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
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...
. 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 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 (consul ...
,
tribune of the plebs
Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune ( la, tribunus plebis) was the first office of the Roman Republic, Roman state that was open to the plebs, plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most importan ...
in 327 and 323 BC; however, no Flavius attained the
consulship
A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic ( to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the second-highest level of the ''cursus honorum'' (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politic ...
until
Gaius Flavius Fimbria
Gaius Flavius Fimbria (c. 115 – 85 BC) was a Roman general. Born to a recently distinguished senatorial family, he became one of the most violent and bloodthirsty partisans of the consul Cornelius Cinna and his ally, Gaius Marius, in the civ ...
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
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
, the number of persons bearing this
nomen becomes very large, perhaps due to the great number of
freedmen
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), abolitionism, emancipation (gra ...
under the
Flavian dynasty
The Flavian dynasty ruled the Roman Empire between AD 69 and 96, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian (69–79), and his two sons Titus (79–81) and Domitian (81–96). The Flavians rose to power during the civil war of 69, known as ...
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
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...
and their Spanish successors used the title "
Emperor of All Spain
is a Latin title meaning "Emperor of All Spain". In Spain in the Middle Ages, the title "emperor" (from Latin ''imperator'') was used under a variety of circumstances from the ninth century onwards, but its usage peaked, as a formal and pract ...
", and the kings of the
barbarian successor kingdoms of Italy, such as the
Ostrogoths
The Ostrogoths ( la, Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Roman Empire, based upon the larg ...
and the
Lombards
The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...
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
A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...
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
The Sabines (; lat, Sabini; it, Sabini, all exonyms) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome.
The Sabines divide ...
ancestry, and may have been related to the Flavii who lived at
Reate
Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina re ...
during the first century AD, from whom the emperor
Vespasian
Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
descended; but the
gentilicium
The (or simply ) was a hereditary name borne by the peoples of Roman Italy and later by the citizens of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. It was originally the name of one's (family or clan) by patrilineal descent. However, as Rome expande ...
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
Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy. 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 Campania in the north, Apulia in the east, and Brutti ...
.
The nomen ''Flavius'' is of
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
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
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
''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
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
''Flávio'' (fem. ''Flávia''), and
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
**Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
''Flavius'' or ''Flaviu'' (fem. ''Flavia'').
Praenomina
The early Flavii used the
praenomina
The ''praenomen'' (; plural: ''praenomina'') was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the ''dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the birt ...
''
Marcus,
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
Gaius, sometimes spelled ''Gajus'', Kaius, Cajus, Caius, was a common Latin praenomen; see Gaius (praenomen).
People
*Gaius (jurist) (), Roman jurist
*Gaius Acilius
*Gaius Antonius
*Gaius Antonius Hybrida
*Gaius Asinius Gallus
*Gaius Asinius Pol ...
'', and ''
Lucius
Lucius ( el, Λούκιος ''Loukios''; ett, Luvcie) is a male given name derived from ''Lucius'' (abbreviated ''L.''), one of the small group of common Latin forenames (''praenomina'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from L ...
''. 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 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death.
Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...
'' 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'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...
''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 ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
and
Lucania
Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy. 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 Campania in the north, Apulia in the east, and Brutti ...
, 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
Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina re ...
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
Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
. However, within less than thirty years, the family was largely destroyed through the workings of Vespasian's son, the emperor
Domitian
Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned 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 Flavi ...
.
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
Marcus Aurelius Claudius "Gothicus" (10 May 214 – January/April 270), also known as Claudius II, was Roman emperor from 268 to 270. During his reign he fought successfully against the Alemanni and decisively defeated the Goths at the Battle ...
, 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
The Severan dynasty was a Ancient Rome, Roman imperial dynasty that ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235, during the Roman imperial period (chronology), Roman imperial period. The dynasty was founded by the emperor Septimius Severus (), w ...
(
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. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor S ...
