Sextilia (gens)


The gens Sextilia was a plebeian family at Rome. The first member of this gens to achieve prominence was Gaius Sextilius, consular tribune in 379 BC. None of the family obtained the consulship, but they endured throughout Roman history from the early Republic into imperial times.

Origin

The nomen Sextilius is a patronymic surname, derived from the praenomen Sextus. The nomen of the gens Sextia was derived from the same name, much as the praenomen Quintus gave rise to the gentes Quinctia and Quinctilia.

Praenomina

The praenomina used by the Sextilii included Gaius, Lucius, Marcus, Publius, and Quintus, all of which were very common throughout Roman history. Although Sextilius was derived from Sextus, none of the Sextilii known to history bore that name.

Branches and cognomina

The Sextilii were not divided into families with distinctive surnames. Most of the Sextilii under the Republic bore no cognomen, but a few surnames are found in later times and under the Empire.

Members