Postumus (praenomen)
Encyclopedia
Postumus is a Latin praenomen
, or personal name
, which was most common during the early centuries of the Roman Republic
. It gave rise to the patronymic gens Postumia
, and later became a common cognomen
, or surname
. The feminine form is Postuma. The name was not regularly abbreviated, but is sometimes found as Pos. or Post.
Postumus was used by both patrician and plebeian gentes, including the Aebutii, Antistii, Cominii, Livii, Mimesii, Plautii, Sempronii, Sulpicii, and Veturii; and naturally it must once have been used by the ancestors of gens Postumia. Other gentes which later used it as a cognomen may originally have used it as a praenomen. Because it was not a common name, there are few examples of the feminine form, but Marcus Terentius Varro
listed it together with other archaic praenomina that were no longer in general use by the 1st century BC, and Plutarch
us mentions that it was given to the youngest daughter of the dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla
, who lived during Varro's time.
, meaning after death, from the Latin roots for after and earth (as a metaphor for burial), and assume that it was given to children born after the death of their fathers. Such associations date from at least the time of Varro, and probably contributed to the scarcity of the name. A similar example of false etymology
probably limited the use of the praenomen Opiter
.
But in fact, the name is derived from the adjective postumus, meaning hindmost, or last. The name was thus given to a youngest child, son, or daughter. Naturally, this also applied to children born after the death of their father, and this coïncidence is no doubt responsible for much of the confusion about the meaning of the praenomen.
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 most common 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 gave rise to the patronymic gens Postumia
Postumia (gens)
The gens Postumia was one of the most ancient patrician gentes at Rome. Its members frequently held the highest office of the state, from the banishment of the kings to the downfall of the Republic...
, and later became a common cognomen
Cognomen
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...
, or surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
. The feminine form is Postuma. The name was not regularly abbreviated, but is sometimes found as Pos. or Post.
Postumus was used by both patrician and plebeian gentes, including the Aebutii, Antistii, Cominii, Livii, Mimesii, Plautii, Sempronii, Sulpicii, and Veturii; and naturally it must once have been used by the ancestors of gens Postumia. Other gentes which later used it as a cognomen may originally have used it as a praenomen. Because it was not a common name, there are few examples of the feminine form, but 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:...
listed it together with other archaic praenomina that were no longer in general use by the 1st century BC, and Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
us mentions that it was given to the youngest daughter of the dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix , known commonly as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He had the rare distinction of holding the office of consul twice, as well as that of dictator...
, who lived during Varro's time.
Origin and meaning
Popular etymology connects this praenomen with the modern adjective posthumousPosthumous
Posthumous or Posthumus may refer to:People* Ladislaus the Posthumous, 15th-century monarch in Bohemia, Hungary, and Austria* Posthumus, a character in Shakespeare's play, Cymbeline* Dick Posthumus, Michigan politician...
, meaning after death, from the Latin roots for after and earth (as a metaphor for burial), and assume that it was given to children born after the death of their fathers. Such associations date from at least the time of Varro, and probably contributed to the scarcity of the name. A similar example of 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...
probably limited the use of the praenomen Opiter
Opiter (praenomen)
Opiter 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...
.
But in fact, the name is derived from the adjective postumus, meaning hindmost, or last. The name was thus given to a youngest child, son, or daughter. Naturally, this also applied to children born after the death of their father, and this coïncidence is no doubt responsible for much of the confusion about the meaning of the praenomen.