Denarius of Gaius Renius, 138 BC. The obverse features a head of Roma, while the reverse depicts Juno Caprotina in a
biga driven by two goats.[1]
The gens Rennia, occasionally written Renia, was an obscure
plebeian family at
ancient Rome. No members of this
gens obtained any of the higher offices of the Roman state, but the family is known from inscriptions, and coins issued by a certain Gaius Renius, depicting the head of
Roma on the obverse, and on the reverse
Juno Caprotina in a chariot pulled by two goats.[2][3][4][1]
Origin
The appearance of Juno Caprotina suggests that the Rennii may have originated at
Lanuvium, where Juno was particularly revered.[4] The etymology of the
nomenRennius is uncertain; Chase suggests a possible connection with the
Latinrenes, kidneys.[5]
Praenomina
Like other families known chiefly from
imperial times, the Rennii seem to have confined themselves to the most common
praenomina, and particularly Lucius, Gaius, and Marcus. The only other names found among the Rennii are Publius, Quintus, and Decimus, of which only the last was relatively uncommon.
Branches and cognomina
The Rennii do not appear to have been divided into distinct families, and all of their surnames appear to have been personal
cognomina, many of them probably having been the original names of
freedmen of the gens. Of those that were more typical of Roman surnames, Aestivus refers to the summer, and was probably given to someone born during that season. Candidus means gleaming white, and could refer to one's hair or clothing. Crispinus, a diminutive of Crispus, referred to someone with curly hair.[6][7]
Faustus, fortunate, and Proculus were old praenomina, which came to be used as surnames in the later
Republic and imperial times. Felix, happy, and Firmus, strong, Hilarus, cheerful, Rufus, red, and Venustus, charming or handsome, were all common names; Laetus, glad, and Orientis, eastern, were more distinctive. A number of other surnames borne by both the men and women of the Rennii were also old praenomina, or similar individualizing cognomina, including Maxima, eldest, Prima, first, Secundus, second, and Tertius, third.[8][9]
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Rennia Ɔ. l., a freedwoman, and the wife of Lygidus, buried at
Opitergium in
Venetia and Histria, in a tomb built by Marcus Fulvius Marcellinus.[10]
Gaius Renius, triumvir monetalis in 138 BC. His denarii depict Juno Caprotina driving a biga pulled by goats, possibly referring to the family's Lanuvian origin.[2][3][1]
Lucius Rennius, built a monument in
Hispania Citerior for a certain Ammius. Perhaps the same Lucius Rennius who was the father of Rennius Valerianus.[12][13]
Rennius Aestivus, a centurion named in an inscription from
Vindonissa in
Germania Superior, dating to the middle or later first century AD.[14]
Aulus Rennius Bo[...], named in an inscription from
Volsinii in
Etruria.[15]
Rennia Caris, built a tomb at Rome for her husband, Rennius Yagrus.[17]
Decimus Rennius D. l. Chresimus, a freedman named on a monument from
Pisaurum in
Umbria, together with Decimus Rennius Rufus.[18]
Lucius Rennius L. l. Chresimus, one of the
seviri at
Sora in Latium.[19]
Rennia Claudia, buried at Caldis in
Numidia, aged thirty-one.[20]
Lucius Rennius Crispinus, built a tomb for himself and his family at
Salernum in
Campania.[21]
Rennia Faustina, the wife of Lucius Licinius Phaeder, who together with Marcus Ulpius Dionysius built a sepulchre at
Portus in Latium for themselves and their families.[22]
Lucius Rennius Q. f. Faustus, the husband of Pacuvia, named on a monument from
Nuceria in Campania.[23]
Rennius Felix, a standard-bearer in the century of Gaius Valerius Victor, in the first cohort of the
vigiles at Rome, in AD 205.[24]
Rennius Firmus, named in a funerary inscription from
Iuvavum in
Noricum.[25]
Publius Rennius Hilarus, built a tomb at
Aquinum in Latium to his wife, Navia Primula, aged twenty-two.[26]
Gaius Rennius C. l. Laetus, a freedman named in an inscription from
