The gens Septueia was an obscure
plebeian family at
ancient Rome. No members of this
gens are mentioned in ancient writers, but several are known from inscriptions.
Origin
The nomen Septueius belongs to a large class of
gentilicia formed using the suffix -eius, which was typical of
Oscan-speaking parts of Italy.[1] This suggests that the Septueii may have been of
Sabine or
Samnite origin. The root of the name might be the Oscan
praenomenSeppis or Seppius, equivalent to the rare Latin praenomen Septimus, originally referring to a seventh son or seventh child. In this case, Septueius would be cognate with other gentilicia, including that of the Septimia gens.[2]
Praenomina
With the exception of a single individual named Gaius, all of the Septueii known from inscriptions bear the praenomen Quintus, indicating that the family was relatively small, and of late origin; in
imperial times it was common for all of the sons in a family to share the same praenomen, and be distinguished by their
cognomina. This is especially probable if the Septueii only acquired Roman citizenship under the early Empire, or if a number of them were descended from the
freedmen of an earlier Quintus Septueius.[3]
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Quintus Septueius, an infant buried at
Casinum in southern
Latium, aged two days, in a tomb dedicated by Septueia Ge, perhaps his mother.[4]
Quintus Septueius Abscantus, the husband of Vibullia Regilla, and father of Septueia Vera, who dedicated a tomb at
Portus in Latium to her parents, dating to the mid-second century.[6]
Quintus Septueius Adjectus, dedicated a second-century tomb found at the present site of
Weyer, formerly part of
Noricum, for himself and his wife, Samicantus, the daughter of Gouto.[7]
Quintus Septueius Beryllus, dedicated a tomb at Rome to his son and namesake, Quintus.[8]
Quintus Septueius Q. f. Beryllus, buried at Rome, aged twenty years, nine months, and sixteen days, in a tomb dedicated by his father, also named Beryllus.[8]
Septueia Calliste, buried at Rome with a monument from her husband, Vagellius Fortunatus.[9]
Quintus Septueius Clemens, conductor ferrariarum, an official in charge of iron mining in Noricum,
Pannonia, and
Dalmatia at some time in the early second century. He was presumably related to Quintus Septueius Valens, mentioned in the same inscription.[10][11]
Gaius Septueius Crescens, a soldier named in an inscription from
Savaria in Pannonia, dating from the late first or early second century.[12]
Septueia Q. l. Dionysias, dedicated a sepulchre at Rome for herself, her husband, Lucius Licinius Epaphroditus, and her
patron, Quintus Septueius Salvius.[13]
Quintus Septueius Faustus, married Attica, the daughter of Placidus, with whom he dedicated a second-century sepulchre at
Bedaium in Noricum for themselves, and their son, Quintus Septueius Marinus, aged thirteen.[14]
Septueia Ge, dedicated a tomb at Casinum to Quintus Septueius, an infant aged two days, and possibly her son.[4]
Septueius Herma, buried at Rome, aged forty-eight, with a monument from his wife, Successa.[15]
Septueia Ias, named in a sepulchral inscription from
Ostia in Latium.[16]
Septueia Ingenua, erected a monument at
Salona in Dalmatia in memory of her good friend, Julia Felicula, dating to the third century, or the latter part of the second.[17]
Quintus Septueius Isochrysus, buried at Rome, aged twenty-seven years, thirty-five days, and eight hours, with a monument from his mother, Septueia Tryphaena.[18]
Quintus Septueius Q. f. Marinus, the son of Quintus Septueius Faustus and Attica, was buried in the second-century family sepulchre at Bedaium, aged thirteen.[14]
Septueia Meletine, made an offering at Aquileia, along with Lucius Publius Eumelus, possibly her husband, according to a second-century inscription.[19]
Quintus Septueius Proculus, buried at Rome, along with his mother, Julia Helpis.[20]
Quintus Septueius Q. l. Salvius, a freedman buried at Rome, in a tomb built by Septueia Dionysias, his
client, and likely his freedwoman.[13]
Septueia Tryphaena, dedicated a tomb at Rome for her son, Quintus Septueius Isochrysus.[18]
Quintus Septueius Valens, procurator ferrariarum, an official in charge of iron mining, at
Virunum in Noricum at some time in the early second century. He was presumably related to Quintus Septueius Clemens, mentioned in the same inscription.[10][11]
Septueia Q. f. Vera, dedicated a mid-second century tomb at Portus to her parents, Quintus Septueius Abscantus and Vibullia Regilla.[6]
Hilding Thylander, Inscriptions du port d'Ostie (Inscriptions from the Port of Ostia, abbreviated IPOstie), Acta Instituti Romani Regni Sueciae, Lund (1952).
Anna and Jaroslav Šašel, Inscriptiones Latinae quae in Iugoslavia inter annos MCMXL et MCMLX repertae et editae sunt (Inscriptions from Yugoslavia Found and Published between 1940 and 1960, abbreviated ILJug), Ljubljana (1963–1986).
Giovanni Battista Brusin, Inscriptiones Aquileiae (Inscriptions of Aquileia), Udine (1991–1993).
Benet Salway, "What’s in a Name? A Survey of Roman Onomastic Practice from c. 700 B.C. to A.D. 700", in Journal of Roman Studies, vol. 84, pp. 124–145 (1994).
