The gens Percennia was a
plebeian family at
ancient Rome. Members of this
gens first appear in history in the early years of the
Empire, and several of them were of
senatorial rank, although it is not known what
magistracies they held. The most famous of the family may have been the Percennius who led a mutiny of the
Pannonian legions in AD 14, which
Drusus was obliged to put down.[1]
Origin
The
nomenPercennius belongs to a class of gentilicia of
Oscan origin, derived from earlier names, in this instance the Oscan
praenomenPercennus.[i] The ancestors of the Percennii were most likely
Samnites,
Sabines, or came from another Oscan-speaking people.[2]
Praenomina
The main praenomina among the Percennii were Marcus and Lucius, but several other common praenomina were also used, including Gaius, Quintus, Publius, and Titus. The only other name found among the Percennii appears to be Decimus, which appears among a family of senatorial rank in imperial times.
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Percennius, a soldier at the commencement of the reign of
Tiberius, who instigated a mutiny among the
legions in
Pannonia. When
Drusus arrived to take command of the legions, he had Percennius put to death.[3][4]
Lucius Percennius Pollio, a man of senatorial rank, and the father of Lucius Percennius Lascivus.[5][4]
Lucius Percennius Lascivus or Monnicus, an
eques, son of Lucius Percennius Pollio, and husband of Sabinia Felicitas, was buried at Rome at some point during the third century.[5][4]
Decimus Percennius Marcianus, a man of senatorial rank, named on a lead pipe found at Rome.[4]
Decimus Percennius Rufinus, a man of senatorial rank, named on a lead pipe from the
Esquiline Hill, had been governor of one of the
imperial provinces.[6][4]
Percennia L. f., the wife of Marcus Seius, and mother of Marcus, Quintus, Gaius, and Lucius Seius, buried at the present site of
Colli a Volturno, originally in
Samnium.[12]
Marcus Percennius M. f. Firmus, buried at Ammaedara, aged twenty-two.[23]
Percennia P. f. Galla, buried at Rome, aged ninety-five.[24]
Percennia Lucifera, the wife of Publius Claudius Zosimus, and mother of Claudia Justa, who was buried at
Claternae in
Cisalpine Gaul, aged eleven years, three months, and one day.[25]
Percennius Marcianus, buried at Ammaedara, with a monument dating to the third century.[26]
Lucius Percennius Maximus, a military official at
Misenum in Campania, where he was buried, aged forty-six.[27]
Marcus Percennius Mursensis, the father of Percennia Sabina, to whom he dedicated a monument at
Altinum in
Venetia and Histria.[28]
Lucius Percennius Optatus, buried at Lambaesis, aged fifty-three.[29]
Titus Percennius Optatus, buried at Lambaesis, aged fifty-three.[30]
Marcus Percennius Philippus, a soldier mentioned in an inscription from
Tilurium in
Dalmatia.[31]
Lucius Percennius Picentinus, together with Marcus Lollius Secundinus set up a monument at Rome to their friend, Lucius Voconius Verus, a soldier in the sixth cohort of the Praetorian Guard.[32]
Percennia Ↄ. l. Prima, a freedwoman buried at
Casinum, a Sabine town at the edge of Latium.[33]
Percennius Quintilianus, buried at
Cirta in Numidia.[34]
Gaius Percennius Reginus,
prefect of a cohort of the vigiles, and husband of Percennia Calliste, buried at Rome, aged forty-four years and ten months, having served twenty-two years.[19]
Publius Percennius Q. f. Rogatus, buried at
Thibaris in Africa Proconsularis, aged fifty-one.[35]
Percennia Romana, buried at
Tubusuctu, aged thirty-two.[36]
Lucius Percennius Rufio, the former master of Secundius, named in an inscription from
Capua.[37]
Percennia M. f. Sabina, buried at Altinum, aged nineteen years, thirty-five days.[28]
Percennia Secunda, daughter of Percennius Optatus, buried at Lambaesis.[39]
Marcus Percennius Successus, buried at Rome with Octavia Secunda, probably his wife, named as
patron of Octavius Cerealis, who erected a monument in their memory.[40]
^Chase proposed this name as a hypothetical root, but examples are known from Oscan inscriptions: CIL IX, 2610 (Numerius Ceius Percenni f.), CIL IX, 4104 (Statius Selusius Percenni f.).
References
^Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, p. 185 ("Percennius").
Giovanni Battista de Rossi, Inscriptiones Christianae Urbis Romanae Septimo Saeculo Antiquiores (Christian Inscriptions from Rome of the First Seven Centuries, abbreviated ICUR), Vatican Library, Rome (1857–1861, 1888).
Bulletin Archéologique du Comité des Travaux Historiques et Scientifiques (Archaeological Bulletin of the Committee on Historic and Scientific Works, abbreviated BCTH), Imprimerie Nationale, Paris (1885–1973).
René Cagnat et alii, L'Année épigraphique (The Year in Epigraphy, abbreviated AE), Presses Universitaires de France (1888–present).
George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, vol. VIII (1897).
