Septimia (gens)

The gens Septimia was a plebeian family at Rome. The gens first appears in history towards the close of the Republic, and they did not achieve much importance until the latter half of the second century, when Lucius Septimius Severus obtained the imperial dignity.

The nomen Septimius is a patronymic surname, derived from the praenomen Septimus. Several other gentes obtained their nomina in this way, including the Quinctii from Quintus, the Sextii from Sextus, and the Octavii from Octavius.

The chief praenomina of the Septimii were Publius, Lucius, Gaius, and Titus. There are a few instances of other names, including Aulus, Marcus, and Quintus. The ancestor of the family must have been named Septimus, although none of the members who are known to history bore this praenomen.

The Septimii of the Republic were not clearly divided into separate families. A number of surnames are found at various periods, of which the most notable are Severus, meaning "stern, serious," or "severe," and Geta, referring to one of the Getae, a Thracian people. Both cognomina were associated with the imperial family of the late second and early third century. Severus had been borne by one of the Septimii early in the first century BC, but it was a common surname, and it is not known whether the imperial family was descended from that Septimius Severus.

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