The gens Flavia was a
plebeian
In ancient Rome, the plebeians or 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 the gro ...
family at
ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...
. Its members are first mentioned during the last three centuries of the
Republic
A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
. The first of the Flavii to achieve prominence was
Marcus Flavius Marcus Flavius was Tribune of the Plebs in 327 and again in 323 BC. Valerius Maximus, ''Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium libri IX'' ix. 10. § 1.
In 329 BC, Flavius was accused of seducing married women by the aedile, Gaius Valerius Potitus (con ...
,
tribune of the plebs
Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune () was the first office of the Roman Republic, Roman state that was open to the plebs, plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the pow ...
in 327 and 323 BC; however, no Flavius attained the
consulship
The consuls were the highest elected public officials of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC). Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum''an ascending sequence of public offices to which politicians aspire ...
until
Gaius Flavius Fimbria in 104 BC. The
gens
In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; : gentes ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same ''nomen gentilicium'' and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens, sometimes identified by a distinct cognomen, was cal ...
became illustrious during the first century AD, when the family of the Flavii Sabini claimed the imperial dignity.
[''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. II, p. 169]
"Flavia Gens"
.
Under the
Empire
An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
, the number of persons bearing this
nomen becomes very large, perhaps due to the great number of
freedmen
A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...
under the
Flavian dynasty
The Flavian dynasty, lasting from 69 to 96 CE, was the second dynastic line of emperors to rule the Roman Empire following the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Julio-Claudians, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian and his two sons, Titus and Domitian. Th ...
of emperors. It was a common practice for freedmen to assume the nomina of their patrons, and so countless persons who obtained the
Roman franchise under the Flavian emperors adopted the name ''Flavius'', which was then handed down to their descendants. Freedmen under the
Constantinian dynasty
The Constantinian dynasty is an informal name for the ruling family of the Roman Empire from Constantius Chlorus (died 306) to the death of Julian in 363. It is named after its most famous member, Constantine the Great, who became the sole rule ...
, whose members were also called ''Flavius'', also adopted it, as did individuals who entered government service during their rule, often replacing their original nomina with the dynastic ''Flavius''.
The vast majority of persons named ''Flavius'' during the later Empire could not have been descended from the Flavia gens; and indeed, the distinction between nomina and
cognomina
A ''cognomen'' (; : ''cognomina''; from ''co-'' "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 hereditar ...
was all but lost, so that in many cases one cannot even determine with certainty whether it is a nomen or a cognomen. However, because it is impossible to determine which of these persons used ''Flavius'' as a gentile name, they have been listed below.
[Salway, "What's in a Name?", p. 141.]
Origin
The Flavii of the Republic claimed
Sabine
The Sabines (, , , ; ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome.
The Sabines divided int ...
ancestry, and may have been related to the Flavii who lived at
Reate during the first century AD, from whom the emperor
Vespasian
Vespasian (; ; 17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79. The last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for 27 years. His fiscal reforms and consolida ...
descended; but the
gentilicium is also found in other parts of Italy, such as
Etruria
Etruria ( ) was a region of Central Italy delimited by the rivers Arno and Tiber, an area that covered what is now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and north-western Umbria. It was inhabited by the Etruscans, an ancient civilization that f ...
and
Lucania
Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy, corresponding to the modern-day region of Basilicata. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto. It bordered with Samnium and ...
.
The nomen ''Flavius'' is of
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
origin, and is derived from the surname ''Flavus'', used by a number of gentes, and meaning "golden" or "golden-brown". It probably referred to the blond hair possessed by an early member of the family.
Later use
During the later period of the Empire, the name ''Flavius'' frequently descended from one emperor to another, beginning with
Constantius Chlorus
Flavius Valerius Constantius ( – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was a Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as Caesar (title), ''caesar'' ...
, the father of
Constantine the Great
Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...
.
[Rösch, ''Onoma Basileias'', pp. 49, 50.] The name became so ubiquitous that it was sometimes treated as a
praenomen
The praenomen (; plural: praenomina) was a first name chosen by the parents of a Ancient Rome, 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 ...
, to the extent of being regularly abbreviated ''Fl.'', and it is even described as a praenomen in some sources, although it was never truly used as a personal name, and from the time of
Honorius
Honorius (; 9 September 384 – 15 August 423) was Roman emperor from 393 to 423. He was the younger son of emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla. After the death of Theodosius in 395, Honorius, under the regency of Stilicho ...
it appears chiefly in letters.
It once again became a regular part of the nomenclature of the eastern emperors from
Justinian I
Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...
through the reign of
Constantine IV
Constantine IV (); 650 – 10 July 685), called the Younger () and often incorrectly the Bearded () out of confusion with Constans II, his father, was Byzantine emperor from 668 to 685. His reign saw the first serious check to nearly 50 years ...
, and appearing as late as the reign of
Leo VI in the tenth century.
After the name fell into disuse among the Byzantine emperors, it was used as a title of legitimacy among the barbarian rulers of former Roman provinces, such as
Visigothic Spain and the kings of the
Ostrogothic Kingdom
The Ostrogothic Kingdom, officially the Kingdom of Italy (), was a barbarian kingdom established by the Germanic Ostrogoths that controlled Italian peninsula, Italy and neighbouring areas between 493 and 553. Led by Theodoric the Great, the Ost ...
of Italy and the
Kingdom of the Lombards
The Kingdom of the Lombards, also known as the Lombard Kingdom and later as the Kingdom of all Italy (), was an Early Middle Ages, early medieval state established by the Lombards, a Germanic people, on the Italian Peninsula in the latter part ...
.
From the fourth century AD onwards, the name is widespread among non-emperors as a mark of dignity. It is widespread in epigraphy from
Germania
Germania ( ; ), also more specifically called Magna Germania (English: ''Great Germania''), Germania Libera (English: ''Free Germania''), or Germanic Barbaricum to distinguish it from the Roman provinces of Germania Inferior and Germania Superio ...
. In Egypt, where the evidence is best, it was part of the full name of all Imperial officials, all provincial officials, the highest civic officials, and most soldiers. This usage appears shortly after Constantine gained control of the province in 324 AD. Between 287 and 326 AD, Egyptians had used
Valerius (the nomen of Constantine's predecessors) in a similar way. People not entitled to "Flavius" bore the nomen
Aurelius or no nomen. Initially, people sometimes used the name Flavius alongside another nomen that they were entitled to (e.g. Julius, Aelius), but these other nomina died out over the fifth century. In the fourth century, the name was not inherited by children or wives of the "Flavius", but from the fifth century higher-ranking holders sometimes passed the name to their descendants. After the
Arab conquest of Egypt
The Arab conquest of Egypt, led by the army of Amr ibn al-As, took place between 639 and 642 AD and was overseen by the Rashidun Caliphate. It ended the seven-century-long Roman Egypt, Roman period in Egypt that had begun in 30 BC and, more broa ...
in 646, the use of "Flavius" was less consistent and after some time it died out.