,
Diadumenian
Diadumenian (; la, Marcus Opellius Antoninus Diadumenianus; 14September 208 – June 218) was the son of the Roman Emperor Macrinus, and served as his co-ruler for a brief time in 218. His mother was Nonia Celsa, whose name may be fictitious. ...
and
Elagabalus
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus, 204 – 11/12 March 222), better known by his nickname "Elagabalus" (, ), was Roman emperor from 218 to 222, while he was still a teenager. His short reign was conspicuous for s ...
), 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
Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovat ...
, the name once again became part of the imperial nomenclature; it remained so under his successors until the time of
Justinian II
Justinian II ( la, Iustinianus; gr, Ἰουστινιανός, Ioustinianós; 668/69 – 4 November 711), nicknamed "the Slit-Nosed" ( la, Rhinotmetus; gr, ὁ Ῥινότμητος, ho Rhinótmētos), was the last Eastern Roman emperor of the H ...
.
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 (consul ...
,
tribune of the plebs
Tribune of the plebs, tribune of the people or plebeian tribune ( la, tribunus plebis) was the first office of the Roman Republic, Roman state that was open to the plebs, plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most importan ...
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
Appius Claudius Caecus ( 312–279 BC) was a statesman and writer from the Roman Republic. The first Roman public figure whose life can be traced with some historical certainty, Caecus was responsible for the building of Rome's first road (t ...
, and served as
aedile
''Aedile'' ( ; la, aedīlis , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enf ...
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
A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a 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 command, or ' ...
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
Valerius Maximus () was a 1st-century Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes: ''Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX'' ("Nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' ...
, was accused by the aedile Gaius Valerius (perhaps the same who was curule
aedile
''Aedile'' ( ; la, aedīlis , from , "temple edifice") was an elected office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings () and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enf ...
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
Tarquinia (), formerly Corneto, is an old city in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, Central Italy, known chiefly for its ancient Etruscans, Etruscan tombs in the widespread necropolis, necropoleis, or cemeteries, for which it was awarded World ...
, 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, who gave evidence against
Verres
Gaius Verres (c. 120–43 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 adv ...
in BC 70. He probably lived in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
, 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, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...
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
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. 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
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...
, 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 par ...
.
* Gaius Flavius, a friend of
Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC), often referred to simply as Brutus, was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Serv ...
, 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
The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate 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 P ...
, and Brutus lamented over his death.
* Flavius Gallus, a
military tribune
A military tribune (Latin ''tribunus militum'', "tribune of the soldiers") 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 tribune as a stepping stone to ...
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
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...
in 104 BC; acquitted of extortion, despite significant evidence. With other consulars, took up arms against the revolt of
Saturninus Saturninus may refer to:
* Lucius Appuleius Saturninus (died 100 BC), tribune, legislator
* Gaius Sentius Saturninus, consul 19 BC, military officer, governor
* Marcus Aponius Saturninus (1st century AD), governor of Moesia, and partisan of first ...
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, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...
'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 Cimbric and Jugurthine wars, he held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his important refor ...
, at whose funeral he tried to kill
Quintus Mucius Scaevola, the
Pontifex Maximus. Sent to
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
in an expedition against
Mithridates 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
Gaius Norbanus (died 82 BC) was a Roman politician who was elected consul in 83 BC alongside Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus. He committed suicide in exile at Rhodes after being proscribed by Lucius Cornelius Sulla shortly after the latter's vi ...
. He and other officers of the party of
Carbo were invited to a banquet by
Publius Albinovanus
Publius Albinovanus ( 88–57 BC) was a Roman senator and a participant in the first round of civil wars of the Roman Republic. He was originally a strong supporter of Gaius Marius, for which he was briefly outlawed in 88–87 BC, but later, in 82, ...
, 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
In ancient Rome, the Latin term (pl. ) 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 privi ...
of
Reate
Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina re ...
, 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
The Battle of Pharsalus was the decisive battle of Caesar's Civil War fought on 9 August 48 BC near Pharsalus in central Greece. Julius Caesar and his allies formed up opposite the army of the Roman Republic under the command of Pompey. P ...
, 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 one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, 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
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, and ...
'' for most of
Nero
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...
'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 was proclaimed emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of ci ...
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
Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
, was consul ''suffectus'' in AD 51, and
proconsul
A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a 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 command, or ' ...
in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
and
Judaea
Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous south ...
