This article is about a Roman family. For the genus of birds known as loons or divers, see
loon.
The gens Gavia, or occasionally Gabia, was a
Roman family of
plebeian descent. It first appears in history during the first century BC, but none of its members obtained any of the curule
magistracies until
imperial times. The
Gavi Arch at
Verona was built in honor of one of the Gavii.[1]
Origin
As a
nomen, Gavius is a patronymic surname, derived from the
praenomenGavius. In historical times, this praenomen was used by the
Oscan-speaking peoples of central and southern Italy, suggesting that the Gavii were originally of
Sabine or
Samnite origin;[2] one of the most famous persons with this praenomen was
Gavius Pontius, a Samnite general during the
Second Samnite War.
But as with other patronymic surnames, there may originally have been several unrelated families bearing the same nomen, and some of these could also have been of
Latin origin; Gavius is thought to be the original form of Gaius, one of the most common praenomina in every period of Roman history. That name is derived from an ancient root meaning "to rejoice".[3] As it is impossible to distinguish between different families of Gavii with absolute certainty, all persons bearing this nomen are collected here.
Members
Publius Gavius, an inhabitant of
Cosa, whom
Verres had crucified, on suspicion of aiding
Spartacus.[4]
Lucius Gavius, an agent of
Brutus in
Cappadocia when Cicero was
proconsul of
Cilicia, from 51 to 50 BC. At Brutus' request, Cicero offered Gavius a
prefecture, but found him very disrespectful, and referred to him as
Clodius' dog. He may be the same person as the Gavius of
Firmum previously mentioned by Cicero.[6]
Marcus Gavius (or Gabius) Apicius, a celebrated gourmand during the reign of
Tiberius, he squandered his fortune in the pursuit of new culinary horizons, and became the subject of numerous anecdotes and proverbs.[9]
Gavius Bassus,
prefect of the Pontic coast during the reign of
Trajan. Although sometimes identified with the grammarian, he is unlikely to have been the same person, as the grammarian related having seen the horse Sejanus, which had belonged to
Publius Cornelius Dolabella,
Gaius Cassius Longinus, and
Marcus Antonius, a century and a half earlier.[14][13]