Opiter (praenomen)
Encyclopedia
Opiter (ˈoʊpɪtər or ˈɒpɪtər) is a Latin praenomen
, or personal name
, which was used primarily during the early centuries of the Roman Republic
. It is not usually abbreviated, but is sometimes found with the abbreviation Opet., apparently based on an archaic spelling of the name. No examples of the feminine form are known, but it was probably Opiternia or Opitria. The name gave rise to the patronymic gens Opiternia, and perhaps also gens Opetreia.
The praenomen Opiter was used by the patrician gentes Verginia
and Lucretia
, and several prominent members of these gentes with this name held important magistracies during the first two centuries of the Republic. The name must also have been used at one time by the ancestors of gens Opiternia. As with other rare praenomina, Opiter may have been more frequently used in the countryside. However, writing in the 1st century BC, Marcus Terentius Varro
described it as obsolete.
, as a Faliscan named Lucius Opiternius is mentioned by the historian Titus Livius
. The Faliscan language was closely related to early Latin
. A Latin inscription reading "OPI. SAUFIO L.L." should probably be interpreted as "Opiter Saufeius, freedman of Lucius," although Chase felt that the praenomen was probably Oppius. Despite the fact that both the Verginii and the Lucretii were of Etruscan origin, the praenomen Opiter does not appear to have been used by the Etruscans.
In his epitome, De Praenominibus ("Concerning Praenomina"), Julius Paris mentions a popular etymology of Opiter, deriving it from avus (grandfather) and pater (father). Paris explained that the name was originally given to a child whose father had died, and who was therefore raised by his grandfather. This opinion was shared by Festus
, but it is almost certainly depends on a false etymology
. Chase argues that avus cannot reasonably have contributed to the name; nor does he find any evidence for pater. Instead, he postulates that Opiter is derived from the same root as ops (help), and should be interpreted as "helper".
If Chase is correct, then Opiter is probably derived from the same root as the plebeian gentes Opimia and Opisia, and may be the Latin cognate of the Oscan praenomen Oppius or Oppiis, as well as gens Oppia.
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 primarily during the early centuries 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...
. It is not usually abbreviated, but is sometimes found with the abbreviation Opet., apparently based on an archaic spelling of the name. No examples of the feminine form are known, but it was probably Opiternia or Opitria. The name gave rise to the patronymic gens Opiternia, and perhaps also gens Opetreia.
The praenomen Opiter was used by the patrician gentes Verginia
Verginia (gens)
The gens Verginia or Virginia was a prominent family at Rome, which from an early period was divided into patrician and plebeian branches. The gens was of great antiquity, and frequently filled the highest honors of the state during the early years of the Republic...
and Lucretia
Lucretia (gens)
The gens Lucretia was a prominent family of the Roman Republic. Originally patrician, the gens later included a number of plebeian families. The Lucretii were one of the most ancient gentes, and the wife of Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome, was named Lucretia...
, and several prominent members of these gentes with this name held important magistracies during the first two centuries of the Republic. The name must also have been used at one time by the ancestors of gens Opiternia. As with other rare praenomina, Opiter may have been more frequently used in the countryside. However, writing in the 1st century BC, Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro was an ancient Roman scholar and writer. He is sometimes called Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his younger contemporary Varro Atacinus.-Biography:...
described it as obsolete.
Origin and Meaning of the Name
The gens Opiternia may have been FaliscanFalisci
Falisci is the ancient Roman exonym for an Italic people who lived in what was then Etruria, on the Etruscan side of the Tiber River. The region is now entirely Lazio. They spoke an Italic language, Faliscan, closely akin to Latin. Originally a sovereign state, politically and socially they...
, as a Faliscan named Lucius Opiternius is mentioned by the historian Titus Livius
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
. The Faliscan language was closely related to early Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. A Latin inscription reading "OPI. SAUFIO L.L." should probably be interpreted as "Opiter Saufeius, freedman of Lucius," although Chase felt that the praenomen was probably Oppius. Despite the fact that both the Verginii and the Lucretii were of Etruscan origin, the praenomen Opiter does not appear to have been used by the Etruscans.
In his epitome, De Praenominibus ("Concerning Praenomina"), Julius Paris mentions a popular etymology of Opiter, deriving it from avus (grandfather) and pater (father). Paris explained that the name was originally given to a child whose father had died, and who was therefore raised by his grandfather. This opinion was shared by Festus
Festus
Festus is a Latin word meaning "festive, festal, joyful, merry" and may refer to:* Festus, Missouri, a town in the United States*Festus, a poem by the English poet Philip James Bailey*Drew Hankinson, professional wrestler...
, but it is almost certainly depends on a false etymology
False etymology
Folk etymology is change in a word or phrase over time resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more familiar one. Unanalyzable borrowings from foreign languages, like asparagus, or old compounds such as samblind which have lost their iconic motivation are...
. Chase argues that avus cannot reasonably have contributed to the name; nor does he find any evidence for pater. Instead, he postulates that Opiter is derived from the same root as ops (help), and should be interpreted as "helper".
If Chase is correct, then Opiter is probably derived from the same root as the plebeian gentes Opimia and Opisia, and may be the Latin cognate of the Oscan praenomen Oppius or Oppiis, as well as gens Oppia.