Postumia (gens)
Encyclopedia
The gens Postumia was one of the most ancient patrician gentes
at Rome. Its members frequently held the highest office of the state, from the banishment of the kings to the downfall of the Republic
. The first of the Postumii who obtained the consulship
was Publius Postumius Tubertus
in 505 B.C., four years after the expulsion of the kings.
Postumius is a patronymic surname, derived from the praenomen
Postumus
, which presumably belonged to the ancestor of the gens. That name was derived from the same source as the Latin adjective, postremus, meaning "last" or "hindmost," and was originally given to a last-born or youngest child. It was not related to the modern word posthumous, although coïncidentally the meaning of the name would also be appropriate for a child born after the death of his father.
, Spurius
, and Lucius
. Marcus
, Publius
, and Quintus
were also used. Toward the end of the Republic, the names Gaius
, Gnaeus
, and Titus
are found.
of Albus
or Albinus; but distinguished families are also found at the commencement of the Republic with the names Megellus and Tubertus. Regillensis was an agnomen
of the Albini. In the Punic Wars
and subsequently, the surnames Pyrgensis, Tempsanus and Tympanus were used. A few Postumii appear in various sources without any surname.
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...
at Rome. Its members frequently held the highest office of the state, from the banishment of the kings to the downfall 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 first of the Postumii who obtained 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 Publius Postumius Tubertus
Publius Postumius Tubertus
Publius Postumius Tubertus, the son of Quintus, was the first of the patrician gens Postumia to obtain the consulship, which he held in 505 BC, the fifth year of the Roman Republic. Together with his colleague, Marcus Valerius Volusus, he fought against the Sabines, whom they defeated decisively...
in 505 B.C., four years after the expulsion of the kings.
Origin of the gens
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...
Postumius is a patronymic surname, derived from the 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...
Postumus
Postumus (praenomen)
Postumus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was most common during the early centuries of the Roman Republic. It gave rise to the patronymic gens Postumia, and later became a common cognomen, or surname. The feminine form is Postuma...
, which presumably belonged to the ancestor of the gens. That name was derived from the same source as the Latin adjective, postremus, meaning "last" or "hindmost," and was originally given to a last-born or youngest child. It was not related to the modern word posthumous, although coïncidentally the meaning of the name would also be appropriate for a child born after the death of his father.
Praenomina used by the gens
The most prominent families of the Postumii during the early Republic favored the praenomina AulusAulus (praenomen)
Aulus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was common throughout Roman history from the earliest times to the end of the Western Empire in the fifth century. The feminine form is Aula. An alternative pronunciation leads to the variant spellings Olus or Ollus and Olla. Aulus was widely...
, Spurius
Spurius (praenomen)
Spurius is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was used primarily during the period of the Roman Republic, and which fell into disuse in imperial times. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Spurilia. The feminine form is Spuria...
, 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...
. Marcus
Marcus (praenomen)
Marcus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was one of the most common names throughout Roman history. The feminine form is Marca or Marcia. The praenomen was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Marcia, as well as the cognomen Marcellus...
, Publius
Publius (praenomen)
Publius is a Latin praenomen, or personal name. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and was very common at all periods of Roman history. It gave rise to the patronymic gens Publilia, and perhaps also gens Publicia. The feminine form is Publia...
, and 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...
were also used. Toward the end of the Republic, the names 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...
, Gnaeus
Gnaeus (praenomen)
Gnaeus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was common throughout the period of the Roman Republic, and well into imperial times. The feminine form is Gnaea. The praenomen was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Naevia...
, and 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...
are found.
Branches and cognomina of the gens
The most distinguished family in the gens bore the cognomenCognomen
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...
of Albus
Albinus (cognomen)
Albus or Albinus is a Latin surname, or cognomen, best known as the name of the main branch of the patrician gens Postumia. Albus, Albinus, the original form of the name, means "foreign", "someone of ofther jurisdiction" unlike, Album, Albus, which means "white"...
or Albinus; but distinguished families are also found at the commencement of the Republic with the names Megellus and Tubertus. Regillensis was an agnomen
Agnomen
An agnomen , in the Roman naming convention, was a nickname, just as the cognomen was initially. However, the cognomina eventually became family names, so agnomina were needed to distinguish between similarly named persons...
of the Albini. In the Punic Wars
Punic Wars
The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 B.C.E. to 146 B.C.E. At the time, they were probably the largest wars that had ever taken place...
and subsequently, the surnames Pyrgensis, Tempsanus and Tympanus were used. A few Postumii appear in various sources without any surname.
Prominent members of the gens
- This list includes abbreviated praenominaPraenomenThe 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...
. For an explanation of this practice, see filiation.
