The gens Novellia was an obscure
plebeian family at
Rome. The only member of this
gens known to have held any
magistracies was Torquatus Novellius Atticus, perhaps better known from an anecdote of
Pliny the Elder; however, many others are known from inscriptions.
Origin
It seems probable that the
nomenNovellius belongs to a class of gentilicia formed either from diminutives of other names, or from cognomina, using the suffix -ellius. In this case, the nomen is apparently derived from the
OscanpraenomenNovius, marking the Novellii as a family of Oscan origin.[1] The greatest number of Novellii known from extant inscriptions lived in
Mediolanum and the province of
Cisalpine Gaul.
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Publius Novellius Atticus, the father of Torquatus, according to a first century inscription from
Tibur.
Torquatus Novellius P. f. Atticus,[i] a native of Mediolanum, held a number of magistracies under the early
Empire, serving as
military tribune,
quaestor,
aedile, and
praetor; he was curator of public works and charged with administering the
census, then
proconsul of
Gallia Narbonensis under
Tiberius and
Caligula.
Pliny recounts how he won the surname Tricongius by drinking three
congii[ii] of wine at a single draught, in the presence and to the great astonishment of Tiberius. He died at
Forum Julii, aged forty-three.[2][3][4][5]
Gaius Novellius Fortunatus, named in an auction record from
Pompeii, dating to AD 57.[6]
Gaius Novellius Natalis, a magistrate at Pompeii.[7]
Gaius Novellius C. f. Verinus, named in an inscription from Rome dating to AD 175.[8]
Marcus Novellius Eros, named in an inscription from Municipium Dardanorum, dating to the time of Commodus.[9]
Gaius Novellius Octavianus, named in a roll of soldiers of the fifth cohort at Rome, dating to the beginning of the third century.[10]
Lucius Novellius, named in an inscription from
Verona.[11]
Lucius Novellius, a soldier in the seventh cohort at Rome.[12]
Marcus Novellius M. f., a soldier in the
twenty-second legion, buried at
Mogontiacum, aged thirty-three.
Mansuetus Novellius C. l., a freedman buried at
Augusta Taurinorum, in Cisalpine Gaul, aged fifty.[13]
Quintus Novellius M. f., named in an inscription from
Delos.[14]
Marcus Novellius Aequalis, husband of Egnatia Primigenia, named in an inscription from Mediolanum.[15]
Publius Novellius Agathopus, erected a monument at Rome to his wife, Murridia Firma.[16]
Gaius Novellius Amphio, named in an inscription from
Genava in Gallia Narbonensis.[17]
Quintus Novellius Augurinus, father of Quintus Novellius Primus, for whose grave Augurinus erected a monument.[18]
Publius Novellius Crescens, husband of Tertia, named in an inscription from
Duno in Cisalpine Gaul.[19]
Lucius Novellius Daphnis, mentioned in an inscription from Rome.[12]
Quintus Novellius Decumus, mentioned in an inscription from Mediolanum.[20]
Gaius Novellius C. f. Expectatus, named in an inscription from Mediolanum.[21]
Novellia Fusca, wife of Gaius Allius Pudens, named in an inscription from Mediolanum.[22]
Lucius Novellius T. f. Hispello, a soldier in the sixteenth legion, buried at Mogontiacum, aged forty-five.[23]
Novellia Justina, daughter of Lucius Novellius Lanuccus.[24]
Lucius Novellius Lanuccus, father of Novellia Justina, buried at
Aesica in
Britain, aged seventy.[24]
Lucius Novellius Lucifer, son of Crotus and Novellia Trophime, and husband of Novia Scodrina, named in a funerary inscription from
Dyrrachium in
Macedonia.[25]
Lucius Novellius Lucrio, a freedman named in an inscription from Rome.[26]
Gaius Novellius C. f. Marcellinus, buried at
Philippi in Macedonia, aged fifty-two.[27]
Quintus Novellius Martialis, a comrade of Lucius Surius Sabinus, a soldier in the eighth cohort at Rome, for whose grave Martialis erected a monument.[28]
Gaius Novellius Primianus, mentioned in an inscription from Mediolanum.[29]
^A congius is approximately 0.92 U.S. gallons, 0.77 Imperial gallons, or 3.48 liters; three congii is the equivalent of 22 U.S. pints, or slightly more than 18 Imperial pints.
