this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2025
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[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Explanation: It's a damn good thing that the Romans were fond of collecting nicknames and victory titles, because the tendency of every fucking Roman family to use the same goddamn names for their kids is something else. There's some amount of excusing 'Julius Caesar' since both Julius and Caesar are familial names, but when they're all goddamn named Gaius as well? Come on.

Other Roman families often had similar practices - there were only a few dozen first names (praenomina) that were in common use, and many prominent Roman families would use only 5 or 6 of them. Fuck's sake. We don't need ANOTHER Gaius or Tiberius.

[–] teft@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

At least the guys got actual names. The women usually just got the family name and a number.

[–] bricklove@midwest.social 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sextus Digitius - Wait, you guys are getting names?

[–] teft@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Julia Major - Wait, you guys get numbers?

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It's a damn good thing that the Romans were fond of collecting nicknames and victory titles, because the tendency of every fucking Roman family to use the same goddamn names for their kids is something else.

I'm pretty sure the second caused the first. And it beats what we barbarians in the north did, which was mostly choosing nicknames based on stuff that's also hereditary.

Oh, your name is Jan, and you're tall? You'll be Jan the Tall. No way, who could have expected your son, also named Jan, to also be tall...

Oh, your name is Piet, and you're a miller? Hello Piet Miller. No way, your son Piet also works in the very same mill you do? Nobody saw that coming, what a shock!

Hello Kees who lives in the forest, I'll call you Kees Forest from now on. What? Other people named Kees also live in the forest since the entirety of western Europe is 98% forests? Damn, that's inconvenient!

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Gaius of the Julii, 'Hairy'. Unfortunately, C. Julius Caesar is quite BALD

[–] Fleur_@aussie.zone 3 points 1 year ago

There are only 2 Ceasars. Everyone else is using neopronouns

[–] cysgbi@lemmy.wtf 2 points 1 year ago

Spent a good half an hour confused by Julius Caesar Scaliger.