Manius (praenomen)
Encyclopedia
Manius (ˈmæni.əs) is a Latin praenomen
, or personal name
, which was used throughout the period of the Roman Republic
, and well into imperial times. The feminine form is Mania. The name was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gentes Manlia and Manilia. Manius was originally abbreviated with an archaic five-stroke "M", which was not otherwise used in Latin. In place of this letter, the praenomen came to be abbreviated M'.
Although regularly used by certain gentes, such as the Acilii, Aemilii, Aquilii, Papirii, Sergii, and Valerii, Manius was not used by the majority of families, and was never particularly common. Between ten and twelve other praenomina were used more frequently. It became less common during the period of the Roman Empire
, eventually falling out of use.
believed that Manius was derived from mane, "the morning", and therefore was originally given to children born in the morning. It has also been proposed that the name may have been given to children born in the month of Februarius, the month sacred to the manes, the souls of the dead. However, Chase proposes that it instead derives from the archaic adjective manus, meaning "good". The name's superficial similarity to manes may have been one reason why Manius was relatively uncommon.
Praenomen
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...
, or personal name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
, which was used throughout the period of the Roman 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...
, and well into imperial times. The feminine form is Mania. The name was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gentes Manlia and Manilia. Manius was originally abbreviated with an archaic five-stroke "M", which was not otherwise used in Latin. In place of this letter, the praenomen came to be abbreviated M'.
Although regularly used by certain gentes, such as the Acilii, Aemilii, Aquilii, Papirii, Sergii, and Valerii, Manius was not used by the majority of families, and was never particularly common. Between ten and twelve other praenomina were used more frequently. It became less common during the period of the Roman Empire
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....
, eventually falling out of use.
Origin and Meaning of the Name
The Roman scholar Sextus Pompeius FestusSextus Pompeius Festus
Sextus Pompeius Festus was a Roman grammarian, who probably flourished in the later 2nd century AD, perhaps at Narbo in Gaul.He made an epitome in 20 volumes of the encyclopedic treatise in many volumes De verborum significatu, of Verrius Flaccus, a celebrated grammarian who flourished in the...
believed that Manius was derived from mane, "the morning", and therefore was originally given to children born in the morning. It has also been proposed that the name may have been given to children born in the month of Februarius, the month sacred to the manes, the souls of the dead. However, Chase proposes that it instead derives from the archaic adjective manus, meaning "good". The name's superficial similarity to manes may have been one reason why Manius was relatively uncommon.