Simplicia gens


The gens Simplicia was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are known from inscriptions dating to the imperial period, most occurring without praenomina from the third century onward, and in many instances their full nomenclature is uncertain. Some of them were from senatorial families, and one of the Simplicii was Praefectus Urbi of Constantinople in AD 403.

Origin

The nomen Simplicius belongs to a class of gentilicia formed from surnames ending in ' or ', using the gentile-forming suffix . Its root is the cognomen Simplex, originally referring to someone "simple" or "unadorned" in character or manner. Surnames derived from the nature and habits of an individual were common at Rome.

Members