The gens Afrania was a

plebeian In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words " commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins of ...

family at Rome, which is first mentioned in the second century BC. The first member of this

gens In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; plural: ''gentes'' ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same Roman naming conventions#Nomen, nomen and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a ''stirps'' (p ...

to achieve prominence was Gaius Afranius Stellio, who became praetor in 185 BC.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, p. 55 ("Afrania Gens").

Origin

The nomen ''Afranius'' belongs to a class of gentilicia derived from surnames ending in ''-anus'', typically derived from place names. The Afranii may have been of Picentine origin. Lucius Afranius, who held the consulship in 60 BC, was from

Picenum Picenum was a region of ancient Italy. The name is an exonym assigned by the Romans, who conquered and incorporated it into the Roman Republic. Picenum was ''Regio V'' in the Augustan territorial organization of Roman Italy. Picenum was also ...

, and a

Titus Afranius Titus Afranius, Afrenius, or Lafrenius, who was not a Roman, was one of the leaders of the Italian confederates in the Social war in 90 BC. At Mount Falerinus he united with Judacilius and Publius Ventidius Bassus and defeated the legate Pompeiu ...

or Afrenius was one of the leaders of the allies during the Social War.

Praenomina

The main praenomina used by the Afranii were '' Lucius'', '' Publius'', ''

Gaius Gaius, sometimes spelled ''Gajus'', Kaius, Cajus, Caius, was a common Latin praenomen; see Gaius (praenomen). People *Gaius (jurist) (), Roman jurist *Gaius Acilius *Gaius Antonius *Gaius Antonius Hybrida *Gaius Asinius Gallus *Gaius Asinius Pol ...

'', '' Gnaeus'' and ''

Sextus Sextus is an ancient Roman '' praenomen'' or "first name". Its standard abbreviation is Sex., and the feminine form would be Sexta. It is one of the numeral ''praenomina'', like Quintus ("fifth") and Decimus ("tenth"), and means "sixth". Althoug ...

''. There are also several occurrences of ''

Marcus Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl� ...

'' and ''

Quintus Quintus is a male given name derived from '' Quintus'', a common Latin forename (''praenomen'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Quintus derives from Latin word ''quintus'', meaning "fifth". Quintus is an English masculine given name and ...

'', while other praenomina occur infrequently, with individual instances of ''

Aulus Aulus (abbreviated A.) is one of the small group of common forenames found in the culture of ancient Rome. The name was traditionally connected with Latin ''aula'', ''olla'', "palace", but this is most likely a false etymology. ''Aulus'' in fact p ...

'', ''

Spurius Spurius is a small genus of passalid beetles from Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatema ...

'', and '' Titus''.

Branches and cognomina

The only cognomen of the Afranii in the time of the Republic is ''Stellio'', referring to a spotted newt or lizard, perhaps with the implication that the bearer was crafty. Other surnames are found under the Empire.

Members

* Gaius Afranius Stellio, praetor in 185 BC, and triumvir for founding a colony in 183. * Gaius Afranius C. f. Stellio, served in the war against

Perseus In Greek mythology, Perseus (Help:IPA/English, /ˈpɜːrsiəs, -sjuːs/; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus ...

, and was taken captive at the surrender of the Roman garrison at Uscana, 169 BC. * Lucius Afranius, a comic poet, who lived at the beginning of the first century BC. *

, one of the leaders of the Italian confederates in the Social War. * Lucius Afranius A. f.,

legate Legate may refer to: *Legatus, a higher ranking general officer of the Roman army drawn from among the senatorial class :*Legatus Augusti pro praetore, a provincial governor in the Roman Imperial period *A member of a legation *A representative, ...

of Gnaeus Pompeius, and consul in 60 BC. * Spurius Afranius, appears on coins.Eckhel, vol. v, p. 132 ff. * Marcus Afranius, appears on coins. *

Gaia Afrania Gaia Afrania ( 1st century BC) was the wife of the senator Licinius Buccio. Afrania was born into an old plebeian family, the gens Afrania. She lived during the chaotic time of the breakup of the Republic,Raia, Ann R., and Judith L. Sebesta.Compa ...

, wife of the senator Licinius Buccio. * Lucius Afranius L. l. Buccio, a freedman named in an inscription from Rome. * Lucius Afranius L. f. A. n., negotiated with

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...

in Hispania for his life and that of his father. * Publius Afranius Potitus, having vowed to sacrifice himself in order to bring about the recovery of

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanicu ...

from an illness, was cruelly put to death by the emperor to fulfill the promise. *

Sextus Afranius Burrus Sextus Afranius Burrus (born AD 1 in Vasio, Gallia Narbonensis; = ILS 1321. English translation died AD 62) was a prefect of the Praetorian Guard and was, together with Seneca the Younger, an advisor to the Roman emperor Nero, making him a ...

