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Numonius Vala
Numonius Vala was a combination of family name ''( nomen)'' and ''cognomen'' used by ancient Roman men of the '' gens Numonia''. Gaius Numonius Vala Gaius Numonius Vala is known only from coins, from which it appears that he had obtained renown by storming a vallum, and had hence obtained the surname of Vala, which, according to the usual custom, became hereditary in his family. The coins were struck by one of his descendants in commemoration of the exploit. The one pictured here has on the obverse the head of Numonius, with the inscription ''C. NVMONIVS VAALA'', and on the reverse a man storming the vallum of a camp, which is defended by two others, with the inscription ''VAALA''. Vaala is an ancient form of Vala, just as on the coins of Sulla we find ''Feelix'' instead of ''Felix''. Numonius Vala of the Epistles Numonius Vala, to whom Horace addresses one of his Epistles (i. 15), appears to have had estates in the neighbourhood of Velia and Salernum, since the poet makes inqui ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roman Naming Conventions
Over the course of some fourteen centuries, the Romans and other peoples of Italy employed a system of nomenclature that differed from that used by other cultures of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, consisting of a combination of personal and family names. Although conventionally referred to as the ''tria nomina'', the combination of praenomen, nomen, and cognomen that have come to be regarded as the basic elements of the Roman name in fact represent a continuous process of development, from at least the seventh century BC to the end of the seventh century AD. The names that developed as part of this system became a defining characteristic of Roman civilization, and although the system itself vanished during the Early Middle Ages, the names themselves exerted a profound influence on the development of European naming practices, and many continue to survive in modern languages. Overview The distinguishing feature of Roman nomenclature was the use of both personal names and regular ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
