The gens Ceionia or gens Caeionia or the Caeionii family was an ancient Roman

senatorial A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...

family of imperial times. The first member of the gens to obtain 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 ...

was Lucius Ceionius Commodus in AD 78. The rise of this family culminated in the elevation of the emperor Lucius Verus, born Lucius Ceionius Commodus, in AD 161.''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', vol. I, pp. 653 (" Ceionius"), 816–820 (" Commodus").

Origin

The Ceionii were probably of

Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy *Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization **Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities ** Etrusca ...

origin. Their nomen resembles other Etruscan names, such as ''Cilnius'', and the family does not appear in history before the first century. The historian Aelius Spartianus wrote that they came from Etruria, or perhaps from the town of Faventia, which was itself of Etruscan origin.

Praenomina

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 ...

used by the Ceionii were ''

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 ...

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 P ...

'', and '' Marcus''.

Branches and cognomina

The most illustrious family of the Ceionii bore the

cognomen 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 ...

''Commodus'', meaning "friendly, obliging," or "pleasant." The

agnomen An ''agnomen'' (; plural: ''agnomina''), in the Roman naming convention, was a nickname, just as the ''cognomen'' was initially. However, the ''cognomina'' eventually became family names, so ''agnomina'' were needed to distinguish between simil ...

''Verus'', meaning "true", was borne by some members of this family. Many other surnames occur, some of which were ordinary cognomina, such as ''Rufus'', meaning "red" or "reddish," or ''Bassus'', "stout".Chase, p. 110.''Cassell's Latin & English Dictionary''. However, as with many families of imperial times, many surnames were acquired from other families to whom the Ceionii were related or otherwise politically connected. ''Postumus'', a surname belonging to the father of the emperor Albinus, is derived from the praenomen ''

Postumus Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus was a Roman commander of Batavian origin, who ruled as Emperor of the splinter state of the Roman Empire known to modern historians as the Gallic Empire. The Roman army in Gaul threw off its allegiance to Ga ...

'', referring to a youngest child, although a popular

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 ...

derived it from ''post humus'', "after burial", meaning a child born after his father's death. In a letter referred to by the historian

Julius Capitolinus 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 si ...

, Ceionius Postumus claimed to be a descendant of the ancient

patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

house of the

Postumii The gens Postumia was a noble patrician family at ancient Rome. Throughout the history of the Republic, the Postumii frequently occupied the chief magistracies of the Roman state, beginning with Publius Postumius Tubertus, consul in 505 BC, the ...

, whose '' nomen'' was itself derived from the praenomen ''Postumus''. Ceionius named his son ''Albinus'', supposedly in reference both to the extraordinary whiteness of his skin, and to the noble family of the Postumii Albini; however, several other members of the gens also bore the surname ''Albinus''.Julius Capitolinus, "The Life of Clodius Albinus", 4.

Members

Ceionii Commodi

* Lucius Ceionius Commodus, consul in AD 78. * Lucius Ceionius (L. f.) Commodus, consul in AD 106. * Lucius Ceionius L. f. (L. n.) Commodus Verus, consul in AD 136, adopted by the emperor Hadrian as his heir. * Lucius Ceionius L. f. L. n. Commodus, better known as ''Lucius Verus'', emperor with his adoptive brother

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 ...

from AD 161 to 169. * Ceionia L. f. L. n. Fabia, one of the sisters of Lucius Verus, was originally betrothed to Marcus Aurelius; the engagement was dissolved at the request of

Antoninus Pius Antoninus Pius ( Latin: ''Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius''; 19 September 86 – 7 March 161) was Roman emperor from 138 to 161. He was the fourth of the Five Good Emperors from the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. Born into a senatori ...

, and she married Plautius Quintillus, consul in AD 159.Syme, "Antonine Relatives: Ceionii and Vettuleni", p. 306. * Ceionia L. f. L. n. Plautia, a sister of Lucius Verus, married Quintus Servilius Pudens, consul in AD 166. * Gaius Avidius Ceionius L. f. L. n. Commodus, the brother of Lucius Verus.

