5 Sources for the Roman Names Enthusiast

[Nephele]

The Latin Cognomina, by Iiro Kajanto (published by the Societas Scientiarum Fennica, Helsinki, 1965). This 417-page book is, indisputably, the mother lode of Roman cognomina. Drawing from numerous collections of Latin inscriptions and literary documents of antiquity up to the year 600 C.E., the author's stated purpose of the work is "to publish all Latin cognomina in so far as I have been able to find them, and to elucidate the principles of Latin cognomen-formation." And so he does in this monumental work: Thousands of cognomina are presented here, logically arranged in categories covering names derived from geographical places, physical peculiarities, mental qualities, circumstances of birth, occupations, flora, fauna, inanimate nature and objects, etc. There is a complete index alphabetically listing all the cognomina (both masculine and feminine) included within the work. While it should be noted that the author has been criticized by one reviewer for not having provided more specific source references for each of the thousands of cognomina he includes in his work (which, alone, might necessitate an additional volume), if one is truly interested in following up on the background of any particular cognomen for any presumed additional information that might be gleaned from the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, one could only do better by initiating one's own, original research. Barring that, this book is the modern source for exhaustive information on Roman cognomina.

 

The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, Volumes 1 and 2, by T. Robert S. Broughton (published by the American Philological Association, 1951). An excellent source for a highly detailed, year-by-year "Who's Who" of ancient Roman politicians. Volume 1 covers the years from 509 to 100 B.C.E. and Volume 2 continues with 99 through 31 B.C.E. What makes this combined 1,225-page work of particular value to those with an interest in Roman onomastics, are the listings of the representative Roman gentilicia with their corresponding cognomina. Volume 2, in particular, contains an index of all names from both volumes, arranged alphabetically according to gens, and then, within each gens, names are arranged alphabetically by cognomen and praenomen. The index also cites next to each name a magisterial position held and the year held, for cross-referencing within the body of the work for more details on an individual's career.

 

The Origin of the Roman Praenomina, by George Davis Chase (published in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, Vol. 8, 1897, pp. 103-184). This in-depth study not only traces the origins of the Roman praenomina, but begins with a highly detailed overview of the Roman cognomina and gentilicia, including origins and meanings behind the names. In the section on praenomina, the author presents a statistical comparison of 42 praenomina recorded from the first volume of the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum. Of particular interest is the author's refutation of the commonly held belief that the praenomen "Appius" was used solely by the Claudian gens. (An error that can be found even in Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.)

 

Two Studies in Roman Nomenclature, by D.R. Shackleton Baily (published by the American Philological Association, 1991). This book is divided into two chapters -- the first, titled "Onomasticon Pseudotullianum", attempts to correct a number of traditional errors and confusions in the names of various people mentioned in the manuscripts of Cicero. The second chapter, titled "Adoptive Nomenclature in the Late Roman Republic", describes in detail the manner in which the names (and social status) of Roman males were changed under two forms of adoption -- inter vivos (while the adopter was still living) and testamentary (adoption for the purpose of inheritance upon the death of the adopter, as in the case of Octavius's adoption by his great-uncle Julius Caesar). This chapter also includes a section titled "Register of Adoptions", covering the years from roughly 130 to 43 B.C.E. and showing the forms of the new names subsequently taken by the adoptees.

 

What's in a Name? A Survey of Roman Onomastic Practice from c. 700 B.C. to A.D. 700, by Benet Salway (published in The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 84, 1994, pp. 124-145). The author traces the development of the Roman name from its earliest, binominal form of the regal period, to the most familiar form of the tria nomina of the republic and principate periods, to the dominate period (where he compares dynastic nomina -- or, "status-nomina" -- with the traditional nomina), and finally to the end of the evolving Roman naming system when the nomen disappeared from general use and the cognomen passed into the single-name form in use by that point (with the praenomen having long since been "fossilized" and no longer used as the bearer's "given name").

 

-- Nephele

[Flavia Gemina]

Thank you, Nephele!

 

What a brilliant resource.

 

If you had to recommend only one of those to the author of historical novels set in the first century -- --which would it be?

 

Flavia

[Nephele]

Thank you, Nephele!

 

What a brilliant resource.

 

If you had to recommend only one of those to the author of historical novels set in the first century -- --which would it be?

 

Flavia

 

 

Thank you, Flavia! If you're just looking for a book that will provide you with plausible Roman names for characters that matches up the gentilicia with their actual cognomina, then of the books I listed I would choose Volume 2 of Broughton's The Magistrates of the Roman Republic.

 

Even though the individuals listed in Volume 2 are from the first century B.C.E., the gentilicia and cognomina didn't really change by the first century C.E., so the book provides excellent examples of Roman names for your purposes. This volume is especially useful because of the handy index (which Volume 1 doesn't have).

 

The drawback is that Broughton's Magistrates is difficult to come by, and expensive if you're looking to purchase it for your personal library. (There is a third, supplementary volume to the set, in fact, that I haven't been able to lay hands on at all.) For hunting down the volumes, AbeBooks.com is your best bet.

 

I may have something else of practical use for you, which I'll try e-mailing it to you.

 

-- Nephele

[Flavia Gemina]

Maximas gratias for the above and for the practical goodies you sent me. Very useful. I guess I'm the 'Roman Names Enthusiast'!

 

Cura ut valeas!

 

Flavia

[cornelius_sulla]

I agree with Flavia. I've got 'Magistrates..' ordered from our national library. You're a pearl, Lady Neph.