Anicia (gens)
Encyclopedia
The gens Anicia was a plebeian
family at Rome
, mentioned first towards the end of the 4th century BC The first of the Anicii under to achieve prominence under the Republic
was Lucius Anicius Gallus, who conducted the war against the Illyrii
during the Third Macedonian War
, in 168 BC.
A noble
family bore this name in the Imperial era
, and may have been descended from the Anicii of the Republic.
town of Praeneste
. The earliest of the family to hold any curule magistracy
at Rome bore the surname Praenestinus.
Lucius
, Quintus
, Marcus
, Gnaeus
, Titus
, and Gaius
.
Gallus, which may refer to a cock
, or to a Gaul
. The surname Praenestinus, found in earlier times, may indicate that the family originated at the city of Praeneste. It was probably a personal cognomen, as it does not appear in later times.
During the imperial age, in the 4th century, a Roman family bearing the nomen
Anicius rose to great prominence. The historian Edward Gibbon
writes:
A branch of the family transferred to the Eastern Roman Empire, establishing itself in Constantinople
(where Anicia Juliana
, daughter of Western Emperor Anicius Olybrius
, was a patron of the arts) and rising in prestige: the scholar and philosopher Boëthius was a member of this family, as was Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius
, the last person other than the Emperor of Byzantium himself to hold the office of consul, in 541. In the West, on the other side, the Anicii were supporters of the independence of the Western Empire from the Eastern one; they were, therefore, supporters of the Ostrogothic kings of Italy
, and such celebrated by the king Theodahad
.
Plebs
The plebs was the general body of free land-owning Roman citizens in Ancient Rome. They were distinct from the higher order of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian...
family at Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, mentioned first towards the end of the 4th century BC The first of the Anicii under to achieve prominence under the Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
was Lucius Anicius Gallus, who conducted the war against the Illyrii
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
during the Third Macedonian War
Third Macedonian War
The Third Macedonian War was a war fought between Rome and King Perseus of Macedon. In 179 BC King Philip V of Macedon died and his talented and ambitious son, Perseus, took his throne. Perseus married Laodike, daughter of King Seleucus IV Keraunos of Asia, and increased the size of his army...
, in 168 BC.
A noble
Nobiles
During the Roman Republic, nobilis was a descriptive term of social rank, usually indicating that a member of the family had achieved the consulship. Those who belonged to the hereditary patrician families were noble, but plebeians whose ancestors were consuls were also considered nobiles...
family bore this name in the Imperial era
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, and may have been descended from the Anicii of the Republic.
Origin of the gens
The Anicii may have been from the LatinLatins (Italic tribe)
The Latins were a people of ancient Italy who included the inhabitants of the early City of Rome. From ca. 1000 BC, the Latins inhabited the small part of the peninsula known to the Romans as Old Latium , that is, the region between the river Tiber and the promontory of Monte Circeo The Latins (or...
town of Praeneste
Palestrina
Palestrina is an ancient city and comune with a population of about 18,000, in Lazio, c. 35 km east of Rome...
. The earliest of the family to hold any curule magistracy
Roman Magistrates
The Roman Magistrates were elected officials in Ancient Rome. During the period of the Roman Kingdom, the King of Rome was the principal executive magistrate. His power, in practice, was absolute. He was the chief priest, lawgiver, judge, and the sole commander of the army...
at Rome bore the surname Praenestinus.
Praenomina used by the gens
The Anicii are known to have used the praenominaPraenomen
The praenomen was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the dies lustricus , the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the birth of a boy...
Lucius
Lucius (praenomen)
Lucius is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was one of the most common names throughout Roman history. The feminine form is Lucia . The praenomen was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gentes Lucia and Lucilia, as well as the cognomen Lucullus...
, Quintus
Quintus (praenomen)
Quintus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was common throughout all periods of Roman history. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gentes Quinctia and Quinctilia. The feminine form is Quinta...
, Marcus
Marcus (praenomen)
Marcus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was one of the most common names throughout Roman history. The feminine form is Marca or Marcia. The praenomen was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Marcia, as well as the cognomen Marcellus...