The gens Septueia was an obscure
plebeian family at
ancient Rome. No members of this
gens are mentioned in ancient writers, but several are known from inscriptions.
Origin
The nomen Septueius belongs to a large class of
gentilicia formed using the suffix -eius, which was typical of
Oscan-speaking parts of Italy.[1] This suggests that the Septueii may have been of
Sabine or
Samnite origin. The root of the name might be the Oscan
praenomenSeppis or Seppius, equivalent to the rare Latin praenomen Septimus, originally referring to a seventh son or seventh child. In this case, Septueius would be cognate with other gentilicia, including that of the Septimia gens.[2]
Praenomina
With the exception of a single individual named Gaius, all of the Septueii known from inscriptions bear the praenomen Quintus, indicating that the family was relatively small, and of late origin; in
imperial times it was common for all of the sons in a family to share the same praenomen, and be distinguished by their
cognomina. This is especially probable if the Septueii only acquired Roman citizenship under the early Empire, or if a number of them were descended from the
freedmen of an earlier Quintus Septueius.[3]
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Quintus Septueius, an infant buried at
Casinum in southern
Latium, aged two days, in a tomb dedicated by Septueia Ge, perhaps his mother.[4]
Quintus Septueius Abscantus, the husband of Vibullia Regilla, and father of Septueia Vera, who dedicated a tomb at
Portus in Latium to her parents, dating to the mid-second century.[6]
Quintus Septueius Adjectus, dedicated a second-century tomb found at the present site of
Weyer, formerly part of
Noricum, for himself and his wife, Samicantus, the daughter of Gouto.[7]
Quintus Septueius Beryllus, dedicated a tomb at Rome to his son and namesake, Quintus.[8]
Quintus Septueius Q. f. Beryllus, buried at Rome, aged twenty years, nine months, and sixteen days, in a tomb dedicated by his father, also named Beryllus.[8]
Septueia Calliste, buried at Rome with a monument from her husband, Vagellius Fortunatus.[9]
Quintus Septueius Clemens, conductor ferrariarum, an official in charge of iron mining in Noricum,
Pannonia, and
Dalmatia at some time in the early second century. He was presumably related to Quintus Septueius Valens, mentioned in the same inscription.[10][11]
Gaius Septueius Crescens, a soldier named in an inscription from
Savaria in Pannonia, dating from the late first or early second century.[12]
Septueia Q. l. Dionysias, dedicated a sepulchre at Rome for herself, her husband, Lucius Licinius Epaphroditus, and her
patron, Quintus Septueius Salvius.[13]
Quintus Septueius Faustus, married Attica, the daughter of Placidus, with whom he dedicated a second-century sepulchre at
Bedaium in Noricum for themselves, and their son, Quintus Septueius Marinus, aged thirteen.[14]
Septueia Ge, dedicated a tomb at Casinum to Quintus Septueius, an infant aged two days, and possibly her son.[4]
Septueius Herma, buried at Rome, aged forty-eight, with a monument from his wife, Successa.[15]
Septueia Ias, named in a sepulchral inscription from
Ostia in Latium.[16]
Septueia Ingenua, erected a monument at
Salona in Dalmatia in memory of her good friend, Julia Felicula, dating to the third century, or the latter part of the second.[17]
Quintus Septueius Isochrysus, buried at Rome, aged twenty-seven years, thirty-five days, and eight hours, with a monument from his mother, Septueia Tryphaena.[18]
Quintus Septueius Q. f. Marinus, the son of Quintus Septueius Faustus and Attica, was buried in the second-century family sepulchre at Bedaium, aged thirteen.[14]
Septueia Meletine, made an offering at Aquileia, along with Lucius Publius Eumelus, possibly her husband, according to a second-century inscription.[19]
Quintus Septueius Proculus, buried at Rome, along with his mother, Julia Helpis.[20]
Quintus Septueius Q. l. Salvius, a freedman buried at Rome, in a tomb built by Septueia Dionysias, his
client, and likely his freedwoman.[13]
Septueia Tryphaena, dedicated a tomb at Rome for her son, Quintus Septueius Isochrysus.[18]
Quintus Septueius Valens, procurator ferrariarum, an official in charge of iron mining, at
Virunum in Noricum at some time in the early second century. He was presumably related to Quintus Septueius Clemens, mentioned in the same inscription.[10][11]
Septueia Q. f. Vera, dedicated a mid-second century tomb at Portus to her parents, Quintus Septueius Abscantus and Vibullia Regilla.[6]
Hilding Thylander, Inscriptions du port d'Ostie (Inscriptions from the Port of Ostia, abbreviated IPOstie), Acta Instituti Romani Regni Sueciae, Lund (1952).
Anna and Jaroslav Šašel, Inscriptiones Latinae quae in Iugoslavia inter annos MCMXL et MCMLX repertae et editae sunt (Inscriptions from Yugoslavia Found and Published between 1940 and 1960, abbreviated ILJug), Ljubljana (1963–1986).
Giovanni Battista Brusin, Inscriptiones Aquileiae (Inscriptions of Aquileia), Udine (1991–1993).
Benet Salway, "What’s in a Name? A Survey of Roman Onomastic Practice from c. 700 B.C. to A.D. 700", in Journal of Roman Studies, vol. 84, pp. 124–145 (1994).