The gens Percennia was a
plebeian family at
ancient Rome. Members of this
gens first appear in history in the early years of the
Empire, and several of them were of
senatorial rank, although it is not known what
magistracies they held. The most famous of the family may have been the Percennius who led a mutiny of the
Pannonian legions in AD 14, which
Drusus was obliged to put down.[1]
Origin
The
nomenPercennius belongs to a class of gentilicia of
Oscan origin, derived from earlier names, in this instance the Oscan
praenomenPercennus.[i] The ancestors of the Percennii were most likely
Samnites,
Sabines, or came from another Oscan-speaking people.[2]
Praenomina
The main praenomina among the Percennii were Marcus and Lucius, but several other common praenomina were also used, including Gaius, Quintus, Publius, and Titus. The only other name found among the Percennii appears to be Decimus, which appears among a family of senatorial rank in imperial times.
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Percennius, a soldier at the commencement of the reign of
Tiberius, who instigated a mutiny among the
legions in
Pannonia. When
Drusus arrived to take command of the legions, he had Percennius put to death.[3][4]
Lucius Percennius Pollio, a man of senatorial rank, and the father of Lucius Percennius Lascivus.[5][4]
Lucius Percennius Lascivus or Monnicus, an
eques, son of Lucius Percennius Pollio, and husband of Sabinia Felicitas, was buried at Rome at some point during the third century.[5][4]
Decimus Percennius Marcianus, a man of senatorial rank, named on a lead pipe found at Rome.[4]
Decimus Percennius Rufinus, a man of senatorial rank, named on a lead pipe from the
Esquiline Hill, had been governor of one of the
imperial provinces.[6][4]
Percennia L. f., the wife of Marcus Seius, and mother of Marcus, Quintus, Gaius, and Lucius Seius, buried at the present site of
Colli a Volturno, originally in
Samnium.[12]
Marcus Percennius M. f. Firmus, buried at Ammaedara, aged twenty-two.[23]
Percennia P. f. Galla, buried at Rome, aged ninety-five.[24]
Percennia Lucifera, the wife of Publius Claudius Zosimus, and mother of Claudia Justa, who was buried at
Claternae in
Cisalpine Gaul, aged eleven years, three months, and one day.[25]
Percennius Marcianus, buried at Ammaedara, with a monument dating to the third century.[26]
Lucius Percennius Maximus, a military official at
Misenum in Campania, where he was buried, aged forty-six.[27]
Marcus Percennius Mursensis, the father of Percennia Sabina, to whom he dedicated a monument at
Altinum in
Venetia and Histria.[28]
Lucius Percennius Optatus, buried at Lambaesis, aged fifty-three.[29]
Titus Percennius Optatus, buried at Lambaesis, aged fifty-three.[30]
Marcus Percennius Philippus, a soldier mentioned in an inscription from
Tilurium in
Dalmatia.[31]
Lucius Percennius Picentinus, together with Marcus Lollius Secundinus set up a monument at Rome to their friend, Lucius Voconius Verus, a soldier in the sixth cohort of the Praetorian Guard.[32]
Percennia Ↄ. l. Prima, a freedwoman buried at
Casinum, a Sabine town at the edge of Latium.[33]
Percennius Quintilianus, buried at
Cirta in Numidia.[34]
Gaius Percennius Reginus,
prefect of a cohort of the vigiles, and husband of Percennia Calliste, buried at Rome, aged forty-four years and ten months, having served twenty-two years.[19]
Publius Percennius Q. f. Rogatus, buried at
Thibaris in Africa Proconsularis, aged fifty-one.[35]
Percennia Romana, buried at
Tubusuctu, aged thirty-two.[36]
Lucius Percennius Rufio, the former master of Secundius, named in an inscription from
Capua.[37]
Percennia M. f. Sabina, buried at Altinum, aged nineteen years, thirty-five days.[28]
Percennia Secunda, daughter of Percennius Optatus, buried at Lambaesis.[39]
Marcus Percennius Successus, buried at Rome with Octavia Secunda, probably his wife, named as
patron of Octavius Cerealis, who erected a monument in their memory.[40]
^Chase proposed this name as a hypothetical root, but examples are known from Oscan inscriptions: CIL IX, 2610 (Numerius Ceius Percenni f.), CIL IX, 4104 (Statius Selusius Percenni f.).
References
^Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. III, p. 185 ("Percennius").
Giovanni Battista de Rossi, Inscriptiones Christianae Urbis Romanae Septimo Saeculo Antiquiores (Christian Inscriptions from Rome of the First Seven Centuries, abbreviated ICUR), Vatican Library, Rome (1857–1861, 1888).
Bulletin Archéologique du Comité des Travaux Historiques et Scientifiques (Archaeological Bulletin of the Committee on Historic and Scientific Works, abbreviated BCTH), Imprimerie Nationale, Paris (1885–1973).
René Cagnat et alii, L'Année épigraphique (The Year in Epigraphy, abbreviated AE), Presses Universitaires de France (1888–present).
George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, vol. VIII (1897).