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
Marcus Otho (; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was the seventh 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 Etru ...
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 on 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. Sabinus Vespasianus, the emperor
Titus
Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death.
Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...
, reigned from AD 79 to 81.
* Titus Flavius T. f. T. n. Domitianus, the emperor
Domitian
Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned 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 Flavi ...
, emperor from AD 81 to 96.
*
Flavia Domitilla, otherwise known as ''Domitilla the Younger'', the daughter of Vespasian.
*
Julia Flavia
Julia Flavia or Flavia Julia and also nicknamed Julia Titi ( – 91) was the daughter of Roman Emperor Titus and his first wife Arrecina Tertulla.
Biography Early life
Julia was born in Rome to Titus and Arrecina Tertulla, she was named for ...
, 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 ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
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
Titus Flavius Claudius Sulpicianus (ca. 137 AD – 197 AD) was a Roman statesman who served as Senator and Consul suffectus. He unsuccessfully attempted to succeed his son-in-law Pertinax as Emperor in 193.
Early life
Sulpicianus was probably born ...
, consul ''suffectus'' circa AD 170, 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 the son of a freed slave ...
, and Sulpicianus served as ''praefectus urbi'' under Pertinax and
Didius Julianus
Marcus Didius Julianus (; 29 January 133 or 137 – 2 June 193) was Roman emperor for nine weeks from March to June 193, during the Year of the Five Emperors. Julianus had a promising political career, governing several provinces, including Dal ...
. 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 (Roman province), Africa. As a young man he advanced thro ...
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. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor S ...
, and who was put to death by Theocritus, circa 216.
*
Flavia Titiana
Flavia Titiana was a Roman empress, wife of emperor Pertinax, who ruled briefly in 193 (known as "Year of the Five Emperors").
Life
Flavia Titiana was the daughter of a Senator, Titus Flavius Claudius Sulpicianus, and sister of Titus Flavius Tit ...
, 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
Germania Inferior ("Lower Germania") was a Roman province from AD 85 until the province was renamed Germania Secunda in the fourth century, on the west bank of the Rhine bordering the North Sea. The capital of the province was Colonia Agrippin ...
in 222–223, and consul in an unknown year.
*
Lucius Flavius Aper Aper (full name Lucius Flavius Aper, also known as Arrius Aper, date of birth unknown -284) was a Roman citizen of the third century AD. First known to history as a high-flying professional soldier, he went on to serve as an acting provincial govern ...
, of
Pannonia Inferior
Pannonia Inferior, lit. Lower Pannonia, was a province of the Roman Empire. Its capital was Sirmium. It was one of the border provinces on the Danube. It was formed in the year 103 AD by Emperor Trajan who divided the former province of Pannonia ...
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
Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous south ...
from 73 to 81, and led the Roman forces at the siege of
Masada
Masada ( he, מְצָדָה ', "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dea ...
, which fell in 74.
*
Titus Flavius Josephus
Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly d ...
, 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
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
. 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 Flavius Caper was a Latin grammarian who flourished during the 2nd century AD.
Caper devoted special attention to the early Latin writers, and is highly spoken of by Priscian
Priscianus Caesariensis (), commonly known as Priscian ( or ), was a L ...
, 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
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 Chella ...
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
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
under
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good ...
, 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
Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...
in the reign of
Alexander Severus
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – 21/22 March 235) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his slain cousin Elagabalus in 222. Alexander himself was ...
, 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, and ...
'' 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. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor S ...
, was either put to death or treated with great indignity by
Macrinus
Marcus Opellius Macrinus (; – June 218) was Roman emperor from April 217 to June 218, reigning jointly with his young son Diadumenianus. As a member of the equestrian class, he became the first emperor who did not hail from the senatorial ...
, AD 217.
*
Flavius Philostratus
Philostratus or Lucius Flavius Philostratus (; grc-gre, Φιλόστρατος ; c. 170 – 247/250 AD), called "the Athenian", was a Greek sophist of the Roman imperial period. His father was a minor sophist of the same name. He was born probab ...
