Thenomen gentilicium (or simplynomen) was a hereditary name borne by the peoples ofRoman Italy and later by the citizens of theRoman Republic and theRoman Empire. It was originally the name of one'sgens (family or clan) bypatrilineal descent. However, as Rome expanded its frontiers and non-Roman peoples were progressively granted citizenship and concomitantnomen, the latter lost its value in indicating patrilineal ancestry.
For men, thenomen was the middle of thetria nomina ("three names"), after thepraenomen and before thecognomen.For women, thenomen was often the only name used until the late Republic. For example, three members ofgensJulia wereGaiusJulius Caesar and his sistersJulia Major andJulia Minor ("Julia the elder" and "Julia the younger").
Thenomen gentilicium, or "gentile name" designated a Roman citizen as a member of agens.[i] Agens, which may be translated as "race", "family", or "clan", constituted an extended Roman family, all of whom shared the samenomen and claimed descent from a common ancestor. Particularly in the earlyRoman Republic, thegens functioned as a state within the state, observing its own sacred rites and establishing private laws, which were binding on its members although not on the community as a whole.[1]
Although the other peoples of Italy also possessednomina (plural ofnomen), the distinction between Romans and the non-Roman peoples of Italy disappeared as various communities were granted theRoman franchise and, after theSocial War (91–87 BC), that was extended to most of Italy. Possession of thenomen gentilicium then identified a man as a Roman citizen.[2]
Thenomen was an essential element of Roman nomenclature throughout Roman history, but its usefulness as a distinguishing element declined precipitously following theConstitutio Antoniniana, which effectively granted thenomen "Aurelius" to vast numbers of newly-enfranchised citizens. Countless other "new Romans" acquired thenomina of important families in this manner during imperial times. In the 4th century,Aurelius was surpassed in number byFlavius, and other names became quite common, includingValerius,Claudius,Fabius,Julius andJunius. Those names no longer had any utility in indicating one's patrilineal ancestry[ii] and became largely perfunctory. They could be changed to indicate rank or status, and even abbreviated,[iii] much aspraenomina had been.[2][3]
Both in its original form, identifying an individual as a member of a Romangens, and in its later form, as an indicator of status, thenomen continued to be used for several decades after the collapse of Imperial authority in the west. The last datable example of anomen gentilicium belongs to a Julia Rogatiana, who died atVolubilis in AD 655. In the east,nomina such asFlavius continued until the early 8th century; Flavius Basilius was Pagarch of Aphrodito in Egypt in 710.[iv][3]