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The gens Flavia 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. Its members are first mentioned during the last three centuries 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 ...
. The first of the Flavii to achieve prominence was Marcus Flavius, tribune of the plebs in 327 and 323 BC; however, no Flavius attained the consulship until Gaius Flavius Fimbria in 104 BC. 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 ...
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, the number of persons bearing this nomen becomes very large, perhaps due to the great number of freedmen under the Flavian dynasty 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. During the later period of the Empire, the name ''Flavius'' frequently descended from one emperor to another, beginning with Constantius, the father of
Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
. The name became so ubiquitous that it was sometimes treated as a
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 bi ...
, 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. 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 Spain, where the Visigoths and their Spanish successors used the title " Emperor of All Spain", and the kings of the barbarian successor kingdoms of Italy, such as the Ostrogoths and the Lombards also used it, with a special meaning as the "protector" of the Italian peoples under Lombard rule. 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 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.


Origin

The Flavii of the Republic claimed Sabine ancestry, and may have been related to the Flavii who lived at Reate during the first century AD, from whom the emperor Vespasian descended; but the gentilicium is also found in other parts of Italy, such as
Etruria Etruria () was a region of Central Italy, located in an area that covered part of what are now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and northern and western Umbria. Etruscan Etruria The ancient people of Etruria are identified as Etruscan civiliza ...
and Lucania. The nomen ''Flavius'' is of Latin 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. In modern use, ''Flavius'' is a
personal name A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...
, and widely used in romance languages, including Italian and Spanish ''Flavio'' (fem. ''Flavia''),
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
''Flavien'' (fem. ''Flavie''), Portuguese ''Flávio'' (fem. ''Flávia''), and Romanian ''Flavius'' or ''Flaviu'' (fem. ''Flavia'').


Praenomina

The early Flavii used the praenomina ''
Marcus Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...
,
Quintus Quintus is a male given name derived from '' Quintus'', a common Latin forename (''praenomen'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Quintus derives from Latin word ''quintus'', meaning "fifth". Quintus is an English masculine given name and ...
, Gaius'', 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'' 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 ''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 and Lucania, 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 Titus Flavius Petro was the paternal grandfather of the Roman emperor Vespasian. What little is known of Petro comes from Suetonius, who says that he was a native of Reate in Latium, and had been one of the loyal soldiers of Pompeius during the ...
, 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 leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...
. 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. However, within less than thirty years, the family was largely destroyed through the workings of Vespasian's son, the emperor Domitian. 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.


As an imperial title

''Flavius'' was borne by all members of Constantine's dynasty.Rösch, ''Onoma Basileias'', pp. 49, 50. Imperial propaganda claimed that
Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
descended from the Flavians via Claudius Gothicus, but this was certainly a fabrication created to legitimize Constantine's rule. Following its use by the Constantinians, the name assumed the attributes of an imperial title, much as "Antoninus" had been treated by the Severan dynasty ( Caracalla, Diadumenian and Elagabalus), who followed the Antonines. It was borne by the Valentinian and Theodosian dynasties, and subsequently by barbarian rulers claiming to be their rightful successors. By the late 4th century, "Flavius" (often abbreviated as "Fl") became a synonim for nobility, and was often used as a
courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...
for all high-profile officers and generals of the empire. From the sole rule of Honorius onward, the name was not used in official contexts during the fifth century, and the few surviving examples are of transcribed imperial letters, reflecting the entrenched association of the name with the imperial office in popular perception, rather than official nomenclature. Under Justinian I, the name once again became part of the imperial nomenclature; it remained so under his successors until the time of Justinian II.


