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 Personal Names in the Roman World |
Available from The Book Depository
Product Description
The Romans were unusual in the ancient world for having many names. A male Roman citizen would probably have three names and may well have had many more. Some of the names were received at birth, some inherited, some assumed by way of adoption or patronage. Greek writers record their bewilderment at this complex system and even the Romans themselves debated its origin.This book ' the first synthetic treatment of Roman naming practices in English, and the first in any language for more than half a century ' builds on recent scholarship to trace the story of Roman names from the earliest recorded examples down to the end of the Western empire in the fifth century AD. The author places the evidence in its social, cultural and linguistic context, and where appropriate draws on comparative material from other eras and regions. He looks closely at the names of women, non-citizen inhabitants of the Empire and slaves, and concludes that for all their apparent oddity, Roman naming practices fit ancient models. They were governed and replicated not by law, as has been suggested, but by conservatism and a spirit of emulation. With the spread of empire and the incorporation of other cultures into the citizen body, the practices evolved beyond recognition, leaving behind the beginnings of medieval naming systems.
Full description
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
- Published: 24 February 2011
- Format: Paperback 160 pages
- See: Full bibliographic data
- Categories: General & World History | European History | Ancient History: To C 500 CE | Classical History / Classical Civilisation | Genealogy, Heraldry, Names & Honours
- ISBN 13: 9780715636183 ISBN 10: 0715636189
- Sales rank: 598,022
Interestingly enough is that although there appears to be hundred's of thousand's of Italian Surnames, when you break them all down, they are all derived from some pretty simple root names. Endings are added to the root word to describe the individual, a trait, a characteristic, residence or a family line.
While I always thought that my surname Angilletta may have meant little Angel, I am now beginning to wonder if perhaps it really means "of the family of little Angelo". I would need to trace my family much farther back than I have to prove this but it's still interesting to to know the possibility exists.
Have a look through the book and then try to break your surname down to the root. Perhaps you will find something new that could help you with your research. And don't forget to come back and post here if you do find something interesting.
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