Ragonia gens
Thegens Ragoniawas aplebeianfamily atancient Rome.Members of thisgensare first mentioned in the early decades of theEmpire,but they did not become prominent until the time ofCommodus,in the late second century, from which period several of them attained positions of high distinction in the Roman state.[1][2]
Origin
[edit]The nomenRagoniusbelongs to a class ofgentiliciaformed using the suffix-onius,typically of plebeian origin, and frequently ofOscanancestry. Such names were originally formed fromcognominaending in-o,but once they became common,-oniuscame to be regarded as a regular gentile-forming suffix, and was used in cases where it had no morphological justification.[3]
The origin ofRagoniusis obscure, but Chase suggests a possible etymological relationship toraga,a variation ofbraca,a harness, or, in the plural, breeches.[3][4]The occurrence of theEtruscangentiliciaUrinatiusandLarcius,and theLatinTusceniusin the nomenclature of two of the earlier Ragonii might point to an Etruscan origin, but given the period at which they appear, in all probability they refer to ancestors of this family in the female line.[5]
Branches and cognomina
[edit]The Ragonii used a variety of common surnames, includingCeler,swift,Celsus,tall,Clarus,bright or famous, andPriscus,elder. The only distinct family of this gens passed down the surnamesQuintianusandVenustusfor several generations;Quintianuswas probably an oldagnomen,originally belonging to someone who was adopted out of thegens Quinctia,whileVenustus,which entered the family through the female line, was applied to someone charming or attractive.[6]
Members
[edit]- This list includes abbreviatedpraenomina.For an explanation of this practice, seefiliation.
- Ragonius Celer, theepistrategus,or military commander, serving under Titus Vitrasius Pollio, governor ofEgyptin AD 31 and 32.[2]
- Lucius Ragonius L. f. Urinatius Larcius Quintianus, held a number of important positions during his career, serving at various times asquaestor,praetor,legateof thefourteenth legion,andproconsulofAfrica;he wasconsulin an uncertain year early in the reign ofCommodus.[7][2][8]
- Ragonius Celsus, said by Spartianus to have governed theGaulsduring the reign ofSeptimius Severus.A letter mentioned by Spartianus and addressed to the emperor is probably fictitious.[9][2]
- Numerius Ragonius Priscus, a soldier in the fifth cohort of thevigilesat the beginning of the third century, serving in the century of Marcus Mummius Verinus.[10]
- Lucius Ragonius L. f. L. n. Urinatius Tuscenius Quintianus, one of theflamines,and consul in an uncertain year,circaAD 210. He married Flavia Venusta.[11][2][8]
- Lucius Ragonius L. f. L. n. Venustus,consul in AD 240. He was probably the father or grandfather of Lucius Ragonius Quintianus, the consul of AD 289.[8]
- Ragonius Clarus, governor ofIllyricumduring the reign ofValerian,whose letter to the emperor, mentioned by Trebellius Pollio, is likely an invention of the author.[12][2]
- Lucius Ragonius (L. f. L. n.) Quintianus, consul in AD 289, during the reign ofDiocletian.[13][8]
- Ragonius Vincentius Celsus, asenatormentioned in an inscription dating to AD 389, waspraefectus annonaeaccording to inscriptions found atOstia.[14]
- Lucius Ragonius Venustus, performed ataurobolium,the sacrifice of a bull in honour of theMagna Mater,in AD 390.[15][8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology,vol. III, p. 640 ( "Ragonius").
- ^abcdefPIR,vol. III, pp. 124, 125.
- ^abChase, pp. 118, 119.
- ^New College Latin & English Dictionary,s. v. braca.
- ^Salomies,Adoptive and Polyonymous Nomenclature in the Roman Empire.
- ^New College Latin & English Dictionary,s. v. celer, celsus, clarus, priscus, venustus.
- ^CILV, 1968,CILV, 1969,CILV, 2112,CILVI, 1502,CILVI, 1503,CILVI, 1504,CILVI, 1505.
- ^abcdeLoriot, "Les consuls ordinaires", p. 258.
- ^Spartianus, "The Life of Pescennius Niger", 3.
- ^CILVI, 1057.
- ^CILVI, 41196
- ^Trebellius Pollio, "The Thirty Tyrants", 18.
- ^CILX, 3698
- ^CILVI, 1759,CILXIV, 138,CILXIV, 139,CILXIV, 173.
- ^CILVI, 503
Bibliography
[edit]- Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus (Cassius Dio),Roman History.
- 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,William Smith,ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849).
- Theodor Mommsenet alii,Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum(The Body of Latin Inscriptions, abbreviatedCIL), Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (1853–present).
- Paul von Rohden,Elimar Klebs,&Hermann Dessau,Prosopographia Imperii Romani(The Prosopography of the Roman Empire, abbreviatedPIR), Berlin (1898).
- Xavier Loriot,"Les consuls ordinaires de l'année 240 de notre ère"(TheConsules Ordinariiof the Year 240 of Our Era), inZeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik,vol. 12 (1973).
- Olli Salomies,Adoptive and Polyonymous Nomenclature in the Roman Empire,Societas Scientiarum Fennica, Helsinki (1992).