Ulubrae in Latium.[27]
Rennius Legitimus, built a tomb at Rome for his wife, Rennia Prima.[28]
Rennia L. f. Maxima, named in an inscription from
Atria in Venetia and Histria.[29]
Renius Onesimus, named in an inscription from
Pompeii in Campania.[30]
Lucius Rennius Orientis, named in an inscription from the present site of Geiselprechting, formerly in
Rhaetia, dating to AD 64.[31]
Lucius Rennius L. l. Philodoxus, a freedman who became one of the quinquennial magistrates of the carpenters' guild at
Ostia in
Latium, early in the second century AD. He was buried in a tomb built by his son, Lucius Rennius Proculus, but his name also appears on a tomb built by Lucius Rennius Platanus.[33][34][35]
Lucius Rennius Platanus, the freedman of Asper, built a tomb at Ostia for himself, Egrilia Quarta, Rennia Procula, and Lucius Rennius Philodoxus.[33]
Rennia Prima, buried at Rome, aged forty-two years, eleven months, and thirteen days, in a tomb built by her husband, Rennius Legitimus.[28]
Rennia Procula, a house-slave, probably manumitted, buried at Ostia in a tomb built by Lucius Rennius Platanus.[33]
Lucius Rennius L. f. Proculus, son of Lucius Rennius Philodoxus, for whom he built a tomb at Ostia.[34]
Rennius Secundus, named in an inscription from Rome.[36]
Marcus Rennius M. f. Tertius, the former master of Rennia Urbana, for whom he provided in his third century will.[37]
Decimus Rennius D. l. Rufus, a freedman named on a monument from Pisaurum, together with Decimus Rennius Chresimus.[18]
Rennia M. l. Urbana, the freedwoman of Marcus Rennius Tertius, who provided for her in his third century will.[37]
Rennius L. f. Valerianus, named in an inscription from the present site of
Revilla del Campo, formerly in Hispania Citerior.[13]
Marcus Rennius Venustus, named in an inscription from
Londinium in
Britain, dating to AD 62.[38]
Rennius Yagrus,[i] buried at Rome, aged thirty-four, with a monument from his wife, Rennia Caris.[17]
Footnotes
^This otherwise unknown cognomen seems to be a variant of Syagrius.
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).
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, pp. 103–184 (1897).
Antonio Ferrua, Antiche Inscrizione Inedite di Roma (Unedited Ancient Inscriptions from Rome, abbreviated AIIRoma, 1939–1980).
José A. Abásolo, Epigrafia Romana de la Region de Lara de los Infantes (Roman Inscriptions from the Area around Lara de los Infantes, abbreviated ERLara), Burgos (1974).
Michael Crawford, Roman Republican Coinage, Cambridge University Press (1974, 2001).
John C. Traupman, The New College Latin & English Dictionary, Bantam Books, New York (1995).
Michael A. Speidel, Die römischen Schreibtafeln von Vindonissa (The Roman Writing Slates of Vindonissa), Baden (1996).
Roger S.O. Tomlin, Roman London's First Voices: Writing Tablets from the Bloomberg Excavations, 2010–14, London (2016).
Denarius of Gaius Renius, 138 BC. The obverse features a head of Roma, while the reverse depicts Juno Caprotina in a
biga driven by two goats.[1]
The gens Rennia, occasionally written Renia, was an obscure
plebeian family at
ancient Rome. No members of this
gens obtained any of the higher offices of the Roman state, but the family is known from inscriptions, and coins issued by a certain Gaius Renius, depicting the head of
Roma on the obverse, and on the reverse
Juno Caprotina in a chariot pulled by two goats.[2][3][4][1]
Origin
The appearance of Juno Caprotina suggests that the Rennii may have originated at
Lanuvium, where Juno was particularly revered.[4] The etymology of the
nomenRennius is uncertain; Chase suggests a possible connection with the
Latinrenes, kidneys.[5]
Praenomina
Like other families known chiefly from
imperial times, the Rennii seem to have confined themselves to the most common
praenomina, and particularly Lucius, Gaius, and Marcus. The only other names found among the Rennii are Publius, Quintus, and Decimus, of which only the last was relatively uncommon.
