The gens Antistia, sometimes written Antestia on coins, 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. The first of 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 ...

to achieve prominence was Sextus Antistius, tribune of the plebs in 422 BC.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, p. 209 (" Antistia Gens").Livy, iv. 42.

Origin

Tradition indicates that the Antistii came to Rome from Gabii, an ancient Latin town a short distance east of Rome. According to

Dionysius of Halicarnassus Dionysius of Halicarnassus ( grc, Διονύσιος Ἀλεξάνδρου Ἁλικαρνασσεύς, ; – after 7 BC) was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Augustus. His literary sty ...

, a certain Antistius Petro of Gabii concluded a treaty with Rome in the time of

Lucius Tarquinius Superbus Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (died 495 BC) was the legendary seventh and final king of Rome, reigning 25 years until the popular uprising that led to the establishment of the Roman Republic.Livy, ''ab urbe condita libri'', I He is commonly known ...

, the seventh and last

King of Rome The king of Rome ( la, rex Romae) was the ruler of the Roman Kingdom. According to legend, the first king of Rome was Romulus, who founded the city in 753 BC upon the Palatine Hill. Seven legendary kings are said to have ruled Rome until 509 ...

.Dionysius, 4. 57.''Universal Historical Dictionary'', vol. 1, ''s.v.'' "Antistius Petro". Moreover, a legendary genealogy may be adduced from the Alban king Amulius, uncle of

Romulus and Remus In Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus (, ) are twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the founding of the city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, following his fratricide of Remus. The image of a she-wolf suckling the ...

, and father of Antho (Greek for "flower"), who seems to have been claimed as the origin of the name ''Antistius''.

Praenomina

The oldest families of the Antistii used the praenomina ''

Sextus Sextus is an ancient Roman '' praenomen'' or "first name". Its standard abbreviation is Sex., and the feminine form would be Sexta. It is one of the numeral ''praenomina'', like Quintus ("fifth") and Decimus ("tenth"), and means "sixth". Althoug ...

'', ''

Aulus Aulus (abbreviated A.) is one of the small group of common forenames found in the culture of ancient Rome. The name was traditionally connected with Latin ''aula'', ''olla'', "palace", but this is most likely a false etymology. ''Aulus'' in fact p ...

'', '' Lucius'', and ''

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� ...

''. In the later

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 ...

, members of the gens also used '' Publius'', '' Titus'', 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 ...

''. The Antistii Veteres used primarily ''Gaius'' and ''Lucius''. One ''

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 ...

'' appears in the imperial era.

Branches and cognomina

In the earlier ages of the

, none of the members of the gens appear with any surname, and even in later times they are sometimes mentioned without one. The surnames under the Republic are ''Gragulus'', ''Labeo, Reginus'', and ''Vetus''. The last of these, the Antistii Veteres, were the greatest of the Antistii. In 29 BC, Octavian elevated this family to the patriciate. They held several consulships from the time of Augustus to that of Antoninus Pius. ''Gragulus'' refers to a jackdaw ( in Latin), which is displayed on the bronze coins of the only known Antestius with this cognomen.Crawford, ''Roman Republican Coinage'', pp. 269–270.

Members

* Antistius Petro of Gabii, said to have concluded a treaty with Rome in 510 BC, during the reign of Tarquin the Proud. * Sextus Antistius, tribune of the plebs in 422 BC.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, p. 209 (" Antistius"). * Aulus Antistius, tribune of the plebs in 420 BC. * Lucius Antestius,

consular tribune A consular tribune was putatively a type of magistrate in the early Roman Republic. According to Roman tradition, colleges of consular tribunes held office throughout the fifth and fourth centuries BC during the so-called "Conflict of the Or ...

in 379 BC. * Marcus Antistius, tribune of the plebs ''circa'' 320 BC. * Marcus Antistius, sent in 218 BC to the north of Italy to recall

Gaius Flaminius can refer to: * Gaius Flaminius (consul 223 BC) * Gaius Flaminius (consul 187 BC) __NoToC__ Gaius Flaminius was Roman consul in 187 BC, together with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. During his consulship, he fought to pacify Ligurian tribesmen who had ...

