proper noun · masculinesecond declension
Petrōnius1
Petrōnius m sg (genitive Petrōniī or Petrōnī)
Classical[pɛˈtroː.ni.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[peˈtrɔː.ni.us]
Meaning
- a Roman nomen gentile, gens or "family name" famously held by
- Gaius Petronius Arbiter, a Roman courtier
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | Petrōnius | — |
| genitive | Petrōniī Petrōnī | — |
| dative | Petrōniō | — |
| accusative | Petrōnium | — |
| ablative | Petrōniō | — |
| vocative | Petrōnī | — |
Pē^trōnĭus, i, m.,
I. name of a Roman gens.—So, esp.:
Petronius Arbiter, a Roman knight, a favorite of the emperor Nero, perh. the same person with Petronius, the author of a Latin romance which is preserved in a fragmentary state, Tac. A. 16, 17 sq.—In fem.: Pē^trōnĭa, ae, the first wife of the emperor Vitellius, Tac. H. 2, 64; Suet. Vit. 6.—Hence, A. Pē^trōnĭus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to a Petronius, Petronian: Petronia amnis est in Tiberim profluens, quam magistratus auspicato transeunt, cum in campo quid agere voluntquod genus auspicii peremne vocatur, Fest. p. 250 Müll.:
Petronia lex, respecting slaves: post legem Petroniam et senatusconsulta ad eam legem pertinentia, dominis, potestas ablata est ad bestias depugnandas suo arbitrio servos tradere, Dig. 48, 8, 11, § 3; ib. 40, 1, 24.—B. Pē^trōnĭānus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to a Petronius, Petronian: Petroniana Albucia, Fulg. Myth. praef. 1.
Origins
Disputed. Perhaps related to South Picene 𐌐𐌄𐌕𐌓𐌞𐌍𐌉𐌔 (petrúnis) and Umbrian 𐌐𐌄𐌕𐌓𐌖𐌍𐌉𐌀 (petrunia). According to Poultney, the term was perhaps borrowed from an Osco-Umbrian language, which itself formed the name from Proto-Italic *kʷetru-. Alternatively, a derivation from petrō (“a rustic, yokel”) has been suggested.