Scantinia gens


The gens Scantinia was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the third century BC, but few of them held positions of importance in the Roman state.

Origin

The nomen Scantinius belongs to a common class of gentilicia formed using the suffix -inius. Such names were typically derived from surnames ending in -inus, but this type was so common that -inius came to be regarded as a regular gentile-forming suffix, and was applied even in cases where there was no morphological justification. There is no evidence of a corresponding cognomen Scantinus, so the name was probably formed directly from Scantius, another gentile name. The similar nomen Scandilius was probably formed in the same manner.

Branches and cognomina

The only cognomen associated with any of the Scantinii mentioned in history is Capitolinus, one of a large class of surnames derived from one's place of origin or residence. It indicated that its bearer or one of his ancestors lived on the Capitoline Hill, one of the Seven Hills of Rome.

Members