The gens Cloelia, originally Cluilia, and occasionally written Clouilia or Cloulia, was a patrician family at

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–50 ...

. The

gens In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; plural: ''gentes'' ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same nomen and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a ''stirps'' (plural: ''stirpes''). The ''gen ...

was prominent throughout the period of the Republic. The first of the Cloelii to hold the

consulship A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the '' cursus honorum'' (an ascending sequence of public offices to which polit ...

was Quintus Cloelius Siculus, in 498 BC.

Origin

The Cluilii were one of the noble families of

Alba Longa Alba Longa (occasionally written Albalonga in Italian sources) was an ancient Latin city in Central Italy, 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Rome, in the vicinity of Lake Albano in the Alban Hills. Founder and head of the Latin League, it w ...

, where they succeeded the royal house of the

Silvii The kings of Alba Longa, or Alban kings (Latin: ''reges Albani''), were a series of legendary kings of Latium, who ruled from the ancient city of Alba Longa. In the mythic tradition of ancient Rome, they fill the 400-year gap between the settleme ...

. According to legend,

Numitor In Roman mythology, King Numitor () of Alba Longa, was the maternal grandfather of Rome's founder and first king, Romulus, and his twin brother Remus. He was the son of Procas, descendant of Aeneas the Trojan, and father of the twins' mother, ...

, the grandfather of

Romulus and Remus In Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus (, ) are twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the founding of the city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, following his fratricide of Remus. The image of a she-wolf sucklin ...

, was deposed by his brother, Amulius, and his sons were slain. When the princes had grown to manhood, they killed Amulius and restored their grandfather to the throne. As he had no surviving sons, it may be that upon Numitor's death the throne passed to the Cluilii. The last king of Alba Longa, and the only one following Numitor whose name has survived in tradition, was Gaius Cluilius. During his reign,

Tullus Hostilius Tullus Hostilius (r. 672–640 BC) was the legendary third king of Rome. He succeeded Numa Pompilius and was succeeded by Ancus Marcius. Unlike his predecessor, Tullus was known as a warlike king who according to the Roman Historian Livy, bel ...

, the third

King of Rome The king of Rome ( la, rex Romae) was the ruler of the Roman Kingdom. According to legend, the first king of Rome was Romulus, who founded the city in 753 BC upon the Palatine Hill. Seven legendary kings are said to have ruled Rome until 509 ...

(traditionally reigned from 673 to 641 BC), declared his intention to destroy Alba Longa and remove its inhabitants to Rome. Cluilius marched an army to Rome, where according to legend he constructed the '' Fossa Cluilia'', an earthen trench, to fortify his position. During his siege, Cluilius died, and in his place, Mettius Fufetius was appointed

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in ti ...

. Despite enlisting the help of the Fidenates, Fufetius and the Alban forces were defeated, and their ancient city was destroyed. Its inhabitants were transferred to Rome, where several of the noble families of Alba Longa, including the Cluilii, were enrolled in the

senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

, and subsequently numbered amongst the patricians. In later times, when it became fashionable for Roman families to claim mythological origins, it was said that the gens was descended from Clolius, a companion of

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (, ; from ) was a Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus (mythology), Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both ...

. From an early date, the Cloelii bore the

cognomen A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became her ...

''Siculus'', perhaps referring to the legend that the people of Alba Longa was a mixture of two ancient Italic peoples, the Siculi and the Prisci. Whatever the origin of the family, it may be noted that during the first century of the Republic, two leaders of the

Aequi 300px, Location of the Aequi (Equi) in central Italy, 5th century BC. The Aequi ( grc, Αἴκουοι and Αἴκοι) were an Italic tribe on a stretch of the Apennine Mountains to the east of Latium in central Italy who appear in the early hi ...

, an

Oscan Oscan is an extinct Indo-European language of southern Italy. The language is in the Osco-Umbrian or Sabellic branch of the Italic languages. Oscan is therefore a close relative of Umbrian. Oscan was spoken by a number of tribes, including ...

people of central Italy, bore the nomen ''Cloelius''.

Praenomina

The principal names of the Cloelii were ''

Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death. Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...

, Quintus'', and '' Publius'', all of which were very common throughout Roman history. ''

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 ...

'' was borne by the earliest Cloelius whose name is known, and at least one respected member of the gens bore the ancient

praenomen The ''praenomen'' (; plural: ''praenomina'') was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the '' dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the b ...

'' Tullus''.

