The gens Racilia was a minor plebeian 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 BC ...

. Members of this gens are mentioned as early as the fifth century BC, but few of them achieved any prominence in the Roman state.

Origin

The nomen ''Racilius'' belongs to a large class of gentilicia formed from other names using the suffix '. Such names were frequently, but not always derived from diminutives ending in ''-ulus'' or ''-ilus'', but so abundant were names of this type that ' came to be regarded as a regular gentile-forming suffix. Here, ''Racilius'' seems to be formed from another nomen, '' Raecius''.

Praenomina

The Racilii used a variety of the most common

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 ...

, including ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', '' Gnaeus'', '' Marcus'', '' Publius'', '' Quintus'', and ''

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 ...

''. In addition to these, some of the women of the Racilii are known to have borne praenomina, including '' Polla'' and '' Gaia''.

Branches and cognomina

None of the Racilii of the Republic appear to have borne

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 ...

, and there is no evidence that the gens was divided into distinct families, but a variety of surnames is found in imperial times.

Members

* Racilia, the wife of Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, twice

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in tim ...

and

Roman consul 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 ...

in 460 BC. * Lucius Racilius,

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 state that was open to the plebeians, and was, throughout the history of the Republic, the most important check on the power o ...

in 56 BC, was a friend and ally of

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 esta ...

, and a staunch opponent of the tribune

Publius Clodius Pulcher Publius Clodius Pulcher (93–52 BC) was a populist Roman politician and street agitator during the time of the First Triumvirate. One of the most colourful personalities of his era, Clodius was descended from the aristocratic Claudia gens, one ...

. He served under

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, but was put to death by

Quintus Cassius Longinus Quintus Cassius Longinus, the brother or cousin of Cassius (the murderer of Julius Caesar), was a governor in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, comprising modern Spain and Portugal) for Caesar. Cassius was one of the '' tresviri monetales'' of the ...

, the governor of

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 ...

, against whom he had conspired. * Racilia C. l., a freedwoman named in an inscription from Trebula Mutusca in Sabinum.. * Polla Racilia P. f., buried at Rome with her nephews, Publius Racilius Celer and Publius Racilius Gallus.. * Gaius Racilius, named in an inscription from Trebula Mutusca. * Gaius Racilius, possibly the freedman of Gaius Racilius Amphio, named in a funerary inscription from Carreum Potentia in

Liguria it, Ligure , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

.. * Gaius Racilius, named in an inscription from

Clunia Clunia (full name ''Colonia Clunia Sulpicia'') was an ancient Roman city. Its remains are located on Alto de Castro, at more than 1000 metres above sea level, between the villages of Peñalba de Castro and Coruña del Conde, 2 km away f ...

in Hispania Citerior. * Gnaeus Racilius, named in an inscription from the

Baths of Diocletian , alternate_name = it, Terme di Diocleziano , image = Baths of Diocletian-Antmoose1.jpg , caption = Baths of Diocletian, with the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri built in the remains of the baths. , map_dot_ ...

in Rome. * Lucius Racilius, named in a funerary inscription from Fundi in

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil ( Old Latium) on w ...

. * Lucius Racilius, possibly the freedman of Gaius Racilius Amphio, named in a funerary inscription from Carreum Potentia. * Marcus Racilius, named in a first-century BC inscription from Fundi. * Publius Racilius P. f., dedicated a tomb at Rome for his sons, Publius Racilius Celer, Publius Racilius Gallus, and his sister, Polla Racilia. * Quintus Racilius Q. f., named in an inscription from Rome, dating to AD 150. * Marcus Racilius Ɔ. l. Agatho, a freedman, and the husband of Racilia Falerna, named in an inscription from Rome.. * Gaius Racilius C. l. Amphio, a freedman, and the husband of Licinia Salvia, named in a funerary inscription from Carreum Potentia. He may have been the former master of Gaius and Lucius Racilius, named in the same inscription. * Lucius Racilius L. f. Ampliatus, a soldier from Picenum, serving in the third cohort of the

vigiles The ''Vigiles'' or more properly the ''Vigiles Urbani'' ("watchmen of the City") or ''Cohortes Vigilum'' ("cohorts of the watchmen") were the firefighters and police of ancient Rome. History The ''Triumviri Nocturni'' (meaning ''three men of th ...

, in the century of Marcus Masculus, buried at Rome, with a tomb built by his companion, Fulvius Augendus. * Publius Racilius P. f. P. n. Celer, buried at Rome, together with his brother, Publius Racilius Gallus, and aunt, Polla Racilia. * Publius Racilius T. l. Communis, a freedman mentioned in a first century inscription found at the present site of Ferrara, formerly in Etruria. * Racilia Eutychia, dedicated a sepulchre at Rome for her husband, Gnaeus Racilius Telesphorus, and children, Gnaeus Racilius Fructuosus, and Racilia Fructuosa.. * Racilia Ɔ. l. Falerna, a freedwoman, and the wife of Marcus Racilius Agatho, named in an inscription from Rome. * Lucius Racilius Felix Lampadarius, a

flamen A (plural ''flamens'' or ''flamines'') was a priest of the ancient Roman religion who was assigned to one of eighteen deities with official cults during the Roman Republic. The most important of these were the three (or "major priests"), who ser ...

named in an inscription from Municipium Turcetanum in

Africa Proconsularis 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 ...

