundius'' is derived from 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 ...

''Secundus'', originally indicating a second child. The name was probably an old

praenomen The praenomen (; plural: praenomina) was a first name chosen by the parents of a Ancient Rome, Roman child. It was first bestowed on the ''dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the ...

, but if so the masculine form had fallen out of use by historical times, and is not found as a praenomen under 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 feminine form, ''Secunda'', was used by Roman women as both a

and a cognomen.

Praenomina

The main praenomina of the Secundii were ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ''

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 ...

'', all of which were amongst the most common names throughout all periods of Roman history. Other names were used occasionally, including the common praenomina ''

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 '' Sextus''.

Branches and cognomina

There is no indication that the Secundii were ever divided into distinct families, and they used a wide variety of surnames under 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 ...

. A number of them bore cognomina derived, like their gentilicium, from numerals, including ''Primus'' and its diminutive, ''Primulus'', ''Secundinus'', a derivative of ''Secundus'', and ''Tertius'', third, all presumably alluding to the meaning of their nomen. ''Quadratus'', while resembling the numerical cognomen ''quartus'', actually described someone with a square or stocky figure.

Members

* Secundia Restituta, buried at Noviomagus Treverorum in the early second century, with a monument from her husband, Gaius Albinius Asper. * Secundia, a house-slave named in a dedicatory inscription to Diana Regina at Municipium Montanensium in

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 ...

, dating to the mid-second century. * Marcus Secundius Eutychus, a freedman, dedicated a second-century AD monument 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

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 ...

, Marcus Secundius Genialis.. * Marcus Secundius Genialis, a scout in

Dacia Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus ro ...

, was buried at Aquileia during the second century AD, with a monument from his

client Client(s) or The Client may refer to: * Client (business) * Client (computing), hardware or software that accesses a remote service on another computer * Customer or client, a recipient of goods or services in return for monetary or other valuable ...

, Marcus Secundius Eutychus. * Sextus Secundius Sex. f. Secundinus, one of the municipal duumvirs,

aedile Aedile ( , , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enforce public orde ...

s, and

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 ...

s at

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 ...

, where he was buried in a post-

Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...

ic second-century tomb dedicated by his client, Secundius Urbicus.. * Secundius Urbicus, the client of Sextus Secundius Secundinus, to whom he dedicated a tomb at Aeclanum. * Gaius Secundius Sacer, made a libationary offering to Jupiter Optimus Maximus at

Carnuntum Carnuntum ( according to Ptolemy) was a Roman legionary fortress () and headquarters of the Roman navy, Pannonian fleet from 50 AD. After the 1st century, it was capital of the Pannonia Superior province. It also became a large city of app ...

in Pannonia Superior, dating to the latter half of the second century AD. * Gaius Secundius Reditus, one of those who contributed to the construction of a temple for

Mithras Mithraism, also known as the Mithraic mysteries or the Cult of Mithras, was a Roman Empire, Roman mystery religion focused on the god Mithras. Although inspired by Iranian peoples, Iranian worship of the Zoroastrian divinity (''yazata'') Mit ...

Virunum Claudium Virunum was a Roman Empire, Roman city in the province of Noricum, on today's Zollfeld in the Austrian State of Carinthia (state), Carinthia. Virunum may also have been the name of the older Celtic-Roman settlement on the hilltop of Magd ...

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 ...

, according to a dedicatory inscription dating between AD 182 and 184. * Secundius Se ..us, a soldier serving in the twenty-second legion, made a libationary offering to Jupiter Optimus Maximus and Juno Regina at the present site of

Osterburken Osterburken () is a town in the Neckar-Odenwald district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 28 km southwest of Tauberbischofsheim, 50 km northeast of Heilbronn, 90 km east of Heidelberg, 60 km southwest of Wür ...