In modern use, ''Flavius'' is a
personal name
A personal name, full name or prosoponym (from Ancient Greek ''prósōpon'' – person, and ''onoma'' –name) is the set of names by which an individual person or animal is known. When taken together as a word-group, they all relate to that on ...
, and widely used in romance languages, including
Italian and
Spanish ''Flavio'' (fem. ''Flavia''),
French ''Flavien'' (fem. ''Flavie''),
Portuguese ''Flávio'' (fem. ''Flávia''), and
Romanian ''Flavius'' or ''Flaviu'' (fem. ''Flavia'').
Praenomina
The early Flavii used the
praenomina
The praenomen (; plural: praenomina) was a first name chosen by the parents of a Ancient Rome, 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 ...
''
Marcus,
Quintus
Quintus is a male given name derived from ''Quintus (praenomen), Quintus'', a common Latin language, Latin forename (''praenomen'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Quintus derives from Latin word ''quintus'', meaning "fifth".
Quintus is ...
,
Gaius
Gaius, sometimes spelled Caius, was a common Latin praenomen; see Gaius (praenomen).
People
* Gaius (biblical figure) (1st century AD)
*Gaius (jurist) (), Roman jurist
* Gaius Acilius
* Gaius Antonius
* Gaius Antonius Hybrida
* Gaius Asinius Gal ...
'', and ''
Lucius''. Of these, only ''Gaius'' and ''Lucius'' are known from the family of the Fimbriae. The name ''
Gnaeus'' occurs once, but as the son of a freedman of the family, and thus does not seem to be representative of the gens. The Flavii Sabini appear to have restricted themselves to the praenomen ''
Titus
Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September AD 81) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, becoming the first Roman emperor ever to succeed h ...
'' alone, and distinguished their sons by the use of different surnames, usually by giving the younger sons surnames derived from their maternal ancestors.
Branches and cognomina
The Flavii of the Republic used the
cognomina
A ''cognomen'' (; : ''cognomina''; from ''co-'' "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 hereditar ...
''Fimbria'', ''Gallus'', ''Lucanus'', and ''Pusio''.
Only the Fimbriae, whose surname refers to a fringe or border, represented a distinct family.
[''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. II, pp. 150, 151 (" Fimbria").] ''Gallus'' and ''Lucanus'' belong to a class of surnames derived from places of origin or association, referring to
Gaul
Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...
and
Lucania
Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy, corresponding to the modern-day region of Basilicata. It was the land of the Lucani, an Oscan people. It extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto. It bordered with Samnium and ...
, respectively, although ''Gallus'', a very common surname, could also refer to a cockerel.
[Chase, pp. 113, 114.] ''Pusio'' was originally a nickname indicating a little boy, and would have been bestowed on someone small or youthful.
The Flavii Sabini, whose surname indicates Sabine ancestry, rose to prominence under the Empire. They were descended from
Titus Flavius Petro, a soldier from
Reate who fought under
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Rom ...
. Within two generations they had attained such respectability that two of his grandsons held the consulship in consecutive years, AD 51 and 52; the younger of these marched to Rome at the head of an army in the year of the four emperors, AD 69, and claimed the imperial dignity as the emperor
Vespasian
Vespasian (; ; 17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79. The last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for 27 years. His fiscal reforms and consolida ...
. However, within less than thirty years, the family was largely destroyed through the workings of Vespasian's son, the emperor
Domitian
Domitian ( ; ; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was Roman emperor from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Flavian dynasty. Described as "a r ...
.
The Flavii Titiani may be descended from the Flavii Sabini through the consul
Titus Flavius Clemens, a nephew of Vespasian; the first of this branch, Titus Flavius Titianus, who was governor of Egypt from AD 126 to 133, may have been his son.
A family of the Flavii bearing the surname ''Valens'' lived at
Hatria, and from there migrated to Rome in imperial times, where two of them served as prefects of different cohorts.
Members
*
Marcus Flavius Marcus Flavius was Tribune of the Plebs in 327 and again in 323 BC. Valerius Maximus, ''Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium libri IX'' ix. 10. § 1.
In 329 BC, Flavius was accused of seducing married women by the aedile, Gaius Valerius Potitus (con ...
,
tribune of the plebs
Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune () was the first office of the Roman Republic, Roman state that was open to the plebs, plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the pow ...
in BC 327 and 323.
*
Gnaeus Flavius, the son of a
freedman
A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...
, he was secretary to
Appius Claudius Caecus
Appius Claudius Caecus ( 312–279 BC) was a statesman and writer from the Roman Republic. He is best known for two major building projects: the Appian Way (Latin: Via Appia), the first major Roman road, and the first Roman aqueduct, aqueduc ...
, and served as
aedile
Aedile ( , , 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 enforce public orde ...
in 304 BC.
* Flavius, or Flavius Lucanus, a Lucanian, who went over to
Mago during the
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of Punic Wars, three wars fought between Ancient Carthage, Carthage and Roman Republic, Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For ...
, and delivered the
proconsul
A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a Roman consul, consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority.
In the Roman Republic, military ...
Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, in return for the promise that the Lucanians should be free and retain their own constitution.
* Quintus Flavius, an
augur
An augur was a priest and official in the ancient Rome, classical Roman world. His main role was the practice of augury, the interpretation of the will of the List of Roman deities, gods by studying events he observed within a predetermined s ...
who, according to
Valerius Maximus
Valerius Maximus () was a 1st-century Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes: ' ("Nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' or ''Facta et dicta memorabilia''). He worke ...
, was accused by the aedile Gaius Valerius (perhaps the same who was curule
aedile
Aedile ( , , 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 enforce public orde ...
in BC 199). When fourteen tribes had already voted against Flavius, who again asserted his innocence, Valerius declared that he did not care whether the man was guilty or innocent, provided he secured his punishment; and the people, indignant at such conduct, acquitted Flavius.
* Quintus Flavius, of
Tarquinii, murdered the slave Panurgus, who belonged to Gaius Fannius Chaerea, and who was to be trained as an actor by Quintus Roscius, the celebrated comedian.
* Lucius Flavius, an
eques, who gave evidence against
Verres
Gaius Verres ( 114 – 43 BC) was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. His extortion of local farmers and plundering of temples led to his prosecution by Cicero, whose accusations were so devastating that his defence advo ...
in BC 70. He probably lived in
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
, and was engaged in mercantile pursuits. He appears to be the same Lucius Flavius who is mentioned as ''procurator'' (that is, the agent or steward) of Gaius Matrinius in Sicily.
