Romans afterwards, and forgetfulness

[Caesar CXXXVII]

Did a little research , the best study on the whole question is IMHO the works of Christian Settipani (most of them in French ) ) . He is reffering to the subject in so extend manner ! Tons of genealogies with good sources .

 

A review on Settipani's major work can be found here http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:kgWYn...=clnk&cd=12

[Ludovicus]

The Anici was an ancient Roman family that survived at least into the 7th century. St. Gregory the Great was a member of this family. He appropriated some of their properties on the Caelian Hill for religious purposes.

[Caius Maxentius]

Closer to home (for us Brits) there was the example of the chap living in the west country whose DNA profile exactly matched that of an 8'000 year old skeleton, thus making him the only person in the world who can definitely trace his family back through 300 generations.

 

I've read this before, but I don't understand how this person's DNA could be *that* close to the 8000-year-old skeleton. When you trace backwards, everyone has two parents, four grandparents, eight great grandparents and sixteen great-great grandparents and so on. Wouldn't a lot of people in Britain be related to this 8000-year-old skeleton?

[CiceroD]

 

Closer to home (for us Brits) there was the example of the chap living in the west country whose DNA profile exactly matched that of an 8'000 year old skeleton, thus making him the only person in the world who can definitely trace his family back through 300 generations.

 

I've read this before, but I don't understand how this person's DNA could be *that* close to the 8000-year-old skeleton. When you trace backwards, everyone has two parents, four grandparents, eight great grandparents and sixteen great-great grandparents and so on. Wouldn't a lot of people in Britain be related to this 8000-year-old skeleton?

 

 

I think my dear Caius that Neil is referring to Mitochondrial DNA this is DNA from a separate part of the cell.

 

This DNA is passed down whole from mother to offspring of either sex. Thus this guy could trace his ancestry back matrilineally to a woman with a specific mutation.

 

Mitochondrial DNA has allowed many amazing discoveries.

Such as the one National Geographic article on tracing the genetic impact of the Phoenicians.

To the discovery of a Mitochondrial Eve!

[Caesar CXXXVII]

The Acillii Glabriones - The only (that is the only) Republican familiy to survived through the late Empire .

The first known Acilli Glabrio lived in the 3rd century BCE and the last one - in the 5th century CE . We know only 27 members of the familiy , that is only 2 members per generation . The problem is a Lacuna between 33 BCE and the reign of Nero and again in the (whole) 4th century BCE . Another problem is where did they go ? Where are their descendants ?

[Cadenicus]

The Acillii Glabriones - .... Another problem is where did they go ? Where are their descendants ?

 

This has been the question that has vexed me endlessly. I would give my left nut to have a time machine to go back and follow a few random families to see at what point they actually lose their Roman names and either forget them or decide on some other name. Surely Romans kept having sex and reproducing even after they no longer thought they *were* Roman.

 

And speaking of forgetfulness - I intend to do an experiment wherein I tell my children (and make sure they remember) that their great grandfather fought in World War II. I'll ask my sister to tell her children that as well. Then when they're a bit older we'll get them to tell their kids, etc. Involvement of an ancestor in such a monumental war should be remembered, no? So why does not a single modern person (not a single one) get told that their ancestor fought Hannibal, for example?

 

Yes, yes - I know that we wouldn't expect many folks to remember - but NOBODY?

[spittle]

During the dark ages entire civilisations were forgotten not to be rediscovered until the renaissance. the flame of knowledge was kept barely lit by monastic communities in Ireland and the early Muslims so its not surprising that personal family histories were discontinued.

When the majority of people degenerate into illiterate, subsistance farmers the importance of ancestral deeds becomes none existent.

A person without knowledge, culture or self awareness is little more than an animal and no-one would expect primates or parrots or even dolphins to care about anything other than staying alive one day at a time.

 

However, Italians with the surname Gotti or Goti are said to be descendants of the Goths. I have seen the Italian surname Saraceni which must be connected to the Saracens.....

Sicily has had so many occupying overlords that names are really the only way to hazard a guess at the distant origins of the people.