The gens Saliena or Salliena, also written Salena, Sallena, Sallenia, and Sallienia, was a minor
plebeian family at
ancient Rome. Few members of this
gens are mentioned in history, but a number are known from inscriptions.[1]
Origin
The
nomenSalienus belongs to a class of gentilicia formed using the suffix -enus, typically from other gentile names, or occasionally from places. The root of the name is not apparent, but it could be an orthographic variation of Salvienus, from the
OscanpraenomenSalvius. Most of the Salieni known from inscriptions seem to have come from
Umbria,
Sabinum,
Samnium, or
Campania, suggesting that they were indeed of Oscan or
Umbrian descent.[2]
Praenomina
The main praenomina of the Salieni were Titus and Quintus. Several other names received occasional use, including Aulus, Lucius, and Publius. All were among the most common names throughout Roman history.
Branches and cognomina
The Salieni used a variety of
cognomina, most of which appear to have been personal surnames. The majority belong to common types of cognomen, derived from an individual's personal characteristics. Clemens refers to someone with a mild temperament, while Fortunatus is "fortunate", Pudens "modest", Pulcher "beautiful", Sedatus "calm". Fuscianus is a derivative of Fuscus, "dark", while Rufus would originally have been given to someone with red hair. Other traditional Roman surnames used by members of this family include Gallus, referring to a cockerel, or one of the
Gauls, and Musca, referring to a fly, or by extension, someone nosy.[3][4]
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Titus Salienus, a
centurion serving in the
fifth legion under
Caesar, during the
African War in 46 BC. When the ship in which he was traveling was attacked by Gaius Vergilius, one of
Pompeius' lieutenants, he convinced Lucius Titius and his brother, both
military tribunes, to surrender.[i] Both were put to death, and Salienus was among those centurions subsequently dismissed by Caesar for disgracing themselves.[5][6]
Saliena, named in an inscription from
Interamna Nahars in
Umbria, dating to the last part of the first century BC, or the early part of the first century AD.[7]
Aulus Salienus A. f. Gallus, a blacksmith at Interamna Nahars.[8]
Lucius Sallenus, named in an inscription from
Pompeii in
Campania, dating between about AD 31 and 60.[9]
Quintus Salenus Q. f. Fortunatus, named in an inscription from Trebula Mutusca, dating to AD 60.[11]
Quintus Salenus Q. f. Pulcher, named in an inscription from Trebula Mutusca, dating to AD 60.[11]
Salienus Clemens, a
Roman senator during the reign of
Nero, who denounced
Lucius Junius Gallio as an enemy of the state, shortly after a number of leading Romans, including Gallio's brother,
Seneca, had been put to death or exiled on suspicion of disloyalty. Wishing to avoid another purge, Salienus' colleagues persuaded him to withdraw his accusation.[12]
Publius Sallienus Philomenus, named in an inscription from
Turea in
Dacia, dating to AD 86.[14]
Quintus Salenus Pudens, named together with Marcus Minatius Marcellus as soldiers in the twelfth cohort (of the
Praetorian Guard?) at Rome, toward the end of the second century.[15]
Titus Salenus T. f. Sedatus, a veteran of the fourteenth cohort of the Praetorian Guard, named in an inscription from
Auximum in
Picenum, dating to the latter half of the second century, or the early part of the third.[16]
Salena Paulina, the mother of Sueto Marcellinus, a promising young cavalry officer buried at
Pisaurum in Umbria, in the third century or the latter part of the second, Sueto Crispinus, Sueto Paulinus, a recruiter, Sueto Augyrinus, a soldier in the fourth cohort of the Praetorian Guard, and Sueto Justus. Paulina was buried at
Fanum Fortunae in Umbria, aged seventy-eight years and fifty-six days, with a monument from her son, Sueto Justus, dating to the third century, or the latter part of the second.[17]
Undated Salieni
Aulus Salenus, together with Quintus Salenus, one of the former masters of Aula Manlia Helena, a freedwoman buried at Rome, aged twenty-five.[18]
Quintus Salenus, together with Aulus Salenus, one of the former masters of Aula Manlia Helena, a freedwoman buried at Rome, aged twenty-five.[18]
Titus Salienus T. l. Atticus, the freedman of Titus Salienus Rufus, named in an inscription from Amiternum.[19]
Saliena T. l. Rufa, the freedwoman of Titus Salienus Rufus, named in an inscription from Amiternum.[19]
Titus Salienus T. f. Rufus, named in an inscription from
Amiternum in
Sabinum, together with his freedman, Titus Salienus Attalus, and freedwoman, Saliena Rufa.[19]
Lucius Sallienus Secundus, buried at
Puteoli in Campania, with a monument from his
client, Salliena Zosima.[23]
Salliena Zosima, built a monument at Puteoli to her
patron, Lucius Sallienus Secundus.[23]
Footnotes
^Broughton has the two Titii in the
tenth legion, but this seems to be an error, as it was the fifth legion, and not the tenth, that was present for the
Battle of Thapsus.
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).
T. Robert S. Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, American Philological Association (1952–1986).
John C. Traupman, The New College Latin & English Dictionary, Bantam Books, New York (1995).
Giuseppe Camodeca, Tabulae Pompeianae Sulpiciorum: Edizione critica dell'archivio puteolano dei Sulpicii (The Pompeian Tables of the Sulpicii: a Critical Edition from the Archives of the Sulpicii of Puteoli), Rome (1999).
M. Khanoussi, L. Maurin, Mourir à Dougga: Receuil des inscriptions funéraires (Dying in Dougga: a Compendium of Funerary Inscriptions, abbreviated MAD), Bordeaux, Tunis (2002).