, a general in the time of

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...

, who served as tutor and advisor to the emperor Nero. When he refused to assist Nero in ridding himself of his mother, and then his wife, the emperor had Burrus poisoned, in AD 62. * Afranius Quintianus, a senator, was compelled to commit suicide as a result of his part in Piso's conspiracy against Nero in AD 65. * Sextus Afranius Prifernas, named in a funerary inscription from Rome, dating to AD 70. *

Gnaeus Afranius Dexter Gnaeus Afranius Dexter (died June 24, AD 105) was a Roman Senator who was murdered by one of his slaves. He was a suffect consul as the colleague of Gaius Julius Quadratus Bassus at the time of his death. Paul von Rohden suggests he may be the same ...

, a friend of the

epigram An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word is derived from the Greek "inscription" from "to write on, to inscribe", and the literary device has been employed for over two mille ...

matist

Marcus Valerius Martialis Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial ; March, between 38 and 41 AD – between 102 and 104 AD) was a Roman poet from Hispania (modern Spain) best known for his twelve books of ''Epigrams'', published in Rome between AD 86 and ...

, was consul ''suffectus'' from the Kalends of May in AD 105. He was murdered in early July.'' Fasti Ostienses'', , 245, 4531–4546, 5354, 5355. * Publius Afranius Apthorus, named in a list of donors at Veleia dating to the reign of Trajan.. * Afranius Priscus, named in a list of donors at Veleia in the reign of Trajan. * Afrania Musa, named in a list of donors at Veleia in the reign of Trajan. *

Publius Afranius Flavianus Publius Afranius Flavianus was a Roman senator who held at least one office in the service of the emperor. It is believed Flavianus was suffect consul in one of the '' nundinia'' that fell in the last half of 117, based on a restoration of a milita ...

, consul in AD 117. * Gnaeus Afranius, the grandfather of Gnaeus Afranius Priscus Sabinianus. * Gnaeus Afranius Sabinus, the father of Gnaeus Afranius Priscus Sabinianus. * Gnaeus Afranius Cn. f. Cn. f. Priscus Sabinianus, buried at

Aesernia Isernia () or, in Pliny and later writers, ''Eserninus'', or in the Antonine Itinerary, ''Serni''. is a town and ''comune'' in the southern Italian region of Molise, and the capital of province of Isernia. Geography Situated on a rocky crest r ...

in Samnium, during the second century AD.. * Lucius Afranius L. f. Sedatus, a native of Sutrium, was a soldier in the praetorian guard in AD 197. * Gaius Afranius Victor, one of the vigiles in the time of Septimius Severus. * Marcus Afranius Hannibal, tribune of a cohort in the thirtieth legion in

Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now wes ...

, some time in the late third century. *

Afranius Hannibalianus Afranius Hannibalianus (fl. 3rd century) was the consul of 292 AD, a praetorian prefect, a senator and a military officer and commander. Biography Believed to belong to a family who originated from the eastern provinces of the Roman empire, Hanni ...

, a senator and military officer, consul in AD 292. * Afranius Syagrius, consul in AD 382.

Imperial Afranii of uncertain date

* Afrania L. l., daughter of Urania, a freedwoman, buried at Narbo, aged eleven. * Gnaeus Afranius, the father of Gnaeus Afranius Bromius. * Lucius Afranius, named in an inscription from Begastrum in

Hispania Citerior Hispania Citerior (English: "Hither Iberia", or "Nearer Iberia") was a Roman province in Hispania during the Roman Republic. It was on the eastern coast of Iberia down to the town of Cartago Nova, today's Cartagena in the autonomous community of ...

. * Publius Afranius, the former master of Publius Afranius Hermes and Afrania Romana. * Publius Afranius, the father of Publius Afranius Secundus. * Quintus Afranius, named in an inscription from Rome. * Quintus Afranius, the former master of Quintus Afranius Cresimus. * Gaius Afranius Apollinaris, a soldier in the praetorian guard. * Gnaeus Afranius Cn. f. Bromius, the husband of Numisia Marcella, buried at Aufidenia in Samnium.. * Lucius Afranius Cerealis, the former master of Lucius Afranius Eros and Afrania Procilla.. * Lucius Afranius Clementianus, buried at Thugga in Africa Proconsularis. * Lucius Afranius Corinthus, named in a funerary inscription from Brundisium. * Quintus Afranius Q. l. Cresimus, named in an inscription from Rome.. * Lucius Afranius L. l. Eros, a freedman, and the husband of Afrania Procilla, was one of the Sodales Augustales at

Tarraco Tarraco is the ancient name of the current city of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). It was the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian Peninsula. It became the capital of the Roman province of Hispania Citerior during the period of the Roman Republic ...