Branches and cognomina
The Rennii do not appear to have been divided into distinct families, and all of their surnames appear to have been personal
cognomina, many of them probably having been the original names of
freedmen of the gens. Of those that were more typical of Roman surnames, Aestivus refers to the summer, and was probably given to someone born during that season. Candidus means gleaming white, and could refer to one's hair or clothing. Crispinus, a diminutive of Crispus, referred to someone with curly hair.[6][7]
Faustus, fortunate, and Proculus were old praenomina, which came to be used as surnames in the later
Republic and imperial times. Felix, happy, and Firmus, strong, Hilarus, cheerful, Rufus, red, and Venustus, charming or handsome, were all common names; Laetus, glad, and Orientis, eastern, were more distinctive. A number of other surnames borne by both the men and women of the Rennii were also old praenomina, or similar individualizing cognomina, including Maxima, eldest, Prima, first, Secundus, second, and Tertius, third.[8][9]
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Rennia Ɔ. l., a freedwoman, and the wife of Lygidus, buried at
Opitergium in
Venetia and Histria, in a tomb built by Marcus Fulvius Marcellinus.[10]
Gaius Renius, triumvir monetalis in 138 BC. His denarii depict Juno Caprotina driving a biga pulled by goats, possibly referring to the family's Lanuvian origin.[2][3][1]
Lucius Rennius, built a monument in
Hispania Citerior for a certain Ammius. Perhaps the same Lucius Rennius who was the father of Rennius Valerianus.[12][13]
Rennius Aestivus, a centurion named in an inscription from
Vindonissa in
Germania Superior, dating to the middle or later first century AD.[14]
Aulus Rennius Bo[...], named in an inscription from
Volsinii in
Etruria.[15]
Rennia Caris, built a tomb at Rome for her husband, Rennius Yagrus.[17]
Decimus Rennius D. l. Chresimus, a freedman named on a monument from
Pisaurum in
Umbria, together with Decimus Rennius Rufus.[18]
Lucius Rennius L. l. Chresimus, one of the
seviri at
Sora in Latium.[19]
Rennia Claudia, buried at Caldis in
Numidia, aged thirty-one.[20]
Lucius Rennius Crispinus, built a tomb for himself and his family at
Salernum in
Campania.[21]
Rennia Faustina, the wife of Lucius Licinius Phaeder, who together with Marcus Ulpius Dionysius built a sepulchre at
Portus in Latium for themselves and their families.[22]
Lucius Rennius Q. f. Faustus, the husband of Pacuvia, named on a monument from
Nuceria in Campania.[23]
Rennius Felix, a standard-bearer in the century of Gaius Valerius Victor, in the first cohort of the
vigiles at Rome, in AD 205.[24]
Rennius Firmus, named in a funerary inscription from
Iuvavum in
Noricum.[25]
Publius Rennius Hilarus, built a tomb at
Aquinum in Latium to his wife, Navia Primula, aged twenty-two.[26]
Gaius Rennius C. l. Laetus, a freedman named in an inscription from
Ulubrae in Latium.[27]
Rennius Legitimus, built a tomb at Rome for his wife, Rennia Prima.[28]
Rennia L. f. Maxima, named in an inscription from
Atria in Venetia and Histria.[29]
Renius Onesimus, named in an inscription from
Pompeii in Campania.[30]
Lucius Rennius Orientis, named in an inscription from the present site of Geiselprechting, formerly in
Rhaetia, dating to AD 64.[31]
Lucius Rennius L. l. Philodoxus, a freedman who became one of the quinquennial magistrates of the carpenters' guild at
Ostia in
Latium, early in the second century AD. He was buried in a tomb built by his son, Lucius Rennius Proculus, but his name also appears on a tomb built by Lucius Rennius Platanus.[33][34][35]
Lucius Rennius Platanus, the freedman of Asper, built a tomb at Ostia for himself, Egrilia Quarta, Rennia Procula, and Lucius Rennius Philodoxus.[33]
Rennia Prima, buried at Rome, aged forty-two years, eleven months, and thirteen days, in a tomb built by her husband, Rennius Legitimus.[28]
Rennia Procula, a house-slave, probably manumitted, buried at Ostia in a tomb built by Lucius Rennius Platanus.[33]
Lucius Rennius L. f. Proculus, son of Lucius Rennius Philodoxus, for whom he built a tomb at Ostia.[34]
Rennius Secundus, named in an inscription from Rome.[36]
Marcus Rennius M. f. Tertius, the former master of Rennia Urbana, for whom he provided in his third century will.[37]
Decimus Rennius D. l. Rufus, a freedman named on a monument from Pisaurum, together with Decimus Rennius Chresimus.[18]
Rennia M. l. Urbana, the freedwoman of Marcus Rennius Tertius, who provided for her in his third century will.[37]
Rennius L. f. Valerianus, named in an inscription from the present site of
Revilla del Campo, formerly in Hispania Citerior.[13]
Marcus Rennius Venustus, named in an inscription from
Londinium in
Britain, dating to AD 62.[38]
Rennius Yagrus,[i] buried at Rome, aged thirty-four, with a monument from his wife, Rennia Caris.[17]
Footnotes
^This otherwise unknown cognomen seems to be a variant of Syagrius.
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).
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, pp. 103–184 (1897).
Antonio Ferrua, Antiche Inscrizione Inedite di Roma (Unedited Ancient Inscriptions from Rome, abbreviated AIIRoma, 1939–1980).
José A. Abásolo, Epigrafia Romana de la Region de Lara de los Infantes (Roman Inscriptions from the Area around Lara de los Infantes, abbreviated ERLara), Burgos (1974).
Michael Crawford, Roman Republican Coinage, Cambridge University Press (1974, 2001).
John C. Traupman, The New College Latin & English Dictionary, Bantam Books, New York (1995).
Michael A. Speidel, Die römischen Schreibtafeln von Vindonissa (The Roman Writing Slates of Vindonissa), Baden (1996).
Roger S.O. Tomlin, Roman London's First Voices: Writing Tablets from the Bloomberg Excavations, 2010–14, London (2016).