Arria gens

The gens Arria was a plebeian family of ancient Rome, first recorded in the final century of the Republic, and prestigious during imperial times. The first of the gens to achieve prominence was Quintus Arrius, praetor in 72 BC.

Origin
The Arrii were probably of Oscan descent, as their nomen appears to be Oscan. They probably came to Rome some time during the middle or late Republic; Cicero describes the first of the Arrii mentioned in history as a man of low birth, who achieved his station through hard work, rather than by education or talent.

Praenomina
The Arrii of the Republic used the praenomina Quintus, Gaius, and Marcus. Gnaeus occurs in imperial times.

Branches and cognomina
None of the Arrii during the Republic bore any cognomen. In imperial times, we find the surnames Gallus, Varus, and Aper. Gallus and Aper belong to a widespread class of surnames derived from familiar objects and animals; Aper signified a wild boar, while Gallus refers to a cockerel, although it could also refer to a Gaul, indicating someone of Gallic descent or association. Varus, "knock-kneed", was originally given to someone whose legs were turned inward.

Members

 * Quintus Arrius, praetor in 73 BC, and apparently propraetor in the following year, during the Third Servile War. He inflicted a devastating defeat against Crixus, but was in turn defeated by Spartacus. He died while on his way to take up the government of Sicily.
 * Quintus Arrius Q. f., a friend of Cicero, sought the consulship in 59 BC, but was unsuccessful.
 * Gaius Arrius, a neighbor of Cicero at Formiae, whose persistent company in 59 BC proved to be a nuisance.
 * Marcus Arrius Q. f. Secundus, triumvir monetalis in 41 BC.
 * Arria, set an example for her husband, Caecina Paetus, whom Claudius had ordered to take his own life. Stabbing herself, she handed Paetus the dagger, claiming that the act caused her no pain.
 * Arrius Varus, praetorian prefect in AD 69, following the death of Vitellius.
 * Gnaeus Arrius Antoninus, consul suffectus in AD 69, from the Kalends of July to the Kalends of September. He was a grandfather of Antoninus Pius.
 * Marcus Arrius Diomedes, a citizen whose tomb was found at Pompeii. It is believed that the massive house down the road from the tomb was his house. He was probably descended from or was a freedman of the Arrii.
 * Gnaeus Arrius Augur, consul in AD 121.
 * Gnaeus Arrius Cornelius Proculus, governor of Lycia and Pamphylia from AD 139 to 141, and consul suffectus for the months of May and June in 145.
 * Arria (possibly Arria Flavia, Flavia Arria or Manlia Arria) wife of Marcus Nonius Macrinus.
 * Arria Flavia Veria Priscilla, 2nd-century wife of a man named Acillius.
 * Arria, a Platonic philosopher.
 * Lucius Arrius Flavius Aper, praetorian prefect, and father-in-law of the emperor Numerian, whom Aper secretly murdered as the army was retreating from Persia in AD 284. Aper attempted to conceal the emperor's death, but when his deed was exposed, the soldiers acclaimed Diocletian emperor, and Aper was put to death.
 * Arria L. f., wife of emperor Numerian