Hispania Tarraconensis Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the northern, eastern and central territories of modern Spain along with modern northern Portugal. Southern Spain, the region now called Andalusia was the ...

. * Marcus Afranius Euporius, one of the Sodales at Olisipo. * Sextus Afranius Firmus, named in a libationary inscription from Carnuntum in Pannonia Superior. * Lucius Afranius Fortunatianus, buried at Thugga, aged seventeen. * Gnaeus Afranius Hermes, buried at

Portus Portus was a large artificial harbour of Ancient Rome. Sited on the north bank of the north mouth of the Tiber, on the Tyrrhenian coast, it was established by Claudius and enlarged by Trajan to supplement the nearby port of Ostia. The archae ...

. * Publius Afranius P. l. Hermes, the husband of Afrania Romana, was a freedman buried at Rome.. * Afrania Hermione, named in an inscription from Rome.. * Afrania Hilara, buried at Carnuntum, aged twenty-five.. * Quintus Afranius Ingenuus, buried at

Thuburnica Thuburnica was an ancient Roman- Berber city in the Maghreb. It was located in the present-day El Kalâa, near Chemtou in western Tunisia. It may have been the ancient town of Bulla Regia. History The Late Roman Republican general Caius Marius ...

in Africa Proconsularis, aged eighty-five. * Lucius Afranius Ipocrates, freedman of Galliopa, buried at

Belianes Belianes is a village in the province of Lleida and autonomous community of Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by i ...

in Hispania Citerior, aged thirty-six. * Sextus Afranius S. f. Lautus, son of Afrania Prote, buried at Rome, aged ten years, nine months, and four days.. * Publius Afranius Major, a soldier in the fifteenth legion, named in a funerary inscription from Carnuntum. * Lucius Afranius Maritimus, husband of Julia Severa and father of Lucius Afranius Severus. * Sextus Afranius Optatus, named in a funerary inscription from Rome. * Sextus Afranius Philetus, buried at Tarquinii, aged fifty-six. * Gaius Afranius Plocamus, named in an inscription from Rome. * Afrania L. l. Procilla, a freedwoman, and the wife of Lucius Afranius Eros. * Afrania Prote, mother of Sextus Afranius Lautus. * Afrania P. l. Romana, wife of Publius Afranius Hermes, was a freedwoman buried at Rome, aged twenty-two years, seven months. * Publius Afranius P. f. Secundus, a native of Hadrumetum, was buried at Lambaesis in

Numidia Numidia ( Berber: ''Inumiden''; 202–40 BC) was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians located in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up modern-day Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunis ...

, aged seventeen years, twenty-eight days.. * Sextus Afranius Serenus, named in a funerary inscription from Rome. * Lucius Afranius Successus, buried at Thugga, aged forty-seven. * Lucius Afranius L. f. Severus, son of Lucius Afranius Maritimus and Julia Severa, buried at Albintimilium in Liguria, aged fourteen.Pais, ''Supplementa Italica'', 986. * Lucius Afranius Victor, a veteran of the third legion, buried at the present site of Mechta Tafsa, formerly part of

Mauretania Caesariensis Mauretania Caesariensis (Latin for "Caesarean Mauretania") was a Roman province located in what is now Algeria in the Maghreb. The full name refers to its capital Caesarea Mauretaniae (modern Cherchell). The province had been part of the Kingd ...

. * Publius Afranius Victor, husband of Claudia Ingenua, a

centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...

buried at Matrica in Pannonia Inferior, aged fifty..

References

{{reflist

Bibliography

* Marcus Tullius Cicero, '' Brutus'', '' De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum'', '' Epistulae ad Atticum'', '' Philippicae''. * Gaius Julius Caesar, '' Commentarii de Bello Civili'' (Commentaries on the Civil War). * Aulus Hirtius (attributed), ''

De Bello Africo ''De Bello Africo'' (also ''Bellum Africum''; ''On the African War'') is a Latin work continuing Julius Caesar's accounts of his campaigns, ''De Bello Gallico'' and '' De Bello Civili'', and its sequel by an unknown author ''De Bello Alexandrin ...

'' (On the African War). * Quintus Horatius Flaccus (

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...

