The gens Laberia was a minorplebeian family at Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the second century BC, at which time they held senatorial rank. Most of the members mentioned later were equites, but toward end of the first century AD they attained the consulship, which several of them held throughout the second century.
Origin
As the Laberii first appear in the latter part of the Republic, and then as a relatively obscure family, there are no surviving stories or legends about their origin; nor do they bear any surnames that might point to a non-Latin origin. Chase mentions a common Roman surname, Labeo, deriving from labrum, and referring to someone with thick or prominent lips; but he does not connect it with the origin of any gentilicia. The nomen Laberiusbelongs to a class of gentilicia formed with relatively uncommon suffixes, which never became widely distributed; it resembles nomina such as Numerius, Papirius, and Valerius, nomina belonging to old Latin or Sabine families, which originally ended in, gradually weakening to during the period of archaic Latin, in the early or middle Republic.
Praenomina
The main praenomina of the Laberii were Lucius and Quintus, two of the most common names in every period of Roman history. Some of the Laberii bore more distinctive names, including Decimus and Manius, perhaps given to younger children in the gens. The ubiquitous praenomen Gaius appears among the Laberii of the second century.
Branches and cognomina
The earliest Laberii mentioned in history bear no surname. The first which appears is Durus, borne by one of Caesar's military tribunes, which translates as "hardy" or "tough", and belongs to an abundant class of cognomina derived from the character of an individual. This may have been a personal surname, as it was not passed down to any of the other Laberii known to history. The only distinct family of the Laberii bore the cognomen Maximus, literally meaning "very great" or "greatest", a common surname throughout Roman history. Although it belonged to the most illustrious branch of this family, it may originally have designated the line descending from the eldest son, rather than portending "future greatness". At least four generations of this family are known, beginning with Lucius Laberius Maximus, aedile at Lanuvium in the mid-first century. Some of the later consuls of the Laberia gens may also have been descendants of this family, although they bore other surnames, including Priscus, which could mean "old", "elder", or "old-fashioned", and Quartinus, a diminutive of quartus, "a fourth", likely referring to a younger child.
Decimus Laberius, an eques, celebrated as a writer of mimes. Caesar offered him 500,000 sestertii to appear on the stage at his triumphal games in 45 BC; Laberius complied, but took advantage of the opportunity to beard the dictator, and spar verbally with Cicero, and with his rival, Publilius Syrus.
Laberius, a poet mentioned by Martial, who might be the same as the comedic writer.
Lucius Laberius Maximus, an aedile at Lanuvium, and father of Lucius Laberius Maximus, the praetorian prefect.
Lucius Laberius L. f. Maximus, equestrian governor of Egypt in AD 83, and subsequently praetorian prefect. His son, Manius, was the first of the Laberii to attain the consulship.
Quintus Laberius L. f. Justus Cocceius Lepidus, proconsul of Cyprus in AD 100.
Lucius Laberius L. f. L. n., consul suffectus in AD 89, and consul ordinarius in 103; he was the son of Lucius Laberius Maximus, the praetorian prefect, and the father of Laberia Crispina.
