Page 75 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol. 3(2) (2015). Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press.
P. 75
ia universitatis Nomen gentile, Brinniarius, is of unknown it in their palace. It was then transferred to atrium
onomastical analysis of inscr iptions from koper and its vicint y 75 origin and this inscription is the only instan- of the gymnasium and since 1911 it has been kept in
ce where it is mentioned. It is possible that this the Museum of Koper. The inscription reads:
is a pseudogentilitium, which originated from a
fathers name as a product of acceptance of Roman D(is) M(anibus)
nomenclature. The suffix -ius can also be a proof of P(ublio) (A)elio Victo-
this assumption. This custom was very popular in ri an(n)orum
the Celtic areas. 39 VIII m(ensium) III
parentes p-
Cognomen Certus is considered a common entissimi
Latin cognomen.40 It is found on thirty-six in- “To the spirits of the dead, to Publius Aelius
scriptions in total across the western provinces Victor, 8 years, 3 months, the most pious pa-
and Italy. Provinces which contain the majori- rents”
ty of these inscriptions are Dalmatia41 and Gallia
Narbonensis. Others are mostly found in northern This is a funerary monument erected by the
Italy and a less significant number in other pro- parents for their son who died young.
vinces.42 This cognomen was very popular in Italy
and the West.43 It is an example of giving nickna- Tria nomina formula in which his name is
mes based on the quality a person can possess. This written, suggests that the deceased had Roman ci-
practice was very common in Roman nomenclatu- tizenship, which he certainly obtained by birth.
re and in this case it is an adjective which can be
translated as “reliable”.44 His praenomen, Publius, is one of the 18 most
common Roman names.
His cognomen, which is relatively often fou-
nd in western provinces and is of simple Latin ori- Nomen gentile, Aelius, is undoubtedly of La-
gin, might indicate that Sextius Brinniarius Cer- tin origin.45 It is very useful for dating, since it can
tus originated from somewhere in the West. be associated with emperor Hadrian, who was a
member of gens Aelia. During the second centu-
The monument is dated in the 1st century BC ry AD it became widespread across the Empire as
and early 1st century AD. Hadrian gave citizenship and established coloni-
es in different provinces. This practice continued
Funerary monument to Publius Aelius Victor with Antoninus Pius who was adopted as a succes-
A small altar (arula) (Inscr. It. X. 3. 7; CIL V 492) sor and retained the family name.46
made in limestone from a local quarry near Ko-
per (height: 0,62 m, width: 0,45 m, thickness: 0,30 Cognomen Victor is a very popular Roman
m). Letters are not carefully engraved and the back surname of Latin origin.47 It was also very popu-
side is rough. It stood near the church of St. Nicho- lar surname in all provinces, especially those in the
las in Koper. Later it was in possession of Petronio West and on the frontier. Gallia Belgica, Pannonia
family; Kandler and Mommsen saw and processed and Italy are the regions where over one hundred
fifty inscriptions with this surname come from.48
39 Fulvia Mainardis, E ora sono tutti Romani. L’evoluzione delle formule It is likely that the name was given as a “wish na-
onomastiche nelle iscrizioni della Transpadanaromana (Roma, La Sapienza, me”49 by parents in hope for a child to develop cer-
1997), 94.
45 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia,
40 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia, 335.
340.
46 Smith, A Dictionary Of Greek And Roman Antiquities, 27-28; Keppie, Un-
41 Form Cirtus(!) - CIL III 13292 derstanding Roman Inscriptions, 28.
42 Mócsy, Nomenclator provinciarum Europae Latinarum et Galliae
47 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia,
Cisalpinae, 75; Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Latina- 326 and 341.
rum, vol. II, 51; Ljubica Perinić, “O zavjetnom natpisu Minervi “ Opus-
cula Archaeologica 23-24 (2000), 5. 48 Mócsy, Nomenclator provinciarum Europae Latinarum et Galliae
43 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia, Cisalpinae, 311; Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Lati-
170. narum, vol. IV, 167-168.