, formerly part of

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

, dating to AD 201. * Secundius Restutus, 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 ...

serving in the tenth legion, made an offering to

Jupiter Optimus Maximus The Capitoline Triad was a group of three deities who were worshipped in ancient Roman religion in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill (Latin ''Capitolium''). It comprised Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The triad held a central place in th ...

Aquae Balissae Daruvar is a spa town and municipality in Slavonia, northeastern Croatia, with a population of 8,567. The area including the surrounding villages (Daruvarski Vinogradi, Doljani, Donji Daruvar, Gornji Daruvar, Lipovac Majur, Ljudevit Selo, Marko ...

Pannonia Superior Pannonia Superior () was a Roman province created from the division of Pannonia in 103 AD, its capital in Carnuntum. It overlapped in territory with modern-day Hungary, Croatia, Austria, Slovakia, and Slovenia. History It was as governor of the ...

, dating between AD 170 and 300. * Gaius Secundius Victor, a soldier in the fifth cohort 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 ...

at Rome, at the beginning of the third century, serving in the century of Gaius Appaeus Verinus. * Gaius Secundius, a ''tubicen'', or trumpeter, serving in the third legion at

Lambaesis Lambaesis (Lambæsis), Lambaisis or Lambaesa (''Lambèse'' in colonial French), is a Roman archaeological site in Algeria, southeast of Batna and west of Timgad, located next to the modern village of Tazoult. The former bishopric is also ...

Numidia Numidia was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunisia and Libya. The polity was originally divided between ...

, at the beginning of the third century. * Secundius Constans, a soldier in the eighth legion, dedicated an early third-century tomb at

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 ...

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 ...

to his sons, Constantius Celadus, aged five years and six months, and Constans Celadianus, as well as his wife, Julia Celerina, aged twenty-four years, one month, with whom he had lived for seven months.

Undated Secundii

* Secundia, a little girl buried at Rome, aged five years, ten days. * Secundius, dedicated a monument at Ricciacum in

Gallia Belgica Gallia Belgica ("Belgic Gaul") was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire located in the north-eastern part of Roman Gaul, in what is today primarily northern France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, along with parts of the Netherlands and German ...

to his brother. * Secundius, made a libationary offering to Mercury and

Rosmerta In Gallo-Roman religion, Rosmerta was a goddess of fertility and abundance, her attributes being those of plenty such as the cornucopia. Rosmerta is attested by statues and by inscriptions. In Gaul she was often depicted with the Roman god Merc ...

at Altiaia in Germania Superior. * Gaius Secundius, made an offering to the

genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for the future, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...

of Noricum at Virunum. * Marcus Secundius Acceptus, dedicated a monument at Lugdunum to his grandson, Marcus Secundius Saturninus.. * Secundius Attianus, together with his wife, Censorinia Matrausus, dedicated a monument at Orolaunum in Gallia Belgica to their son. * Titus Secundius T. f. Avitus, the son of Titus Secundius Honoratus and Livia Gratilla, buried at Vintium in

Alpes Maritimae The Alpes Maritimae (; English: 'Maritime Alps') was a small province of the Roman Empire founded in 63 AD by Nero. It was one of the three provinces straddling the Alps between modern France and Italy, along with the Alpes Graiae et Poeninae an ...

, aged thirty.. * Secundius Belatulus, made a libationary offering to Mercury at Tres Tabernae in Germania Superior. * Secundia Carata, buried at

Augusta Treverorum Augusta Treverorum (Latin for "City of Augustus in the Land of the Treveri") was a Ancient Rome, Roman city on the Moselle River, from which modern Trier emerged. The date of the city's founding is placed between the construction of the first Rom ...

in Gallia Belgica, with her husband, Lucius Ansatius Titus. * Lucius Secundius Crispus, named in an inscription from Augusta Treverorum. * Lucius Secundius Eleutherus, captain of a small ship, and one of the

Seviri Augustales The Sodales or Sacerdotes Augustales (''singular'' Sodalis or Sacerdos Augustalis), or simply Augustales,Tacitus, ''Annales'' 1.54 were an order ('' sodalitas'') of Roman priests originally instituted by Tiberius to attend to the maintenance of t ...

