Pompilia (gens)
Encyclopedia
The gens Pompilia was a plebeian
family at Rome
during the time of the Republic
. The only member of the gens
to achieve any prominence in the state was Sextus Pompilius, who was tribune of the plebs
in 420 BC; however, persons by this name are occasionally found throughout the history of the Republic.
Pompilius is Numa Pompilius
, the second King of Rome
. He was a Sabine living at Cures
at the death of Romulus
, and according to tradition was chosen to succeed him on account of his wisdom. This tradition may also have been influenced by the early composition of the Roman populace, which according to legend consisted of both Latins
and Sabines. The Sabine king Titus Tatius
had previously been associated with Romulus in the kingship of Rome, although he died some years before Romulus.
The Pompilii of the Republic were plebeians, and if they claimed descent from Numa Pompilius, their claim has not survived. Five other gentes, however, did assert such descent; the Aemilii, Pomponii
, Calpurnii, and Pinarii claimed to be descended from sons of Numa, while the Marcii were traditionally descended from his daughter.
The nomen Pompilius is itself a patronymic surname based on the Sabine praenomen
Pompo. This name was the Oscan
equivalent of the Latin
praenomen Quintus
, meaning "fifth". The Latin equivalent of Pompilius was Quinctilius, and in fact there was an important family of this name at Rome. The father of Numa Pompilius bore the praenomen Pompo, which itself indicates the origin of the nomen. According to the Pomponii, Numa also had a son named Pompo, who became the ancestor of their gens. As Pomponius is derived from the same name using another typical Latin formation, it is really a by-form of Pompilius. The two nomina are sometimes confounded with one another, and with Pompeius.
, and who was certainly not descended from the gens, bore the Greek surname Andronicus.
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...
family at Rome
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....
during the time of the 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...
. The only member of 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...
to achieve any prominence in the state was Sextus Pompilius, who was tribune of the plebs
Tribune
Tribune was a title shared by elected officials in the Roman Republic. Tribunes had the power to convene the Plebeian Council and to act as its president, which also gave them the right to propose legislation before it. They were sacrosanct, in the sense that any assault on their person was...
in 420 BC; however, persons by this name are occasionally found throughout the history of the Republic.
Origin of the gens
The most famous bearer of the nomenRoman 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...
Pompilius is Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius was the legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus. What tales are descended to us about him come from Valerius Antias, an author from the early part of the 1st century BC known through limited mentions of later authors , Dionysius of Halicarnassus circa 60BC-...
, the second King of Rome
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...
. He was a Sabine living at Cures
Cures
Cures, a Sabine town between the left bank of the Tiber and the Via Salaria, about 26 km. from Rome. According to legend, it was from Cures that Titus Tatius led to the Quirinal the Sabine settlers, from whom, after their union with the settlers on the Palatine, the whole Roman people took the...
at the death of Romulus
Romulus
- People:* Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of Rome* Romulus Augustulus, the last Western Roman Emperor* Valerius Romulus , deified son of the Roman emperor Maxentius* Romulus , son of the Western Roman emperor Anthemius...
, and according to tradition was chosen to succeed him on account of his wisdom. This tradition may also have been influenced by the early composition of the Roman populace, which according to legend consisted of both Latins
Latins (Italic tribe)
The Latins were a people of ancient Italy who included the inhabitants of the early City of Rome. From ca. 1000 BC, the Latins inhabited the small part of the peninsula known to the Romans as Old Latium , that is, the region between the river Tiber and the promontory of Monte Circeo The Latins (or...
and Sabines. The Sabine king Titus Tatius
Titus Tatius
The traditions of ancient Rome held that Titus Tatius was the Sabine king of Cures, who, after the rape of the Sabine women, attacked Rome and captured the Capitol with the treachery of Tarpeia. The Sabine women, however, convinced Tatius and the Roman king, Romulus, to reconcile and subsequently...
had previously been associated with Romulus in the kingship of Rome, although he died some years before Romulus.
