Veturia (gens)

The gens Veturia, anciently called Vetusia, was a patrician family at Rome, which also had plebeian branches. The patrician branch was of great antiquity. According to legendary history, Mamurius Veturius lived in the time of Numa Pompilius, and made the sacred ancilia.

The Veturii are also mentioned in the early times of the Republic, and one of them, Gaius Veturius Geminus Cicurinus, was consul in the eleventh year of the Republic, 499 BC. The Veturii rarely occur in later times of the Republic, and after the year 206 BC, when Lucius Veturius Philo was consul, their name disappears from the Fasti.[1]

Origin of the gens

From the tradition of Mamurius Veturius being connected with the history of Numa, and also from his having two gentile names, we may conclude that the Veturii were of Sabine origin, and belonged to the second tribe at Rome, the Tities or Titienses. The ancient form of the nomen, Vetusius, followed the same pattern as a number of other nomina, including Fusius, Papisius, Numisius, and Valesius, which became Furius, Papirius, Numerius, and Valerius.[2]

Praenomina used by the gens

Each branch of the Veturii used a slightly different group of praenomina. The two eldest branches, which each bore the cognomen Cicurinus, both appear to have been descended from sons of Publius Veturius Geminus Cicurinus. The branch which retained the surname Geminus used Titus and Gaius, while the Crassi Cicurini used Spurius, Tiberius, Marcus, Lucius, and Gaius. Titus and Spurius were the dominant praenomina in the early generations of the family, while Lucius was the most common name amongst the later Veturii. The Veturii Philones also used the praenomen Postumus.[3]

Branches and cognomina of the gens

The Veturii were divided into families, bearing respectively the names of Calvinus, Crassus Cicurinus, Geminus Cicurinus, and Philo. The coins of the Veturia gens have no cognomen upon them.[4][5]

Cicurinus was the cognomen of a patrician family of the gens. Varro says that the Veturii obtained the surname from their quiet and domesticated (cicur) disposition. Cicurinus seems to have been the name of two distinct families of the Veturia gens, which were called respectively the Crassi Cicurini and Gemini Cicurini.[6]

Members of the gens

This list includes abbreviated praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see filiation.

Veturii Gemini Cicurini

Veturii Crassi Cicurini

Veturii Philones

See also

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "article name needed". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. 

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