, Gnaeus
Gnaeus (praenomen)
Gnaeus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was common throughout the period of the Roman Republic, and well into imperial times. The feminine form is Gnaea. The praenomen was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Naevia...
, Titus
Titus (praenomen)
Titus is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, and was one of the most common names throughout Roman history. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Titia. The feminine form is Tita or Titia...
, and Gaius
Gaius (praenomen)
Gaius is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was one of the most common names throughout Roman history. The feminine form is Gaia. The praenomen was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Gavia...
.
Branches and cognomina of the gens
The only major branch of the family during the Republic used the cognomenCognomen
The cognomen nōmen "name") was the third name of a citizen of Ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. The cognomen started as a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditary. Hereditary cognomina were used to augment the second name in order to identify a particular branch within...
Gallus, which may refer to a cock
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
, or to a Gaul
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
. The surname Praenestinus, found in earlier times, may indicate that the family originated at the city of Praeneste. It was probably a personal cognomen, as it does not appear in later times.
Roman naming conventions
By the Republican era and throughout the Imperial era, a name in ancient Rome for a male citizen consisted of three parts : praenomen , nomen and cognomen...
Anicius rose to great prominence. The historian Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament...
writes:
From the reign of Diocletian
DiocletianDiocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
to the final extinction of the Western empire, that name shone with a lustre which was not eclipsed, in the public estimation, by the majesty of the Imperial purple. The several branches, to whom it was communicated, united, by marriage or inheritance, the wealth and titles of the AnnianAnnia (gens)The gens Annia was a plebeian family of considerable antiquity at Rome. The first person of this name whom Titus Livius mentions is the Latin praetor Lucius Annius of Setia, a Roman colony in 340 BC. By the time of the Second Punic War, the Annii were obtaining minor magistracies at Rome, and in...
, the Petronian, and the Olybrian houses; and in each generation the number of consulships was multiplied by an hereditary claim. The Anician family excelled in faith and in riches: they were the first of the Roman senateRoman SenateThe Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
who embraced Christianity; and it is probable that Anicius JulianAmnius Anicius Julianus- Biography :Anicius Julianus was consul in 322 with Petronius Probianus, praefectus urbi Romae between 326 and 329.He is identified with the proconsul of Africa proconsularis who, in 302, received a rescript from emperor Diocletian, which ordered the suppression of the Manichees in Africa,...
, who was afterwards consul and praefect of the cityPraefectus urbiThe praefectus urbanus or praefectus urbi, in English the urban prefect, 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 held high importance in late Antiquity...
, atoned for his attachment to the party of MaxentiusMaxentiusMaxentius was a Roman Emperor from 306 to 312. He was the son of former Emperor Maximian, and the son-in-law of Emperor Galerius.-Birth and early life:Maxentius' exact date of birth is unknown; it was probably around 278...
, by the readiness with which he accepted the religion of ConstantineConstantine IConstantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
.
Their ample patrimony was increased by the industry of Probus
Sextus Claudius Petronius ProbusSextus Claudius Petronius Probus was a leading Roman aristocrat of the later 4th century, renowned for his wealth, power and social connections.-Family:...
, the chief of the Anician family; who shared with GratianGratianGratian was Roman Emperor from 375 to 383.The eldest son of Valentinian I, during his youth Gratian accompanied his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers. Upon the death of Valentinian in 375, Gratian's brother Valentinian II was declared emperor by his father's soldiers...
the honors of the consulship, and exercised, four times, the high office of Praetorian praefectPraetorian prefectPraetorian prefect was the title of a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief aides...
. His immense estates were scattered over the wide extent of the Roman world; and though the public might suspect or disapprove the methods by which they had been acquired, the generosity and magnificence of that fortunate statesman deserved the gratitude of his clients, and the admiration of strangers. Such was the respect entertained for his memory, that the two sons of Probus, in their earliest youth, and at the request of the senate, were associated in the consular dignity; a memorable distinction, without example, in the annals of Rome.
"The marbles of the Anician palace," were used as a proverbial expression of opulence and splendor; but the nobles and senators of Rome aspired, in due gradation, to imitate that illustrious family.