Members

* Marcus Flavius, tribune of the plebs in BC 327 and 323. *
Gnaeus Flavius Gnaeus Flavius ('' fl.'' 4th century BC) was the son of a freedman (''libertinus'') and rose to the office of aedile in the Roman Republic. Flavius was secretary ('' scriba'') to the consul Appius Claudius, a civil service job paid from the publ ...
, the son of a
freedman A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom a ...
, he was secretary to Appius Claudius Caecus, and served as aedile 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 three wars fought between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 17 years the two states struggled for supremacy, primarily in Ital ...
, and delivered the proconsul 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 classical Roman world. His main role was the practice of augury, the interpretation of the will of the gods by studying the flight of birds. Determinations were based upon whether they were flying i ...
who, according to Valerius Maximus, was accused by the aedile Gaius Valerius (perhaps the same who was curule aedile 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 Chaereas, and who was to be trained as an actor by Quintus Roscius, the celebrated comedian. * Lucius Flavius, an
eques Eques, ''horseman'' or ''rider'' in Latin, may refer to: * Equites, a member of the Roman Equestrian order * the Latin word for a knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or ...
, who gave evidence against Verres in BC 70. He probably lived in Sicily, 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 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 Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey or Pompey the Great, was a leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...
. He was also a friend of both Cicero and
Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...
, 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. 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, 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 p ...
. * Gaius Flavius, a friend of Brutus, whom he accompanied to
Philippi Philippi (; grc-gre, Φίλιπποι, ''Philippoi'') was a major Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides ( grc-gre, Κρηνῖδες, ''Krenides'' "Fountains") after its establishment by Thasian colon ...
in the capacity of ''praefectus fabrum''. Flavius fell in the Battle of Philippi, and Brutus lamented over his death. * Flavius Gallus, a military tribune 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 autoc ...
in his unfortunate campaign against the
Parthians Parthian may be: Historical * A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran * Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD) * Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language * Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
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 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's time, when his speeches were scarcely to be found. * Gaius Flavius C. f. C. n. Fimbria, a violent partisan of Gaius Marius, at whose funeral he tried to kill Quintus Mucius Scaevola, the Pontifex Maximus. Sent to Asia in an expedition against
Mithridates Mithridates or Mithradates ( Old Persian 𐎷𐎡𐎰𐎼𐎭𐎠𐎫 ''Miθradāta'') is the Hellenistic form of an Iranian theophoric name, meaning "given by the Mithra". Its Modern Persian form is Mehrdad. It may refer to: Rulers *Of Cius (al ...
and
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 had ...
, 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 Carbo or accented Carbó may refer to Places * Carbó Municipality, a municipality in Sonora, Mexico ** Carbó, the municipal seat of Carbó Municipality, Sonora, Mexico * Enrique Carbó, Argentina, a village and municipality in Entre Ríos Provinc ...
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 Titus Flavius Petro was the paternal grandfather of the Roman emperor Vespasian. What little is known of Petro comes from Suetonius, who says that he was a native of Reate in Latium, and had been one of the loyal soldiers of Pompeius during the ...
, grandfather of the emperor Vespasian, was a native of the municipium 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 leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...
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, which he collected with so much fairness that many cities erected statues to his honour with the inscription, ''καλως τελωνησαντι''. He afterwards carried on business as a money-lender among the
Helvetii The Helvetii ( , Gaulish: *''Heluētī''), anglicized as Helvetians, were a Celts, Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their Switzerland in the Roman era, contact with the Roman Republic in the ...
, and died in their country. * Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Sabinus, the elder brother of Vespasian, was consul ''suffectus'' in AD 52, and '' praefectus urbi'' for most of Nero's reign. The emperor Vitellius 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. Sabinus Vespasianus, the emperor Vespasian, was consul ''suffectus'' in AD 51, and proconsul in Africa 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 ''suffectus'' in AD 69, was probably a nephew of the emperor Vespasian. He was one of the generals appointed by the emperor Otho 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 on a charge of atheism, implying that he had become a Christian. * Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Sabinus Vespasianus, the emperor Titus, reigned from AD 79 to 81. * Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Domitianus, the emperor Domitian, 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 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'' circa AD 170, and proconsul in Asia, 186. His daughter, Flavia Titiana, married the future emperor Pertinax, and Sulpicianus served as ''praefectus urbi'' under Pertinax and Didius Julianus. He was put to death by Septimius Severus 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, and who was put to death by Theocritus, circa 216. * Flavia Titiana, the wife of Pertinax, and Roman empress in AD 193. *
Titus Flavius Postumius Titianus Titus Flavius Postumius Titianus (fl. late 3rd and 4th century AD) was a Roman statesman who served as senator and consul suffectus. Biography Postumius Titianus was a member of the third century ‘’gens Postumii’’, which was not descend ...
, 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 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 ( la, Marcus Aurelius Numerius Numerianus; 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 ...
, whose death he allegedly and unsuccessfully tried to conceal, and was thereupon slain by
Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
.