The gens Saliena or Salliena, also written Salena, Sallena, Sallenia, and Sallienia, was a minor
plebeian family at
ancient Rome. Few members of this
gens are mentioned in history, but a number are known from inscriptions.[1]
Origin
The
nomenSalienus belongs to a class of gentilicia formed using the suffix -enus, typically from other gentile names, or occasionally from places. The root of the name is not apparent, but it could be an orthographic variation of Salvienus, from the
OscanpraenomenSalvius. Most of the Salieni known from inscriptions seem to have come from
Umbria,
Sabinum,
Samnium, or
Campania, suggesting that they were indeed of Oscan or
Umbrian descent.[2]
Praenomina
The main praenomina of the Salieni were Titus and Quintus. Several other names received occasional use, including Aulus, Lucius, and Publius. All were among the most common names throughout Roman history.
Branches and cognomina
The Salieni used a variety of
cognomina, most of which appear to have been personal surnames. The majority belong to common types of cognomen, derived from an individual's personal characteristics. Clemens refers to someone with a mild temperament, while Fortunatus is "fortunate", Pudens "modest", Pulcher "beautiful", Sedatus "calm". Fuscianus is a derivative of Fuscus, "dark", while Rufus would originally have been given to someone with red hair. Other traditional Roman surnames used by members of this family include Gallus, referring to a cockerel, or one of the
Gauls, and Musca, referring to a fly, or by extension, someone nosy.[3][4]
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Titus Salienus, a
centurion serving in the
fifth legion under
Caesar, during the
African War in 46 BC. When the ship in which he was traveling was attacked by Gaius Vergilius, one of
Pompeius' lieutenants, he convinced Lucius Titius and his brother, both
military tribunes, to surrender.[i] Both were put to death, and Salienus was among those centurions subsequently dismissed by Caesar for disgracing themselves.[5][6]
Saliena, named in an inscription from
Interamna Nahars in
Umbria, dating to the last part of the first century BC, or the early part of the first century AD.[7]
Aulus Salienus A. f. Gallus, a blacksmith at Interamna Nahars.[8]
Lucius Sallenus, named in an inscription from
Pompeii in
Campania, dating between about AD 31 and 60.[9]
Quintus Salenus Q. f. Fortunatus, named in an inscription from Trebula Mutusca, dating to AD 60.[11]
Quintus Salenus Q. f. Pulcher, named in an inscription from Trebula Mutusca, dating to AD 60.[11]
Salienus Clemens, a
Roman senator during the reign of
Nero, who denounced
Lucius Junius Gallio as an enemy of the state, shortly after a number of leading Romans, including Gallio's brother,
Seneca, had been put to death or exiled on suspicion of disloyalty. Wishing to avoid another purge, Salienus' colleagues persuaded him to withdraw his accusation.[12]
Publius Sallienus Philomenus, named in an inscription from
Turea in
Dacia, dating to AD 86.[14]
Quintus Salenus Pudens, named together with Marcus Minatius Marcellus as soldiers in the twelfth cohort (of the
Praetorian Guard?) at Rome, toward the end of the second century.[15]
Titus Salenus T. f. Sedatus, a veteran of the fourteenth cohort of the Praetorian Guard, named in an inscription from
Auximum in
Picenum, dating to the latter half of the second century, or the early part of the third.[16]
Salena Paulina, the mother of Sueto Marcellinus, a promising young cavalry officer buried at
Pisaurum in Umbria, in the third century or the latter part of the second, Sueto Crispinus, Sueto Paulinus, a recruiter, Sueto Augyrinus, a soldier in the fourth cohort of the Praetorian Guard, and Sueto Justus. Paulina was buried at
Fanum Fortunae in Umbria, aged seventy-eight years and fifty-six days, with a monument from her son, Sueto Justus, dating to the third century, or the latter part of the second.[17]
Undated Salieni
Aulus Salenus, together with Quintus Salenus, one of the former masters of Aula Manlia Helena, a freedwoman buried at Rome, aged twenty-five.[18]
Quintus Salenus, together with Aulus Salenus, one of the former masters of Aula Manlia Helena, a freedwoman buried at Rome, aged twenty-five.[18]
Titus Salienus T. l. Atticus, the freedman of Titus Salienus Rufus, named in an inscription from Amiternum.[19]
Saliena T. l. Rufa, the freedwoman of Titus Salienus Rufus, named in an inscription from Amiternum.[19]
Titus Salienus T. f. Rufus, named in an inscription from
Amiternum in
Sabinum, together with his freedman, Titus Salienus Attalus, and freedwoman, Saliena Rufa.[19]
Lucius Sallienus Secundus, buried at
Puteoli in Campania, with a monument from his
client, Salliena Zosima.[23]
Salliena Zosima, built a monument at Puteoli to her
patron, Lucius Sallienus Secundus.[23]
Footnotes
^Broughton has the two Titii in the
tenth legion, but this seems to be an error, as it was the fifth legion, and not the tenth, that was present for the
Battle of Thapsus.
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).
T. Robert S. Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, American Philological Association (1952–1986).
John C. Traupman, The New College Latin & English Dictionary, Bantam Books, New York (1995).
Giuseppe Camodeca, Tabulae Pompeianae Sulpiciorum: Edizione critica dell'archivio puteolano dei Sulpicii (The Pompeian Tables of the Sulpicii: a Critical Edition from the Archives of the Sulpicii of Puteoli), Rome (1999).
M. Khanoussi, L. Maurin, Mourir à Dougga: Receuil des inscriptions funéraires (Dying in Dougga: a Compendium of Funerary Inscriptions, abbreviated MAD), Bordeaux, Tunis (2002).