II.   Sovereign

Nomen is a formal system of individual identification created by the Romans from corrupting the ancient Celt naming traditions whereby one immediately declares their social standing within Roman law through the construction of their “name” as a form of title.

The word nomen is derived from nomina which itself is sourced from two (2) ancient Latin roots nos meaning “we us, I or me” and mina meaning “value”. Hence the original etymological meaning of nomen is “my value” in reference to the system denoting both social standing and identity.

The Nomen System comprised of several key components then assembled under certain naming (nomenclature) conventions being:

(i) Full Citizen status, usually denoting one (1) of the ancient Patrician families as “Civilus”; and

(ii) Auctoritas being the highest authority attained by the individual; and

(iii) Officium being the highest office attained by the individual; and

(iv) Praenomen being the given name; and

(v) Nomen or Gentilicium being the name of their gens of clan; and

(vi) Patrimonicus being the filial relation to a great Roman; and

(vii) Cognomen being name of the family lines within the gens; and

(viii) Agnomen being a popular nickname, identity or word of honor applied to the individual.

Under Roman society, Nomen or Gentilicium, and later Cognomen and Agnomen were virtually always hereditary.

Auctoritas as part of nomen was usually reserved for the highest and greatest of officials and included such examples as:

(i) “Divi Filius” meaning literally divine authority reserved for the nomen of emperors such as Civilis Divi Filius Caesar Octavianus and Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus; and

Officium as part of nomen was usually reserved for the highest and greatest of officials and included such examples as:

(i) Imperator being the highest administrative official from which “emperor” is derived; and

(ii) Executor being a senior administrative official and precursor to senators; and

(iii) Rector being the governor of a province; and

(iv) Censor being an official visitor and overseer of the Senate; and

(v) Senator being a member of the senate and head advisory body to the Pontificum Collegium (College of Pontiffs) that controlled Rome.

Praenomen as the first part of nomen distinguished a Roman Citizen by their order of birth, omen of birth, or negative social condition at time of birth and included such examples as:

(i) Order of son being Primus (P.) “first”, Secundus "second", Tertius "third", Quartus “fourth”, Quintus (Q.) "fifth", Sextus (Sex.) "sixth", Septimus (Sept.) "seventh", Octavianus (O.) "eight", Nonus “ninth”, Decimus (D.) "tenth"; and

(ii) Omen of birth being Faustus “auspicious”, Lucius (from Lucifer) (L.) “the best of luck, good fortune”, Flavus “golden”, Gallus “confident, cocksure”, Canus “wise”

(iii) Peculiarity of birth being Agrippa “born feet first”, Caeso “cut from the womb”, Spurius (Sp.) “illegitimate birth”

(iv) Station at birth being Miser (M. or Mr.) “debt or bond slave”, Servius (S. or Ser.) “indentured or contracted slave”

Gentilicium or Gens (Clan) name traditionally identified whether one was borne of the highest class (Patrician), or lower class (Plebian). For example, famous Patrician families included (but were not limited to): Antonius, Aquillia, Atilia, Claudius, Cornelius, Curtia, Didius, Domitius, Fabia, Furia, Julius, Marcia, Pompeius, Romilia, Sestia, Siccia, Sulpicia, Valeria, Vitellia, Tarpeia and Valerius.

Agnomen or “nicknames” were a key feature of the nomen of famous Romans, especially leaders and included such key examples as:

(i) Augustus meaning “majestic or venerable”; and

(ii) Caesar meaning “one who sacrifices the enemy (of Rome) in a bloody ritual”

Agnomen Females were usually known by the feminine form of their father's nomen gentile, followed by the genitive case of their father's or husband's cognomen and an indication of order among sisters through praenomen.