Potitia (gens)
Encyclopedia
The gens Potitia was one of the most ancient patrician families at Rome
. It never attained any historical importance.
The story of the Potitii is inextricably intertwined with that of the Pinarii. According to legend, a generation before the Trojan War
, Hercules
came to Italy, where he was received by the families of the Potitii and the Pinarii. He taught them a form of worship, and instructed them in the rites, by which he was later honored. The priesthood of this cult was carried out exclusively by members of these two families, as a sacrum gentilicum.
The position of the Pinarii in the cult was traditionally inferior to that of the Potitii, and they were excluded from partaking of the entrails of the sacrifice, supposedly because they had arrived late to the sacrificial banquet given by Hercules. The historian Michael Grant
suggests that the cult was originally introduced to Italy by the Phoenicia
ns, and was devoted to one of the Phoenician gods, who afterwards became assimilated with Hercules.
For nine hundred years, the Potitii and Pinarii held the priesthood of Hercules, until Appius Claudius Caecus
, during his censorship in 312 BC, induced the Potitii to instruct the public slaves in the sacred rites, by the payment of 50,000 pounds of copper. It was said that this act of impiety induced Hercules to send a plague, which within thirty days carried off the entire gens, consisting of twelve families and thirty grown men; and Claudius was struck blind, which was the source of his cognomen
. The Pinarii, who refused to relinquish their priestly duties, maintained the worship of Hercules until the latest period.
The disappearance of an entire gens was extraordinary, as was the lack of any magistrates or other persons of importance belonging to such an ancient family. This has led to speculation that the legend referred to some branch of another gens known to history, such as the Valerii Potiti. But at the same time it was possible for a family to exist for centuries without attracting any notice, and the ancient historians are unanimous in making the Potitii a distinct gens. The historian Niebuhr
suggests that, if the story regarding the destruction of the Potitii is based on fact, they may have perished in the great plague which raged in 292 B.C., some twenty years after the censorship of Caecus.
It is not altogether certain that the entire gens perished in this disaster; the legendary account says that thirty grown men were killed, but perhaps some children survived. Although hardly any members of the gens are known to history, a Publius Potitius is mentioned several times by Cicero
as one of the guardians of the son of Publius Junius, custodian of the temple of Castor
, who died in 80 B.C. Five years later, the boy's guardians and stepfather became embroiled in a dispute with Verres
, who extracted considerable sums of money, supposedly to make extensive repairs to the temple, which in fact was in sound condition.
and Empire
, by Steven Saylor
. These novels follow the history of Rome, up to the reign of Hadrian
, and concern the fortunes of the Potitii and Pinarii, through the passing down of a family heirloom.
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....
. It never attained any historical importance.
The story of the Potitii is inextricably intertwined with that of the Pinarii. According to legend, a generation before the Trojan War
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
, Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
came to Italy, where he was received by the families of the Potitii and the Pinarii. He taught them a form of worship, and instructed them in the rites, by which he was later honored. The priesthood of this cult was carried out exclusively by members of these two families, as a sacrum gentilicum.
The position of the Pinarii in the cult was traditionally inferior to that of the Potitii, and they were excluded from partaking of the entrails of the sacrifice, supposedly because they had arrived late to the sacrificial banquet given by Hercules. The historian Michael Grant
Michael Grant (author)
Michael Grant was an English classicist, numismatist, and author of numerous popular books on ancient history. His 1956 translation of Tacitus’s Annals of Imperial Rome remains a standard of the work. Having studied and held a number of academic posts in the United Kingdom and the Middle East, he...
suggests that the cult was originally introduced to Italy by the Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
ns, and was devoted to one of the Phoenician gods, who afterwards became assimilated with Hercules.
For nine hundred years, the Potitii and Pinarii held the priesthood of Hercules, until Appius Claudius Caecus
Appius Claudius Caecus
Appius Claudius Caecus was a Roman politician from a wealthy patrician family. He was dictator himself and the son of Gaius Claudius Crassus, dictator in 337 BC.-Life:...
, during his censorship in 312 BC, induced the Potitii to instruct the public slaves in the sacred rites, by the payment of 50,000 pounds of copper. It was said that this act of impiety induced Hercules to send a plague, which within thirty days carried off the entire gens, consisting of twelve families and thirty grown men; and Claudius was struck blind, which was the source of his 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...
. The Pinarii, who refused to relinquish their priestly duties, maintained the worship of Hercules until the latest period.
The disappearance of an entire gens was extraordinary, as was the lack of any magistrates or other persons of importance belonging to such an ancient family. This has led to speculation that the legend referred to some branch of another gens known to history, such as the Valerii Potiti. But at the same time it was possible for a family to exist for centuries without attracting any notice, and the ancient historians are unanimous in making the Potitii a distinct gens. The historian Niebuhr
Barthold Georg Niebuhr
Barthold Georg Niebuhr was a Danish-German statesman and historian who became Germany's leading historian of Ancient Rome and a founding father of modern scholarly historiography. Classical Rome caught the admiration of German thinkers...
suggests that, if the story regarding the destruction of the Potitii is based on fact, they may have perished in the great plague which raged in 292 B.C., some twenty years after the censorship of Caecus.
It is not altogether certain that the entire gens perished in this disaster; the legendary account says that thirty grown men were killed, but perhaps some children survived. Although hardly any members of the gens are known to history, a Publius Potitius is mentioned several times by Cicero
Cicero
Marcus 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 one of the guardians of the son of Publius Junius, custodian of the temple of Castor
Castor and Pollux
In Greek and Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux or Polydeuces were twin brothers, together known as the Dioscuri . Their mother was Leda, but Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, king of Sparta, and Pollux the divine son of Zeus, who visited Leda in the guise of a swan...
, who died in 80 B.C. Five years later, the boy's guardians and stepfather became embroiled in a dispute with Verres
Verres
Gaius 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:...
, who extracted considerable sums of money, supposedly to make extensive repairs to the temple, which in fact was in sound condition.
Potitii in popular culture
The Potitii are the focus of the novels RomaRoma (2008 book)
Roma is a historical novel by American author Steven Saylor, published by St. Martin's Griffin in 2008. The story follows two ancient Roman families, the Potitii and Pinarii, as members of their generations experience some of Rome's greatest historical events. The epic style is similar to James...
and Empire
Empire (2010 book)
Empire is a historical novel by American author Steven Saylor, published by Corsair in 2010. It is the sequel to Roma, and follows the lives of five generations of the Pinarius family from the reign of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, to the height of Rome's empire under Hadrian....
, by Steven Saylor
Steven Saylor
Steven Saylor is an American author of historical novels. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and Classics....
. These novels follow the history of Rome, up to the reign of Hadrian
Hadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
, and concern the fortunes of the Potitii and Pinarii, through the passing down of a family heirloom.