Silicia gens


The gens Silicia, possibly the same as Selicia, 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, many of them from Roman Africa.

Origin

The nomen Silicius belongs to a class of gentilicia derived from words ending in -ex. The apparent root, silex, refers to flint.

Praenomina

The Silicii used a variety of praenomina, including Lucius, Gaius, Marcus, Publius, Quintus, Titus, and Aulus, all of which were amongst the most common names throughout all periods of Roman history. At least one of the family bore the praenomen Spurius, an old name that had all but vanished by imperial times.

Members