.. * Titus Racilius Felix Lampadarius, a flamen named in an inscription from Municipium Turcetanum.. * Quintus Racilius Fronto, buried at Rome in a tomb built by Tiberius Claudius Lamyrus and Claudia Fortunata. * Racilia Cn. f. Fructuosa, daughter of Gnaeus Racilius Telesphorus and Racilia Eutychia, buried in a family sepulchre at Rome. * Gnaeus Racilius Cn. f. Fructuosus, son of Gnaeus Racilius Telesphorus and Racilia Eutychia, buried in a family sepulchre at Rome, aged ten years, eight months, twenty-two days, and five hours. * Publius Racilius P. f. P. n. Gallus, buried at Rome, together with his brother, Publius Racilius Celer, and aunt, Polla Racilia. * Gnaeus Racilius Herma, buried at Rome, in a tomb built by his

client Client(s) or The Client may refer to: * Client (business) * Client (computing), hardware or software that accesses a remote service on another computer * Customer or client, a recipient of goods or services in return for monetary or other valuabl ...

, Gaia Racilia Prepis.. * Gnaeus Racilius Januarius, buried at Rome, together with his wife, Licinia Marciana. * Racilius Neptunalis, built two third-century tombs at Ammaedara in Africa Proconsularis for his parents, Aurelia Dativa, aged eighty-one, and Quintus Racilius Tibullus, aged ninety-three.. * Gaius Racilius C. l. Nestor, a freedman named in an inscription found at the present site of

Hinojosa del Duque Hinojosa del Duque is a city located in the province of Córdoba, Spain. According to the 2014 census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This t ...

, formerly part of

Hispania Baetica Hispania Baetica, often abbreviated Baetica, was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula). Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica remained one of the basic di ...

. * Racilia Olympias, a freedwoman, built a sepulchre at Fundi in

, together with Marcus Racilius Princeps, for themselves and others.. * Racilia Peregrina, buried at

Thacia Thacia was a Roman- Berber civitas in the province of Africa Proconsulare.Thacia
at Roman Empire Atlas. The city is known as ...

in Africa Proconsularis, aged eighty-five. * Marcus Recilius Potitus, buried at Fundi in a tomb built by Marcus Racilius Princeps and Racilia Olympias. * Gaia Racilia Prepis, client of Gnaeus Racilius Herma, for whom she built a tomb at Rome. * Marcus Recilius Princeps, a freedman, who built a sepulchre at Fundi with Racilia Olympias. * Racilius Restutus, buried at

Theveste Theveste was a Roman colony situated in the present Tébessa, Algeria. History In 146 BC, the Romans conquered the region, where existed an old city called " Tbessa". Theveste was founded by the Romans in 75 AD near an old Berber village locate ...

in Africa Proconsularis, aged fifty-three. * Sextus Racilius Sex. f. Rufus, buried at Rome. * Racilia Saturnina, named in an inscription from Municipium Turcetanum. * Gaius Racilius Severus, named in a libationary inscription from Florentia in Etruria. * Racilia L. f. Silvana, buried at Satafis in Mauretania Caesariensis, aged thirteen. * Gnaeus Racilius Telesphorus, husband of Racilia Eutychia, and father of Gnaeus Racilius Fructuosus and Racilia Fructuosa, buried in a family sepulchre at Rome, aged twenty-one years, seven months. * Titus Racilius Tertullus Dativus, named in an inscription from Municipium Turcetanum. * Quintus Racilius Tibullus, husband of Aurelia Dativa, and father of Racilius Neptunalis, buried at Ammaedara, aged ninety-three. * Titus Racilius Valerianus, named in an inscription from

in Hispania Citerior..

References

Bibliography

Marcus Tullius 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 esta ...

, ''

Epistulae ad Familiares ''Epistulae ad Familiares'' (''Letters to Friends'') is a collection of letters between Roman politician and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero and various public and private figures. The letters in this collection, together with Cicero's other letter ...

'', '' Epistulae ad Quintum Fratrem'', ''Pro Plancio''. *

Aulus Hirtius Aulus Hirtius (; – 43 BC) was consul of the Roman Republic in 43 BC and a writer on military subjects. He was killed during his consulship in battle against Mark Antony at the Battle of Mutina. Biography He was a legate of Julius Caesar's s ...

, ''

De Bello Alexandrino ''De Bello Alexandrino'' (also ''Bellum Alexandrinum''; ''On the Alexandrine War'') is a Latin work continuing Julius Caesar's commentaries, ''De Bello Gallico'' and '' De Bello Civili''. It details Caesar's campaigns in Alexandria and Asia. A ...

'' (On the Alexandrine War). * Titus Livius (

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

), ''

History of Rome The history of Rome includes the history of the city of Rome as well as the civilisation of ancient Rome. Roman history has been influential on the modern world, especially in the history of the Catholic Church, and Roman law has influenced m ...

''. * Scholia Bobiensia (

Bobbio Scholiast The Bobbio Scholiast (commonly abbreviated ''schol. Bob.'') was an anonymous scholiast working in the 7th century at the monastery of Bobbio and known for his annotations of texts from classical antiquity. He is a unique source for some information ...

), ''In Ciceronis Pro Plancio'' (Commentary on Cicero’s Oration ''Pro Plancio''). * ''

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). * ''Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità'' (News of Excavations from Antiquity, abbreviated ''NSA''), Accademia dei Lincei (1876–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 ...