Cicereia (gens)
The gens Cicereia was a Roman family during the time of the Republic. It is known primarily from a single individual, Gaius Cicereius, the scriba, or secretary, of Scipio Africanus, who was elected praetor in 173 B.C. He obtained the province of Sardinia, but was ordered by the senate to conduct the war in Corsica. After defeating the Corsicans, Cicereius was denied his request for a triumph, and celebrated one on the Alban mount at his own expense. He was appointed an ambassador to Gentius, king of the Illyrians in 172 and 167.The nomen Cicereius is probably derived from the same root as the cognomen Cicero, a surname of the gentes Claudia and Tullia. They appear to be connected with cicer, a chickpea, and may indicate that the ancestors of these families were engaged in the cultivation of that plant. Similar names include Bulbus, Fabius, Lentulus, Piso, and Tubero.Footnotes
