Menenia (gens)
Encyclopedia
The gens Menenia was a very ancient and illustrious patrician house at Rome
from the earliest days of the Roman Republic
to the first half of the 4th century BC. The first of the family to obtain the consulship
was Agrippa Menenius Lanatus in 503 BC. The gens
eventually drifted into obscurity, although its descendants were still living in the 1st century BC.
in 493 BC, Agrippa Menenius Lanatus, the former consul, was despatched by the Senate
as an emissary to the plebeians
, who were gathered on the Mons Sacer. He said that he was sprung from the plebs, although he and several generations of his descendants held the consulship at a time when it was open only to the patricians. This suggests that the Menenii must have been made patricians, probably during the reign of one of the later Roman kings
.
Agrippa
, Gaius
, Titus
and Lucius
. Together with the gens Furia, they were amongst the only patrician families to make regular use of the praenomen Agrippa, which was later revived as a cognomen
in many families. For this reason, later sources frequently refer to the Menenii whose praenomen was Agrippa as Menenius Agrippa instead of the correct Agrippa Menenius.
Licinus, probably the praenomen of the consular tribune from 387 to 376 BC, was likewise a rare name, apparently derived from the Etruscan
name Lecne. Like Agrippa, Licinus was later known primarily as a surname, but it is most frequently confused with the nomen
Licinius, which was derived from it. Livius preserves the praenomen as Licinius, but later historians appear to have amended it to the more common praenomen Lucius.
adjective, meaning "wooly", and perhaps originally referred to a person with particularly fine, curly, or abundant hair.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
from the earliest days of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
to the first half of the 4th century BC. The first of the family to obtain the consulship
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
was Agrippa Menenius Lanatus in 503 BC. The gens
Gens
In ancient Rome, a gens , plural gentes, referred to a family, consisting of all those individuals who shared the same nomen and claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a stirps . The gens was an important social structure at Rome and throughout Italy during the...
eventually drifted into obscurity, although its descendants were still living in the 1st century BC.
Origin of the gens
During the first secession of the plebsSecessio plebis
Secessio plebis was an informal exercise of power by Rome's plebeian citizens, similar to a general strike taken to the extreme. During a secessio plebis, the plebs would simply abandon the city en masse and leave the patrician order to themselves...
in 493 BC, Agrippa Menenius Lanatus, the former consul, was despatched by the Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
as an emissary to the plebeians
Plebs
The plebs was the general body of free land-owning Roman citizens in Ancient Rome. They were distinct from the higher order of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian...
, who were gathered on the Mons Sacer. He said that he was sprung from the plebs, although he and several generations of his descendants held the consulship at a time when it was open only to the patricians. This suggests that the Menenii must have been made patricians, probably during the reign of one of the later Roman kings
King of Rome
The King of Rome was the chief magistrate of the Roman Kingdom. According to legend, the first king of Rome was Romulus, who founded the city in 753 BC upon the Palatine Hill. Seven legendary kings are said to have ruled Rome until 509 BC, when the last king was overthrown. These kings ruled for...
.
Praenomina used by the gens
The Menenii are known to have used the praenominaPraenomen
The praenomen was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the dies lustricus , the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the birth of a boy...
Agrippa
Agrippa (praenomen)
Agrippa is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was most common during the early centuries of the Roman Republic. Despite ending in -a, it is a masculine name...
, Gaius
Gaius (praenomen)
Gaius is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was one of the most common names throughout Roman history. The feminine form is Gaia. The praenomen was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Gavia...
, Titus
Titus (praenomen)
Titus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, and was one of the most common names throughout Roman history. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Titia. The feminine form is Tita or Titia...
and Lucius
Lucius (praenomen)
Lucius is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was one of the most common names throughout Roman history. The feminine form is Lucia . The praenomen was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gentes Lucia and Lucilia, as well as the cognomen Lucullus...
. Together with the gens Furia, they were amongst the only patrician families to make regular use of the praenomen Agrippa, which was later revived as a cognomen
Cognomen
The cognomen nōmen "name") was the third name of a citizen of Ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. The cognomen started as a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditary. Hereditary cognomina were used to augment the second name in order to identify a particular branch within...
in many families. For this reason, later sources frequently refer to the Menenii whose praenomen was Agrippa as Menenius Agrippa instead of the correct Agrippa Menenius.
Licinus, probably the praenomen of the consular tribune from 387 to 376 BC, was likewise a rare name, apparently derived from the Etruscan
Etruscan language
The Etruscan language was spoken and written by the Etruscan civilization, in what is present-day Italy, in the ancient region of Etruria and in parts of Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna...
name Lecne. Like Agrippa, Licinus was later known primarily as a surname, but it is most frequently confused with the nomen
Roman naming conventions
By the Republican era and throughout the Imperial era, a name in ancient Rome for a male citizen consisted of three parts : praenomen , nomen and cognomen...
Licinius, which was derived from it. Livius preserves the praenomen as Licinius, but later historians appear to have amended it to the more common praenomen Lucius.
Branches and cognomina of the gens
The only cognomen associated with the Menenii is Lanatus. This surname is derived from the LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
adjective, meaning "wooly", and perhaps originally referred to a person with particularly fine, curly, or abundant hair.
Members of the gens
- Gaius Menenius Lanatus, father of the consul of 503 BC.
- Agrippa Menenius C. f. Lanatus, consulRoman consulA consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
in 503 BC, and emissary to the plebeians during the first secession in 493. - Titus Menenius Agrippae f. C. n. Lanatus, consul in 477 BC, failed to intervene on behalf of the Fabii at the Battle of the CremeraBattle of the CremeraThe Battle of the Cremera was fought between the Roman Republic and the Etruscan city of Veii, in 477 BC .Historical records show the defeat of the Roman stronghold on the river Cremera, and the consequent incursions of the Veientes in Roman territory.The preserved account of the battle, written by...
. - Agrippa Menenius Agrippae f. C. n. Lanatus, father of the consul of 452 BC.
- Titus Menenius Agrippae f. Agrippae n. Lanatus, consul in 452 BC.
- Lucius Menenius T. f. Agrippae n. Lanatus, consul in 440 BC.
- Agrippa Menenius T. f. Agrippae n. Lanatus, consul in 439 BC, and tribunus militum consulari potestateTribuni militum consulari potestateThe tribuni militum consulari potestate , in English commonly also Consular Tribunes, were tribunes elected with consular power during the "Conflict of the Orders" in the Roman Republic, starting in 444 BC and then continuously from 408 BC to 394 BC and again from 391 BC to 367 BC.According to the...
in 419 and 417 BC. - Titus Menenius T. f. Lanatus, father of the consular tribune of 387 BC.
- Licinus Menenius T. f. T. n. Lanatus, tribunus militum consulari potestate in 387, 380, 378, and 376 BC.
- Menenius, proscribed by the triumvirsSecond TriumvirateThe Second Triumvirate is the name historians give to the official political alliance of Octavius , Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and Mark Antony, formed on 26 November 43 BC with the enactment of the Lex Titia, the adoption of which marked the end of the Roman Republic...
in 43 BC, but rescued from death by the self-devotion of one of his slaves.