, buried at

Arelate Arles ( , , ; ; Classical ) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province of Provence. A large part of the ...

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 ...

, with a monument from his daughter, Secundia Tatiana.. * Lucius Secundius Fruendus, a young man buried at Lugdunum, aged twenty-two years and twenty-three days, with a monument from the freedman, Lucius Secundius Reso.. * Titus Secundius Honoratus, together with his wife, Livia Gratilla, dedicated a tomb at Vintium for their son, Titus Secundius Avitus. * Secundia Julia, dedicated a monument to her mother, Satulla, at the present site of Tresques, formerly part of Gallia Narbonensis. * Secundia C. f. Julia, the daughter of Gaius Secundius Julianus and Catullia Quinta, together with her brother, Gaius Secundius Paternus, dedicated a monument at the present site of Tresques, to their father.. * Gaius Secundius Julianus, dedicated a tomb at the present site of

Tarascon Tarascon (; ), sometimes referred to as Tarascon-sur-Rhône, is a commune situated at the extreme west of the Bouches-du-Rhône department of France in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Inhabitants are referred to as Tarasconnais or Tara ...

, formerly part of Gallia Narbonensis, to his wife, Catullia Quinta. He was buried at the site of present-day Tresques, with a monument from his children, Gaius Secundius Paternus and Secundia Julia. * Secundius Mansuetus, a soldier, together with his colleague, Valerius Martius, made a libationary offering to the genius of their century at

Mogontiacum ''Mogontiacum'' (also ''Moguntiacum'') is the Latin name of today's city of Mainz, which it bore during its almost 500 years as part of the Roman Empire. ''Mogontiacum'' had its origins in the legionary camp built by Drusus in 13/12 BCE, which w ...

in Germania Superior. * Secundia Materna, together with her husband, Cassius Valens, made a libationary offering at the present site of Putzdorf, formerly part of

Germania Inferior ''Germania Inferior'' ("Lower Germania") was a Roman province from AD 85 until the province was renamed ''Germania Secunda'' in the 4th century AD, on the west bank of the Rhine bordering the North Sea. The capital of the province was Colonia Cl ...

. * Gaius Secundius C. f. Paternus, the son of Gaius Secundius Julianus and Catullia Quinta, together with his sister, Secundia Julia, dedicated a monument at the site of present-day Tresques to their father. * Secundia Placida, buried at Lugdunum, with a monument from her husband, the sailor Gaius Tipurinius Sacruna, with whom she lived for fifteen years, four months, and eleven days. * Secundius Primulus, made a donation to the high priest at Augusta Treverorum. * Secundius Primus, a native of

Tubunae Tobna (), also known by the ancient names of Tubunae or Thubunae, is a ruined former city in Batna Province of Algeria, located just south of the modern city of Barika. From this position, it once controlled the eastern part of the Hodna region ...

in Numidia, was a soldier stationed at Lambaesis. * Gaius Secundius Primus, a native of

Thuburbo Maius Thuburbo Majus (or Thuburbo Maius) is a large Roman site in northern Tunisia. It is located roughly 60 km southwest of Carthage on a major African thoroughfare. This thoroughfare connects Carthage to the Sahara. Other towns along the way i ...

Africa Proconsularis 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 ...

, was a soldier stationed at Lambaesis. * Quintus Secundius Primus, buried at Thagura in Africa Proconsularis, aged eighty-five, with a monument from his son, Secundius Quadratus.. * Secundius Q. f. Quadratus, dedicated a monument at Thagura to his father, Quintus Secundius Primus. * Lucius Secundius Reso, a freedman, dedicated a monument at Lugdunum to Lucius Secundius Fruendus. * Gaius Secundius Saecularis, made a libationary offering at Nida in Germania Superior. * Marcus Secundius M. n. Saturninus, buried at Lugdunum with a monument from his grandfather, Marcus Secundius Acceptus. * Secundia Secundina, the wife of Aelius Festinus Junior, with whom she was buried at

Comum Como (, ; , or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, ce ...

