Selicia gens


The gens Selicia, possibly identical with Silicia, was an obscure plebeian family at ancient Rome. Hardly any members of this gens are mentioned in history, but a number are known from inscriptions.

Origin

From a large number of inscriptions found there, it seems probable that the Selicii originated at the ancient Latin town of Praeneste, about twenty-two miles east of Rome. The nomen Selicius belongs to a class of gentilicia formed primarily from words or names ending in -ex. The root of this nomen appears to be selectus, chosen, for which Selex may have been a cognominal variant.

Praenomina

The main praenomina of the Selicii were Gaius and Quintus, two of the most common names throughout all periods of Roman history. The Selicii also used a variety of other common praenomina, including Lucius, Publius, and Marcus, and occasionally other names, such as Aulus and Numerius.

Members