Branches and cognomina

The only major family of the Cloelii bore the cognomen ''Siculus'', apparently referring to one of the Siculi, an ancient Italic people who had been expelled from the mainland, and subsequently lived in

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

. Some trade links with Sicily could explain the adoption by the family of this very rare cognomen. The Cloelii Siculi appear at the very beginning of the Roman Republic, and filled the highest offices of the state until the 2nd century BC. The first of the family to achieve prominence is sometimes called ''Vocula'', probably referring to a low or quiet voice. Another patrician cognomen was Tullus.Broughton, vol. I, p. 58. The only other known cognomen was Gracchus, held by one of the Aequian Cloelii. The Cloelii recorded at the end of the Republic were plebeian.

Members

Early Cluillii

* Gaius Cluilius, the last King of Alba Longa, who perished during the reign of Tullus Hostilius. * Cloelia, one of a group of virgins given as hostages to Lars Porsena, the King of

Clusium Clusium ( grc-gre, Κλύσιον, ''Klýsion'', or , ''Kloúsion''; Umbrian:''Camars'') was an ancient city in Italy, one of several found at the site. The current municipality of Chiusi (Tuscany) partly overlaps this Roman walled city. The Ro ...

, during his siege of Rome ''circa'' 508 BC. According to legend, she escaped the Etruscan camp, and swam across the

Tiber The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the Ri ...

to freedom.

Cloelii Siculi

* Quintus Cloelius Siculus, also called ''Vocula'', was

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states th ...

in 498 BC, the year that war with the

Latins The Latins were originally an Italic tribe in ancient central Italy from Latium. As Roman power and colonization spread Latin culture during the Roman Republic. Latins culturally "Romanized" or "Latinized" the rest of Italy, and the word Latin ...

broke out. According to

Dionysius The name Dionysius (; el, Διονύσιος ''Dionysios'', "of Dionysus"; la, Dionysius) was common in classical and post-classical times. Etymologically it is a nominalized adjective formed with a -ios suffix from the stem Dionys- of the name ...

, he nominated his colleague, Titus Larcius, as

, but

Livius ''Livius'' is a genus of South American tangled nest spiders containing the single species, ''Livius macrospinus''. It was first described by V. D. Roth in 1967, and has only been found in Chile. References External links * Amaurobi ...

and other authorities place Lartius' dictatorship three years earlier, in his first consulship. *

Titus Cloelius Siculus Titus Cloelius Siculus was a Roman statesman of the early Republic, and one of the first consular tribunes in 444 BC. He was compelled to abdicate after a fault was found during his election. Two years later he was one of the founders of the colo ...

, '' tribunus militum consulari potestate'' in 444 BC; he was elected one of the first consular tribunes, but he and his colleagues were compelled to resign due to a fault in the auspices. * Publius Cloelius Siculus, ''tribunus militum consulari potestate'' in 378 BC. * Quintus Cloelius Siculus, censor in 378 BC; war prevented the censors of this year from completing their duties. *

Publius Cloelius Siculus Publius Cloelius Siculus was appointed ''rex sacrorum'' in 180 BC, succeeding Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella. Valerius Maximus says that he was ''flamen dialis'', and that he was compelled to resign because of improperly presented ''exta'' ("entrails," ...

, consecrated ''

rex sacrorum In ancient Roman religion, the ''rex sacrorum'' ("king of the sacred things", also sometimes ''rex sacrificulus'') was a senatorial priesthood reserved for patricians. Although in the historical era, the '' pontifex maximus'' was the head of ...

'' in 180 BC; according to

Valerius Maximus Valerius Maximus () was a 1st-century Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes: '' Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX'' ("Nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus' ...

, he had also been '' Flamen Dialis'', but was compelled to resign due to a fault in the auspices.

Others

Cloelius Gracchus The gens Cloelia, originally Cluilia, and occasionally written Clouilia or Cloulia, was a patrician family at ancient Rome. The gens was prominent throughout the period of the Republic. The first of the Cloelii to hold the consulship was Quintus ...

, the leader of the Aequi in 458 BC, with his forces surrounded the consul

Lucius Minucius Augurinus Lucius ( el, Λούκιος ''Loukios''; ett, Luvcie) is a male given name derived from ''Lucius'' (abbreviated ''L.''), one of the small group of common Latin forenames (''praenomina'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from L ...

, but was then surrounded by the dictator

Cincinnatus Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus ( – ) was a Roman patrician, statesman, and military leader of the early Roman Republic who became a legendary figure of Roman virtue—particularly civic virtue—by the time of the late Republic. Cincinnatus ...