, the consul elect, to Rome. Possibly fictitious. * Lucius Antistius, legate sent to Sicily in 215 BC. * Sextus Antistius, sent in 208 BC into Gaul to watch the movements of

Hasdrubal Hasdrubal ( grc-gre, Ἀσδρούβας, ''Hasdroúbas'') is the Latinized form of the Carthaginian name ʿAzrubaʿal ( xpu, 𐤏𐤆𐤓𐤁𐤏𐤋 , , "Help of Baal"). It may refer to: * Hasdrubal I of Carthage was the Magonid king of Ancient ...

. * Gaius Antestius, '' triumvir monetalis'' in 146 BC. His coins feature a puppy, which, according to

Crawford Crawford may refer to: Places Canada * Crawford Bay Airport, British Columbia * Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Ontario United Kingdom * Crawford, Lancashire, a small village near Rainford, Merseyside, England * Crawford, South Lanarkshire, a ...

, might have stood for the surname ''Catulus''. * Antistia, wife of Appius Claudius Pulcher, and mother-in-law of Tiberius Gracchus. * Lucius Antestius Gragulus, ''triumvir monetalis'' in 136 BC. *

Publius Antistius Publius Antistius (c. 124 – 82 BC) was a Roman orator and senator. As tribune of the plebs in 88 BC, he rose from poorly regarded obscurity to prominence by delivering an exceptionally good speech in opposition to the irregular candidacy of a p ...

, tribune of the plebs in 88 BC, and a prominent orator, put to death by order of the younger Marius in 82. * Antistia P. f., daughter of the orator, and the first wife 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 ...

, who, after her father's assassination, divorced her at

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 ...

's instigation. * Antistius, a prosecutor of old age who fell victim to Sulla's proscriptions. * Lucius Antistus, tribune of the plebs in 58 BC, attempted to prosecute Caesar, but was prevented from doing so by the other tribunes. *

Titus Antistius Titus Antistius was a man of ancient Rome who served as quaestor in Macedonia in 50 BC. When the leader Pompey came into the province in the following year, Antistius had received no successor; and according to Cicero, he did only as much for Pompe ...

quaestor A ( , , ; "investigator") was a public official in Ancient Rome. There were various types of quaestors, with the title used to describe greatly different offices at different times. In the Roman Republic, quaestors were elected officials who ...

Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...

in 50 BC, remained neutral during the Civil War. * Antistius, the physician who examined the body of Caesar after his murder in 44 BC. * Marcus Antistius Labeo, a jurist in the time of Augustus. An opponent of the triumvirs, he refused the consulship offered by Augustus because of his political views. *

Antistius Sosianus The gens Antistia, sometimes written Antestia on coins, was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. The first of the gens to achieve prominence was Sextus Antistius, tribune of the plebs in 422 BC.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mytholog ...

, praetor in AD 62, banished at the commencement of Nero's reign. *

Lucius Antistius Rusticus Lucius Antistius Rusticus (c. 48Ronald Syme"Antistius Rusticus. A Consular from Corduba" ''Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte'', 32 (1983), p. 36193) was a Roman senator active in the later part of the first century AD. He was suffect con ...

, consul ''suffectus'' in AD 90. * Gaius Antistius Auspex,

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 ...

and governor of Noricum in the first half of the second century AD. * Quintus Antistius Q. f. Adventus Postumius Aquilinus, a general under

Lucius Verus Lucius Aurelius Verus (15 December 130 – January/February 169) was Roman emperor from 161 until his death in 169, alongside his adoptive brother Marcus Aurelius. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty. Verus' succession together with ...

, who later served as governor of Roman Britain from about AD 175 to 178.''PIR'', vol. I, p. 85. * Antistius Capella, one of the tutors of

Commodus Commodus (; 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. He served jointly with his father Marcus Aurelius from 176 until the latter's death in 180, and thereafter he reigned alone until his assassination. ...

