Petillia (gens)


The gens Petillia or Petilia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens first appear in history at the beginning of the second century BC, and the first to obtain the consulship was Quintus Petillius Spurinus in 176 BC.

Origin

The nomen Petillius, also spelled Petilius, Petelius, and Petellius, is almost certainly derived from the cognomen Petilus, meaning "slender", and belongs to a class of gentilicia formed using the typically diminutive suffixes -illius and -ellius. The name is regularly confused with that of the Poetelii, an older plebeian family that occurs from the time of the Decemvirs down to the period of the Samnite Wars, but they do not appear to have been the same.

Branches and cognomina

The only surnames of the Petillii in the time of the Republic were Capitolinus and Spurinus, of which only the former occurs on coins. A number of Petillii are found without cognomina.
Spurinus, belonging to one of the earliest Petillii appearing in history, appears to be connected with the Etruscan gentile Spurina, hinting at an Etruscan origin of the gens, or perhaps a maternal ancestor of the Petillii. An alternative explanation might be as a diminutive of the praenomen Spurius, which the Etruscan scholar Wilhelm Deecke discussed in connection with similar Etruscan names. Although Deecke noted the use of the praenomen Spurie by the Etruscans, the orthography used in Greek transliterations argued in favour of a Latin origin.
The cognomen Capitolinus is said to have been bestowed upon one of the Petillii who was caretaker of the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill in the time of Augustus. However, Capitolinus was a relatively common surname, typically signifying someone who lived on the Capitol. Coins this family depicts the Temple of Jupiter on the reverse, while the obverses depict either a head of Jupiter, or an eagle, as a symbol of Jupiter.

Members