Rutilia (gens)

The gens Rutilia was a plebeian family (gens) of ancient Rome who begin to appear regularly in sources in the 2nd century BC. The first consul from the gens was Publius Rutilius Rufus, Who was great uncle to Gaius Julius Caesar and an ally of Gaius Marius's during his term (105 BC).^[1]

Praenomina

In the Republican era, the most common praenomina among the Rutilii are Publius (abbreviated P.), Marcus (M.), and Lucius (L.).

Branches and cognomina

During the Republican era, the cognomina of the known Rutilii are Calvus, Lupus and Rufus. Several others occur in the Imperial era. The coins issued by members of the gens have the cognomen Flaccus, which is not recorded for the family in literary sources.^[2]

Members

The following prosopographical lists make use of two sets of abbreviations: praenomina and filiation. A list of standard abbreviations for Roman first names appears at the article on the praenomen. Lowercase f. and n. stand for filius ("son"), or filia ("daughter") and nepos ("grandson" or "granddaughter"). For example:

Publius Rutilius L. f. L. n. Lupus
expanded: Publius Rutilius Lucii filius Lucii nepos Lupus
meaning: "Publius Rutilius, son of Lucius, grandson of Lucius, Lupus"

Republican era

Unless otherwise noted, the dates and offices are those given by T.R.S. Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic (American Philological Association, 1952), vol. 2, pp. 612–613.

• Spurius Rutilius Crassus, military tribune with consular powers in 417 BC
• Publius Rutilius Calvus, praetor in 166 BC, probably assigned to Hispania Ulterior
• Publius Rutilius, tribune of the plebs in 169 BC
• Publius Rutilius M. f., tribune of the plebs in 136 BC, son of a Marcus Rutilius
• Publius Rutilius P. f. Rufus, military tribune 134–132 BC, praetor by 118, diplomatic legate 113, military legate 109–107, consul 105, legate again possibly in 97
• Publius Rutilius L. f. L. n. Lupus, praetor by 93 BC, consul in 90
• Lucius Rutilius Flaccus, monetalis around 75 BC, and a senator in 72
• Publius Rutilius Nudus, legate in 74 BC
• Publius Rutilius Lupus, tribune of the plebs 56, praetor 49, legatus pro praetore of Achaia 48
• Marcus Rutilius, prefect or legate serving under Julius Caesar in 45 BC
• Quintus Rutilius, quaestor in 44 BC

Imperial era

• Rutilius Gallicus, praefectus urbi under Domitian^[3]
• Publius Rutilius Lupus, 1st century AD rhetorician
• Marcus Rutilius Lupus, prefect of Egypt 113-117 AD

Of uncertain date

• Rutilius Geminus, author of a tragedy titled Astyanax. Fulgentius connects him with the Libri Pontificales.^[4]

Women of the gens

• Rutilia (late 2nd century BC), the mother of Gaius Aurelius Cotta the orator and of Aurelia Cotta, the mother of Julius Caesar. She went into exile with her son in 91 BC, remained there until he was recalled, and outlived him.^[5]

References

1. "Rutilia gens", A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, edited by William Smith (London, 1880), vol. 3, p. 680.
2. "Rutilia gens," DGRBM p. 681.
3. Juvenal 13.157; Statius, Silvae 1.4.
4. Fulgentius, Expositio Sermonum Antiquorum 7; Anthony James Boyle, An Introduction to Roman Tragedy (Routledge, 2006), p. 277.
5. Seneca, Consolatio ad Helviam 16; Cicero, Letters to Atticus 12.20.33.