The gens Novellia was an obscure
plebeian family at
Rome. The only member of this
gens known to have held any
magistracies was Torquatus Novellius Atticus, perhaps better known from an anecdote of
Pliny the Elder; however, many others are known from inscriptions.
Origin
It seems probable that the
nomenNovellius belongs to a class of gentilicia formed either from diminutives of other names, or from cognomina, using the suffix -ellius. In this case, the nomen is apparently derived from the
OscanpraenomenNovius, marking the Novellii as a family of Oscan origin.[1] The greatest number of Novellii known from extant inscriptions lived in
Mediolanum and the province of
Cisalpine Gaul.
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Publius Novellius Atticus, the father of Torquatus, according to a first century inscription from
Tibur.
Torquatus Novellius P. f. Atticus,[i] a native of Mediolanum, held a number of magistracies under the early
Empire, serving as
military tribune,
quaestor,
aedile, and
praetor; he was curator of public works and charged with administering the
census, then
proconsul of
Gallia Narbonensis under
Tiberius and
Caligula.
Pliny recounts how he won the surname Tricongius by drinking three
congii[ii] of wine at a single draught, in the presence and to the great astonishment of Tiberius. He died at
Forum Julii, aged forty-three.[2][3][4][5]
Gaius Novellius Fortunatus, named in an auction record from
Pompeii, dating to AD 57.[6]
Gaius Novellius Natalis, a magistrate at Pompeii.[7]
Gaius Novellius C. f. Verinus, named in an inscription from Rome dating to AD 175.[8]
Marcus Novellius Eros, named in an inscription from Municipium Dardanorum, dating to the time of Commodus.[9]
Gaius Novellius Octavianus, named in a roll of soldiers of the fifth cohort at Rome, dating to the beginning of the third century.[10]
Lucius Novellius, named in an inscription from
Verona.[11]
Lucius Novellius, a soldier in the seventh cohort at Rome.[12]
Marcus Novellius M. f., a soldier in the
twenty-second legion, buried at
Mogontiacum, aged thirty-three.
Mansuetus Novellius C. l., a freedman buried at
Augusta Taurinorum, in Cisalpine Gaul, aged fifty.[13]
Quintus Novellius M. f., named in an inscription from
Delos.[14]
Marcus Novellius Aequalis, husband of Egnatia Primigenia, named in an inscription from Mediolanum.[15]
Publius Novellius Agathopus, erected a monument at Rome to his wife, Murridia Firma.[16]
Gaius Novellius Amphio, named in an inscription from
Genava in Gallia Narbonensis.[17]
Quintus Novellius Augurinus, father of Quintus Novellius Primus, for whose grave Augurinus erected a monument.[18]
Publius Novellius Crescens, husband of Tertia, named in an inscription from
Duno in Cisalpine Gaul.[19]
Lucius Novellius Daphnis, mentioned in an inscription from Rome.[12]
Quintus Novellius Decumus, mentioned in an inscription from Mediolanum.[20]
Gaius Novellius C. f. Expectatus, named in an inscription from Mediolanum.[21]
Novellia Fusca, wife of Gaius Allius Pudens, named in an inscription from Mediolanum.[22]
Lucius Novellius T. f. Hispello, a soldier in the sixteenth legion, buried at Mogontiacum, aged forty-five.[23]
Novellia Justina, daughter of Lucius Novellius Lanuccus.[24]
Lucius Novellius Lanuccus, father of Novellia Justina, buried at
Aesica in
Britain, aged seventy.[24]
Lucius Novellius Lucifer, son of Crotus and Novellia Trophime, and husband of Novia Scodrina, named in a funerary inscription from
Dyrrachium in
Macedonia.[25]
Lucius Novellius Lucrio, a freedman named in an inscription from Rome.[26]
Gaius Novellius C. f. Marcellinus, buried at
Philippi in Macedonia, aged fifty-two.[27]
Quintus Novellius Martialis, a comrade of Lucius Surius Sabinus, a soldier in the eighth cohort at Rome, for whose grave Martialis erected a monument.[28]
Gaius Novellius Primianus, mentioned in an inscription from Mediolanum.[29]
^A congius is approximately 0.92 U.S. gallons, 0.77 Imperial gallons, or 3.48 liters; three congii is the equivalent of 22 U.S. pints, or slightly more than 18 Imperial pints.