The gens Cocceia 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

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 (753–509 B ...

. The

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 ...

is first mentioned towards the latter end of the

Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

, and is best known as the family to which the emperor

Nerva Nerva (; originally Marcus Cocceius Nerva; 8 November 30 – 27 January 98) was Roman emperor from 96 to 98. Nerva became emperor when aged almost 66, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the succeeding rulers of the Flavian dy ...

belonged.''

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1849, originally published 1844 under a slightly different title) is an encyclopedia/biographical dictionary. Edited by William Smith, the dictionary spans three volumes and 3,700 p ...

'', William Smith, Editor.

Origin of the gens

According to Syme, the Cocceii came from

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

Praenomina used by the gens

The Cocceii used the

praenomina 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 birt ...

'' Marcus,

Lucius 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 ...

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 ...

'', and ''

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 ...

'', of which ''Marcus'' was favored by the Cocceii Nervae.

Branches and cognomina of the gens

The only family of the Cocceii known under the late Republic 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 here ...

''Nerva''. A number of personal cognomina were borne by other members of the gens, including ''Auctus, Balbus, Genialis, Justus, Nepos, Nigrinus, Proculus, Rufinus'', and ''Verus''.'' Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft''.

Members of the gens

Cocceii Nervae

* Lucius Cocceius Nerva, brought about the reconciliation of

Marcus Antonius Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the autoc ...

and

Octavianus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

in 40 B.C.; possibly the same person as Marcus Cocceius Nerva, consul in 36 B.C.

Appian Appian of Alexandria (; grc-gre, Ἀππιανὸς Ἀλεξανδρεύς ''Appianòs Alexandreús''; la, Appianus Alexandrinus; ) was a Greek historian with Roman citizenship who flourished during the reigns of Emperors of Rome Trajan, Hadr ...

us, ''Bellum Civile'', v. 60, ''ff''. * Marcus Cocceius Nerva,

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 throug ...

in 36 B.C. * Marcus Cocceius (M. f.) Nerva, a friend of

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

, learned in the law, on which he wrote several books, now lost. He was the grandfather of the emperor

. * Marcus Cocceius M. f. (M. n.) Nerva, otherwise known as ''Nerva filius'', son of the jurist, in whose footsteps he followed, and father of the emperor. * Marcus Cocceius M. f. M. n. Nerva, emperor from A.D. 96 to 98. * Cocceia, sister of emperor Nerva, and wife of

Titianus Lucius Salvius Otho Titianus was the elder brother of the Roman Emperor Otho (reigned 69 AD). As a Roman senator, he was consul in the year 52 as the colleague of Faustus Cornelius Sulla Felix, and appointed consul as his brother's colleague for t ...

Others

* Lucius Cocceius Auctus, a prominent architect in the time of

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

. *

Gaius Cocceius Balbus Gaius Cocceius Balbus (fl. 1st century BC) was a Roman politician and military commander who served as Roman consul, suffect consul in 39 BC. Biography A member of the Plebeian Cocceia gens, gens Cocceia, Cocceius Balbus was a supporter of Marc Ant ...

, consul ''suffectus'' in 39 BC. * Cocceius Caesianus. * Marcus Cocceius Genialis. * Cocceius Julianus Synesius. * Cocceius Justus. * Cocceius Minicianus. * Marcus Cocceius M. f. Nepos. * Marcus Cocceius Nigrinus. * Cocceius Proculus. * Cocceius Rufinus. * Cocceius Vennianus. * Cocceius Verus. * Sextus Cocceius Severianus Honorinus, consul ''suffectus'' in AD 147. *

Sextus Cocceius Vibianus Sextus Cocceius Vibianus was a Roman Senator in 204. He was the son of Sextus Cocceius Severianus and Caesonia. He was also the grandson of Sextus Cocceius Severianus, Proconsul of Africa. He married and had a daughter, who married Quintus Aniciu ...

. *

Marcus Cocceius Anicius Faustus Flavianus Marcus Cocceius Anicius Faustus Flavianus (fl. 3rd century AD) was a Roman senator who was appointed suffect consul sometime around AD 250/252. Probably either the son or nephew of Anicius Faustus Paulinus, suffect consul before AD 230, Faustus ...

, consul ''suffectus'' around AD 250. * Sextus Cocceius Anicius Faustus Paulinus, consul ''suffectus'' around AD 260. * Marcus Cocceius Sex. f. Anicius Faustus Flavianus.

References

{{SmithDGRBM Roman gentes