Bellia gens


The gens Bellia, also written Billia and Bilia, was an obscure plebeian family at ancient Rome. No members of this gens are mentioned in history, but several are known from inscriptions.

Origin

As the Bellii are not mentioned by ancient writers, there are no traditions relating to the origin of this gens, and the nomen is not listed among the gentilicia for which Chase was able to ascribe a particular origin; it resembles other gentiles formed using the suffixes, -ellius, and -illius, frequently derived from cognomina ending in -ulus, but sometimes from words ending in -illus or -ellus. The root was probably bellus, handsome or beautiful, but the use of surnames such as Clemens and Pacatus by some members of this gens suggests that the name was associated with bellum, war. The nomen Duilius or Duellius was derived from an older form of bellum, and so might be a cognate of Bellius. The nomen Bellienus seems to be derived from this gentilicium, which may give a clue to the geographical origin of the family, since the suffix -enus was common in names from Picenum and Umbria, and some of the inscriptions of the Bellii are from Pisaurum in Umbria.

Praenomina

The main praenomina of the Bellii were Gaius, Marcus, Titus, and Numerius. The first three were very common throughout Roman history, while Numerius was somewhat more distinctive, and typical of the Roman countryside. The only other regular praenomen found among the Bellii was Lucius, perhaps the most abundant of all Roman names. Primus, given in the filiation of a Roman matron from Gallia Narbonensis, was an archaic praenomen, but in its masculine form it was little used in historical times, except as a surname, or in Cisalpine Gaul, where unusual praenomina were fashionable. It could have been the praenomen of the woman's father, but was more probably his surname. Suavis, given in another filiation, is not known as a praenomen, and may also have been the father's surname, but because one of the persons named in the same inscription was either a slave or freedwoman, it may be that the Suavis referred to had been a slave, or at least was not a Roman citizen, and so did not possess a regular praenomen.

Branches and cognomina

There is no evidence that the Bellii were ever divided into distinct families. They used a variety of personal surnames, some of which belonged to freedmen, and were their original personal names. Other surnames included Belliolus, a diminutive of Bellius, evidently given to a little boy; Clemens, gentle, mild; Marcellinus, a diminutive of Marcellus, probably indicating that an earlier ancestor was named Marcellus; Pacatus, peaceful, calm; Plautus, given to someone with broad or flat feet; and Reginus, indicating someone who came from Rhegium.

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