* Gaius Flavius, brother of Lucius, and likewise an eques, whom
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...
recommended in BC 46 to Manius Acilius, praetor of Sicily, as an intimate friend of Cicero's late son-in-law, Gaius Calpurnius Piso Frugi.
* Gaius Flavius Pusio, is mentioned by Cicero as one of the equites who opposed the tribune Marcus Drusus.
* Lucius Flavius, praetor in BC 58, and a supporter of
Pompeius. He was plebeian tribune in 60 BC and failed in passing a land reform programme for Pompey's veterans. He was also a friend of both Cicero and
Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a 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 a civil war. He ...
, and may have been the same Flavius whom Caesar entrusted with one legion and the province of Sicily in BC 49.
* Gaius Flavius, an eques of Asta, a Roman colony in
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. He and other equites, who had belonged to the party of Pompeius, went over to Caesar in BC 45. It is uncertain whether he is the same Gaius Flavius who is mentioned among the enemies of
Octavian
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in ...
, and who was put to death in BC 40, after the taking of
Perusia
The ancient Perusia, now Perugia, first appears in history as one of the 12 confederate cities of Etruria. It is first mentioned in the account of the war of 310 or 309 BC between the Etruscans and the Romans. It took, however, an important pa ...
.
* Gaius Flavius, a friend of
Brutus, whom he accompanied to
Philippi
Philippi (; , ''Phílippoi'') was a major Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides (, ''Krēnĩdes'' "Fountains") after its establishment by Thasian colonists in 360/359 BC. The city was renamed by Phili ...
in the capacity of ''praefectus fabrum''. Flavius fell in the
Battle of Philippi
The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Liberators' civil war between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian (of the Second Triumvirate) and the leaders of Julius Caesar's assassination, Brutus and Cassius, in 42 BC, at Philippi in ...
, and Brutus lamented over his death.
* Flavius Gallus, a
military tribune
A military tribune () was an officer of the Roman army who ranked below the legate and above the centurion. Young men of Equestrian rank often served as military tribunes as a stepping stone to the Senate. The should not be confused with the ...
serving under
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 ...
in his unfortunate campaign against the
Parthians in BC 36. During Antonius' retreat, Gallus made an inconsiderate attack upon the enemy, for which he paid with his life.
Flavii Fimbriae
* Gaius Flavius Fimbria, the father of Gaius Flavius Fimbria, the consul of 104 BC.
*
Gaius Flavius C. f. Fimbria,
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 thro ...
in 104 BC; acquitted of extortion, despite significant evidence. With other consulars, took up arms against the revolt of
Saturninus in 100. A clever jurist and powerful orator, his reputation had faded by
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...
's time, when his speeches were scarcely to be found.
*
Gaius Flavius C. f. C. n. Fimbria, a violent partisan of
Gaius Marius
Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbrian War, Cimbric and Jugurthine War, Jugurthine wars, he held the office of Roman consul, consul an unprecedented seven times. Rising from a fami ...
, at whose funeral he tried to kill
Quintus Mucius Scaevola, the
Pontifex Maximus. Sent to
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
in an expedition against
Mithridates
Mithridates or Mithradates (Old Persian 𐎷𐎡𐎰𐎼𐎭𐎠𐎫 ''Miθradāta'') is the Hellenistic period, Hellenistic form of an Iranian languages, Iranian theophoric name, meaning "given by Mithra". Its Modern Persian form is Mehrdad. It ...
and
Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (, ; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman of the late Roman Republic. A great commander and ruthless politician, Sulla used violence to advance his career and his co ...
, Fimbria led a mutiny against the consul
Valerius Flaccus, whom he murdered, taking command of the army. With much savagery, he subdued much of Asia, but when his men went over to Sulla, he took his own life.
* Flavius C. f. C. n. Fimbria, brother of Gaius, was likewise in the service of the Marian party in the war against Sulla, 82 BC, and was legate to
Gaius Norbanus. He and other officers of the party of
Carbo were invited to a banquet by
Publius Albinovanus, and then treacherously murdered.
* Lucius Flavius Fimbria, consul ''suffectus'' in AD 71, during the months of July and August.
Flavii Sabini

*
Titus Flavius Petro, grandfather of the emperor Vespasian, was a native of the
municipium
In ancient Rome, the Latin term (: ) referred to a town or city. Etymologically, the was a social contract among ('duty holders'), or citizens of the town. The duties () were a communal obligation assumed by the in exchange for the privileges ...
of
Reate, and served as a centurion in the army of
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Rom ...
at the
Battle of Pharsalus, 48 BC.
[Suetonius, "The Life of Vespasian", 1.]
*
Titus Flavius T. f. Sabinus, father of Vespasian, was one of the farmers of the tax of the quadragesima in
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, which he collected with so much fairness that many cities erected statues to his honour with the inscription, . He afterwards carried on business as a money-lender among the
Helvetii
The Helvetii (, , Gaulish: *''Heluētī''), anglicized as Helvetians, were a Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their contact with the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC. According to Ju ...
, and died in their country.
*
Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Sabinus, the elder brother of Vespasian, was consul in AD 52, and for most of
Nero
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...
's reign. The emperor
Vitellius
Aulus Vitellius ( ; ; 24 September 1520 December 69) was Roman emperor for eight months, from 19 April to 20 December AD 69. Vitellius became emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of civil wa ...
offered to surrender the empire into his hands until the arrival of Vespasian, but the soldiers of each refused this arrangement, and Sabinus was murdered by Vitellius' troops, despite the emperor's attempts to save him.
* Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Vespasianus, the emperor
Vespasian
Vespasian (; ; 17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79. The last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for 27 years. His fiscal reforms and consolida ...
, was consul in AD 51, and
proconsul
A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a Roman consul, consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority.
In the Roman Republic, military ...
in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
and
Judaea under Nero. He became emperor in AD 69, on the death of Vitellius, and reigned until his death in 79.
*
Flavia Domitilla, otherwise known as ''Domitilla the Elder'', the wife of Vespasian.
*
Titus Flavius (T. f. T. n.) Sabinus, consul in AD 69, was probably a nephew of the emperor Vespasian. He was one of the generals appointed by the emperor
Otho
Otho ( ; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was Roman emperor, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors.
A member of a noble Etruscan civilization, ...
to oppose the forces of Vitellius, but after Otho's death, he submitted to the conqueror, and caused his troops in the north of Italy to submit to the generals of Vitellius.
*
Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Sabinus, son of the consul of 52, and nephew of Vespasian, he was consul with his cousin, the emperor Domitian, in AD 82, but afterwards slain by the emperor on the pretext that the herald proclaiming his consulship had called him ''Imperator'' instead of ''consul''.
