Petreia (gens)


The gens Petreia was a minor plebeian family at ancient Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned toward the end of the second century BC, and several were distinguished as soldiers, but none of them ever attained the consulship.

Origin

The nomen Petreius belongs to a large class of gentilicia ending in -eius, many of which were Oscan or Umbrian, and derived from place names and cognomina originally ending in -as or -aes. However, in this instance it seems more likely that Petreius is a patronymic surname, derived from the Oscan praenomen Petrus or Petro. Since the first of the Petreii mentioned came from Atina, in Samnium, it seems likely that the family was of Samnite origin.

Praenomina

The only praenomina used by the Petreii appearing in history are Gnaeus and Marcus. In inscriptions, Marcus, Gaius, Lucius, and Quintus are regularly found, while other names are hardly used.

Branches and cognomina

None of the Petreii mentioned under the Republic bore any surname. Numerous cognomina appear in inscriptions, most of which are from imperial times, but none of them seem to represent distinct families.

Members