44 Kajanto, The Latin Cognomina, 34.
49 From Latin victor, ōris, m. conqueror, victor.
onomastical analysis of inscr iptions from koper and its vicint y 75 origin and this inscription is the only instan- of the gymnasium and since 1911 it has been kept in
ce where it is mentioned. It is possible that this the Museum of Koper. The inscription reads:
is a pseudogentilitium, which originated from a
fathers name as a product of acceptance of Roman D(is) M(anibus)
nomenclature. The suffix -ius can also be a proof of P(ublio) (A)elio Victo-
this assumption. This custom was very popular in ri an(n)orum
the Celtic areas. 39 VIII m(ensium) III
parentes p-
Cognomen Certus is considered a common entissimi
Latin cognomen.40 It is found on thirty-six in- “To the spirits of the dead, to Publius Aelius
scriptions in total across the western provinces Victor, 8 years, 3 months, the most pious pa-
and Italy. Provinces which contain the majori- rents”
ty of these inscriptions are Dalmatia41 and Gallia
Narbonensis. Others are mostly found in northern This is a funerary monument erected by the
Italy and a less significant number in other pro- parents for their son who died young.
vinces.42 This cognomen was very popular in Italy
and the West.43 It is an example of giving nickna- Tria nomina formula in which his name is
mes based on the quality a person can possess. This written, suggests that the deceased had Roman ci-
practice was very common in Roman nomenclatu- tizenship, which he certainly obtained by birth.
re and in this case it is an adjective which can be
translated as “reliable”.44 His praenomen, Publius, is one of the 18 most
common Roman names.
His cognomen, which is relatively often fou-
nd in western provinces and is of simple Latin ori- Nomen gentile, Aelius, is undoubtedly of La-
gin, might indicate that Sextius Brinniarius Cer- tin origin.45 It is very useful for dating, since it can
tus originated from somewhere in the West. be associated with emperor Hadrian, who was a
member of gens Aelia. During the second centu-
The monument is dated in the 1st century BC ry AD it became widespread across the Empire as
and early 1st century AD. Hadrian gave citizenship and established coloni-
es in different provinces. This practice continued
Funerary monument to Publius Aelius Victor with Antoninus Pius who was adopted as a succes-
A small altar (arula) (Inscr. It. X. 3. 7; CIL V 492) sor and retained the family name.46
made in limestone from a local quarry near Ko-
per (height: 0,62 m, width: 0,45 m, thickness: 0,30 Cognomen Victor is a very popular Roman
m). Letters are not carefully engraved and the back surname of Latin origin.47 It was also very popu-
side is rough. It stood near the church of St. Nicho- lar surname in all provinces, especially those in the
las in Koper. Later it was in possession of Petronio West and on the frontier. Gallia Belgica, Pannonia
family; Kandler and Mommsen saw and processed and Italy are the regions where over one hundred
fifty inscriptions with this surname come from.48
39 Fulvia Mainardis, E ora sono tutti Romani. L’evoluzione delle formule It is likely that the name was given as a “wish na-
onomastiche nelle iscrizioni della Transpadanaromana (Roma, La Sapienza, me”49 by parents in hope for a child to develop cer-
1997), 94.
45 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia,
40 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia, 335.
340.
46 Smith, A Dictionary Of Greek And Roman Antiquities, 27-28; Keppie, Un-
41 Form Cirtus(!) - CIL III 13292 derstanding Roman Inscriptions, 28.
42 Mócsy, Nomenclator provinciarum Europae Latinarum et Galliae
47 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia,
Cisalpinae, 75; Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Latina- 326 and 341.
rum, vol. II, 51; Ljubica Perinić, “O zavjetnom natpisu Minervi “ Opus-
cula Archaeologica 23-24 (2000), 5. 48 Mócsy, Nomenclator provinciarum Europae Latinarum et Galliae
43 Alföldy, Die Personennamen in der Römischen Provinz Dalmatia, Cisalpinae, 311; Lőrincz, Onomasticon provinciarum Europae Lati-
170. narum, vol. IV, 167-168.
44 Kajanto, The Latin Cognomina, 34.
49 From Latin victor, ōris, m. conqueror, victor.