The Pompilii of the Republic were plebeians, and if they claimed descent from Numa Pompilius, their claim has not survived. Five other gentes, however, did assert such descent; the Aemilii, Pomponii
Pomponia (gens)
The gens Pomponia was a plebeian family at Rome throughout the period of the Republic and into imperial times. The first of the gens to achieve prominence was Marcus Pomponius, tribune of the plebs in 449 BC; the first who obtained the consulship was Manius Pomponius Matho in 233 BC.-Origin of the...
, Calpurnii, and Pinarii claimed to be descended from sons of Numa, while the Marcii were traditionally descended from his daughter.
The nomen Pompilius is itself a patronymic surname based on the Sabine praenomen
Praenomen
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...
Pompo. This name was the Oscan
Oscan language
Oscan is a term used to describe both an extinct language of southern Italy and the language group to which it belonged.The Oscan language was spoken by a number of tribes, including the Samnites, the Aurunci, the Sidicini, and the Ausones. The latter three tribes were often grouped under the name...
equivalent of the Latin
Latin
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...
praenomen Quintus
Quintus (praenomen)
Quintus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was common throughout all periods of Roman history. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gentes Quinctia and Quinctilia. The feminine form is Quinta...
, meaning "fifth". The Latin equivalent of Pompilius was Quinctilius, and in fact there was an important family of this name at Rome. The father of Numa Pompilius bore the praenomen Pompo, which itself indicates the origin of the nomen. According to the Pomponii, Numa also had a son named Pompo, who became the ancestor of their gens. As Pomponius is derived from the same name using another typical Latin formation, it is really a by-form of Pompilius. The two nomina are sometimes confounded with one another, and with Pompeius.
Branches and cognomina of the gens
The Pompilii of the Republic do not appear to have been divided into families. One of the later Pompilii, who may have been a freedmanFreedman
A freedman is a former slave who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves became freedmen either by manumission or emancipation ....
, and who was certainly not descended from the gens, bore the Greek surname Andronicus.
Members of the gens
- Pompo Pompilius, the father of Numa.
- Numa PompiliusNuma PompiliusNuma Pompilius was the legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus. What tales are descended to us about him come from Valerius Antias, an author from the early part of the 1st century BC known through limited mentions of later authors , Dionysius of Halicarnassus circa 60BC-...
, the second King of RomeKing of RomeThe 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...
. - Mamercus, traditionally the son of Numa and ancestor of the gens Aemilia.
- Pompo, in later tradition, the son of Numa and ancestor of the gens PomponiaPomponia (gens)The gens Pomponia was a plebeian family at Rome throughout the period of the Republic and into imperial times. The first of the gens to achieve prominence was Marcus Pomponius, tribune of the plebs in 449 BC; the first who obtained the consulship was Manius Pomponius Matho in 233 BC.-Origin of the...
. - Calpus, in later tradition, the son of Numa and ancestor of the gens Calpurnia.
- Pinus, in later tradition, the son of Numa and ancestor of the gens Pinaria.
- Pompilia, the daughter of Numa Pompilius, and wife of Numa Marcius; she was the mother of Ancus MarciusAncus MarciusAncus Marcius was the legendary fourth of the Kings of Rome.He was the son of Marcius and Pompilia...
, the third King of Rome. - Sextus Pompilius, tribunus plebisTribuneTribune was a title shared by elected officials in the Roman Republic. Tribunes had the power to convene the Plebeian Council and to act as its president, which also gave them the right to propose legislation before it. They were sacrosanct, in the sense that any assault on their person was...
in 420 BC. - Pompilius, an eques mentioned by CiceroCiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
as a friend of CatilineCatilineLucius Sergius Catilina , known in English as Catiline, was a Roman politician of the 1st century BC who is best known for the Catiline conspiracy, an attempt to overthrow the Roman Republic, and in particular the power of the aristocratic Senate.-Family background:Catiline was born in 108 BC to...
. - Marcus Pompilius Andronicus, a SyrianSyria (Roman province)Syria was a Roman province, annexed in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursuing victory in the Third Mithridatic War. It remained under Roman, and subsequently Byzantine, rule for seven centuries, until 637 when it fell to the Islamic conquests.- Principate :The...
by birth, taught rhetoric at Rome in the early 1st century BC