A branch of the family transferred to the Eastern Roman Empire, establishing itself in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
(where Anicia Juliana
Anicia Juliana
Anicia Juliana was a Roman imperial princess, the daughter of the Western Roman Emperor Olybrius, of the Anicii, by Placidia the younger, daughter of Emperor Valentinian III and Licinia Eudoxia....
, daughter of Western Emperor Anicius Olybrius
Olybrius
Anicius Olybrius was Western Roman Emperor from April or May 472 to his death. He was in reality a puppet ruler, put on the throne by the Roman general of Germanic descent Ricimer, and was mainly interested in religion, while the actual power was held by Ricimer and his nephew Gundobad.-Family and...
, was a patron of the arts) and rising in prestige: the scholar and philosopher Boëthius was a member of this family, as was Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius
Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius
Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius was a high official of the Eastern Roman Empire and the last consul of Roman history, holding the office in 541.- Biography :...
, the last person other than the Emperor of Byzantium himself to hold the office of consul, in 541. In the West, on the other side, the Anicii were supporters of the independence of the Western Empire from the Eastern one; they were, therefore, supporters of the Ostrogothic kings of Italy
Ostrogothic Kingdom
The Kingdom established by the Ostrogoths in Italy and neighbouring areas lasted from 493 to 553. In Italy the Ostrogoths replaced Odoacer, the de facto ruler of Italy who had deposed the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire in 476. The Gothic kingdom reached its zenith under the rule of its...
, and such celebrated by the king Theodahad
Theodahad
Theodahad was the King of the Ostrogoths from 534 to 536 and a nephew of Theodoric the Great through his sister Amalafrida. He might have arrived in Italy with Theodoric and was an elderly man at the time of his succession...
.
Members of the gens
- This list includes abbreviated praenominaPraenomenThe praenomen was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the dies lustricus , the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the birth of a boy...
. For an explanation of this practice, see filiation.
Anicii of the Republic
- Quintus Anicius Praenestinus, curule aedileAedileAedile was an 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 enforce public order. There were two pairs of aediles. Two aediles were from the ranks of plebeians and the other...
in 304 BC - Marcus Anicius Gallus, grandfather of the praetor of 168 BC
- Lucius Anicius Gallus, father of the praetor of 168 BC
- Lucius Anicius L. f. M. n. Gallus, praetorPraetorPraetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
in 168 BC, during the Macedonian WarThird Macedonian WarThe Third Macedonian War was a war fought between Rome and King Perseus of Macedon. In 179 BC King Philip V of Macedon died and his talented and ambitious son, Perseus, took his throne. Perseus married Laodike, daughter of King Seleucus IV Keraunos of Asia, and increased the size of his army...
, triumphed over GentiusGentiusGentius was the last Illyrian king of the Ardiaean State. The name appears to derive from PIE *g'en- "to beget", cognate to Latin gens, gentis "kin, clan, race". He was the son of Pleuratus III, a king who kept relations with Rome very strong...
, king of IllyriaIllyricum (Roman province)The Roman province of Illyricum or Illyris Romana or Illyris Barbara or Illyria Barbara replaced most of the region of Illyria. It stretched from the Drilon river in modern north Albania to Istria in the west and to the Sava river in the north. Salona functioned as its capital...
. - Lucius Anicius Gallus, father of the consul of 160 BC
- Lucius Anicius L. f. L. n. Gallus, consulRoman consulA consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
in 160 BC - Gnaeus Anicius, a legateLegatusA legatus was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes...
of Lucius Aemilius PaullusLucius Aemilius Paulus MacedonicusLucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus was a two-time consul of the Roman Republic and a noted general who conquered Macedon putting an end to the Antigonid dynasty.-Family:...
in 168 BC, during the Third Macedonian WarThird Macedonian WarThe Third Macedonian War was a war fought between Rome and King Perseus of Macedon. In 179 BC King Philip V of Macedon died and his talented and ambitious son, Perseus, took his throne. Perseus married Laodike, daughter of King Seleucus IV Keraunos of Asia, and increased the size of his army...