), '' Epistulae''. * Titus Livius ( Livy), '' History of Rome''. * Marcus Velleius Paterculus, ''Compendium of Roman History''. * Valerius Maximus, ''

Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium ''Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX'' ("nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' or ''Facta et dicta memorabilia'') by Valerius Maximus (c. 20 BC – c. AD 50) was written arou ...

'' (Memorable Facts and Sayings). *

(

Martial Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial ; March, between 38 and 41 AD – between 102 and 104 AD) was a Roman poet from Hispania (modern Spain) best known for his twelve books of ''Epigrams'', published in Rome between AD 86 and ...

), ''Epigrammata'' (Epigrams). * Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (

Quintilian Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (; 35 – 100 AD) was a Roman educator and rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and in Renaissance writing. In English translation, he is usually referred to as Quintilia ...

), ''

Institutio Oratoria ''Institutio Oratoria'' (English: Institutes of Oratory) is a twelve-volume textbook on the theory and practice of rhetoric by Roman rhetorician Quintilian. It was published around year 95 AD. The work deals also with the foundational education ...

'' (Institutes of Oratory). * Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (

Pliny the Younger Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo (61 – c. 113), better known as Pliny the Younger (), was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate ...

), '' Epistulae'' (Letters). * Plutarchus, '' Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans''. * Publius Cornelius Tacitus, '' Annales''. *

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies ...

, ''

De Vita Caesarum ''De vita Caesarum'' (Latin; "About the Life of the Caesars"), commonly known as ''The Twelve Caesars'', is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire written by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. The g ...

'' (Lives of the Caesars, or The Twelve Caesars). *

Lucius Annaeus Florus Three main sets of works are attributed to Florus (a Roman cognomen): ''Virgilius orator an poeta'', an Epitome of Roman History and a collection of 14 short poems (66 lines in all). As to whether these were composed by the same person, or set of ...

, ''Epitome de T. Livio Bellorum Omnium Annorum DCC'' (Epitome of Livy: All the Wars of Seven Hundred Years). * Appianus Alexandrinus ( Appian), ''Bellum Civile'' (The Civil War). *

Aulus Gellius Aulus Gellius (c. 125after 180 AD) was a Roman author and grammarian, who was probably born and certainly brought up in Rome. He was educated in Athens, after which he returned to Rome. He is famous for his ''Attic Nights'', a commonplace book, or ...

, ''Noctes Atticae'' (Attic Nights). * Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus ( Cassius Dio), ''Roman History''. * Sextus Aurelius Victor, ''

De Viris Illustribus ''De Viris Illustribus'', meaning "concerning illustrious men", represents a genre of literature which evolved during the Italian Renaissance in imitation of the exemplary literature of Ancient Rome. It inspired the widespread commissioning of g ...

'' (On Famous Men). * Decimius Magnus Ausonius, ''Epigrammata de Diversis Rebus'' (Epigrams about Various Things). * Ambrosius Theodosius Macrobius, ''Saturnalia''. * ''Digesta'', or ''Pandectae'' (

The Digest ''The Digest'', formerly published as ''The English and Empire Digest'', is a digest of case law. It is the "major modern work" of this kind. Its coverage is "wide" but incomplete, and it can be "complicated to use" if the user does not understa ...

). * Joseph Hilarius Eckhel, ''Doctrina Numorum Veterum'' (The Study of Ancient Coins, 1792–1798). * Friedrich Heinrich Bothe, ''Poëtae Scenici Latinorum Fragmenta'' (Fragments of the Latin Theatrical Poets), Heinrich Vogler, Halberstadt (1822). * Johann Heinrich Neukirch, ''De Fabula Togata Romanorum'' (The Fabula Togata of the Romans), Weidmann, Leipzig (1833). * '' Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849). * Theodor Mommsen ''et alii'', ''

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum The ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (''CIL'') is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions throw ...

'' (The Body of Latin Inscriptions, abbreviated ''CIL''), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1853–present). * Ettore Pais, ''Corporis Inscriptionum Latinarum Supplementa Italica'' (Italian Supplement to the ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum''), Rome (1884). * ''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). * George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', vol. VIII (1897). * Stéphane Gsell, ''Inscriptions Latines de L'Algérie'' (Latin Inscriptions from Algeria, abbreviated ''ILAlg''), Edouard Champion, Paris (1922–present). * T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', American Philological Association (1952). * John C. Traupman, ''The New College Latin & English Dictionary'', Bantam Books, New York (1995). * M. Khanoussi, L. Maurin, ''Mourir à Dougga: Receuil des inscriptions funéraires'' (Dying in Dougga: a Compendium of Funerary Inscriptions, abbreviated ''MAD''), Bordeaux, Tunis (2002). Roman gentes