Asinia (gens)
Encyclopedia
The gens Asinia was a plebeian
family at Rome
, which rose to prominence during the 1st century BC. The first person of the name of Asinius, who occurs in history, is Herius Asinius
, in the Marsic War, 90 BC.
, the chief town of the Marrucini
, and their name is derived from asina, which was a cognomen of the Scipios, as asellus was of the Annii
and Claudii. The Herius, spoken of by Silius Italicus in the time of the Second Punic War
, about 218 BC, was an ancestor of the Asinii.
Herius, which was apparently of long standing amongst their ancestors. However, at Rome the family used the common Latin praenomina Gaius
, Gnaeus
, Lucius
, Marcus
, and Servius
.
of the Asinii are Agrippa, Celer, Dento, Gallus, Pollio, and Saloninus. Of these, Pollio is the first, and gave rise to many of the others. Gaius Asinius Pollio
, consul
in 40 BC was the father of Gaius Asinius Gallus Saloninus, whose sons bore the cognomina Pollio, Agrippa, Saloninus, Celer, and Gallus. The Asinii Marcelli were descended from Marcus Asinius Agrippa
.
Another family of the Asinii, perhaps related to the Polliones, bore the surnames Rufus, Bassus, Frugi, Nicomachus, and Quadratus. It is not clear whether the Asinius Dento, a centurion under Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus
, or the Gaius Asinius Lepidus Praetextatus who was consul in AD 242, belonged to either of these families.
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....
, which rose to prominence during the 1st century BC. The first person of the name of Asinius, who occurs in history, is Herius Asinius
Herius Asinius
Herius Asinius, of Teate, was the commander of the Marrucini in the Marsic War. He fell in battle against Gaius Marius in 90 BC. He may have been the grandfather of Gaius Asinius Pollio, consul in 40 BC, and the ancestor of many, if not all of the members of the gens Asinia who later made their...
, in the Marsic War, 90 BC.
Origin of the gens
The Asinii came from TeateChieti
Chieti is a city and comune in Central Italy, 200 km northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region...
, the chief town of the Marrucini
Marrucini
The Marrucini were an ancient tribe which occupied a small strip of territory around the ancient Teate , on the east coast of Abruzzo, Italy, limited by the Aterno and Foro Rivers...
, and their name is derived from asina, which was a cognomen of the Scipios, as asellus was of the Annii
Annia (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...
and Claudii. The Herius, spoken of by Silius Italicus in the time of the Second Punic War
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
, about 218 BC, was an ancestor of the Asinii.
Praenomina used by the gens
The first of the Asinii bore the Oscan praenomenPraenomen
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...
Herius, which was apparently of long standing amongst their ancestors. However, at Rome the family used the common Latin praenomina 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, and Servius
Servius (praenomen)
Servius is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, which was used throughout the period of the Roman Republic, and well into imperial times. It was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Servilia. The feminine form is Servia...
.
Branches and cognomina of the gens
The principal cognominaCognomen
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...
of the Asinii are Agrippa, Celer, Dento, Gallus, Pollio, and Saloninus. Of these, Pollio is the first, and gave rise to many of the others. Gaius Asinius Pollio
Gaius Asinius Pollio (consul 40 BC)
Gaius Asinius Pollio was a Roman soldier, politician, orator, poet, playwright, literary critic and historian, whose lost contemporary history, provided much of the material for the historians Appian and Plutarch...
, consul
Roman consul
A 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 40 BC was the father of Gaius Asinius Gallus Saloninus, whose sons bore the cognomina Pollio, Agrippa, Saloninus, Celer, and Gallus. The Asinii Marcelli were descended from Marcus Asinius Agrippa
Marcus Asinius Agrippa
Marcus Asinius Agrippa was Roman consul in 25 AD, and died at the end of the following year, 26 AD. He was also the half-brother of Julius Caesar Drusus, the natural son of the Emperor Tiberius. According to Tacitus, he was descended from a family more illustrious than ancient, and did not...
.
Another family of the Asinii, perhaps related to the Polliones, bore the surnames Rufus, Bassus, Frugi, Nicomachus, and Quadratus. It is not clear whether the Asinius Dento, a centurion under Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus
Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus
Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus was a politician of the late Roman Republic.Bibulus was the son in law of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis. In 59 BC he was elected consul, supported by the optimates, conservative republicans in the Senate and opponents of Julius Caesar's triumvirate...