Cisalpine Gaul Cisalpine Gaul (, also called ''Gallia Citerior'' or ''Gallia Togata'') was the name given, especially during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, to a region of land inhabited by Celts (Gauls), corresponding to what is now most of northern Italy. Afte ...

, in a tomb dedicated by their son, Aelius Secundinus, and Aelius Urbicus, the uncle of Festinus. * Secundius Secundinus, made a libationary offering to Mars Jovantucarus at Augusta Treverorum. * Marcus Secundius Secundinus, dedicated a tomb at Augusta Treverorum to his wife, Gallia Varicillus. * Secundia Servata, dedicated a sepulchre at

Augusta Vindelicorum Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and the regional seat of the Swabia with a well preserved Altstadt (historical city centre). Augsburg ...

for her husband, Julius Macrianus, and children, Alpinus and Alpina. * Lucius Secundius Similis, a scout, together with his colleague, Titus Carinius Gratus, made a libationary offering to

Nehalennia Nehalennia (also Nehalenia, Nehalaenniae, Nehalaenia) is a tutelary goddess who was worshipped in 2nd- and 3rd-centuryLendering (2006). Gallia Belgica by travelers, especially sailors and traders, at the mouth of the Scheldt. Her origin is un ...

Ganventa Ganventa was a settlement of Roman antiquity near the Zeelandic town of Colijnsplaat. It was situated on the southern shore of the river Scheldt. There was a temple for the goddess Nehalennia here. Little is known about Nehalennia, but she mu ...

in Gallia Belgica. * Secundia L. f. Tatiana, dedicated a monument at Arelate to her father, Lucius Secundius Eleutherus. * Gaius Secundius Tertius, made a libationary offering to Silvanus at

Mediolanum Mediolanum, the ancient city where Milan now stands, was originally an Insubres, Insubrian city, but afterwards became an important Ancient Rome, Roman city in Northern Italy. The city was settled by a Celts, Celtic tribe belonging to the Ins ...

in Cisalpine Gaul. * Titus Secundius Titianus, dedicated a monument at Lugdunum to his mother, Coelia Rustica. * Secundia V .. the daughter of Vitalis, made a libationary offering to Mercury at Mediolanum. * Secundia Victoria, buried at Rome, with a monument from her husband, Gaius Cluturius Filetion. * Secundia Victoria, buried at

Madaurus Madauros (''Madaurus'', ''Madaura'') was a Roman-Berber city and a former diocese of the Catholic Church in the old state of Numidia, in present-day Algeria. History The birth of the city dates back to the 5th century BC under the aegis of the ...

in Africa Proconsularis, with a monument from her daughter. * Gaius Secundius Vitalis Appa, made an offering to Anvallus at

Augustodunum Autun () is a subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as Augustodunum to give a Rom ...

in Gallia Lugdunensis..

References

Bibliography

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). *

Giovanni Battista de Rossi Giovanni Battista (Carlo) de Rossi (23 February 1822 – 20 September 1894) was an Italian archaeologist, famous even outside his field for rediscovering early Christian catacombs. Life and works Born in Rome, he was the son of Commendatore C ...

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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, pp. 103–184 (1897). * Hermann Finke, "Neue Inschriften", in ''Berichte der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission'', vol. 17, pp. 1–107, 198–231 (1927). * Annona Epigraphica Austriaca (Epigraphy of Austria Annual, abbreviated ''AEA'') (1979–present). * John C. Traupman, ''The New College Latin & English Dictionary'', Bantam Books, New York (1995). {{DEFAULTSORT:Secundia gens Roman gentes