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. *
Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus Lucius Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus was a late-1st-century Roman general, governor of the province of Iudaea and consul. Silva was the commander of the army, composed mainly of the ''Legio X Fretensis'', in 72 AD which laid siege to the near-impre ...
, consul in AD 81. He had been governor of Judaea from 73 to 81, and led the Roman forces at the siege of Masada, 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 (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
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. 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 new citizens who adopted the nomen ''Flavius'' during this period, his name could be coincidental. * Flavius Caper, a Roman
grammarian Grammarian may refer to: * Alexandrine grammarians, philologists and textual scholars in Hellenistic Alexandria in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE * Biblical grammarians, scholars who study the Bible and the Hebrew language * Grammarian (Greco-Roman ...
of uncertain date; he may have lived in the second century. * Flavius Flavianus, equestrian governor of Mauretania Tingitana AD 153. * Flavius Calvisius, apparently the same as
Gaius Calvisius Statianus The gens Calvisia was an ancient Roman family, which first rose to prominence during the final decades of the Republic, and became influential in imperial times. The first of the gens to obtain the consulship was Gaius Calvisius Sabinus in 39 B ...
, the governor of Egypt under Marcus Aurelius, 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, who w ...
, but was treated by the emperor with great leniency, and was only banished to an island. *
Titus Flavius Piso Titus Flavius Piso was a Roman '' eques'' who held at least two senior postings during the reign of the Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Few details of Piso's life before these two senior postings are known. One source preserves his full na ...
, governor of Egypt ''circa'' AD 181. *
Titus Flavius Genialis Titus Flavius Genialis (Latin: ''T. Flavius Genialis'') was Praetorian prefect with Tullius Crispinus in 193 AD. He was appointed by Didius Julianus, who had just bought the throne from the Guard. Even in the face of Julianus' rapidly deterioratin ...
, praetorian prefect with
Tullius Crispinus Tullius Crispinus was Praetorian Prefect with Titus Flavius Genialis in 193 AD. He was appointed by Didius Julianus, who had just bought the throne from the guard. Didius Julianus had planned to name Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Seve ...
in AD 193. * Flavius Heracleo, the commander of the Roman soldiers in Mesopotamia in the reign of Alexander Severus, was slain by his own troops. * Flavius Maternianus, '' Praefectus urbi'' under Caracalla, was either put to death or treated with great indignity by Macrinus, AD 217. * Flavius Philostratus, author of the '' Life of Apollonius of Tyana'', is called ''Flavius'' by Tzetzes in ''Βιος Σοφιστων'' (Lives of the Sophists). * Flavius Ingenianus, governor of Mauretania Tingitana 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 The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...
, dated from the third century. * Flavius Vopiscus of
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
, 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, designated heirs and usurpers from 117 to 284. Supposedly modeled on the sim ...
'', whose name is prefixed to the biographies of
Aurelian Aurelian ( la, Lucius Domitius Aurelianus; 9 September 214 October 275) was a Roman emperor, who reigned during the Crisis of the Third Century, from 270 to 275. As emperor, he won an unprecedented series of military victories which reunited t ...
, Tacitus, Florianus,
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 (c. 222 – 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 th ...
,
Numerian Numerian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Numerius Numerianus; 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 ...
us, and
Carinus Marcus Aurelius Carinus (died 285) was Roman emperor from 283 to 285. The elder son of emperor Carus, he was first appointed ''Caesar'' and in the beginning of 283 co-emperor of the western portion of the empire by his father. Official accoun ...
. Modern scholarship has called Vopiscus' existence into question. * Flavia, a Saint, venerated along with Placidus and several others, and said to have been martyred under the emperor
Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
, or in other accounts by pirates. * Flavius Eusebius, consul in AD 337. He was the father of Eusebius and Hypatius, 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 The gens Flavia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Its members are first mentioned during the last three centuries of the Republic. The first of the Flavii to achieve prominence was Marcus Flavius, tribune of the plebs in 327 and 323 BC; ho ...
, consul in AD 359, together with his brother, Eusebius. He was