Postumii Tuberti
- Publius Postumius Q. f. TubertusPublius Postumius TubertusPublius Postumius Tubertus, the son of Quintus, was the first of the patrician gens Postumia to obtain the consulship, which he held in 505 BC, the fifth year of the Roman Republic. Together with his colleague, Marcus Valerius Volusus, he fought against the Sabines, whom they defeated decisively...
, 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 505 and 503 BC. - Aulus Postumius TubertusAulus Postumius TubertusAulus Postumius Tubertus was a Roman military leader in the wars with the Aequi and Volsci during the 5th century BC. He served as Magister Equitum under the dictator Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus in 433 BC....
, dictatorRoman dictatorIn the Roman Republic, the dictator , was an extraordinary magistrate with the absolute authority to perform tasks beyond the authority of the ordinary magistrate . The office of dictator was a legal innovation originally named Magister Populi , i.e...
in 431 BC.
Postumii Albi et Albini
- Aulus Postumius P. f. Albus RegillensisAulus Postumius Albus RegillensisAulus Postumius Albus Regillensis was an ancient Roman who, according to Livy, was dictator in 498 BC, when he conquered the Latins in the great Battle of Lake Regillus. Many of the coins of the Albini commemorate this victory of their ancestor, as in the one pictured...
, dictator in 498 and consul in 496 BC. - Spurius Postumius A. f. P. n. Albus RegillensisSpurius Postumius Albus Regillensis (consul 466 BC)Spurius Postumius Albus Regillensis was a patrician politician of Ancient Rome. He was, apparently, according to the Fasti, the son of Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis, although it must be observed that no great dependence can be placed upon genealogies from such early times. He was consul in 466 BC...
, consul in 466 and decemvirDecemviriDecemviri is a Latin term meaning "Ten Men" which designates any such commission in the Roman Republic...
in 451 BC. - Aulus Postumius A. f. P. n. Albus RegillensisAulus Postumius Albus Regillensis (consul 464 BC)Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis was a patrician politician of ancient Rome, and apparently son of Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis, and therefore brother of Spurius Postumius Albus Regillensis. He was consul in 464 BC, carried on war against the Aequians, and protected the border from raiders...
, consul in 464 BC. - Spurius Postumius S. f. A. n. Albus RegillensisSpurius Postumius Albus Regillensis (consul 432 BC)Spurius Postumius Albus Regillensis, apparently son the Spurius Postumius Albus Regillensis who was consul in 466 BC, was a patrician politician of ancient Rome. He was appointed consular tribune in 432 BC, and served as legatus in the war in the following year, under the dictator Aulus Postumius...
, 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 432 BC. - Publius Postumius A. f. A. n. Albinus RegillensisPublius Postumius Albus RegillensisPublius Postumius Albus Regillensis, whom Livy calls "Marcus", was a patrician politician of ancient Rome who was appointed one of four military consular tribunes in 414 BC....
, tribunus militum consulari potestate in 414 BC, killed in an insurrection of the soldiers. - Marcus Postumius A. f. A. n. Albinus RegillensisMarcus Postumius Albinus RegillensisMarcus Postumius Albinus Regillensis was an ancient Roman politician, of patrician family, in the late 5th century BC. He is mentioned by Livy as consular tribune in 403 BC, but this was demonstrated by later scholars to be an error. In reality he was censor in that year with Marcus Furius Camillus...
, censor in 403 BC. - Aulus Postumius Albinus RegillensisAulus Postumius Albinus RegillensisAulus Postumius Albinus Regillensis was a Roman politician, of patrician family, of the early 4th century BC. He was appointed consular tribune in 397 BC, and collected with his colleague Lucius Julius Iullus an army of volunteers, since the tribunes prevented them from making a regular levy, and...
, tribunus militum consulari potestate in 397 BC. - Spurius Postumius Albinus RegillensisSpurius Postumius Albinus RegillensisSpurius Postumius Albinus Regillensis was a Roman politician, of patrician family, of the early 4th century BC. He was elected a military consular tribune in 394 BC, and carried on the war against the Aequians. He at first suffered a bloody defeat, after which rumors reached Rome that he had been...
, tribunus militum consulari potestate in 394 BC. - Spurius Postumius AlbinusSpurius Postumius AlbinusSpurius Postumius Albinus was a politician of Ancient Rome, of patrician rank, of the 4th century BC. He was consul in 334 BC, and invaded, with his colleague Titus Veturius Calvinus, the country of the Sidicini...
, consul in 334 and 321, and censor in 332 BC, a general in the Second Samnite War. - Aulus Postumius A. f. L. n. AlbinusAulus Postumius Albinus (consul 242 BC)Aulus Postumius Albinus was a politician of Ancient Rome, of patrician rank, of the 3rd century BC.He was elected consul in 242 BC with Gaius Lutatius Catulus, who defeated the Carthaginians in the Battle of the Aegates Islands, and thus, brought the First Punic War to an end. Albinus was kept in...
