The gens Plinia was a
plebeian family at
ancient Rome. Few members of this
gens are mentioned in history, and the Plinii are best known from the scholar and antiquarian,
Gaius Plinius Secundus, author of the Historia Naturalis, who lived during the first century AD.[1]
Origin
Several Plinii came from
Comum and the surrounding region, and this may have been the family's origin.
Cisalpine Gaul had received Latin rights in 89 BC, during the
Social War, and then full
Roman citizenship through the
Lex Roscia in 49. Evidence of an element, prin-, is found in proper names from the
Lepontic area between the fourth and first centuries BC. In this region, fluidity between /l/ and /r/ is very frequent.[2]
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Lucius Plinius L. f. Rufus,
praetordesignatus in 36 BC, served as
legate of
Sextus Pompeius, and given command of western
Sicily. He surrendered after Pompeius' defeat.[3][4][5]
Gaius Plinius Secundus, otherwise known as "Pliny the Elder", the first century scholar and antiquarian, devoted his life to compiling knowledge of the natural world. He was a friend of
Vespasian, and in command of the Roman fleet at
Misenum in AD 79, when he was suffocated by fumes from the
eruption of Vesuvius.[1]
Plinia Marcella, the sister of Pliny the elder, married Gaius Caecilius, and was the mother of Gaius Caecilius Cilo, afterward Pliny the Younger. After her husband's death, she lived with her brother. Together with her brother and her son, she witnessed the
eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. (It was she who pointed out the eruption to her brother)
Gaius Plinius L. f. Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius Cilo, the nephew of the elder Pliny, by whom he was adopted after the death of his father. He held a number of
magistracies, culminating in the
consulship in AD 100, and was subsequently governor of
Bithynia and Pontus. He left a wealth of letters that are of interest to historians.[6][7]
Gaius Plinius Valerianus, a physician who died at the age of twenty-two. A work on various diseases and their cures in five books has been attributed to him, under the title, Medicinae Plinianae, but there is little evidence linking him to it. The work seems to date to the fourth century.[9]
Gnaeus Plinius Homuncio, named in an inscription from Rome; perhaps the father of Lucius Plinius Latinus and Titus Plinius Priscus, named in an adjacent inscription.[22]
Lucius Plinius Cn. f. Latinus, a soldier in the third
urban cohort at Rome. He may have been the brother of Titus Plinius Priscus, named in the same inscription.[23]
Gaius Plinius Oppianus, a scout named in an inscription from Rome, dating to about AD 144.[26]
Publius Plinius Paternus, named in an inscription from Gallia Transpadana, together with Publius Plinius Burrus.[15]
Lucius Plinius L. l. Peregrinus, a freedman buried at
Brundisium in
Calabria, aged thirty, between 20 BC and AD 50.[27]
Plinius Phaenomenus, mentioned in a funerary inscription from Comum.[16]
Gaius Plinius Philocalus, named in an inscription from Comum.[28]
Gaius Plinius Phosphorus, buried at Rome, together with Gaius Plinius Abscantus.[13]
Titus Plinius Cn. f. Priscus, a soldier in the third urban cohort at Rome. He may have been the brother of Lucius Plinius Latinus, named in the same inscription.[23]
Plinius Proculus, son of Plinius Restutus and Domitia Augustiana, buried at
Corfinium in
Samnium, aged one year, ten months, and three days.[29]
Plinius Restutus, husband of Domitia Augustiana, and father of Plinius Proculus, an infant buried at Corfinium.[29]
Plinius Rufinus, named in an inscription from
Vicus Maracitanus in Africa Proconsularis.[30]
Lucius Plinius C. f. Sabinus, the son of Gaius Plinius Faustus, buried at Genava.[20]
Gaius Plinius Soterichianus, dedicated a tomb at Rome to his wife, Plinia Euphrosyne.[19]
Gaius Plinius Secundus Veronensis, named in an inscription from
Verona in
Venetia and Histria, might refer to Pliny the Elder, or a member of his family.[31]
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).