*
Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Clemens, son of the consul of 52, and nephew of Vespasian, he was consul with his cousin, the emperor Domitian, in AD 95. Although the emperor had intended Clemens' sons to succeed him in the empire, and renamed them ''Vespasian'' and ''Domitian'', he had his cousin put to death during his consulship, according to
Cassius Dio
Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history of ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...
on a charge of atheism, implying that he had become a Christian.
* Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Vespasianus, the emperor
Titus
Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September AD 81) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, becoming the first Roman emperor ever to succeed h ...
, reigned from AD 79 to 81.
* Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Domitianus, the emperor
Domitian
Domitian ( ; ; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was Roman emperor from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Flavian dynasty. Described as "a r ...
, emperor from AD 81 to 96.
*
Flavia Domitilla, otherwise known as ''Domitilla the Younger'', the daughter of Vespasian.
*
Julia Flavia, daughter of the emperor Titus; she married her cousin, Titus Flavius Sabinus, consul in AD 82. He was murdered by Julia's uncle, the emperor Domitian, who then took his niece for a mistress.
*
Flavia Domitilla, daughter of Domitilla the Younger, and granddaughter of Vespasian; she married her cousin, Titus Flavius Clemens, consul in AD 95. He was murdered by Domitilla's uncle, the emperor Domitian, and Domitilla was exiled.
Flavii Titiani
* Titus Flavius Titianus, governor of
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
from AD 126 to 133.
* Titus Flavius Titianus, governor of Egypt from AD 164 to 167.
* Titiana, mother of Flavia Titiana, the wife of Pertinax.
*
Titus Flavius Claudius Sulpicianus, consul ''suffectus'' , and proconsul in Asia, 186. His daughter, Flavia Titiana, married the future emperor
Pertinax
Publius Helvius Pertinax ( ; 1 August 126 – 28 March 193) was Roman emperor for the first three months of 193. He succeeded Commodus to become the first emperor during the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors.
Born to the son of a freed sl ...
, and Sulpicianus served as ''praefectus urbi'' under Pertinax and
Didius Julianus
Marcus Didius Julianus (; 29 January 133 – 2 June 193) was Roman emperor from March to June 193, during the Year of the Five Emperors. Julianus had a promising political career, governing several provinces, including Dalmatia (Roman province) ...
. He was put to death by
Septimius Severus
Lucius Septimius Severus (; ; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through cursus honorum, the ...
in 197.
*
Titus Flavius Titianus, consul ''suffectus'' circa AD 200; he was probably the same Titus Flavius Titianus who was procurator of Alexandria under
Caracalla
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (; ), was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...
, and who was put to death by Theocritus, .
*
Flavia Titiana, the wife of Pertinax, and Roman empress in AD 193.
*
Titus Flavius Postumius Titianus, consul in AD 301.
Flavii Apri
* Marcus Flavius Aper, consul in AD 130.
* Marcus Flavius M. f. Aper, consul in 176.
* Titus Flavius Aper Commodianus, legate of
Germania Inferior
''Germania Inferior'' ("Lower Germania") was a Roman province from AD 85 until the province was renamed ''Germania Secunda'' in the 4th century AD, on the west bank of the Rhine bordering the North Sea. The capital of the province was Colonia Cl ...
in 222–223, and consul in an unknown year.
*
Lucius Flavius Aper, of
Pannonia Inferior in the second half of the 3rd century. He may be identified with Aper, praetorian prefect and father-in-law of the emperor
Numerian
Numerian (; died November 284) was Roman emperor from 283 to 284 with his older brother Carinus. They were sons of Carus, a general raised to the office of praetorian prefect under Emperor Probus in 282.Leadbetter, "Carus."
Early life and Ca ...
, whose death he allegedly and unsuccessfully tried to conceal, and was thereupon slain by
Diocletian
Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...
.
Others
*
Flavius Scaevinus
Flavius Scaevinus, a praetorian tribune and ''quaestor'', was a member of the Pisonian conspiracy against Nero. It was through his freedman Milichus that Nero discovered the conspiracy. Afterwards, history is silent on the fate of Flavius, with ...
, a senator of dissolute life, took part in the
conspiracy of Piso against Nero. It was through Milichus, the freedman of Scaevinus, that the conspiracy was discovered by Nero. Milichus was liberally rewarded by the emperor, and Scaevinus put to death.
*
Subrius Flavus, called ''Flavius'' in some manuscripts, tribune of the
praetorian guard
The Praetorian Guard (Latin language, Latin: ''cohortes praetoriae'') was the imperial guard of the Imperial Roman army that served various roles for the Roman emperor including being a bodyguard unit, counterintelligence, crowd control and ga ...
, and an active agent in the conspiracy against Nero, after the discovery of which he was put to death.
*
Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus, consul in AD 81. He had been governor of
Judaea from 73 to 81, and led the Roman forces at the siege of
Masada
Masada ( ', 'fortress'; ) is a mountain-top fortress complex in the Judaean Desert, overlooking the western shore of the Dead Sea in southeastern Israel. The fort, built in the first century BCE, was constructed atop a natural plateau rising ov ...
, which fell in 74.
*
Titus Flavius Josephus, a historian of Jewish origin, who was captured by the future emperor Vespasian after the siege of
Iotapata. He was spared execution, and eventually found favour with Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian, adopting the name ''Titus Flavius'' in honour of his patrons.
*
Titus Flavius Hyrcanus, the third son of Josephus.
*
Titus Flavius Justus, the fourth son of Josephus.
*
Titus Flavius Simonides Agrippa, the fifth son of Josephus.
*
Lucius Flavius Arrianus, called by the Athenians ''the young Xenophon'', a historian of the second century. He was Greek, but received the
Roman franchise and the right to hold high office from the emperor
Hadrian
Hadrian ( ; ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. Hadrian was born in Italica, close to modern Seville in Spain, an Italic peoples, Italic settlement in Hispania Baetica; his branch of the Aelia gens, Aelia '' ...
in AD 124, whence he adopted the name ''Lucius Flavius''. He held the consulship in AD 146.
*
Titus Flavius Clemens, also known as ''Clement of Alexandria'', one of the early Church fathers, lived from the middle of the second century to the second decade of the third century. He may have been born at
Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
. His relationship to the other Flavii, or to Titus Flavius Clemens, the consul of AD 95, who may have been a convert to Christianity, is unknown; Clement's parents are thought to have been well-to-do pagans. Given the large number of persons who adopted the nomen ''Flavius'' during this period, his name could be coincidental.
*
Flavius Caper, a Roman
grammarian of uncertain date; he may have lived in the second century.
