Tineia (gens)


The gens Tineia was a Roman family of imperial times. Members of this gens first appear in history in the time of Hadrian; the first to obtain the consulship was Quintus Tineius Rufus in AD 127.

Origin

The Tineii of the second and third centuries lived at Side, in Pamphylia. They may have been an old Roman family that had migrated to Asia Minor, where Italian migrants had settled since the first century BC; however, it was not uncommon for men from the Eastern Mediterranean, without any connection with Italy, to reach the Roman nobility in this period. For example, Arrian, a Greek, was consul circa AD 132, and Marcus Julius Philippus, a native of Arabia Petraea, became emperor in 244.
A funerary monument from Rome identifies one of the Tineii as a member of the tribus Sabatina, corresponding with the region of Sabinum; this may imply that the Tineii were originally a Sabine family, although the man who built it was a native of Nicomedia in Bithynia. nomina ending in -eius were common under the Republic, and frequently belonged to families of Sabine origin.

Praenomina

The main praenomen of the Tineii was Quintus, which the Tineii Rufi used to the exclusion of all others; in this family the praenomen was fossilized, and passed down to all of the sons in the family, with no distinguishing function; instead the sons would typically be distinguished by their surnames. Different praenomina are occasionally found among the other Tineii, including Lucius, Marcus, and Gaius; like Quintus, these were among the most common names throughout Roman history.

Branches and cognomina

The only distinct family of the Tineii bore the cognomen Rufus, red. This was a common surname, typically given to those who had red hair. Several members of this family bore additional cognomina, including Sacerdos, a priest, and Clemens, pleasant or gentle. Surnames derived from occupations and individual traits were very typical of Roman cognomina.

Members

Tineii Rufi