, and was surrendered by his troops. * Cloelius, an Aequian commander, led a force of

Volsci The Volsci (, , ) were an Italic tribe, well known in the history of the first century of the Roman Republic. At the time they inhabited the partly hilly, partly marshy district of the south of Latium, bounded by the Aurunci and Samnites on the ...

that besieged Ardea in 443 BC. He was defeated, and surrendered by his troops to the Roman consul, Geganius Macerinus. * Cloelius Tullus, one of four

ambassadors An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

sent to the Fidenates in 438 BC; they were executed on the orders of Lars Tolumnius, the king of

Veii Veii (also Veius; it, Veio) was an important ancient Etruscan city situated on the southern limits of Etruria and north-northwest of Rome, Italy. It now lies in Isola Farnese, in the comune of Rome. Many other sites associated with and in the ...

. *Titus Cloelius, ''

triumvir monetalis The ''triumvir monetalis'' ( ''tresviri'' or ''triumviri monetales'', also called the , abbreviated IIIVIR A. A. A. F. F.) was a moneyer during the Roman Republic and the Empire, who oversaw the minting of coins. In that role, he would be respo ...

'' in 128 BC. He spelt his name ''Cloulius''. He was from Tarracina and possibly a ''

popularis Optimates (; Latin for "best ones", ) and populares (; Latin for "supporters of the people", ) are labels applied to politicians, political groups, traditions, strategies, or ideologies in the late Roman Republic. There is "heated academic dis ...

''. * Titus Cloelius T. f., quaestor in 98 BC, then a Marian legate in 83. At some point, perhaps in the early 90s, Cloelius and his brother were tried and acquitted in the murder of their father, the moneyer of 128. * Cloelia, the third wife of

Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force. Sulla ha ...

. * Sextus Cloelius, a ''scriba'', and one of the henchman of

Publius Clodius Pulcher Publius Clodius Pulcher (93–52 BC) was a populist Roman politician and street agitator during the time of the First Triumvirate. One of the most colourful personalities of his era, Clodius was descended from the aristocratic Claudia gens, on ...

, whom he assisted in the writing of contracts and laws, thereby incurring the enmity of

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the est ...

. He was condemned for inciting mob violence after his employer's death in 52 BC, and was still living in 44. In a number of manuscripts, he is erroneously called ''Clodius''. * Quintus Cloelius M. f., a

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

in 39 BC, who may have held the office of

aedile ''Aedile'' ( ; la, aedīlis , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enf ...

tribune of the plebs Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune ( la, tribunus plebis) was the first office of the Roman state that was open to the plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the power o ...

. He was enrolled in the '' tribus Quirina''. *Sextus Cloelius Sex. f., known from an inscription, perhaps related to Clodius' henchman. The inscription mentions that he was black.Rowland, "The Importance of Being Cloelius", p. 45.

References

Sources

Ancient sources

Marcus Tullius Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the est ...

, ''Pro Sexto Roscio.'' *

Dionysius of Halicarnassus Dionysius of Halicarnassus ( grc, Διονύσιος Ἀλεξάνδρου Ἁλικαρνασσεύς, ; – after 7 BC) was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Augustus. His literary style ...

, ''Romaike Archaiologia'' (Roman Antiquities). * Titus Livius (

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

), ''

History of Rome The history of Rome includes the history of the city of Rome as well as the civilisation of ancient Rome. Roman history has been influential on the modern world, especially in the history of the Catholic Church, and Roman law has influenced m ...

''. *

, '' Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium'' (Memorable Facts and Sayings).

Modern sources

Theodor Mommsen Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classics, classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19 ...

''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 thr ...

'' (The Body of Latin Inscriptions, abbreviated ''CIL''), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1853–present). * T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', American Philological Association (1952–1986). * Robert Maxwell Ogilvie, ''Commentary on Livy, books 1–5'', Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1965. * Robert J. Rowland, Jr.,
The Importance of Being Cloelius
, in ''The Classical World'', Vol. 61, No. 2 (Oct., 1967). * T. P. Wiseman, "T. Cloelius of Tarracina," ''Classical Review'' 17, pp. 263–264, (1967). *

Michael Crawford Michael Patrick Smith, (born 19 January 1942), known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English tenor, actor and comedian. Crawford is best known for playing both the hapless Frank Spencer in the sitcom '' Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' a ...

, ''Roman Republican Coinage'', Cambridge University Press (1974, 2001). * D. R. Shackleton Bailey, "Ecce iterum Cloelius", ''Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte'', Bd. 30, H. 3 (3rd Qtr., 1981), p. 383. * Michael C. Alexander, ''Trials in the Late Roman Republic, 149 BC to 50 BC'', University of Toronto Press (1990). * Cynthia Damon, "Sex. Cloelius, ''Scriba''," ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'' 94 (1992), pp. 227–244. {{Refend Roman gentes Alba Longa