Caesonia (gens)


The gens Caesonia was a plebeian family of ancient Rome. They first appear in history during the late Republic, remaining on the periphery of the Roman aristocracy until the time of Nero. Another family of Caesonii attained the consulship several times beginning in the late second century; it is not clear how or whether they were related to the earlier Caesonii.

Origin

The nomen Caesonius is a patronymic surname, based on the praenomen Caeso, which must have belonged to the ancestor of the gens. The Caesonii of the second and third centuries appear to have been an unremarkable family, of senatorial or equestrian rank, which eventually was elevated to the patriciate, holding many of the most important offices in the Roman state. This branch of the family may have originated in Latium or the surrounding region, perhaps the town of Antium.
The name may derive from the root caesius, meaning "blue-grey," a word frequently used to describe the color of the eyes.

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