A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

patrician and plebeian, was one of the most distinguished Roman gentes, and produced a greater number of illustrious men than any other house at Rome. All its great families belonged to the patrician order. The names of the patrician families are :--ARVINA, BLASIO, CETHEGUS, CINNA, COSSUS, DOLABELLA, LENTULUS (with the agnomens Caudinus, Clodianus, Crus, Gaetulicus, Lupus, Maluginensis, Marcellins, Niger, Rufinus, Scipio, Spinther, Sura), MALUGINENSIS, MAMMULA, MERENDA, MERULA, RUFINUS, SCAPULA, SCIPIO (with the agnomens Africanus, Asiaticus, Asina, Barbatus, Calvus, Hipallus, Nasica, Serapio), SISENNA, and SULLA (with the agnomen Felix). The names of the plebeian families are BALBUS and GALLUS, and we also find various cognomens, as Chrysogonus, Culleolus, Phagita, &c., given to freedmen of this gens. There are also several plebeians mentioned without any surname : of these an account is given under CORNELIUS. The following cognomens occur on coins of this gens:--Balbus, Blasio, Cethegus, Cinna, Lentulus, Scipio, Sisenna, Sulla. Under the empire the number of cognomens increased considerably ; of these an alphabetical list is given under Cornelius.