Gens

In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , Latin: [gẽːs]; pl.: gentes [ˈgɛnteːs]) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same nomen gentilicium and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens, sometimes identified by a distinct cognomen, was called a stirps (pl.: stirpes). For example, in the name Marcus Tullius Cicero, Tullius is the nomen gentilicium, which identifies Cicero as a member of the Tullia gens, while the surname Cicero identifies the branch of the gens to which he belonged.

The gens was an important social structure at Rome and throughout Italy during the period of the Roman Republic. Much of individuals' social standing depended on the gens to which they belonged. Certain gentes were classified as patrician, others as plebeian; some had both patrician and plebeian branches. The importance of the gens as a social structure declined considerably in imperial times, although the gentilicium continued to define the origins and dynasties of the ancient Romans, including the emperors.

Origins

The word gens is sometimes translated as "race", or "nation", meaning a people descended from a common ancestor. It can also be translated as "clan", "kin", or "tribe", although the word tribus has a separate and distinct meaning in Roman culture. A gens could be as small as a single family, or could include hundreds of individuals.