The gens Numisia was a family at
ancient Rome. Members of this
gens are first mentioned in the fourth century BC, and from the second century BC to
imperial times, they held a number of important
magistracies. The name Numisius is frequently confused with that of Numicius, and in fact it seems probable that the two were originally the same. The Numicii of the early
Republic are thought to have been
patricians, and the Numisii mentioned in later sources were
plebeians; but patrician families frequently developed plebeian branches over time.[1]
Origin
In all probability, the nomen Numisius is merely a different orthography of Numicius, although this does not establish which is the original form.[1]Numicius appears to belong to a class of
gentilicia formed from other names ending in -ex, -icis, or -icus, which took -icius as a suffix. But if Numisius is the true orthography, then the nomen is probably derived from the
praenomenNumerius.[2]
Branches and cognomina
The Numisii of the Republic were not divided into any families, and none of them bore any surname. Various
cognomina are found in imperial times, of which the most notable may be Lupus, "a wolf", and Rufus, "red", typically given to someone with red hair.[1][3]
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Lucius Numisius, one of the praetors of the
Latin League in 340 BC, and subsequently the principal commander of the Latin forces during the
Latin War.[4]
Gaius Numisius,
praetor in 177 BC, was assigned the province of
Sicily.[5][6]
Numisia Galla, a woman whose cause is described by the elder
Seneca.[13][14]
Numisius, an architect, who built the theatre at
Herculaneum.[15]
Gaius Numisius, a member of an important local family of
Carthago Nova, named on a stone removed from the Monastery of San Ginés de la Jara in 2005.[16]
Numisius Lupus, commander of the
eighth legion in
Moesia. When the province was invaded by the
Roxolani, Lupus and his fellow commanders met and defeated them decisively, and were rewarded with the insignia of
consuls.[17][18] Numisius Rufus supported the Flavian faction in the civil wars of 69 CE and marched the 8th legion to Verona which he helped to fortify.[19]
Numisius Rufus, a
legate who with Mummius Lupercus, helped defend
Vetera Castra during
the rebellion of
Civilis, in AD 69 and 70. He escaped the camp before it fell, and went to
Novaesium, where he was taken prisoner. He was taken to Treviri, where he was put to death by Valentinus and Tutor.[20][18]
Publius Numisius Celer, the father of Numisia Celerina.[14]
Numisia P. f. Celerina, the wife of Decimus Fonteius Frontinianus Lucius Stertinius Rufinus, legate in
Numidia from AD 160 to 162.[14]
Lucius Numisius, the father of Numisia Maximilla.[14]
T. Robert S. Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, American Philological Association (1952).
J.M. Abascal Palazón and S.F. Ramallo Asensio (eds.), La ciudad de Carthago Nova 3: La documentación epigráfica (The City of Carthago Nova 3: the Epigraphic Documentation), Murcia (1997).