Maria (gens)

The gens Maria was a plebeian family at Rome. Its most celebrated member was Gaius Marius, one of the greatest generals of antiquity, and seven times consul.

As a nomen, Marius is probably derived from the Oscan praenomen Marius, in which case the family may be of Sabine or Sabellic background, although in this form the name is Latinized, and the family cannot be proven to have originated anywhere other than Rome.

The Marii of the Republic used the praenomina Marcus, Gaius, Lucius, Quintus, and Sextus. Publius and Titus are found in imperial times.

The Marii of the Republic were never divided into any families, though in course of time, more especially under the emperors, several of the Marii assumed surnames. On coins we find the cognomina Capito and Trogus, but the identities of the individuals who bore these names is uncertain.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Maria Gens". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. II. p. 949. 

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