, consul in 242 and censor 234 BC. - Lucius Postumius A. f. A. n. AlbinusLucius Postumius Albinus (consul 234 and 229 BC)Lucius Postumius A. f. A. n. Albinus was a Roman consul of the third century BC. Most of our knowledge about his career and his demise comes from Livy's Ab Urbe Condita. From his filiation, "A. f. A. n.", we know that he was probably the son of Aulus Postumius Albinus, consul in 242 BC.He was...
, consul in 234 and 229 BC, elected consul a third time in 215, but slain by the BoiiBoiiThe Boii were one of the most prominent ancient Celtic tribes of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul , Pannonia , in and around Bohemia, and Transalpine Gaul...
before entering into office. - Spurius Postumius L. f. A. n. AlbinusSpurius Postumius Albinus (consul 186 BC)Spurius Postumius Albinus was a politician of Ancient Rome, of patrician rank, of the 2nd century BC. He was praetor peregrinus in 189 BC, and consul in 186 BC. In his consulship the senatusconsultum was passed, which is still extant, suppressing the worship of Bacchus in Rome, in consequence of...
, consul in 186 BC. - Aulus Postumius A. f. A. n. Albinus LuscusAulus Postumius Albinus LuscusAulus Postumius Albinus Luscus was a politician of Ancient Rome, of patrician rank, of the 2nd century BC. He was curule aedile in 187 BC, when he exhibited the Great Games, praetor in 185 BC, and consul in 180 BC. In his consulship he conducted the war against the Ligurians.He was censor in 174...
, consul in 180 and censor in 174 BC. - Spurius Postumius A. f. A. n. Albinus PaullulusSpurius Postumius Albinus PaullulusSpurius Postumius Albinus Paullulus was a politician of ancient Rome, of patrician rank, of the 2nd century BC. He was praetor in Sicily in 183 BC, and consul in 174 BC...
, consul in 174 BC. - Lucius Postumius A. f. A. n. Albinus, consul in 173 BC.
- Aulus Postumius Albinus, an officer in the army of Lucius Aemilius PaullusLucius Aemilius Paulus MacedonicusLucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus was a two-time consul of the Roman Republic and a noted general who conquered Macedon putting an end to the Antigonid dynasty.-Family:...
in Macedonia in 168 BC. - Lucius Postumius S. f. L. n. AlbinusLucius Postumius Albinus (consul 154 BC)Lucius Postumius Albinus was a politician of ancient Rome, of patrician rank, of the 2nd century BC. He was curule aedile in 161 BC, and exhibited the Ludi Megalenses, at which Terence's play Eunuchus had debuted. He was consul in 154 BC, and died seven days after he had set out from Rome in...
, consul in 154 BC, died shortly after leaving Rome. - Aulus Postumius A. f. A. n. AlbinusAulus Postumius Albinus (consul 151 BC)Aulus Postumius Albinus, apparently the son of Aulus Postumius Albinus Luscus, was praetor in 155 BC, and consul in 151 BC with Lucius Licinius Lucullus. He and his colleague were thrown into prison by the tribunes for conducting the levies with too much severity...
, consul in 151 BC, and a Greek scholar. - Spurius Postumius Albinus MagnusSpurius Postumius Albinus MagnusSpurius Postumius Albinus Magnus was a politician of ancient Rome, of patrician rank, of the 2nd century BC. He was consul in 148 BC, in which year a great fire happened at Rome...
, consul in 148 BC, an orator mentioned by Marcus Tullius 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...
. - Spurius Postumius S. f. S. n. AlbinusSpurius Postumius Albinus (consul 110 BC)Spurius Postumius Albinus was a politician of ancient Rome, of patrician rank, of the 2nd century BC. He was consul in 110 BC, and obtained the province of Numidia to carry on the war against Jugurtha...
, consul in 110 BC. - Aulus Postumius S. f. S. n. AlbinusAulus Postimius Albinus (propraetor 110 BC)Aulus Postumius Albinus Magnus was a general of ancient Rome, of patrician rank, of the 2nd century BC, who was brother of Spurius Postumius Albinus, and probably son of Spurius Postumius Albinus Magnus....
, propraetor in 110 BC. - Aulus Postumius A. f. S. n. AlbinusAulus Postumius AlbinusAulus Postumius Albinus, was a politician of the Roman Republic, and second consul in 99 BC with M. Antonius. Aulus Gellius quotes the words of a senatus consultum passed in their consulship in consequence of the spears of Mars having moved...
, consul in 99 BC, mentioned favorably by Cicero. - Aulus Postumius AlbinusAulus Postumius Albinus (praetor 89 BC)Aulus Postumius Albinus was a general of the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC. He was a person of praetorian rank, and commanded the fleet in the Marsic War in 89 BC. He was subsequently killed by his own soldiers who claimed that he had been guilty of treason. Most contemporary accounts,...