T. Robert S. Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, American Philological Association (1952–1986).
The gens Plinia was a
plebeian family at
ancient Rome. Few members of this
gens are mentioned in history, and the Plinii are best known from the scholar and antiquarian,
Gaius Plinius Secundus, author of the Historia Naturalis, who lived during the first century AD.[1]
Origin
Several Plinii came from
Comum and the surrounding region, and this may have been the family's origin.
Cisalpine Gaul had received Latin rights in 89 BC, during the
Social War, and then full
Roman citizenship through the
Lex Roscia in 49. Evidence of an element, prin-, is found in proper names from the
Lepontic area between the fourth and first centuries BC. In this region, fluidity between /l/ and /r/ is very frequent.[2]
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Lucius Plinius L. f. Rufus,
praetordesignatus in 36 BC, served as
legate of
Sextus Pompeius, and given command of western
Sicily. He surrendered after Pompeius' defeat.[3][4][5]
Gaius Plinius Secundus, otherwise known as "Pliny the Elder", the first century scholar and antiquarian, devoted his life to compiling knowledge of the natural world. He was a friend of
Vespasian, and in command of the Roman fleet at
Misenum in AD 79, when he was suffocated by fumes from the
eruption of Vesuvius.[1]
Plinia Marcella, the sister of Pliny the elder, married Gaius Caecilius, and was the mother of Gaius Caecilius Cilo, afterward Pliny the Younger. After her husband's death, she lived with her brother. Together with her brother and her son, she witnessed the
eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. (It was she who pointed out the eruption to her brother)
Gaius Plinius L. f. Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius Cilo, the nephew of the elder Pliny, by whom he was adopted after the death of his father. He held a number of
magistracies, culminating in the
consulship in AD 100, and was subsequently governor of
Bithynia and Pontus. He left a wealth of letters that are of interest to historians.[6][7]
Gaius Plinius Valerianus, a physician who died at the age of twenty-two. A work on various diseases and their cures in five books has been attributed to him, under the title, Medicinae Plinianae, but there is little evidence linking him to it. The work seems to date to the fourth century.[9]
Gnaeus Plinius Homuncio, named in an inscription from Rome; perhaps the father of Lucius Plinius Latinus and Titus Plinius Priscus, named in an adjacent inscription.[22]
Lucius Plinius Cn. f. Latinus, a soldier in the third
urban cohort at Rome. He may have been the brother of Titus Plinius Priscus, named in the same inscription.[23]
Gaius Plinius Oppianus, a scout named in an inscription from Rome, dating to about AD 144.[26]
Publius Plinius Paternus, named in an inscription from Gallia Transpadana, together with Publius Plinius Burrus.[15]
Lucius Plinius L. l. Peregrinus, a freedman buried at
Brundisium in
Calabria, aged thirty, between 20 BC and AD 50.[27]
Plinius Phaenomenus, mentioned in a funerary inscription from Comum.[16]
Gaius Plinius Philocalus, named in an inscription from Comum.[28]
Gaius Plinius Phosphorus, buried at Rome, together with Gaius Plinius Abscantus.[13]
Titus Plinius Cn. f. Priscus, a soldier in the third urban cohort at Rome. He may have been the brother of Lucius Plinius Latinus, named in the same inscription.[23]
Plinius Proculus, son of Plinius Restutus and Domitia Augustiana, buried at
Corfinium in
Samnium, aged one year, ten months, and three days.[29]
Plinius Restutus, husband of Domitia Augustiana, and father of Plinius Proculus, an infant buried at Corfinium.[29]
Plinius Rufinus, named in an inscription from
Vicus Maracitanus in Africa Proconsularis.[30]
Lucius Plinius C. f. Sabinus, the son of Gaius Plinius Faustus, buried at Genava.[20]
Gaius Plinius Soterichianus, dedicated a tomb at Rome to his wife, Plinia Euphrosyne.[19]
Gaius Plinius Secundus Veronensis, named in an inscription from
Verona in
Venetia and Histria, might refer to Pliny the Elder, or a member of his family.[31]
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).
T. Robert S. Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, American Philological Association (1952–1986).