praetorian prefect The praetorian prefect ( la, praefectus praetorio, el, ) 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 be ...
of Italy and Illyricum from 382 to 383. * Flavia Aurelia Eusebia, wife of the emperor Constantius II. * Flavius Martinus, a vicarius, or deputy administrator, of Britannia during the middle fourth century. * Flavius Dexter, the son of Pacian, was
praetorian prefect The praetorian prefect ( la, praefectus praetorio, el, ) 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 be ...
, and a devoted advocate of Christianity. He was a contemporary of Jerome, who dedicated to him his book ''
De Viris Illustribus ''De Viris Illustribus'', meaning "concerning illustrious men", represents a genre of literature which evolved during the Italian Renaissance in imitation of the exemplary literature of Ancient Rome. It inspired the widespread commissioning of g ...
''. * Flavius Mallius Theodorus, consul in AD 399, and a contemporary of
Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
, who dedicated to him his work, ''De Vita Beata''. * Flavius Avianus, the author of a collection of forty-two Aesopic fables in Latin
elegiac verse The elegiac couplet is a poetic form used by Greek lyric poets for a variety of themes usually of smaller scale than the epic. Roman poets, particularly Catullus, Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid, adopted the same form in Latin many years later. ...
, 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; he dealt several crushing defeats to Alaric, king of the Visigoths. Edward Gibbon called him "the last of the Roman generals." *
Flavius Felix Flavius Constantius Felix (died 430) was a general of the Western Roman Empire, who reached the prominent rank of patrician before being killed probably by order of Flavius Aetius. For his consulate, in 428, he issued some consular diptychs, one ...
, consul in AD 428, and a leading figure under Valentinian III and Theodosius II. 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, who helped maintain imperial authority in Italy, Spain and Gaul. He defeated Chlodion, king of the Franks, and with the help of Theodoric, king of the Visigoths, defeated
Attila the Hun Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in March 453. He was also the leader of a tribal empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Bulgars, among others, in Central and Ea ...
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 African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...
who flourished towards the close of the fifth century, the author of five short pieces in the
Latin Anthology The ''Latin Anthology'' is a modern name given to a collection of Latin verse, from the age of Ennius to about 1000, formed by Pieter Burmann the Younger. Nothing corresponding to the Greek Anthology is known to have existed among the Romans, thou ...
.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; 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, probably the daughter of Afranius Hannibalianus, and stepdaughter of
Maximian Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...
; she was the second wife of Constantius Chlorus. * Flavius Valerius Constantinus "the Great", emperor from AD 306 to 337. * 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 Flavia Maxima Fausta ''Augusta'' (289–326 AD) was a Roman empress. She was the daughter of Maximian and second wife of Constantine the Great, who had her executed and excluded from all official accounts for unknown reasons. Historians Zosimu ...
, 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 Flavius Julius Crispus (; 300 – 326) was the eldest son of the Roman emperor Constantine I, as well as his junior colleague ( ''caesar'') from March 317 until his execution by his father in 326. The grandson of the '' augustus'' Constantius ...
, named
caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...
by his father, Constantine I, in AD 317. Put to death in unclear circumstances in AD 326. * 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. *
Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer *Helena, mother of Constantine I Places Greece * Helena (island) Guyana * ...
, 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 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...
by his cousin, Constantius II, in AD 351, but put to death in 354. * Flavius Claudius Julianus, 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 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...
in 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 () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
, but this plan ended with the emperor's death in AD 337, and Hannibalianus was slain in the turmoil that followed. * Julius 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 Marcellinus may refer to: Ancient * Marcellinus (consul 275), Roman imperial official * Marcellinus (magister officiorum) (died 351), officer of Emperor Constans and of usurper Magnentius * Marcellinus (magister militum) (died 468), a Roman general ...
. Nepotianus and his mother were put to death. * Flavia Maxima Constantia, daughter of Constantius II, and wife of the emperor Gratian. * Anastasia, daughter of Hannibalianus and Constantina.