, author of the ''
Life of Apollonius of Tyana
''Life of Apollonius of Tyana'' ( grc-gre, Τὰ ἐς τὸν Τυανέα Ἀπολλώνιον), also known by its Latin title , is a text in eight books written in Ancient Greece by Philostratus (c. 170 – c. 245 AD). It tells the story of A ...
'', is called ''Flavius'' by
Tzetzes
John Tzetzes ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης Τζέτζης, Iōánnēs Tzétzēs; c. 1110, Constantinople – 1180, Constantinople) was a Byzantine poet and grammarian who is known to have lived at Constantinople in the 12th century.
He was able to p ...
in ''Βιος Σοφιστων'' (Lives of the Sophists).
* 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 Chella ...
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
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.
The surviving portions of his t ...
,
Florianus
Marcus Annius Florianus (died 276), also known as Florian, was Roman emperor from the death of his half-brother, Emperor Tacitus, in July 276 until his own murder in September of that year.
Florianus was the maternal half-brother of Tacitus, ...
,
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
According to the ''Historia Augusta'', Firmus (died 273) was a usurper during the reign of Aurelian. The contradictory accounts of his life and the man himself are considered to be a complete fabrication, perhaps based on the later Firmus.
Hist ...
,
Saturninus Saturninus may refer to:
* Lucius Appuleius Saturninus (died 100 BC), tribune, legislator
* Gaius Sentius Saturninus, consul 19 BC, military officer, governor
* Marcus Aponius Saturninus (1st century AD), governor of Moesia, and partisan of first ...
,
Proculus
Proculus (died c. 281) was a Roman usurper, one of the "minor pretenders" according to ''Historia Augusta'', who would have taken the purple against Roman Emperor, Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus, Probus in 280. This is now disputed.
Probably Proc ...
, 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.
* Eusebius (consul 347), 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.
* Eusebius (consul 359), Flavius Eusebius, consul in AD 359, together with his brother, Hypatius. Falsely accused of treason in 371, he was soon recalled.
* Hypatius (consul 359), Flavius Hypatius, consul in AD 359, together with his brother, Eusebius. He was praetorian prefect of Italy and Illyricum from 382 to 383.
* Eusebia (empress), Flavia Aurelia Eusebia, wife of the emperor Constantius II.
* Flavius Martinus, a vicarius, or deputy administrator, of Roman Britain, Britannia during the middle fourth century.
* Flavius Lucius Dexter, Flavius Dexter, the son of Pacian, was praetorian prefect, and a devoted advocate of Christianity. He was a contemporary of Jerome, who dedicated to him his book ''De Viris Illustribus (Jerome), De Viris Illustribus''.
* Flavius Mallius Theodorus, consul in AD 399, and a contemporary of Augustine of Hippo, who dedicated to him his work, ''De Vita Beata''.
* Avianus, Flavius Avianus, the author of a collection of forty-two Aesopic fables in Latin elegiac couplet, elegiac verse, dedicated to a certain Theodosius, who is addressed as a man of great learning and highly cultivated mind.
* Stilicho, Flavius Stilicho, a Roman general under the emperors Theodosius I, Theodosius and
Honorius; he dealt several crushing defeats to Alaric I, Alaric, king of the Visigoths. Edward Gibbon called him "the last of the Roman generals."
* Felix (consul 428), Flavius Felix, 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 Salian Franks, Franks, and with the help of Theodoric I, Theodoric, king of the Visigoths, defeated Attila, Attila the Hun at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, 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 Africa (Roman province), 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).]
* Belisarius, Flavius Belisarius, a Byzantine general under the emperor Justinian I, 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
* Constantius Chlorus, Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus", emperor from AD 305 to 306, and the father of Constantine the Great.
* Helena (mother of Constantine), 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; she was the second wife of Constantius Chlorus.
* Constantine the Great, 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 "Roman censor, 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.
* Crispus, Flavius Julius Crispus, named Caesar (title), caesar 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 (wife of Julian), 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 (empress), Eusebia.
* Constantine II (emperor), Flavius Claudius Constantinus, son of Constantine, and emperor with his brothers Constantius and Constans from AD 337 to 340.