* Flavius Flavianus, equestrian governor of
Mauretania Tingitana
Mauretania Tingitana (Latin for "Tangerine Mauretania") was a Roman province, coinciding roughly with the northern part of present-day Morocco. The territory stretched from the northern peninsula opposite Gibraltar, to Sala Colonia (or Chellah ...
AD 153.
* Flavius Calvisius, apparently the same as
Gaius Calvisius Statianus, the governor of
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
under
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ( ; ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoicism, Stoic philosopher. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors ...
, took part in the revolt of
Avidius Cassius
Gaius Avidius Cassius ( 130 – July 175 AD) was a Syrian Roman general and usurper. He was born in Cyrrhus, and was the son of Gaius Avidius Heliodorus, who served as ''praefectus'' or governor of Roman Egypt, and Julia Cassia Alexandra, wh ...
, but was treated by the emperor with great leniency, and was only banished to an island.
*
Titus Flavius Piso, governor of Egypt ''circa'' AD 181.
*
Titus Flavius Genialis, praetorian prefect with
Tullius Crispinus in AD 193.
* Flavius Heracleo, the commander of the Roman soldiers in
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
in the reign of
Alexander Severus
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – March 235), also known as Alexander Severus, was Roman emperor from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. Alexander took power in 222, when he succeeded his slain co ...
, was slain by his own troops.
* Flavius Maternianus, ''
Praefectus urbi
The ''praefectus urbanus'', also called ''praefectus urbi'' or urban prefect in English, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, an ...
'' under
Caracalla
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (; ), was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...
, was either put to death or treated with great indignity by
Macrinus
Marcus Opellius Macrinus (; – June 218) was a Roman emperor who reigned from April 217 to June 218, jointly with his young son Diadumenianus. Born in Caesarea (now called Cherchell, in modern Algeria), in the Roman province of Mauretania ...
, AD 217.
*
Lucius Flavius Philostratus, author of the ''
Life of Apollonius of Tyana'', is called ''Flavius'' by
Tzetzes
John Tzetzes (; , Constantinople – 1180, Constantinople) was a Byzantine poet and grammarian who lived at Constantinople in the 12th century. He is known for making significant contributions in preserving much valuable information from ancien ...
in ''Βιος Σοφιστων'' (Lives of the Sophists), must have lived during the third century.
* Flavius Ingenianus, governor of
Mauretania Tingitana
Mauretania Tingitana (Latin for "Tangerine Mauretania") was a Roman province, coinciding roughly with the northern part of present-day Morocco. The territory stretched from the northern peninsula opposite Gibraltar, to Sala Colonia (or Chellah ...
in the later third century.
* Flavius Scribonianus, a Roman noble of consular and senatorial rank who was a steward in charge of running the Olympic Games. His name was inscribed on a
discus found at
Olympia, evidently dating from AD 241.
* Flavius Vopiscus of
Syracuse, one of the six ''scriptores'' of the ''
Historia Augusta
The ''Historia Augusta'' (English: ''Augustan History'') is a late Roman collection of biographies, written in Latin, of the Roman emperors, their junior colleagues, Caesar (title), designated heirs and Roman usurper, usurpers from 117 to 284. S ...
'', whose name is prefixed to the biographies of
Aurelian
Aurelian (; ; 9 September ) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 270 to 275 AD during the Crisis of the Third Century. As emperor, he won an unprecedented series of military victories which reunited the Roman Empire after it had nearly disinte ...
,
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars.
Tacitus’ two major historical works, ''Annals'' ( ...
,
Florianus
Marcus Annius Florianus (died 276), also known as Florian, was briefly Roman emperor in the year 276. He took the throne after the murder of his half-brother Tacitus, but was killed after 88 days by his own troops during his confrontation with ...
,
Probus Probus may refer to:
People
* Marcus Valerius Probus (c. 20/30–105 AD), Roman grammarian
* Marcus Pomponius Maecius Probus, consul in 228
* Probus (emperor), Roman Emperor (276–282)
* Probus of Byzantium (–306), Bishop of Byzantium from 293 t ...
, the Four Tyrants (
Firmus,
Saturninus,
Proculus, and
Bonosus),
Carus
Marcus Aurelius Carus ( – July or August 283) was Roman emperor from 282 to 283. During his short reign, Carus fought the Germanic tribes and Sarmatians along the Danube frontier with success.
He died while campaigning against the Sassanid ...
,
Numerian
Numerian (; died November 284) was Roman emperor from 283 to 284 with his older brother Carinus. They were sons of Carus, a general raised to the office of praetorian prefect under Emperor Probus in 282.Leadbetter, "Carus."
Early life and Ca ...
us, and
Carinus
Marcus Aurelius Carinus (died 285) was Roman Emperor from 283 to 285. The eldest son of the Emperor Carus, he was first appointed '' Caesar'' in late 282, then given the title of ''Augustus'' in early 283, and made co-emperor of the western p ...
. Modern scholarship has called Vopiscus' authorship, and even his existence, into question.
*
Flavia, otherwise known as ''Saint Flavia'', venerated along with
Placidus and several others, and said to have been martyred under the emperor
Diocletian
Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...
, or in other accounts by
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
s.
*
Quintus Flavius Maesius Egnatius Lollianus Mavortius, consul in AD 355.
*
Flavius Eusebius, consul in AD 337. He was the father of Eusebius and Hypatius who served as consuls in AD 359, and probably also the empress Eusebia, wife of Constantius II.
*
Flavius Eusebius, consul in AD 359, together with his brother, Hypatius. Falsely accused of treason in 371, he was soon recalled.
*
Flavius Hypatius, consul in AD 359, together with his brother, Eusebius. He was
praetorian prefect
The praetorian prefect (; ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief ai ...
of Italy and Illyricum from 382 to 383.
*
Eusebia, wife of the emperor Constantius II.
*
Flavius Martinus Flavius Martinus was a vicarius of Roman Britain c. 353 under Constantius II.Collins, R. (2016). Power at the periphery: military authority in transition in late Roman Britain. In Official Power and Local Elites in the Roman Provinces (pp. 147-164 ...
, a
vicarius
''Vicarius'' is a Latin word, meaning ''substitute'' or ''deputy''. It is the root of the English word "vicar".
History
Originally, in ancient Rome, this office was equivalent to the later English " vice-" (as in " deputy"), used as part of th ...
, or deputy administrator, of
Britannia
The image of Britannia () is the national personification of United Kingdom, Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used by the Romans in classical antiquity, the Latin was the name variously appli ...
during the middle fourth century.
*
Flavius Mallius Theodorus, consul in AD 399, and a contemporary of
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...
