Servius () is a Latin '' praenomen'', or personal name, which was used throughout the period of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

, and well into imperial times. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic '' gens Servilia''. The feminine form is ''Servia''. The name was regularly abbreviated Ser. Servius was never one of the most common praenomina; about ten other names were used more frequently. Most families did not use it, although it was a favorite of the Cornelii and the Sulpicii, two of the greatest patrician houses at Rome. The name gradually became less common towards the end of the Republic, but was still used in imperial times.

Origin and meaning of the name

The original meaning of Servius was forgotten by the late Republic. Chase derives the name from the verb ''servo'', ''to keep'' or ''preserve''. This seems consistent with other Latin praenomina, such as '' Sertor'', which appears to have a similar meaning.

Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...

had nothing to say about the name, although the epitome, ''De Praenominibus'' ("Concerning Praenomina") by Julius Paris, suggests that it was given to a child whose mother died in childbirth. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, apparently followed by Festus, indicated that it was given to a child whose mother was held in bondage. This etymology was based on the similarity between ''Servius'' and ''servus'', a slave, and although it is certainly an example of

false etymology A false etymology (fake etymology, popular etymology, etymythology, pseudo-etymology, or par(a)etymology) is a popular but false belief about the origin or derivation of a specific word. It is sometimes called a folk etymology, but this is also a ...

, the association of these words is probably the main reason that Servius was not more common.George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', vol. VIII (1897)

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Servius (Praenomen) Ancient Roman praenomina