Ceionii Albini

* Ceionius Postumus, said by the '' Historia Augusta'' to be the father of the emperor Albinus. Syme said he is an invention of the author. *

Decimus Clodius Albinus Decimus Clodius Albinus ( 150 – 19 February 197) was a Roman imperial pretender between 193 and 197. He was proclaimed emperor by the legions in Britain and Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, comprising modern Spain and Portugal) after the murder ...

, emperor from AD 196 to 197. * Ceionius Postumianus, a relative of the emperor Albinus, who helped him gain the attention of the Antonines. Syme said he is an invention of the ''Historia Augusta''. * Ceionius Albinus, a distinguished man, probably a relative of the emperor Albinus, put to death by

Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (; 11 April 145 – 4 February 211) was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary suc ...

. Syme said he is an invention of the ''Historia Augusta''. * Ceionius Albinus, ''

praefectus urbi The ''praefectus urbanus'', also called ''praefectus urbi'' or urban prefect in English, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, an ...

'' under the emperor Valerian; his full name may have been Marcus Nummius Ceionius Annius Albinus. A Nummius Albinus was ''praefectus urbi'' in AD 256. *

Gaius Ceionius Rufius Volusianus Gaius Ceionius Rufius Volusianus (c. 246 – c. 330) was a Roman senator who had a lengthy political career and who was appointed consul at least twice, the known dates being AD 311 and 314. Biography It has been speculated that Rufius Volusia ...

, of Rome in AD 310 and 311, and from 313 to 315, as well as consul in 311 and 314. * Ceionius C. f. Rufius Albinus, consul in AD 335, and ''praefectus urbi'' from 335 to 337. * Gaius Ceionius Rufius Volusianus ''signo'' Lampadius, praetorian prefect of

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 ...

in AD 354 and 355, proconsul of Africa, and ''praefectus urbi'' in 365. * Ceionius C. f. Rufius Albinus, ''praefectus urbi'' from AD 389 to 391. * Ceionius C. f. Rufius Volusianus, vicar of

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 are ...

before 390. * Publius Ceionius C. f. Caecina Albinus, grandfather of Eustochius,

Bishop of Tours The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tours ( Latin: ''Archidioecesis Turonensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Tours'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The archdiocese has roots that go back to the 3rd c ...

during the mid-5th century.

Ceionii Juliani

* Ceionius Julianus, ''praefectus urbi'' in AD 310 and 311, a friend of the historian Vopiscus. Possibly fictitious or a confusion with the other Juliani. * Marcus Ceionius Julianus Camenius, proconsul of

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 ...

from 326 to 333 and of Rome in 333–334. * Publius Publilius Ceionius M. f. Julianus, of Tuscany and

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

before 370. * Alfenius Ceionius P. f. M. n. Julianus Camenius, a pagan, held several priesthoods and was

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

in 381. * Caeionius Camenius, possibly a son of Alfenius. * Caeionia Fusciana, sister of Caeionius Camenius.

Others

* Ceionius, under Publius Quinctilius Varus, took his own life after the disaster of

Teutoburg Forest The Teutoburg Forest ( ; german: Teutoburger Wald ) is a range of low, forested hills in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Until the 17th century, the official name of the hill ridge was Osning. It was first renamed th ...

, in AD 9. * Marcus Ceionius Silvanus, consul in AD 156. * Marcia Aurelia Ceionia Demetrias, a

freedwoman 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 ...

of the emperor Lucius Verus, and mistress of the emperor Commodus, in whose downfall she played a prominent part; she was later put to death by

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 Da ...