, who dedicated to him his work, ''De Vita Beata''.
*
Flavius Avianus, the author of a collection of forty-two
Aesop
Aesop ( ; , ; c. 620–564 BCE; formerly rendered as Æsop) was a Greeks, Greek wikt:fabulist, fabulist and Oral storytelling, storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as ''Aesop's Fables''. Although his existence re ...
ic
fable
Fable is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a parti ...
s in Latin
elegiac verse, dedicated to a certain Theodosius, who is addressed as a man of great learning and highly cultivated mind.
*
Flavius Stilicho, a Roman general under the emperors
Theodosius and
Honorius
Honorius (; 9 September 384 – 15 August 423) was Roman emperor from 393 to 423. He was the younger son of emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla. After the death of Theodosius in 395, Honorius, under the regency of Stilicho ...
; he dealt several crushing defeats to
Alaric, king of the
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
.
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon (; 8 May 173716 January 1794) was an English essayist, historian, and politician. His most important work, ''The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', published in six volumes between 1776 and 1789, is known for ...
called him "the last of the Roman generals."
*
Flavius Felix, consul in AD 428, and a leading figure under
Valentinian III
Valentinian III (; 2 July 41916 March 455) was Roman emperor in the Western Roman Empire, West from 425 to 455. Starting in childhood, his reign over the Roman Empire was one of the longest, but was dominated by civil wars among powerful general ...
and
Theodosius II
Theodosius II ( ; 10 April 401 – 28 July 450), called "the Calligraphy, Calligrapher", was Roman emperor from 402 to 450. He was proclaimed ''Augustus (title), Augustus'' as an infant and ruled as the Eastern Empire's sole emperor after the ...
. In 430, he and his wife were accused of plotting against Aëtius, who had him put to death.
*
Flavius Aëtius, a Roman general under the emperor
Valentinian III
Valentinian III (; 2 July 41916 March 455) was Roman emperor in the Western Roman Empire, West from 425 to 455. Starting in childhood, his reign over the Roman Empire was one of the longest, but was dominated by civil wars among powerful general ...
, who helped maintain imperial authority in Italy, Spain and Gaul. He defeated
Chlodion, king of the
Franks
file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty
The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...
, and with the help of
Theodoric
Theodoric is a Germanic given name. First attested as a Gothic name in the 5th century, it became widespread in the Germanic-speaking world, not least due to its most famous bearer, Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths.
Overview
The name w ...
, king of the Visigoths, defeated
Attila the Hun
Attila ( or ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central and East ...
at the
Catalaunian Plains in AD 451. He was consul in 432, 437, and 446, but in 454 the suspicious emperor slew him with his own hand.
* Flavius Felix, an
African who flourished towards the close of the fifth century, the author of five short pieces in the
Latin Anthology.
[Latin Anthology, vol. iii, pp. 34–37, vol. iv., p. 86 (ed. Burmann), No. 291–295 (ed. Meyer).]
*
Flavius Belisarius, a Byzantine general under the emperor
Justinian
Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...
; he reconquered much of the western empire, and was consul ''sine collega'' in AD 535.
*
Flavius Paulus, a 7th-century Roman general in Visigothic Spain
Constantinian dynasty
*
Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus", emperor from AD 305 to 306, and the father of Constantine the Great.
*
Flavia Julia Helena, the first wife of Constantius Chlorus, and mother of the emperor Constantine.
*
Flavia Maximiana Theodora
Flavia Maximiana Theodora (died before 337) was a Roman empress as the wife of Constantius Chlorus.
Biography Early life
She is often referred to as a stepdaughter of Emperor Maximian by ancient sources, leading to claims by historians Otto Seec ...
, probably the daughter of
Afranius Hannibalianus, and stepdaughter of
Maximian
Maximian (; ), nicknamed Herculius, was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar (title), Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus (title), Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocleti ...
; she was the second wife of Constantius Chlorus.
*
Flavius Valerius Constantinus, otherwise known as ''Constantine the Great'', emperor from AD 306 to 337.
*
(Flavius) Julius Constantius, eldest son of Constantius Chlorus and Theodora, and brother of Constantine. He was named consul in AD 335, but put to death following the emperor's death in 337. His sons, Constantius Gallus and Julian, were spared, and would eventually be named heirs by their cousin, Constantius II, who had married their sister.
*
Flavius Dalmatius, son of Constantius Chlorus and Theodora, and brother of Constantine; styled the "
censor" from AD 333, but was slain following the death of Constantine.
* Flavius Hannibalianus, son of Constantius Chlorus and Theodora, was granted the title ''
Nobilissimus'', but perished in the massacre of the Flavian dynasty following the death of his brother, Constantine.
*
Flavia Julia Constantia, daughter of Constantius Chlorus and Theodora, and sister of Constantine, was given by him in marriage to his colleague, the emperor Licinius.
*
Flavia Maxima Fausta, daughter of Maximian, and second wife of Constantine; she was put to death in AD 326, shortly after the execution of her stepson, Crispus. The reasons are unclear, but rumors circulated of an affair between the empress and her stepson, or of a false allegation against Crispus by his stepmother, leading to his death.
*
Flavius Julius Crispus, son of Constantine, served his father in the war against Licinius, but was put to death in unclear circumstances in AD 326.
*
Flavia Valeria Constantina, the elder daughter of Constantine and Fausta, she was given in marriage first to her cousin Hannibalianus, and following his death in the dynastic purge of AD 337, to her cousin Constantius Gallus. She died in 354.
*
Flavia Julia Helena, the younger daughter of Constantine and Fausta, she was given in marriage to her cousin, Julian, the future emperor. The couple was childless, and Helena suffered several miscarriages, which rumor blamed on the machinations of the empress
Eusebia.
*
Flavius Claudius Constantinus, son of Constantine, and emperor with his brothers Constantius and Constans from AD 337 to 340.
*
Flavius Julius Constantius, son of Constantine, and emperor with his brothers Constantinus and Constans from AD 337 to 361.
*
Flavius Julius Constans, son of Constantine, and emperor with his brothers Constantinus and Constantius from AD 337 to 350.
*
Flavius Claudius Constantius Gallus, named
Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a 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 a civil war. He ...
by his cousin, Constantius II, in AD 351, but put to death in 354.
*
Flavius Claudius Julianus
Julian (; ; 331 – 26 June 363) was the Caesar of the West from 355 to 360 and Roman emperor from 361 to 363, as well as a notable philosopher and author in Greek. His rejection of Christianity, and his promotion of Neoplatonic Hellenism i ...
, emperor from AD 361 to 363.
*
Flavius Dalmatius, son of Dalmatius the censor, and nephew of Constantine; he was proclaimed
Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a 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 a civil war. He ...
in 335, but slain by his soldiers following Constantine's death in 337.
