PLUTARCH'S LIVES.

CAIUS MARIUS.

WE know no third name of Caius Marius, any more than we do of Quinctus Sertorious who held Spain so long, or of Lucius Mummius who took Corinth. For the surname of Achaicus, Mummius gained by his conquest, as Scipio did that of Africanus, and Metellus that of Macedonicus.-Posidonius avails himself chiefly of this argument to confute those who hold the third to be the Roman proper name, Camillus, for instance, Marcellus, Cato: for in that case, those who had only two names, would have had no proper name at all. But he did not consider that by this reasoning he robbed the women of their names; for no woman bears the first, which Posidonius supposed the proper name among the Romans. Of the other names, one was common to the whole family, as the Pompeii, Manlii, Cornelii, in the same manner as with us, the Heraclidæ and Pelopida; and the other was a surname given them from something remarkable in their dispositions, their actions, or the form of their bodies, as Macrinus, Torquatus, Sylla, which are like Mnemon, Grypus, and Callinicus, among the Greeks. But the

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diversity of customs in this respect leaves much room for farther inquiry *.

As to the figure of Marius, we have seen at Ravenna in Gaul his statue in marble, which perfectly expressed all that has been said of his sternness and austerity of behaviour. For being naturally robust and warlike, and more acquainted with the discipline of the camp than the city, he was fierce and untractable when in authority. It is said that he neither learned to read Greek, nor would make use of that language on any serious occasion, thinking it ridiculous to bestow time on learning the language of a

*The Romans had usually three names, the Prænomen, the Nomen and the Cognomen.

The Prænomen, as Aulus, Caius, Decimus, was the proper or distinguishing name between brothers, during the time of the republic.

The Nomen was the family name, answering to the Grecian patronymics. For, as among the Greeks, the posterity of Eacus were called Æacidæ, so the Julian family had that name from Iulus or Ascanius. But there were several other things which gave rise to the Nomen, as animals, places, and accidents; for instance, Porcius, Ovilius, &c.

The Cognomen was originally intended to distinguish the several branches of a family. It was assumed from no certain cause, but generally from some particular occurrence. It became however, hereditary, except it happened to be changed for a more honourable appellation, as Macedonicus, Africanus. But it should be well remarked, that under the emperors the Cognomen was often used as a proper name, and brothers were distinguished by it, as Titus Flavius Vespasianus, and Titus Flavius Sabinus.

As to women, they had anciently their Prænomen as well as the men, such as Caia, Lucia, &c. But afterwards they seldom used any other besides the family name, as Julia, Tullia, and the like. Where there were two sisters in a house, the distinguishing appellations were major and minor; if a greater number, Prima, Seconda, Tertia, &c.

With respect to the men who had only two names, a family might be so mean as not to have gained the Cognomen; or there might be so few of the family, that there was no occasion for it to distinguish the branches.