Societas Via Romana - Discussion Archives

Salvete Romani,

Just a question. A Latin proverb goes "nomen est omen" (the name is an omen); in other words the hope (or fear) is expressed that one will become or has become what his name means.

But I wonder. Most Roman praenomina were actually ranking numbers and didn't mean anything at all. And do names like Lucius, Gaius or Marcus have a meaning? Or did they mean cognomina? Can anyone enlighten me on this?

Valete bene,
Scorpio

Salve Scorpio,

Well, I think it's quite easy, the proverb indeed goes "nomen est omen", not "praenomen est omen", so I think they didn't considered Quintus, Sextus, ... as an omen, but the nomina, the gens-names.

Someone with the nomen Iulius for example, would probably like the comparison with THE Iulius, Gaius Iulius Caesar. Bearing that in mind, I don't think they wanted to become what their name meant, but that were hoping to become as great, as smart, as rich,....as someone before him had become bearing that nomen.

Vale bene
Lupus