Flavii in fiction

* The character Flavius in Shakespeare's play, ''
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 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, and ...
'', 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 eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
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 depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'', played by Dinah Sheridan. *Flavius, a slave of and friend to Pandora 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 Caroline Lawrence (born 1954) is an English American author, best known for ''The Roman Mysteries'' series of historical novels for children. The series is about a Roman girl called Flavia and her three friends: Nubia (a freed slave girl), Jona ...
's novels The Roman Mysteries. *Flavius Metellus, the main antagonist of the video game '' Assassin's Creed Origins'', is a lieutenant of
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 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, and ...
and the leader of the Order of the Ancients, a precursor organization to the
Templar Order , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...
.


Flavianus

Flavianus is the adjectival form of the name and was used as a cognomen. It is sometimes anglicized as Flavian.


Flavian legions

Some Roman legions 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


References


Bibliography

* Marcus Tullius Cicero, '' Epistulae ad Atticum'', '' Epistulae ad Familiares'', ''
Epistulae ad Quintum Fratrem ''Epistulae ad Quintum Fratrem'' (''Letters to brother Quintus'') is a collection of letters from Roman politician and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero to his younger brother Quintus. The letters in this collection, when combined with Cicero's other ...
'', '' In Verrem'', ''
Pro Cluentio ''Pro Cluentio'' is a speech by the Roman orator Cicero given in defense of a man named Aulus Cluentius Habitus Minor. Cluentius, from Larinum in Samnium, was accused in 69 BC by his mother Sassia of having poisoned his stepfather, Statius Abbiu ...
'', ''Pro Quinto Roscio Comoedo''. * Pseudo-Brutus, ''Epistulae ad Ciceronem''. * Gaius Julius Caesar (attributed), ''De Bello Hispaniensis'' (On the War in Spain). * Cornelius Nepos, ''De Viris Illustribus'' (On the Lives of Famous Men). * Titus Livius ( Livy), '' History of Rome''. * Valerius Maximus, '' Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium'' (Memorable Facts and Sayings). * Quintus Asconius Pedianus, ''Commentarius in Oratio Ciceronis Pro Milone'' (Commentary on Cicero's Oration ''Pro Milone''). * Publius Cornelius Tacitus, '' Annales'', '' Historiae''. * Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Plutarch), '' Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans''. *
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies ...
, ''
De Vita Caesarum ''De vita Caesarum'' (Latin; "About the Life of the Caesars"), commonly known as ''The Twelve Caesars'', is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire written by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. The g ...
'' (Lives of the Caesars, or The Twelve Caesars). * Appianus Alexandrinus ( Appian), ''Bellum Civile'' (The Civil War), ''Bellum Hannibalicum'' (The War with Hannibal). * Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus ( Cassius Dio), ''Roman History''. * Herodianus, ''Tes Meta Marcon Basileas Istoria'' (History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus Aurelius). * Philostratus, ''The Life of Apollonius of Tyana''. * Aelius Lampridius, Aelius Spartianus, Flavius Vopiscus, Julius Capitolinus, Trebellius Pollio, and Vulcatius Gallicanus, ''Historia Augusta'' (
Augustan History The ''Historia Augusta'' (English: ''Augustan History'') is a late Roman collection of biographies, written in Latin, of the Roman emperors, their junior colleagues, designated heirs and usurpers from 117 to 284. Supposedly modeled on the sim ...
). * Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus ( St. Jerome), ''
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'' (On Famous Men). *
Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
, ''De Vita Beata'' (On the Blessed Life). * Pieter Burmann, '' Anthologia Latina'' (Latin Anthology), ed. Wernsdorf, (1759–1778). * '' Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849). * '' Schaff–Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge'',
Johann Jakob Herzog Johann Jakob Herzog (12 September 1805, Basel – 30 September 1882, Erlangen), was a Swiss-German Protestant theologian. Herzog studied theology at the University of Basel and Berlin, earning his doctorate at the University of Basel in 1830. ...
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Paul von Rohden Paul von Rohden (12 December 1862, Barmen – 28 February 1939, Pieterlen) was a German-Swiss schoolteacher and historian known for his research in the field of prosopography. He was the son of theologian Ludwig von Rohden (1815–1889) and the bro ...
,
Elimar Klebs Elimar Klebs (15 October 1852 – 16 May 1918) was a German historian of ancient history. He was the brother of botanist Georg Klebs. Biography Klebs was born in Braunsberg (Braniewo), Prussia. He studied in Berlin under Theodor Mommsen a ...
, &
Hermann Dessau Hermann Dessau (6 April 1856, Frankfurt am Main – 12 April 1931, Berlin) was a German ancient historian and epigrapher. He is noted for a key work of textual criticism published in 1889 on the ''Historia Augusta'', which uncovered reasons to ...
, '' Prosopographia Imperii Romani'' (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,
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', 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). * Guido Bastianini,
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(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 The Classical Association is a British learned society in the field of classics, aimed at developing classical study and promoting its importance in education. Constitution The association was founded on 19 December 1903, and its objects are de ...
'', vol. 31, pp. 186–220 (1981). * 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,
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, in ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', vol. 117 (1997). * Werner Eck and Andreas Pangerl,
Neue Militärdiplome für die Truppen der mauretanischen Provinzen
, in ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', vol. 153 (2005). * * {{Authority control Roman gentes