How to Read a Roman Name

Next time you see what you think is a Roman name, but all that's there is an initial, you'll know which praenomen (Roman first name) it is.

Difficulty Level: Time Required: 5 minutes

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Here's How:

1. A. = Aulus
2. App. = Appius
3. C. = Gaius
4. Cn. = Gnaeus
5. D. = Decimus
6. L. = Lucius
7. M. = Marcus
8. P. = Publius
9. Q. = Quintus
10. Ser. = Servius
11. T. = Titus
12. Ti. = Tiberius
    

Tips:

2. After the praenomen (plural, praenomina ), was the nomen, which was originally the man's clan or gens name, and a nickname called the cognomen, which he could pass on to his sons.
3. The nomina were too common to help identify an individual, so they were often dispensed with. Hence, C. Caesar is an example of praenomen and cognomen, without the nomen Julius
4. A lower case f stands for filius, and accompanies the praenomen name of the man's father. L. f. would be son of Lucius.
   

Related Features:

• Roman Names