- Every member of a particular Roman Patrician Family or Gens was identified by bearing the same Nomen or nomen gentilicium of that family.
- So, Titus Sulpicius Catulus would be a member of the Sulpicia family
Creation of the Roman Patrician Class
- Romulus (753-716 BCE) initially created the first 100 Senators, creating 100 Patrician families. Later he added another 100 Senators.
- Lucius Tarquinius Priscus (616-579 BCE) added another 100 Senators, making a total of 300 Senators.
Roman Senatorial Class
- Promotion to the Roman Senate did not mean automatic membership of the Patrician class.
- At the end of the 2nd century BCE, Gracchus, Sulla (138-78 BCE) and Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE) consecutively brought the number of Senators up to 900.
- Augustus (27 BCE-14 CE) then reduced the number of Senators to 600. This number then remained fairly constant until the end of the Roman Empire.
- However, the exact number of Patrician families remains unknown. Being a Patrician did not give automatic access to becoming a Senator.
Patrician Gens
- Gens (Plural Gentes) meant a family, clan or tribe bearing the same name (Nomen) and descended from the same ancestor.
- The following is a list of some of the Patrician Families of Ancient Rome:
- Aebutia
- Aemilia
- Aquillia
- Atilia
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- Claudia
- Cloelia
- Cornelia
- Curtia
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- Fabia
- Foslia
- Furia
- Gegania
- Genucia
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- Herminia
- Horatia
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- Julia
- Lartia
- Lucretia
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- Manlia
- Marcia (Rex)
- Menenia
- Metilia
- Minucia
- Mucia
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- Nautia
- Numicia
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- Papiria
- Pinaria
- Pollia
- Postumia
- Potitia
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- Quinctia
- Quinctilia
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- Romilia
- Sempronia
- Sergia
- Servilia
- Sestia
- Siccia
- Sulpicia
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- Tarpeia
- Tarquinia
- Tarquitia
- Tullia
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- Valeria
- Verginia
- Veturia
- Vitellia