Hostilia (gens)


The gens Hostilia was an ancient family at Rome, which traced its origin to the time of Romulus. The most famous member of the gens was Tullus Hostilius, the third King of Rome; however, all of the Hostilii known from the time of the Republic were plebeians. Several of the Hostilii were distinguished during Punic Wars. The first of the family to obtain the consulship was Aulus Hostilius Mancinus in 170 BC.

Origin

The Hostilii came originally from Medullia, an ancient city in Latium, and are thought to have settled at Rome in the time of Romulus. Although the Hostilii of the Republic had no specific tradition about Medullia, coins minted by one of the later Hostilii bear the heads of Pallor and Pavor, the gods of fear and panic, in an allusion to Tullus Hostilius, who vowed temples to Pallor and Pavor during his war with Veii and Fidenae. If the later Hostilii were descended from the Hostilii of the regal period, then they were of Medullian origin.
The nomen Hostilius is a patronymic surname, based on the praenomen Hostus, which was borne by the ancestors of the gens. The same praenomen gave rise to another gens, with the nomen Hostius. The earliest known member of the Hostilii was Hostus Hostilius, a Roman champion in the earliest days of the city. However, if he also bore the nomen Hostilius, then that name must have originated at an earlier time. The meaning of the praenomen remains obscure; but it could possibly have originated as a variation of Faustus, another ancient name meaning fortunate; in Etruscan we find two possible cognates, the feminine praenomina Fasti and Hasti, of which the latter is a variation of the former.

Praenomina

The principal first names used by the Hostilii were Aulus, Lucius, and Gaius. There are also instances of Marcus and Publius. The ancient Hostilii appear to have made regular use of the praenomen Hostus. Tullus, also used by the gens in the earliest times, appears to have been revived by the family during the later Republic. A woman of the gens is known to have used the praenomen Quarta.

Branches and cognomina

The Hostilii of the Republic bore the surnames Cato, Mancinus, Saserna, and Tubulus. Of these, the Mancini were the most distinguished, with three obtaining the consulship during the second century BC. Firminus and Rutilus are found in imperial times. Some of the Hostilii do not appear to have had cognomina.

Members