Gens:

MAECIUS

Created:

18th October 2013

Update:

29th October 2017

Status Republic:

Patrician:

Pleb. Nobilis:

Senatorial:

Eques Romanus:

Local magistrates

Republican Family / Cognomen

Patrician

n/a

Pleb. Nobilis

n/a

Senatorial

n/a

Equestrian

Varus

Local magistrat.

no cognomen,

Uncertain

Tarpa

Imperial Family / Cognomen

Imperators

n/a

Consular

Celer, Laetus, Nicomachus ?, Probus, Postumus, Rufus

Senatorial

Marullus

Equestrian

Brundisinus ?, Gordianus

Local magistrat.

Celer, Vetus

Uncertain

Blandus

Republican Consuls, Tribunes with consular power, Dictators, Magister Equitum, Censors

Imperial Consuls and Emperors (Augusti and Caesars)

excl. M52 and M56

Notes:

Tribus Maecia founded 332 BC; area around Lanuvium in Latium.

The Gordiani connection to the Maecii has many problems due to the very unreliable nature of the Historia Augusta. Ronald Syme discards most of the names of Gordianus I's descent as fabrications.

Even Maecia Faustina's name and husband may be inventions.Thus Gordianus I's mother is more likely to be Sempronia Romana (S376), daughter of the ab epistulis Sempronius Aquila (S346)

Literature

Abascal, Juan Manuel: "La fecha de la promoción colonial de Carthago Noua y sus repercusiones edilicias" in Mastia, 1, 2002, pp. 21-44, concerning local Maecii from Carthago Nova

Alföldy: Fasti Hispanienses (1969) p.46-47 (M. Maecius Probus M59), p.76-78 ((M. Maecius?) Celer cos 101, possibly a legatus iuridicus in Hisp Cit 88-91,

but Celer is a common cognomen)

Bastianini, G: "Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p", in ZPE Bd. 17 (1975), pp. 304 (Q. Maecius Laetus cos 215)

Bastianini, G: "Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p: aggiunte e correzioni"", in ZPE Bd. 38 (1980), p.85 (Q. Maecius Laetus cos 215)

Caballos Rufino: Senadores Hispanorromanos (1990) p.199-201 (§107 M. Maecius Celer cos 101), p.281-284 (§156 L. Roscius Aelianus Maecius Celer cos suff 100)

Cebeillac: Quaestores Principis (1972) p.84 (§XL L. Maecius Postumus cos 98), p.90-91 (§XLV L. Roscius Aelianus Maecius Celer cos suff 100;

Cebeillac suggests he was a brother of M. Maecius Celer cos 101 adopted by a L. Roscius Aelianus)

Crook: Consilium Principis (1955) p.173 (§220 Q. Maecius Laetus cos 215, amicus of Septimius Severus and Caracalla)

Eck: Senatoren von Vespasian bis Hadrian (1970) p.29-30 on why the two L. Marcii Postumi are not one man, but two.

d'Escurac: La préfecture de l'annone (1976) p.44 note 9 on Maecius Brundisinus M49, whose title of praef annonae Oriens is unknown in 3rd century.

Fitz: Pannonien (1995) p.215-216 (§97 L. Maecius Postumus cos 98),

Franke: Legionslegaten (1991) p.296-297 (M. Maecius Celer cos 101)

Grasby, K.D.: "The Age, Ancestry, and Career of Gordian I", in The Classical Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 1 (May, 1975), pp. 123-130, moves Gordian I's birth from 159 to c.178AD

impactinghis ancestry and his and his son's careers. Not followed below.

Hillebrand: Vigintivirat (2006) p.204-205 (§61 L. Maecius Postumus M58)

Leunissen: Konsuln (1989) p.207 (Maecius Marullus M56, false consulate), p.156 and 248-249 (M. Maecius Probus; disagrees with Alföldy concerning dating of governorship,

which he dates between 198/209 and not 199-202 or 205-208 as Alföldy does..

