Cognomen
The cognomen (in the plural cognomina ) is the nickname of a Romain. After the first name and family name, it generally constituted the third name Tria nominated traditional Roman citizen.
A physical feature or an origin was at the origin of the first nicknames: Calvus (the bald person), Varus (the lame one), Verrucosus (which have a wart), Flaccus (with the falling ears), Nero (Black), Caecus (the blind man), Strabo (the ladle), Sabinus (Sabin), etc A military exploit could be worth an honorary nickname: Capitolinus , Torquatus , Coriolanus . Lastly, Roman liveliness and a certain humor of car-derision also put of use various nicknames not very flattering: Crassus (salts it), Brutus (the idiot), Caudex (the log - with illustrated, the idiot), Paullus (the weak one).
The nickname became of a hereditary use, as the first name which passed from father as an oldest son, which generated the repetitivity of the sorted nominated from one generation to another. One started to add a second nickname to distinguish the individuals. In 240 av. J.C, the consuls took a decree which restricted the transmission of the nickname to the only oldest son. The nickname became representative of each branch of the people , such as for example at the Scipions: Africanus , Asiaticus , Nasica .
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