. - Titus Anicius, commissioned by CiceroCiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
to purchase a house in the suburbs for him. - Gaius Anicius, a senatorRoman SenateThe Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
, and a friend and neighbor of Cicero, who gave him a letter of introduction to Quintus CornificiusCornificiusQuintus Cornificius was a Roman author of a work on rhetorical figures, and perhaps of a general treatise on the art of rhetoric.-Auctor ad Herennium:...
in AfricaAfrica ProvinceThe Roman province of Africa was established after the Romans defeated Carthage in the Third Punic War. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day northern Tunisia, and the small Mediterranean coast of modern-day western Libya along the Syrtis Minor...
.
Imperial Anicii
- Quintus Anicius FaustusQuintus Anicius Faustus- Biography :Native of Africa Province, between 197 and 201 he was appointed legatus of the Legio III Augusta by the African emperor Septimius Severus. Faustus built several defensive forts of the Limes Tripolitanus, in southern Numidia and in Tripolitania, in order to protect the province from the...
, consul in 198. - Sextus Anicius Faustus Paulinus, consul 298.
- Amnius Anicius JulianusAmnius Anicius Julianus- Biography :Anicius Julianus was consul in 322 with Petronius Probianus, praefectus urbi Romae between 326 and 329.He is identified with the proconsul of Africa proconsularis who, in 302, received a rescript from emperor Diocletian, which ordered the suppression of the Manichees in Africa,...
, consul in 322. - Sextus Anicius Faustus Paulinus, consul 325.
- Amnius Anicius Paulinus, consul in 334.
- Anicius Auchenius BassusAnicius Auchenius Bassus (prefect)Anicius Auchenius Bassus was a politician of the Roman Empire.- Biography :Bassus was a native of Beneventum and patron of that city, as well as of Fabrateria Vetus and, by family tradition, of Naples...
, praefectus urbiPraefectus urbiThe praefectus urbanus or praefectus urbi, in English the urban prefect, 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 held high importance in late Antiquity...
of Rome in 382 and 383. - Tyrrenia Anicia Juliana, daughter of Auchenius Bassus, married Quintus Clodius Hermogenianus OlybriusQuintus Clodius Hermogenianus OlybriusQuintus Clodius Hermogenianus Olybrius was a Roman politician, praefectus urbi of Rome in 368–370 and Roman consul in 379...
, consul in 379. - Anicia Faltonia ProbaAnicia Faltonia ProbaAnicia Faltonia Proba was a Roman noblewoman of the gens Anicia.- Biography :Proba's father was Quintus Clodius Hermogenianus Olybrius ; the famous poet Faltonia Betitia Proba was a relative...
, a poet, married Sextus Claudius Petronius ProbusSextus Claudius Petronius ProbusSextus Claudius Petronius Probus was a leading Roman aristocrat of the later 4th century, renowned for his wealth, power and social connections.-Family:...
, consul in 371. - Anicius Hermogenianus Olybrius, consul in 395.
- Anicius ProbinusAnicius ProbinusFlavius Anicius Probinus was a politician and aristocrat of the Roman Empire.- Biography :A member of the noble gens Anicia, Probinus was the son of Sextus Claudius Petronius Probus, one of the most influential men of his era and consul in 371, and of Anicia Faltonia Proba; he was then the brother...
, consul with his brother Hermogenianus Olybrius in 395. - Anicius Petronius ProbusAnicius Petronius ProbusFlavius Anicius Petronius Probus was a politician of the Western Roman Empire.- Biography :A member of the gens Anicia, he was the son of Sextus Claudius Petronius Probus and of Anicia Faltonia Proba; his elder brothers were Anicius Hermogenianus Olybrius and Anicius Probinus , his sister Anicia...
, consul in 406. - Anicia Proba, daughter of Sextus Claudius Petronius ProbusSextus Claudius Petronius ProbusSextus Claudius Petronius Probus was a leading Roman aristocrat of the later 4th century, renowned for his wealth, power and social connections.-Family:...