. * Lucius Antistius Burrus, son-in-law of Marcus Aurelius, he was consul in AD 181, but put to death in 188 for joining a conspiracy against

. * Antistius, a writer of Greek epigrams, three of which are preserved in the

Greek Anthology The ''Greek Anthology'' ( la, Anthologia Graeca) is a collection of poems, mostly epigrams, that span the Classical and Byzantine periods of Greek literature. Most of the material of the ''Greek Anthology'' comes from two manuscripts, the ''Pa ...

. * Tiberius Antistius Fausti f. Marcianus, a military tribune with the fifteenth legion, not earlier than the latter half of the second century.''PIR'', vol. I, p. 86.

Antistii Regini

* Lucius Antistius Reginus, tribune of the plebs in 103 BC, freed his friend the consul

Quintus Servilius Caepio Quintus Servilius Caepio may refer to: * Quintus Servilius Caepio (consul 140 BC) * Quintus Servilius Caepio (consul 106 BC) * Quintus Servilius Caepio (quaestor 103 BC) * Quintus Servilius Caepio (adoptive father of Brutus) * Quintus Servilius ...

and went into exile at Smyrna with him. *

Gaius Antistius Reginus 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 Asini ...

, one of

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 ...

legates A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the officer ...

in Gaul.

Antistii Veteres

* Antistius Vetus, praetor about 70 BC, and propraetor in Hispania Ulterior about 68, under whom Caesar served as quaestor.Velleius Paterculus, ii. 43. * Antistius Vetus, tribune of the plebs in 56 BC. * Gaius Antistius Vetus, a supporter of Caesar, and ''consul suffectus'' in 30 BC. * Gaius Antistius C. f. Vetus, pontifex, and consul in 6 BC. Son of the consul of 30 BC * Gaius Antistius C. f. C. n. Vetus, consul in AD 23; son of the consul of 6 BC. * Lucius Antistius C. f. C. n. Vetus, pontifex, and consul ''suffectus'' in AD 26; son of the consul of 6 BC. * Camerinus Antistius (C. f. C. n.) Vetus, consul ''suffectus'' in AD 46. * Gaius Antistius (C. f. C. n.) Vetus, consul in AD 50, during the reign of

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...

. * Lucius Antistius (C. f. C. n.) Vetus, consul in AD 55. * Antistia L. f. (C. n.) Pollitta, wife of

Gaius Rubellius Plautus Rubellius Plautus (33–62 AD) was a Roman noble and a political rival of Emperor Nero. Through his mother Julia, he was a relative of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was the grandson of Drusus (only son of Tiberius Caesar), and the great-grandson ...

. * Gaius Antistius Vetus, consul in AD 96. * Antistius Vetus, consul in AD 116.''Liber Pontificalis''.Hydatius.''Chronography of 354''. * Antistius Vetus, consul in AD 150.''Corpus Juris Civilis'', 2 tit. 13 § 1.

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

* * Marcus Tullius Cicero, '' Brutus'', '' Epistulae ad Atticum'', '' Epistulae ad Familiares'', '' Pro Sexto Roscio Amerino''. * Gaius Julius Caesar, '' Commentarii de Bello Gallico'' (Commentaries on the Gallic War). *

, ''Romaike Archaiologia'' (Roman Antiquities). * Titus Livius ( Livy), '' History of Rome''. * Valerius Maximus, ''

Factorum ac Dictorum Memorabilium ''Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX'' ("nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' or ''Facta et dicta memorabilia'') by Valerius Maximus (c. 20 BC – c. AD 50) was written arou ...

'' (Memorable Facts and Sayings). * Marcus Velleius Paterculus, ''Compendium of Roman History''. *

Sextus Julius Frontinus Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. 40 – 103 AD) was a prominent Roman civil engineer, author, soldier and senator of the late 1st century AD. He was a successful general under Domitian, commanding forces in Roman Britain, and on the Rhine and Danube ...

, '' De Aquaeductu'' (On Aqueducts). *

Marcus Valerius Martialis Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial ; March, between 38 and 41 AD – between 102 and 104 AD) was a Roman poet from Hispania (modern Spain) best known for his twelve books of ''Epigrams'', published in Rome between AD 86 and ...