* Constantius II, Flavius Julius Constantius, son of Constantine, and emperor with his brothers Constantinus and Constans from AD 337 to 361.
* Constans I, Flavius Julius Constans, son of Constantine, and emperor with his brothers Constantinus and Constantius from AD 337 to 350.
* Constantius Gallus, Flavius Claudius Constantius Gallus, named Caesar (title), caesar by his cousin, Constantius II, in AD 351, but put to death in 354.
* Julian (emperor), Flavius Claudius Julianus, emperor from AD 361 to 363.
* Dalmatius, Flavius Dalmatius, son of Dalmatius the censor, and nephew of Constantine; he was proclaimed Caesar (title), Caesar in 335, but slain by his soldiers following Constantine's death in 337.
* Hannibalianus, 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, but this plan ended with the emperor's death in AD 337, and Hannibalianus was slain in the turmoil that followed.
* Nepotianus, 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 (magister officiorum), Marcellinus. 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 (play), Julius Caesar'', is based on Lucius Caesetius Flavus, a member of the Caesetia gens.
*Flavius Maximus, a character in the Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek episode "Bread and Circuses (Star Trek: The Original Series), Bread and Circuses."
*Chancellor (later President) Flavia is a fictional Time Lord, Time Lady in ''Doctor Who'', 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's novels The Roman Mysteries.
*Flavius Metellus, the main antagonist of the video game ''Assassin's Creed Origins'', is a lieutenant of Julius Caesar and the leader of the Order of the Ancients, a precursor organization to the Templar Order.
Flavianus
Flavianus (disambiguation), 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 IV ''Flavia Felix''
* Legio XVI Flavia Firma, 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 Constantia''
* Legio II Flavia Virtutis, Legio II ''Flavia Virtutis''
* Legio III ''Flavia Salutis''
See also
* Flavianus (disambiguation), People named Flavianus or Flavian (disambiguation), Flavian
* List of Roman gentes
References
Bibliography
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* Pseudo-Brutus, ''Epistulae ad Ciceronem''.
* Julius Caesar, 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), ''Ab Urbe Condita Libri (Livy), History of Rome''.
*
Valerius Maximus
Valerius Maximus () was a 1st-century Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes: ''Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX'' ("Nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' ...
, ''Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX, Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium'' (Memorable Facts and Sayings).
* Asconius Pedianus, Quintus Asconius Pedianus, ''Commentarius in Oratio Ciceronis Pro Milone'' (Commentary on Cicero's Oration ''Pro Milone'').
* Tacitus, Publius Cornelius Tacitus, ''Annals (Tacitus), Annales'', ''Histories (Tacitus), Historiae''.
* Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus (Plutarch), ''Parallel Lives, Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans''.
* Suetonius, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, ''The Twelve Caesars, De Vita Caesarum'' (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
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 on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...
), ''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).
* Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus (Jerome, St. Jerome), ''De Viris Illustribus (Jerome), De Viris Illustribus'' (On Famous Men).
* Augustine of Hippo, ''De Vita Beata'' (On the Blessed Life).
* Pieter Burman the Younger, Pieter Burmann, ''Latin Anthology, Anthologia Latina'' (Latin Anthology), ed. Johann Christian Wernsdorf, Wernsdorf, (1759–1778).
* ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', William Smith (lexicographer), William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849).
* ''Schaff–Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge'', Johann Jakob Herzog and Philip Schaff, eds., Funk & Wagnalls, New York (1882–1884).
* René Cagnat ''et alii'', ''L'Année épigraphique'' (The Year in Epigraphy, abbreviated ''AE''), Presses Universitaires de France (1888–present).
* George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', vol. VIII, pp. 103–184 (1897).
* Paul von Rohden, Elimar Klebs, & Hermann Dessau, ''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,
Hatria', Tipografia del Senato, Rome (1911).
* Thomas Robert Shannon Broughton, 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,
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).
* 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).
* Werner Eck and Andreas Pangerl,
Neue Militärdiplome für die Truppen der mauretanischen Provinzen, in ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', vol. 153 (2005).
*
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{{Authority control
Flavii,
Roman gentes