Topic: Oscan Names

[Strategy]

Working on the clans/families in Imperium, and need to generate a good selection of Oscan names? Anyone has a good list of Oscan (Samnite, Lucanian, Apulian) names to go into the game?

Also, any identified family lines (i.e., family with 4-5 distinct members with different names) would also be ideal.

And of course the kicker - lady names for the Oscans?!?

[Porcius]

For Samnite names, Livy's account of the Samnite Wars and Appian's account of the Social War should provide enough basic material. No clue for the Oscans, though.

(nice to see you making some progress!)

[Strategy]

The Oscans seem to have had a very similar culture, so Samnite names can probably be borrowed for the others, if there are enough. Livy I have - Will have to check Appian.

So far, my indications are that they used names very similar to the Romans/Latins. Any ideas on whether their female names followed the same mold? (i.e., Julia for females of the Julius clan - and thus Staia would be the daughter of Paius Staius...

[Porcius]

Not sure on the female names, but it seems to make sense. We have a Poppaedius Silo as an Italian general in the Social War, and know of Nero's wife Poppaea, so it is reasonable to assume that the naming convention is the same.

[Strategy]

Hmmm. So if we have a family Poppaedius Silo, we could then have the lady names for the family being Poppaea and Poppaeala . But what the heck do we call daughter number 3, 4, 5, 6?

I do so hate the Roman naming conventions...  

Keeping characters distinguishable from each other is going to be a major headache (for me - since I have to try and keep it simple to use, while still having it somewhat historically correct).

[Porcius]

You could always add Secunda and Tertia to the female names...this became common in the early empire.

By the late Republic, many women used double feminines, so there were Caecilias and Caecilia Metellas, Cornelias and Cornelia Balbas.

A real pain in the ass, though. I'm writing a book on Roman politics and have realized that I'll need to add a preface on Roman naming conventions.

[Porcius]

I dug out my copy of Appian's Civil War and consulted the footnotes. No reference to Oscans specifically, but here are the names of the leaders of the Italian revolt in the Social War and their likely nationalities. This is from the Penguin edition, Book I, section 40 and the footnote to that section:

Titus Lafrenius (Picene or Marsian)
Gaius Pontilius (Vestinian)
Marius Egnatius (Samnite or Frentani)
Quintus Poppaedius Silo (Marsian, northern commander)
Gaius Papius (Samnite, southern commander)
Marcus Lamponius (Lucanian)
Gaius Vidacilius (Picene from Asculum)
Herius Asinius (Marrucini)
Vettius Scato (Paelignian)

Wish I could be of more help.

[Strategy]

Thanks - saved me from having to borrow Appian again. This at least gives me some more names to work with.

[Porcius]

Glad to be of service. I'll keep looking through my library, since I may have more on this.

Anything else I can put my skills to, just let me know.