(

Martial Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial ; March, between 38 and 41 AD – between 102 and 104 AD) was a Roman poet from Hispania (modern Spain) best known for his twelve books of ''Epigrams'', published in Rome between AD 86 and ...

), ''Epigrammata'' (Epigrams). * Publius Cornelius Tacitus, '' Annales'', '' Historiae''. * Plutarchus, '' 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). *

Lucius Annaeus Florus Three main sets of works are attributed to Florus (a Roman cognomen): ''Virgilius orator an poeta'', an Epitome of Roman History and a collection of 14 short poems (66 lines in all). As to whether these were composed by the same person, or set of ...

, ''Epitome de T. Livio Bellorum Omnium Annorum DCC'' (Epitome of Livy: All the Wars of Seven Hundred Years). * Appianus Alexandrinus ( Appian), ''Bellum Civile'' (The Civil War), ''Bellum Illyricum'' (The Illyrian War). * Cassius Dio, ''Roman History''. * '' Chronography of 354''. * Hydatius, ''Chronicon'' (The Chronicle). * '' Corpus Juris Civilis''. * Joseph Hilarius Eckhel, ''Doctrina Numorum Veterum'' (The Study of Ancient Coins, 1792–1798). * ''Anthologia Graeca sive Poetarum Graecorum Lusus, ex Recensione Brunckii'' (The Greek Anthology, or Works of the Greek Poets, or the Collection of Brunck), Friedrich Jacobs, ed., Dyck, Leipzig (1794). * George Crabb, ''Universal Historical Dictionary'', Baldwin and Cradock, London (1833). * Wilhelm Drumann, ''Geschichte Roms in seinem Übergang von der republikanischen zur monarchischen Verfassung, oder: Pompeius, Caesar, Cicero und ihre Zeitgenossen'', Königsberg (1834–1844). * '' Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849). * Theodor Mommsen ''et alii'', ''

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum The ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (''CIL'') is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions throw ...

'' (The Body of Latin Inscriptions, abbreviated ''CIL''), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1853–present). * René Cagnat ''et alii'', '' L'Année épigraphique'' (The Year in Epigraphy, abbreviated ''AE''), Presses Universitaires de France (1888–present). *

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). * ''

Liber Pontificalis The ''Liber Pontificalis'' (Latin for 'pontifical book' or ''Book of the Popes'') is a book of biographies of popes from Saint Peter until the 15th century. The original publication of the ''Liber Pontificalis'' stopped with Pope Adrian II (867� ...

'' (The Book of the Popes), ed. Louise Ropes Loomis, Columbia University Press (1916). * T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic'', American Philological Association (1952). * * Michael Crawford, ''Roman Republican Coinage'', Cambridge University Press (1974, 2001). * Paul A. Gallivan
"The ''Fasti'' for the Reign of Claudius"
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. 28, pp. 407–426 (1978); "The ''Fasti'' for A.D. 70–96", in ''Classical Quarterly'', vol. 31, pp. 186–220 (1981). * M.G. Granino Cecere, "Sacerdotes Cabenses e sacerdotes Albani", in A. Pasqualini (editor), ''Alba Longa. Mito, storia, archeologia.'' Atti dell'Incontro di Studio, Roma-Albano Laziale, 27–29 gennaio 1994. * Giuseppe Camodeca, "I consoli del 43 e gli Antistii Veteres d’età claudia dalla riedizione delle Tabulae Erculanenses" (The Consuls of 43 and the Antistii Veteres of the Claudian Age, from the New Edition of the Tabulae Herculanenses), in ''Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik'', vol. 138, pp. 259–269 (2002). * Andreas Krieckhaus, ''Senatorische Familien und ihre patriae (1./2. Jahrhundert n. Chr.)'', Kovač, Hamburg (2006), . * Gary D. Farney, ''Ethnic Identity and Aristocratic Competition in Republican Rome'', Cambridge University Press (2007). * ''A Companion to Marcus Aurelius'', Marcel van Ackeren, ed., Wiley–Blackwell (2012). {{Refend Roman gentes