, praetor in 89 BC, murdered by his own soldiers. - Aulus Postumius Albinus, placed in command of Sicily by Gaius Julius CaesarJulius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
in 48 BC. - Decimus Junius (D. f. D. n.) Brutus AlbinusDecimus Junius Brutus AlbinusDecimus Junius Brutus Albinus was a Roman politician and general of the 1st century BC and one of the leading instigators of Julius Caesar's assassination...
(adopted by A. Postumius Albinus, the consul of 99 BC), admiral under Caesar, and later one of his assassins.
Postumii Megelli
- Lucius Postumius L. f. S. n. MegellusLucius Postumius MegellusLucius Postumius Megellus is the name of two Ancient Romans of the gens Postumia:*Lucius Postumius Megellus, son of Lucius, consul in 305 BC, 294 BC, and 291 BC;...
, consul in 305, 294, and 291 BC. - Lucius Postumius L. f. L. n. MegellusLucius Postumius MegellusLucius Postumius Megellus is the name of two Ancient Romans of the gens Postumia:*Lucius Postumius Megellus, son of Lucius, consul in 305 BC, 294 BC, and 291 BC;...
, consul in 262 and censor in 253 BC.
Later Postumii
- Marcus Postumius PyrgensisMarcus Postumius PyrgensisMarcus Postumius, surnamed Pyrgensis, is described by Livius as a "farmer of the taxes" during the Second Punic War, whose character for avarice and fraud were equaled only by Titus Pomponius Veientanus....
, tried for fraud and misuse of public funds in 212 BC. - Lucius Postumius Tympanus, quaestorQuaestorA Quaestor was a type of public official in the "Cursus honorum" system who supervised financial affairs. In the Roman Republic a quaestor was an elected official whereas, with the autocratic government of the Roman Empire, quaestors were simply appointed....
slain in battle by the BoiiBoiiThe Boii were one of the most prominent ancient Celtic tribes of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul , Pannonia , in and around Bohemia, and Transalpine Gaul...
in 194 BC. - Lucius Postumius Tempsanus, praetorPraetorPraetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
assigned to TarentumTarentumTarentum may refer to:* Taranto, Apulia, Italy; on the site of the ancient Roman city Tarentum; formerly the Greek colony Taras. See also: History of Taranto* Tarentum, Pennsylvania, United States** Tarentum Bridge, in the above place...
in 185 BC. - Aulus Postumius, tribunus militumMilitary tribuneA military tribune was an officer of the Roman army who ranked below the legate and above the centurion...
in 180 BC. - Gaius Postumius, tribunus militum in 168 BC.
- Postumius, a soothsayer, who predicted success for Lucius Cornelius SullaLucius Cornelius SullaLucius Cornelius Sulla Felix , known commonly as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He had the rare distinction of holding the office of consul twice, as well as that of dictator...
in either 90 or 88 BC. - Marcus Postumius, quaestor of VerresVerresGaius Verres was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. It is not known what gens he belonged to, though some give him the nomen Licinius.-As governor:...
in his government of Sicily in 73 BC. - Gnaeus Postumius, supporter of Servius Sulpicius RufusServius Sulpicius RufusServius Sulpicius Rufus , surnamed Lemonia from the tribe to which he belonged, was a Roman orator and jurist.He studied rhetoric with Cicero, and accompanied him to Rhodes in 78 BC. Finding that he would never be able to rival his teacher he gave up rhetoric for law...
in his prosecution of Lucius Licinius MurenaLucius Licinius MurenaLucius Licinius Murena was Roman consul in 62 BC. His father had the same name.At the end of the First Mithridatic War, he was left in Asia by Sulla in command of the two legions formerly controlled by Gaius Flavius Fimbria...
in 63 BC. - Titus Postumius, an orator praised by Marcus Tullius 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...
. - Postumius (perhaps the same as Titus Postumius), a friend of Cicero, who declined the Senate'sRoman SenateThe 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...
appointment as Praetor in 49 BC. - Postumius, legateLegatusA legatus was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes...
of Gaius Julius CaesarJulius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
in 48 BC. - Publius Postumius, a friend of Marcus Claudius MarcellusMarcus Claudius Marcellus (consul 51 BC)Marcus Claudius Marcellus, was a member of the plebeian gens Claudia of the branch cognomitated Marcellus and a Roman politician.Marcellus was elected curule aedile in 56 BC. In 52 BC he was elected consul, together with Servius Sulpicius Rufus, for the following year...
. - Quintus Postumius, a Roman senatorRoman SenateThe 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...
murdered at the order of Marcus AntoniusMark AntonyMarcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
in 31 BC.