Marengo, Silvio Maria: "Fasti Septempedani" in Picus 18, 1998, p.63-88 (cf AE1998-419) fixes M. Maecius Rufus suffect consulate to December AD81.

Oliver, James H.: "The Ancestry of Gordian I", in the American Journal of Philology Vol. 89, 1968 p. 345-347 comments inscription of Maecius Faustinus at Corinth (AE1968-475), that could support the

Historia Augusta's version of Gordianus I being born a Maecius and therefore that his daughter's name really was a Maecia Faustina. However, skeptics are still skeptic.

He also proposes that Gordianus I's adoptive father could be M. Antonius Achaicus from Corinth.

Reinmuth: Prefect of Egypt (1935/1979) p.137 (Q. Maecius Laetus cos 215)

Remy: Carrieres Senatoriales (1989) p.34-35 (§18 M. Maecius Rufus M62)

Salomies: Nomenclature (1992) p.68 (M. Pomponius Maecius Probus same as cos ord of 228 M. Maecius Probus), p.134 (L. Roscius M.f. Aelianus Maecius Celer cos 100;

supports Syme in that his father was M Roscius Coelius cos 81 and that the names Maecius Celer came from his mother)

Scheid: Freres Arvales (1975) p.277-279 (§55 L. Maecius Postumus M57; agrees the arval of 69-78 is a different man than the arval of 86-105)

Scheid: Freres Arvales 69-304 (1990) p.27 and p.346-347 (§74 L. Maecius Postumus cos 98). Scheid doubts the attestation in 80 of Syme.

Also p.463 §162 […]atus may according to new reading be Maecius Marullus RE15a.

Settipani: Continuite (2000) p.136-144 on the Maecii and their relationship with the Gordiani and an attempt to connect most of the Maecii into a stemma.Thus proposing that RE15a

Maecius Marullus is a son of the cos 228 and a Cornelia Marullina, and that L. Eggius cos 126 is a grandnephew of L. Maecius Postumus cos 98. Possible, but conjecture.

Settipani: Continuite addenda (2001/2004) p.10 attempts to derive the 4th century Maecii (especially M. Memmius Maecius Furius Baburius Caecilianus Placidus cos 343) from

Gordianus I and the 3rd century Maecii.

Stein: Präfekten von Ägypten (1950) p.110-111 (Q. Maecius Laetus cos 215)

Syme: Arval Brethren (1980) p.7-8, 15 note 21, 17, 24 and 27 on Maecius Postumus, father and son. Syme notes that the elder Maecius is also attested in 80 AD.

Syme, Ronald: "Spaniards at Tivoli", in Ancient Society, Vol. 13/14 (1982/1983), pp. 241-263 (also Roman Papers Vol. IV, p.94-114), p.243-245 on relationship

between the Roscii and the Maecii.

Changes

29.10.2017 New header, much expanded literature list and many updates

RE1

Octavius Maecius

praef socium 293

not in RE, Nic211

RE24

M'. Maecius C.f. Varus

Sp. Maecius Tarpa

trib.Sabatina, eques from Visentium

art and theatre critic

c.50 BC

chosen by Pompey to select statues for his theatre 55

ILS 5665

Curchin548

Maecia M'.f.

C. Maecius C.f.

C. Maecius

set funeral inscription over father

trib. Ouf.

II vir quinq at Carthago Novo

praetor II vir at Grumentum in Lucania

39 and 29

republic

REPUBLIC

IMPERIAL

CIL2-3555

Curchin553

C. Maecius C.f. Celer

Maecius C.f. Vetus

notable of Ilici in Hisp Tarracon

augur, aedilis at Carthago Novo

made dedication to Augustus

c.25/1 BC

M62 RE22

M57 cf RE19 Rüpke2324

M. Maecius Rufus

(Maecius Celer)

(Maecia)

L. Maecius Postumus

procos Pont-Bithyn 71/72

from Hispania ?

frat Arv 69 72 75 78 80?

or 72/73

~ M. Roscius Coelius

from Hisp Tarracon or Lavinium,

cos suff 81

cos suff 81, from Hispania

procos Asia 83/86?