, or the Gaius Asinius Lepidus Praetextatus who was consul in AD 242, belonged to either of these families.
Asinii Polliones et Galli
- Herius AsiniusHerius AsiniusHerius Asinius, of Teate, was the commander of the Marrucini in the Marsic War. He fell in battle against Gaius Marius in 90 BC. He may have been the grandfather of Gaius Asinius Pollio, consul in 40 BC, and the ancestor of many, if not all of the members of the gens Asinia who later made their...
, commander of the MarruciniMarruciniThe Marrucini were an ancient tribe which occupied a small strip of territory around the ancient Teate , on the east coast of Abruzzo, Italy, limited by the Aterno and Foro Rivers...
during the Marsic War, perhaps the grandfather of Gaius Asinius PollioGaius Asinius Pollio (consul 40 BC)Gaius Asinius Pollio was a Roman soldier, politician, orator, poet, playwright, literary critic and historian, whose lost contemporary history, provided much of the material for the historians Appian and Plutarch...
. - Gnaeus Asinius, only known as the father of Gaius Asinius PollioGaius Asinius Pollio (consul 40 BC)Gaius Asinius Pollio was a Roman soldier, politician, orator, poet, playwright, literary critic and historian, whose lost contemporary history, provided much of the material for the historians Appian and Plutarch...
. - Gaius Asinius Cn. f. PollioGaius Asinius Pollio (consul 40 BC)Gaius Asinius Pollio was a Roman soldier, politician, orator, poet, playwright, literary critic and historian, whose lost contemporary history, provided much of the material for the historians Appian and Plutarch...
, a distinguished orator, poet and historian of the AugustanAugustusAugustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
age, 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 40 BC. - Asinius Cn. f. Marrucinus, known for his practical jokes.
- Asinia C. f. Cn. n., wife of Marcus Claudius Marcellus AeserninusMarcus Claudius Marcellus AeserninusMarcus Claudius Marcellus Aeserninus is the name of several people in ancient Roman history:*Marcus Claudius, M. F. Marcellus Aeserninus is mentioned by Cicero as a young man at the trial of Verres , on which occasion he appeared as a witness, where, however, several editions give his name as C...
. - Asinius Pollio, a sophist and philosopher, who succeeded TimagenesTimagenesTimagenes was a Greek writer, historian and teacher of rhetoric. He came from Alexandria, was captured by Romans in 55 BC and taken to Rome, where he was purchased by Faustus Cornelius Sulla, son of Sulla. It is said that Timagenes had a falling-out with emperor Augustus, whereupon he destroyed...
in his school. - Lucius Asinius Gallus, celebrated a triumph in 26 BC.
- Gaius Asinius C. f. Cn. n. Gallus Saloninus, consul in 8 BC.
- Gaius Asinius C. f. C. n. PollioGaius Asinius Pollio (consul AD 23)Gaius Asinius Pollio, son of Gaius Asinius Gallus and Vipsania Agrippina, was a Roman politician.He was consul in AD 23 alongside Gaius Antistius Vetus. We know from his coins he was proconsul of Asia. Through his mother he was the half-brother of the younger Drusus...
, consul in AD 23. - Marcus Asinius C. f. C. n. AgrippaMarcus Asinius AgrippaMarcus Asinius Agrippa was Roman consul in 25 AD, and died at the end of the following year, 26 AD. He was also the half-brother of Julius Caesar Drusus, the natural son of the Emperor Tiberius. According to Tacitus, he was descended from a family more illustrious than ancient, and did not...
, consul in AD 25. - Gnaeus Asinius C. f. C. n. Saloninus.
- Servius Asinius C. f. C. n. Celer, consul suffectus in AD 38, apparently put to death by the emperor ClaudiusClaudiusClaudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
. - Asinia Agrippina Ser. f. C. n.
- Lucius Asinius C. f. C. n. Gallus, exiled for conspiring against Claudius.
- Marcus Asinius M. f. C. n. MarcellusMarcus Asinius MarcellusMarcus Asinius Marcellus was Consul in 54 along with Marcus Acilius Aviola at the Emperor Claudius' death. He was the son of Marcus Asinius Agrippa, Consul in 25 who died in 26 and described by Tacitus as "not unworthy of his ancestors"...
