The gens Saturia was an obscure
plebeian family of
equestrian rank at
ancient Rome. Members of this
gens are first mentioned in the time of
Cicero, and a number of them had distinguished military careers, but none of them attained any of the higher offices of the Roman State.[1][2]
Origin
The
nomenSaturius seems to be derived from satur, meaning "full", "plump", or "fertile", and is probably derived from the
cognomenSaturus, as is the related Saturio. The Saturii were probably of
Sabine or
Picentine ancestry, as several of them bore the surnames Sabinus and Picens, both belonging to a common class of cognomen alluding to one's origins, and a number of the family resided at
Asculum in
Picenum.[3][4]
Praenomina
The main
praenomina of the Saturii were Gaius, Lucius, and Publius, three of the most common names throughout Roman history.
Members
This list includes abbreviated
praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see
filiation.
Saturia C. f., named in an inscription from
Caere, dating to the second or first century BC.[5]
Publius Saturius, one of the judges who presided over the trial of
Aulus Cluentius Habitus, and later opposed
Cicero in the trial of the actor Quintus Roscius.[6]
Decimus Saturius L. l. Dama, a freedman who built a tomb at Rome for himself, Saturia Philoclea, and their household, dating to the first century BC.[7]
Saturia D. l. Philoclea, a freedwoman, perhaps of Decimus Saturius Dama, who built a tomb at Rome for them and their household in the first century BC.[7]
Saturia P. l. Rufa, a freedwoman named in an inscription from
Falerii Nova, dating to the time of
Augustus.[8]
Lucius Saturius Admetus, the freedman of Januarius, buried at
Asculum in
Picenum, in the first half of the first century AD.[9]
Saturius, the slave of Scaevinus, named in an inscription from
Interamna Lirenas in
Latium, dating to AD 38.[10]
Titus Saturius T. f. Celer, buried at
Firmum in Picenum, in the first century.[11]
Saturius Firmus, the son-in-law of Asinius Rufus, one of the intimate friends of both
Tacitus and the younger
Pliny, who speaks warmly of Saturius.[14]
Saturius,[i] decurion of the chamberlains, was one of the assassins of
Domitian in AD 96.[15]
Publius Saturius Sabinus, named in a first or second century inscription from Rome.[16]
Saturius, a
scriba associated with a freedman of
Trajan, buried at Rome together with his wife, Aurelia Severa, children, Januarius Aurelius Fortunatus and Victorinus, and foster-son, Saturius Felix.[17]
Saturius Felix, the foster-son of the scribe Saturius.[17]
Marcus Saturius M. f. Maximus, a native of
Celeia in
Noricum, was an
eques serving in the tenth cohort of the
Praetorian Guard at Rome, where he was buried some time in the second century, aged thirty, having served for twelve years. His heirs erected a monument in his memory.[18]
Gaius Saturius Sabinus, a native of
Truentum,[ii] was a soldier serving in the century of Granius at Rome, circa AD 208.[19]
Undated Saturii
Saturia, buried at Rome, with a monument from her father, Saturius Lu[...].[20]
Saturia, buried in a family sepulchre at the present site of
Stranice, formerly part of Noricum, together with her husband, Januarius Genialis.[21]
Lucius Saturius L. f., named in an inscription from Grumentum.[22]
Publius Saturius, freed a slave at
Corcyra Nigra in fulfillment of a vow made to Publius Clemens.[25]
Saturius Antiochus, dedicated a tomb at
Puteoli in Campania to his wife, Faenia Felicitas, a native of
Syria, aged forty.[26]
Saturius Basilius, buried at
Caurium in
Lusitania, with a monument from his wife, Vibia Felicitas, with whom he lived for eleven years.[27]
Saturia L. l. Chia, a freedwoman, and the daughter of Staphinus, was buried at
Asculum in
Picenum, aged twenty-six, with a monument from her former master, Lucius Saturius Clemens.[28]
Lucius Saturius Clemens, built a tomb at
Asculum in
Picenum for his freedwoman, Saturia Chia.[28]
Saturia Montana, buried at
Sicca Veneria in Africa Proconsularis, aged seventy-five.[35]
Saturia Namampilla, buried at Castellum Celtianum in
Numidia, aged one hundred.[36]
Lucius Saturius Optabilis, named in an inscription from
Sulmo in
Samnium.[37]
Saturia Picena, dedicated a tomb at
Fundi in Latium to her son, Minucius Rufus.[38]
Gaius Saturius Picens, built a tomb at Asculum for Gaius Saturius Sic[...]us and Saturia Erhennia.[30]
Lucius Saturius Picens, a
centurionprimus pilus, dedicated a monument at
Pisae in
Etruria to his son, Gaius Saturius Secundus, an accomplished young soldier.[39]
Gaius Saturius L. f. Secundus, son of Lucius Saturius Picens, was an eques,
prefect of a cohort of soldiers,
augur, and patron of the colony at Asculum. He was buried at Pisae, aged nineteen years and twenty-seven days, with a monument from his father.[39]
Gaius Saturius Sic[...]us, buried at Asculum with Saturia Erhennia, with a monument from Gaius Saturius Picens.[30]
Saturia Ɔ. l. Thelis, a freedwoman named in an inscription from Rome.[43]
Lucius Saturius Theodotus, buried at Rome with a monument from Asinnia Philumene.[44]
Lucius Saturius Theophilus, buried at Rome, in a tomb built by his brother, Publius Pactumeius Aphrodisius.[45]
Saturia L. f. Victoria, buried at
Furnos Minus in Africa Proconsularis, aged fourteen.[46]
Wilhelm Henzen, Ephemeris Epigraphica: Corporis Inscriptionum Latinarum Supplementum (Journal of Inscriptions: Supplement to the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, abbreviated EE), Institute of Roman Archaeology, Rome (1872–1913).
George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, vol. VIII, pp. 103–184 (1897).