Cognomen

The cognomen (plural, cognomina) of the Romans specified the branch of the family (nomen) to which one belonged, or, in some cases, was the nickname of a particular individual (for example, "Cicero", "Nasica", etc). Only men wore it, since women were designated solely by the nomen. Like the agnomen, it used to designate physical characteristics—often sarcastically—but unlike ours, it was inherited from the father. For example:

• Julius Caesar (Caesar I made reference to the scalp.)
• Marco Emilio Escauro (Escauro indicated foot zambo.)

There is a convention, not very strict, for naming Roman characters, which is the following:

• Those known, are designated by nomen or acknowledgment; thus, for example, a Gayo Suetonio Quiet is called Suetonio or Lucio Anneo SénecaHis name is Seneca. However, others are known for their cognomenfor example, Lucio Sergio Catilina It's just Catilina.

• Praenomines are not used, except in very special cases to distinguish between two members of the same family, for example, between Tiberio and Gayo Graco. Or for the emperors, especially those of the Claudia gene; for example, Tiberius and not Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus; Claudio, but not Tiberius Claudio César Augusto Germánico. In other cases they are never used; for example, Vespasian, although the full name of that emperor was Titus Flavio Vespasiano; But his successor is Tito despite being called exactly like the father.

• Some characters have rigid conventions to be appointed. Among them, it is worth highlighting characters such as Cicero, Ovid, Terencio, Virgilio, etcetera.

The number of cognomina that a person could carry was not, in principle, limited by any norm and among the inscriptions that have been preserved, the case of Quinto Pompeyo Seneción Roscio Murena Celio Sexto Julio Frontino Silio Deciano Gaius Julio stands out. Euricles Herculano Lucio Víbulo Pío Augustano Alpino Belicio Solerte Julio Apro Ducenio Proculo Rutiliano Rufino Silio Valente Nigro Claudio Fusco Saxa Amintiano Sosio Prisco, one of the consuls of the year 169 AD. C.

Some Latin authors cite cases in which the Roman Senate forbade the use of certain cognomina in special cases. Tacitus describes, for example, that the Senate forbade members of the Scribonian gens to ever use the cognomen "Druze", in punishment for the assassination attempt on Emperor Tiberius. which starred Marco Escribonio Libón Druso.