12-25-2001, 12:50 AM
Well yes and no<br>
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Julius is the gens, or clan name in Caesar's case, as Sempronius is in the case of the Gracchi. What you might call hte family names in each case are the final name, Caesar and Gracchus. Caesar means Hairy, what Gracchus means of the top of my head I can't remember. It's confusing because some gens only had one prminent branch by hte late Republic, ohters like the Cornelii had several, so you get Lucius Cornelius Sulla (the Dictator), Lucius Cornelius Sisenna (the Historian), Lucius Cornelius Cinna, (opponent of Sulla), none of whom are terribly closely related IIRC. To add to the confusion, Lucius was a favourite first name among the Cornelii<br>
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Little wonder that under the Empire naming became much freer. <p></p><i></i>
<br>
Julius is the gens, or clan name in Caesar's case, as Sempronius is in the case of the Gracchi. What you might call hte family names in each case are the final name, Caesar and Gracchus. Caesar means Hairy, what Gracchus means of the top of my head I can't remember. It's confusing because some gens only had one prminent branch by hte late Republic, ohters like the Cornelii had several, so you get Lucius Cornelius Sulla (the Dictator), Lucius Cornelius Sisenna (the Historian), Lucius Cornelius Cinna, (opponent of Sulla), none of whom are terribly closely related IIRC. To add to the confusion, Lucius was a favourite first name among the Cornelii<br>
<br>
Little wonder that under the Empire naming became much freer. <p></p><i></i>
In the name of heaven Catiline, how long do you propose to exploit our patience..