. - DemetriasDemetrias (daughter of Anicius Hermogenianus Olybrius)Demetrias was a Roman noblewoman, member of the powerful family of the Anicii and acquaintance of several churchmen.- Biography :...
, daughter of Anicius Hermogenianus Olybrius - Anicius Auchenius BassusAnicius Auchenius Bassus (consul 408)Anicius Auchenius Bassus was a politician of the Roman Empire.In 408 he was appointed consul. According to B.L. Twyman, he represents the "mainline" of the gens Anicia....
, consul in 408, probably son of the praefectus urbi of 382 - Aurelius Anicius SymmachusAurelius Anicius SymmachusAnicius Aurelius Symmachus was a politician of the Western Roman Empire.- Biography :He belonged to the Roman families of the Anicii and of the Symmachi; he was probably a relative of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, perhaps the son of a brother or sister who had married a member of Anicii.In 415 he...
, praefectus urbi of Rome in 418-420. - Anicius Auchenius BassusAnicius Auchenius Bassus (consul 431)Flavius Anicius Auchenius Bassus was a high official of the Western Roman Empire. He was appointed as consul by the Western court with Antiochus Chuzon as a colleague...
, consul in 431, son of the consul of 408 - Petronius MaximusPetronius MaximusFlavius Petronius Maximus was Western Roman Emperor for two and a half months in 455. A wealthy senator and a prominent aristocrat, he was instrumental in the murders of the Western Roman magister militum, Flavius Aëtius, and the Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III...
, consul in 433, 443; emperor in 455 - Anicius Probus, vir inlustris in 459.
- Anicius OlybriusOlybriusAnicius Olybrius was Western Roman Emperor from April or May 472 to his death. He was in reality a puppet ruler, put on the throne by the Roman general of Germanic descent Ricimer, and was mainly interested in religion, while the actual power was held by Ricimer and his nephew Gundobad.-Family and...
, emperor in 472. - Anicia JulianaAnicia JulianaAnicia Juliana was a Roman imperial princess, the daughter of the Western Roman Emperor Olybrius, of the Anicii, by Placidia the younger, daughter of Emperor Valentinian III and Licinia Eudoxia....
, daughter of the emperor Olybrius. - Flavius Anicius Olybrius IuniorFlavius Anicius Olybrius IuniorFlavius Olybrius was an aristocrat of the Eastern Roman Empire, and consul for 491. He is sometimes referred to as "Olybrius Junior" in the sources. Alan Cameron explains, "It may be that, alone among the consuls here discussed, Olybrius was actually known as 'Olybrius the younger' in social as...
, consul in 491. - Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius, consul in 510, a great scholar and philosopher.
- SymmachusSymmachus (consul 522)Flavius Symmachus was a Roman politician during the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy.Son of the philosopher Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius and of Rusticiana he was the brother of Boethius, with whom he shared the consulate, chosen by the Ostrogothic court.His father fell into disgrace with the...
, son of the philosopher Boëthius, and consul in 522. - BoëthiusBoethius (consul 522)Flavius Boethius was a Roman politician during the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy.Son of the philosopher Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius and of Rusticiana he was the brother of Symmachus, with whom he shared the consulate, chosen by the Ostrogothic court.His father fell into disgrace with the...
, son of the philosopher Boëthius, and consul with his brother Symmachus in 522. - Anicius MaximusAnicius MaximusFlavius Anicius Maximus was a Roman senator and patrician during the Ostrogothic kingdom, who celebrated the last games in the Flavian Amphitheater.- Biography :...
, consul in 523. - Anicius Olybrius iuniorAnicius Olybrius (consul 526)Flavius Anicius Olybrius iunior was a Roman politician. He was appointed consul for the year 526, which he held without a colleague.- Biography :Olybrius belonged to the noble family of the Anicii, probably to the western branch...
, consul in 526. - Anicius Faustus Albinus BasiliusAnicius Faustus Albinus BasiliusAnicius Faustus Albinus Basilius was a high official of the Eastern Roman Empire and the last consul of Roman history, holding the office in 541.- Biography :...
, consul in 541, the last person other than the Byzantine Emperor to hold this title.