. * Ceionius Virius Bassus, consul in AD 271, and a friend of the emperor Aurelian, to whom he wrote a letter respecting the destruction of

Palmyra Palmyra (; Palmyrene: () ''Tadmor''; ar, تَدْمُر ''Tadmur'') is an ancient city in present-day Homs Governorate, Syria. Archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first mention the city in the early secon ...

.Flavius Vopiscus, "The Life of Aurelian", 31. * Ceionius Varus, ''praefectus urbi'' in AD 284 and 285.

References

Bibliography

Marcus Velleius Paterculus Marcus Velleius Paterculus (; c. 19 BC – c. AD 31) was a Roman historian, soldier and senator. His Roman history, written in a highly rhetorical style, covered the period from the end of the Trojan War to AD 30, but is most useful for the per ...

, ''Compendium of Roman History''. * 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''. *

Herodian Herodian or Herodianus ( el, Ἡρωδιανός) of Syria, sometimes referred to as "Herodian of Antioch" (c. 170 – c. 240), was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled ''History of the Empire from the Death o ...

us, ''History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus''. * '' Acts of the Arval Brethren''. * Aelius Lampridius, Aelius Spartianus, Flavius Vopiscus, Julius Capitolinus, Trebellius Pollio, and Vulcatius Gallicanus, '' Historia Augusta'' (Augustan History). * ''

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1849, originally published 1844 under a slightly different title) is an encyclopedia/biographical dictionary. Edited by William Smith, the dictionary spans three volumes and 3,700 ...

'', William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849). *

Theodor Mommsen Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19th centu ...

''et alii'', '' Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (The Body of Latin Inscriptions, abbreviated ''CIL''), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1853–present). * René Cagnat ''et alii'', ''

L'Année épigraphique ''L'Année épigraphique'' (''The Epigraphic Year'', standard abbreviation ''AE'') is a French publication on epigraphy (i.e the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing). It was set up by René Cagnat, as holder of the chair of 'Epigraphy an ...

'' (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 (1897). *

Ronald Syme Sir Ronald Syme, (11 March 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. He was regarded as the greatest historian of ancient Rome since Theodor Mommsen and the most brilliant exponent of the history of the Roman ...

, "Antonine Relatives: Ceionii and Vettuleni", in ''Athenaeum'', vol. xxxv (1957). * D.P. Simpson, ''Cassell's Latin and English Dictionary'', Macmillan Publishing Company, New York (1963). * Anthony R. Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', B. T. Batsford, London (1966). * E. Mary Smallwood, ''Documents Illustrating the Principates of Nerva, Trajan, and Hadrian'', Cambridge University Press (1966). * * * Paul A. Gallivan
"The ''Fasti'' for A.D. 70–96"
in '' Classical Quarterly'', vol. 31, pp. 186–220 (1981). * T. S. M. Mommaerts & D. H. Kelley, "The Anicii of Gaul and Rome", in ''Fifth-century Gaul: a Crisis of Identity?'', John Drinkwater and Hugh Elton, eds., Cambridge University Press, (1992). *

Werner Eck Werner Eck (born 17 December 1939) is Professor of Ancient History at Cologne University, Germany, and a noted expert on the history and epigraphy of imperial Rome.Eck, W. (2007) ''The Age of Augustus''. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell, cover notes. Hi ...

, "Die Fasti consulares der Regierungszeit des Antoninus Pius, eine Bestandsaufnahme seit Géza Alföldys Konsulat und Senatorenstand", in ''Studia Epigraphica in Memoriam Géza Alföldy'', Werner Eck, Benedictus Fehér, and Péter Kovács, eds., Bonn (2013). * {{cite book , editor1=August Pauly , editor2=Georg Wissowa , editor3=Wilhelm Kroll , editor4=Kurt Witte , editor5=Karl Mittelhaus , editor6=Konrat Ziegler , title=Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft , title-link=Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft , location=Stuttgart , publisher=J. B. Metzler , date=1894–1980 , ref={{harvid, RE Etruscan families Roman gentes