M51

RE6

R89

RE Roscius 8

M58

RE19 Rüpke2325

M. Maecius Celer

L. Roscius M.f. Aelianus Maecius Celer

L. Maecius L.f. Postumus

tr mil laticl in Oriens

cos suff 100

X vir stlit iudic, tr mil XIII Gem at Poetovio,

leg iuridicus Hisp Cit c.88-91 ?

q Aug 79, tr pl, pr c 84 leg leg in Syria ?

leg leg in Syria c.94

↓

cos suff 98

cos suff 101

frat Arv 86 87 89 90 91 92 101 105

cf M56

E5 RE2

Maecius Faustinus

C. Eggius Ambibulus Pomponius Longinus

panhellene and rhetor at Corinth

Cassianus L. Maecius Postumus

trib. Cornelia, from Aeclanum

cos ord 126

unknown relationship to cos 98 (adopted heir ?)

CIL8-18065

M61 RE23

M56

RE15

Maecius Probus

Maecius Rufus

Maecius Marullus

M. Antonius

centurio III Aug in Numidia 162

curator aedium 166

consularis, possibly fictitious

thus cos suff before 166

error for C.Raecius Rufus R10

~ Ulpia Gordiana

adopt

M59 RE20

M54 RE13 Pf219 Rüpke2321

A833

RE61

M. Maecius Probus

Q. Maecius Laetus

M. Antonius Gordianus

vir clar, praef alimentorum,

proc Aug Arabia c.185

born Maecius Gordianus

cos suff ante 199

praef Aeg 200-203

IMP CAESAR M. ANTONIUS GORDIANUS

leg Aug pro pr Hisp Tarracon c.199-202

praef praet 205-? (211/12 or 215?), vir ement,

SEMPRONIANUS ROMANUS AFRICANUS AUG.

or 205-208 or 198/209 † in office

cos ornamen, XV vir sf, cos II ord 215

* 159 † 238 suicide

~ Pomponia Arria (FOS635)

amicus of Septimius and Caracalla

Brit Inf c.216 cos suff c.222

clar fem

procos Africa 237/238 , IMP 238 for 3 weeks

~ Fabia Orestilla dt of Annius Severus

M60

RE Pomponius 54

M53 RE11

M64

RE25

A834 RE62

RE15a Rüpke2322

M. (Pomponius) Maecius Probus

Maecius Gordianus

Maecia Faustina

M. Antonius Gordianus II

Maecius Marullus

cos ord 228

praefect (praetorio)

† by 241

IMP CAESAR M. ANTONIUS GORDIANUS

vir clar

relative of GORDIANUS

~ Iunius Licinius Balbus

SEMPRONIANUS ROMANUS AFRICANUS AUG.

arvalis 240 pr 240

cos suff, † by 238

* c.192 † 238 killed in battle IMP 238

pr urb, cos suff 226 or 229

leg of father in Africa, pontifex

adopt

M49 RE4

M52 RE9 PLRE Nicomachus

A835 RE60

Maecius Brundisinus

Maecius Faltonius Nicomachus

Gordiana Balba

M.Antonius Gordianus III

praef annonae in Oriens 258

vir consularis

IMP CAESAR M. ANTONIUS GORDIANUS AUG.

probably fictitious in Hist Augusta

ment 275

* 224/5 † 244 killed

probably fictitious in Hist Augusta

IMP 238 cos 239 241

241 ~ Furia Sabinia Tranquillina, dt of

C.Furius Sabinius Aquila Timesetheus, PP 241

(Furia) Gordiana

UNCERTAIN DATE

M48 RE3

M55 RE14 PLRE Mannus

Q. Maecius Blandus

Maecius Mannus

owner of fistula aquaria

clar vir

homo nobilis ?

Christian

2nd century

? 4th century

~ Caelia Galla FOS163 C144