*
Flavius Hannibalianus, son of Dalmatius the censor, and nephew of Constantine, who probably intended to place him at the head of a campaign against the
Sassanid Empire
The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...
, but this plan ended with the emperor's death in AD 337, and Hannibalianus was slain in the turmoil that followed.
*
Flavius Nepotianus, son of Eutropia, and nephew of Constantine, in AD 350 he revolted against Magnentius, but his small force, composed of ordinary citizens and gladiators, was quickly defeated by Magnentius' ''magister officiorum'',
Marcellinus. Nepotianus and his mother were put to death.
*
Constantia, daughter of Constantius II, and wife of the emperor
Gratian
Gratian (; ; 18 April 359 – 25 August 383) was emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 367 to 383. The eldest son of Valentinian I, Gratian was raised to the rank of ''Augustus'' as a child and inherited the West after his father's death in ...
.
* Anastasia, daughter of Hannibalianus and Constantina.
Later emperors
*
Flavius Magnus Magnentius, an usurper who revolted against the emperor Constans, and was proclaimed emperor in AD 350. After his defeat by Constantius II in 353, he fell on his sword.
*
Flavius Jovianus, emperor from AD 363 to 364.
*
Flavius Valentinianus, or Valentinian the Great, emperor from AD 364 to 375. He associated his brother, Valens, with him in the empire, giving Valens the
eastern provinces, while he retained the
west
West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...
.
*
Flavius Valens, the brother of Valentinian I, emperor of the east from AD 364 to 378.
*
Flavius Gratianus, the elder son of Valentinian I, emperor of the west with his brother, Valentinian II, from AD 375 to 383.
*
Flavius Valentinianus, or Valentinian II, the younger son of Valentinian I, emperor of the west with his brother, Gratian, from AD 375 to 383, with
Magnus Maximus
Magnus Maximus (; died 28 August 388) was Roman emperor in the West from 383 to 388. He usurped the throne from emperor Gratian.
Born in Gallaecia, he served as an officer in Britain under Theodosius the Elder during the Great Conspiracy ...
from 383 to 388, then sole emperor of the west until his death in 392.
*
Flavius Theodosius, or Theodosius the Great, emperor of the east from AD 379 to 392, and sole emperor from 392 to 395.
*
Flavius Magnus Maximus, commander of the Roman army in
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales
* The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
, he claimed the throne of the western empire on the death of Gratian, and was recognized as co-emperor with Valentinian II until his defeat by Theodosius in 388.
*
Flavius Victor, the son of Magnus Maximus, who appointed him co-emperor in AD 384. He was put to death by Theodosius following his father's defeat in 388.
*
Flavius Eugenius, elevated by
Arbogast to the western empire following the death of Valentinian II in AD 392; he was defeated and killed by Theodosius in 394.
*
Flavius Honorius, the younger son of Theodosius; emperor of the west from AD 395 to 423.
*
Flavius Arcadius, son of Theodosius; emperor of the east from AD 395 to 408
*
Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Justinianus, or Justinian, nephew of Justin I, and emperor from AD 527 to 565.
*
Flavius Justinus, the nephew of Justinian, emperor from AD 565 to 574.
*
Flavius Tiberius Constantinus, emperor from AD 574 to 582.
*
Flavius Mauricius Tiberius, or Maurice, emperor from AD 582 to 602.
*
Flavius Phocas, emperor from AD 602 to 610.
*
Flavius Heraclius, emperor from AD 610 to 641.
Flavii in fiction
* The character Flavius in
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's play, ''
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a 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 Caesar's civil wa ...
'', is based on
Lucius Caesetius Flavus, a member of the
Caesetia gens.
*Flavius Maximus, a character in the
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
episode "
Bread and Circuses."
*Chancellor (later President) Flavia is a fictional
Time Lady in ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'', played by
Dinah Sheridan.
*Flavius, a slave of and friend the title character in Anne Rice's Novel "Pandora", part of The Vampire Chronicles.
*Flavius, part of Katniss Everdeen's prep team along with Venia and Octavia in the
Hunger Games books.
*Flavia Gemina, the main character in
Caroline Lawrence's novels
The Roman Mysteries.
*Flavius Metallus, a member of
Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a 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 a civil war. He ...
's staff in ''
Assassin's Creed Origins
''Assassin's Creed Origins'' is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the tenth major installment in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series and the successor to ''Assassin's Creed Syndicate'' (20 ...
''.
Flavianus
''
Flavianus'' is the adjectival form of the name and was used as a
cognomen
A ''cognomen'' (; : ''cognomina''; from ''co-'' "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 hereditar ...
. It is sometimes
anglicized
Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...
as ''Flavian''.
Flavian legions
Some
Roman legion
The Roman legion (, ) was the largest military List of military legions, unit of the Roman army, composed of Roman citizenship, Roman citizens serving as legionary, legionaries. During the Roman Republic the manipular legion comprised 4,200 i ...
s were called ''Flavia'', as they had been levied by the Flavian emperors:
*
Legio IV ''Flavia Felix''
*
Legio XVI ''Flavia Firma''
* Legio I ''Flavia Constantia''
* Legio I ''Flavia Gallicana Constantia''
* Legio I ''Flavia Martis''
* Legio I ''Flavia Pacis''
* Legio I ''Flavia Theodosiana''
*
Legio II ''Flavia Constantia''
*
Legio II ''Flavia Virtutis''
* Legio III ''Flavia Salutis''
See also
*
People named Flavianus or
Flavian
*
List of Roman gentes
The gens (plural gentes) was a Roman family, of Italic or Etruscan origins, consisting of all those individuals who shared the same '' nomen'' and claimed descent from a common ancestor. It was an important social and legal structure in earl ...
References
Bibliography
*
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...
, ''
Epistulae ad Atticum'', ''
Epistulae ad Familiares
''Epistulae ad Familiares'' (''Letters to Friends'') is a collection of letters between Ancient Rome, Roman politician and orator Cicero, Marcus Tullius Cicero and various public and private figures. The letters in this collection, together wit ...
'', ''
Epistulae ad Quintum Fratrem'', ''
In Verrem
"''In Verrem''" ("Against Verres") is a series of speeches made by Cicero in 70 BC, during the corruption and extortion trial of Gaius Verres, the former governor of Sicily. The speeches, which were concurrent with Cicero's election to the aedil ...
'', ''
Pro Cluentio'', ''Pro Quinto Roscio Comoedo''.
* Pseudo-Brutus, ''Epistulae ad Ciceronem''.
*
Gaius Julius Caesar (attributed), ''De Bello Hispaniensis'' (On the War in Spain).