, son of M. Asinius Agrippa, consul in AD 54. - Lucius Asinius Gallus, consul in AD 62.
- Asinius Pollio, the commander of a regiment of horse, serving under Lucceius AlbinusLucceius AlbinusLucceius Albinus was the Roman Procurator of Judea from AD 62 until 64 and the governor of Mauretania from 64 until 69.Appointed procurator by the Emperor Nero following the death of his predecessor, Porcius Festus, Albinus faced his first challenge while traveling from Alexandria to his new...
in MauretaniaMauretaniaMauretania is a part of the historical Ancient Libyan land in North Africa. It corresponds to present day Morocco and a part of western Algeria...
, was slain in AD 69, when the troops espoused the side of VitelliusVitelliusVitellius , was Roman Emperor for eight months, from 16 April to 22 December 69. Vitellius was acclaimed Emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors...
. - Lucius Asinius Pollio Verrucosus, consul in AD 81.
- Marcus Asinius M. f. M. n. Marcellus, consul in AD 104.
Asinii Rufi et Quatrati
- Asinius Rufus, a friend of TacitusTacitusPublius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
and the younger PliniusPliny the YoungerGaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo , better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate him...
, the latter of whom recommends Asinius Bassus, the son of Rufus, to Fundanus. - Asinius Bassus, son of Asinius Rufus, recommended to Fundanus by Gaius Plinius SecundusPliny the YoungerGaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo , better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate him...
. - Gaius Asinius FrugiGaius Asinius FrugiGaius Asinius Frugi , was the monet. of Phrygia between 98 and 116. He was probably a descendant of Nicomachus , a notable of Lydia in 1 BC....
, monetalisMoneyerA moneyer is someone who physically creates money. Moneyers have a long tradition, dating back at least to ancient Greece. They became most prominent in the Roman Republic, continuing into the empire.-Roman Republican moneyers:...
in PhrygiaPhrygiaIn antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Phrygians initially lived in the southern Balkans; according to Herodotus, under the name of Bryges , changing it to Phruges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the...
between AD 98 and 116. - Gaius Asinius RufusGaius Asinius RufusGaius Asinius Rufus was a notable in Lydia in 134 and 135 who became a Roman Senator in 136. He was probably the son of Gaius Asinius Frugi , monet. of Phrygia between 98 and 116....
, perhaps the son of C. Asinius Frugi, became 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...
in AD 136. - Gaius Asinius C. f. Nichomachus, b. circa AD 135.
- Gaius Asinius C. f. C. n. Rufus, b. circa AD 160.
- Gaius Asinius C. f. C. n. Quadratus Protimus, b. circa AD 165, proconsulProconsulA proconsul was a governor of a province in the Roman Republic appointed for one year by the senate. In modern usage, the title has been used for a person from one country ruling another country or bluntly interfering in another country's internal affairs.-Ancient Rome:In the Roman Republic, a...
of AchaeaAchaea (Roman province)Achaea, or Achaia, was a province of the Roman Empire, consisting of the Peloponnese, eastern Central Greece and parts of Thessaly. It bordered on the north by the provinces of Epirus vetus and Macedonia...
circa AD 211. - Gaius Asinius C. f. C. n. Julius Quadratus.
- Gaius Asinius C. f. C. n. Quadratus, nephew of Promotus, a notable historian of the 3rd century.
Others
- Asinius Dento, a person whom Cicero calls nobilis sui generis, was primus pilusPrimus PilusThe Primus pilus was the senior centurion of a Roman legion.-Historical role:In the late Roman republic, the cohort , became the basic tactical unit of the legions. The cohort was composed of five to eight centuries each led by a centurion assisted by an optio, a soldier who could read and write...
under Marcus Calpurnius BibulusMarcus Calpurnius BibulusMarcus Calpurnius Bibulus was a politician of the late Roman Republic.Bibulus was the son in law of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis. In 59 BC he was elected consul, supported by the optimates, conservative republicans in the Senate and opponents of Julius Caesar's triumvirate...
in 51 BC, and was killed near Mount Amanus. - Asinius, a friend of Marcus AntoniusMark AntonyMarcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
, who surreptitiously crept into the 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...
after the death of CaesarJulius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, 44 BC. - Gaius Asinius Lepidus Praetextatus, consul in AD 242.