Opetreia (gens)


The gens Opetreia was a plebeian family at Rome. No members of this gens are known to have held any important magistracies, but a number of them are found in inscriptions.

Origin

The nomen Opetreius appears to be a patronymic surname based on the ancient praenomen Opiter, best known as a result of its use by the gentes Verginia and Lucretia during the early Republic. The nomen Opiternius is derived from the same praenomen, and both are probably related to other gentilicia, including Oppius and Opsius. The name may be grouped with a large class of nomina, many of which are of Sabine or Oscan origin, formed from other names using the suffix -eius.

Praenomina

Publius, Gaius, Lucius, and Gnaeus appear to have been the chief praenomina of the Opetrei. All of these were very common names throughout Roman history. An inscription from Noricum mentions a Decimus Opetrius; this would be a much more distinctive praenomen, but from the limited number of individuals, it is impossible to say if it was regularly used by the gens.

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