*
Cornelius Nepos
Cornelius Nepos (; c. 110 BC – c. 25 BC) was a Roman Empire, Roman biographer. He was born at Hostilia, a village in Cisalpine Gaul not far from Verona.
Biography
Nepos's Cisalpine birth is attested by Ausonius, and Pliny the Elder calls ...
, ''De Viris Illustribus'' (On the Lives of Famous Men).
* 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 i ...
), ''
History of Rome''.
*
Valerius Maximus
Valerius Maximus () was a 1st-century Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes: ' ("Nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' or ''Facta et dicta memorabilia''). He worke ...
, ''Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium'' (Memorable Facts and Sayings).
*
Quintus Asconius Pedianus, ''Commentarius in Oratio Ciceronis
Pro Milone
''Pro Tito Annio Milone ad iudicem oratio'' (or ''Pro Milone'') is a speech made by Marcus Tullius Cicero in 52 BC on behalf of his friend Titus Annius Milo. Milo was accused of murdering his political enemy Publius Clodius Pulcher on the Via App ...
'' (Commentary on Cicero's Oration ''Pro Milone'').
*
Publius Cornelius Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historiography, Roman historians by modern scholars.
Tacitus’ two major historical ...
, ''
Annales
Annals are a concise form of historical writing which record events chronologically, year by year. The equivalent word in Latin and French is ''annales'', which is used untranslated in English in various contexts.
List of works with titles contai ...
'', ''
Historiae''.
* Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus (
Plutarch
Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...
), ''
Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans''.
*
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, ''
De Vita Caesarum'' (Lives of the Caesars, or The Twelve Caesars).
* Appianus Alexandrinus (
Appian
Appian of Alexandria (; ; ; ) was a Greek historian with Roman citizenship who prospered during the reigns of the Roman Emperors Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius.
He was born c. 95 in Alexandria. After holding the senior offices in the pr ...
), ''Bellum Civile'' (The Civil War), ''Bellum Hannibalicum'' (The War with Hannibal).
* Lucius Cassius Dio (
Cassius Dio
Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history of ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...
), ''Roman History''.
*
Herodian
Herodian or Herodianus () of Syria, sometimes referred to as "Herodian of Antioch" (c. 170 – c. 240), was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled ''History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus'' (τῆς με ...
us, ''Tes Meta Marcon Basileas Istoria'' (History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus Aurelius).
*
Philostratus
Philostratus or Lucius Flavius Philostratus (; ; 170s – 240s AD), called "the Athenian", was a Greek sophist of the Roman imperial period. His father was a minor sophist of the same name. He flourished during the reign of Septimius Severus ...
, ''The Life of Apollonius of Tyana''.
* Aelius Lampridius, Aelius Spartianus, Flavius Vopiscus, Julius Capitolinus, Trebellius Pollio, and Vulcatius Gallicanus, ''Historia Augusta'' (
Augustan History).
* Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus (
St. Jerome), ''
De Viris Illustribus'' (On Famous Men).
*
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...
, ''De Vita Beata'' (On the Blessed Life).
*
Pieter Burmann, ''
Anthologia Latina'' (Latin Anthology), ed.
Wernsdorf, (1759–1778).
* Real Academia de la Historia,
Memorias de La Real Academia de la Historia', vol. 2 (1796).
* ''
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' is a biographical dictionary of classical antiquity, edited by William Smith (lexicographer), William Smith and originally published in London by John Taylor (English publisher), Tayl ...
'',
William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849).
* Carl Eduard Zachariae von Lingenthal (ed.),
Jus Graeco-Romanum', part III, T. O. Weigel, Leipzig (1857).
* ''
Schaff–Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge'',
Johann Jakob Herzog and
Philip Schaff
Philip Schaff (January 1, 1819 – October 20, 1893) was a Swiss-born, German-educated Protestant theologian and ecclesiastical historian, who spent most of his adult life living and teaching in the United States.
Life and career
Schaff was ...
, eds., Funk & Wagnalls, New York (1882–1884).
* René Cagnat ''et alii'', ''
L'Année épigraphique
''L'Année épigraphique'' (''The Epigraphic Year'', standard abbreviation ''AE'') is a French publication on epigraphy (i.e the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing). It was set up by René Cagnat, as holder of the chair of 'Epigraphy a ...
'' (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, pp. 103–184 (1897).
*
Paul von Rohden,
Elimar Klebs, &
Hermann Dessau, ''
Prosopographia Imperii Romani
The ', abbreviated ''PIR'', is a collective historical work to establish the prosopography of high-profile people from the Roman Empire. The time period covered extends from the Battle of Actium in 31 BC to the reign of Diocletian. The final volum ...
'' (The Prosopography of the Roman Empire, abbreviated ''PIR''), Berlin (1898).
* F.W. Bussell
''The Roman Empire: Essays on the Constitutional History from the Accession of Domitian (81 A.D.) to the Retirement of Nicephorus III (1081 A.D.)'', vol. I Longmans, Green, and Co., London (1910).
* Luigi Sorricchio,
Hatria', Tipografia del Senato, Rome (1911).
*
T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', American Philological Association (1952–1986).
* D.P. Simpson, ''Cassell's Latin and English Dictionary'', Macmillan Publishing Company, New York (1963).
* Availabl
online
*
Guido Bastianini,
Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p (List of the Prefects of Egypt from 30 BC to AD 299), in ''
Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', vol. 17 (1975).
* Gerhard Rösch, ''Onoma Basileias: Studien zum offiziellen Gebrauch der Kaisertitel in spätantiker und frühbyzantinischer Zeit'', Verlag der österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (1978), .
* Paul A. Gallivan, "The ''Fasti'' for A.D. 70–96", in ''
Classical Quarterly'', vol. 31, pp. 186–220 (1981).
*
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).
* J.E.H. Spaul,
Governors of Tingitana, in ''Antiquités Africaines'', vol. 30 (1994).
* John C. Traupman, ''The New College Latin & English Dictionary'', Bantam Books, New York (1995).
* Peter Weiß,
Neue Militärdiplome, in ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', vol. 117 (1997).
* Noel Lenski,
Failure of Empire: Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century A. D.', University of California Press, Berkeley (2002).
*
Werner Eck and Andreas Pangerl,
Neue Militärdiplome für die Truppen der mauretanischen Provinzen, in ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', vol. 153 (2005).
* Paul Christesen "Imagining Olympia: Hippias of Elis and the First Olympic Victor List", in ''A Tall Order: Writing the Social History of the Ancient World'', Jean-Jacques Aubert, Zsuzsanna Várhelyi, eds., Walter de Gruyter (2012), pp. 319–356.
{{Authority control
Roman gentes