Societas Via Romana - Discussion Archives

Salvete omnes,

A somewhat off-topic question. I've been looking at the Serenissima of Venice recently, and came across an interesting fact. The Querina noble family of Venice was originally called the Galbaio family (they changed their name during the dark ages for reasons I've been unable to ascertain). Now the Galbaio family claimed descent from the Emperor Galba, presumably the man of the short reign.

Now my assertion would be that this was just a method of self-glorification, but... Galba hardly seems the best man for the job. I'd have thought self-glorification would be best served by claiming descent from Augustus, or Vespasian, Antoninus Pius, etc... One of the vaguely talented generals...

Does anyone know more about this? Or about any other Roman families who we know survived into medieval times?

Bene valete,
Marcus Scribonius Curio.

Salve,

To me it would seem unlikely that this family would really descend from Galba, as Galba was his cognomen and not his nomen gentilicium, unless that changes in later times for some reason.

As a sidenote, if you just go back in time far enough, you will come across some king, queen or emperor at one point in your family tree -- this counts for everyone .

Vale,
Draco

I'm related to... some Jewish immigrants from Europe? er...I mean...uh..Augustus!

Salvete,

Scerio, that's quite an impressive lineage you have there.

Draco, does that include Flemish poets?

What if one of Galba's descendants took a derivative of Galba as his nomen in honour of his illustrious ancestor? After all, Galba does seem an unusual way to bolster your family tree...

Bene valete,
Marcus Scribonius Curio Agelastus.

Salve Curio Britannice

Em, my one bisnonna was an Orazio, making her an Horatia, which is the reason why I took the nomen Horatius, but really I seriously doubt whether our bloodline goes back to the Roman Horatii. My one great grand father was a real life Roman noble and a senator back in the 1920's, so you could say I come from Roman patricians but of a much later era. As I understand it, Italians began adopting family names in the 12-14 centuries, and some took Roman names in order to assume more ancient ancestry than they actually had.

Vale