Ostoria gens

The gens Ostoria, occasionally written Hostoria, was a plebeian family in Rome. Members of this gens are first mentioned in the early years of the Empire. Although only a few achieved prominence in the Roman state, many others are known from inscriptions. The most illustrious of the Ostorii was probably Publius Ostorius Scapula, who was consul during the reign of Claudius and afterwards the governor of Britain.

Praenomina

The main praenomina of the Ostorii were Quintus, Publius, Marcus, Gaius, and Lucius, the five most common names throughout Roman history. Only the first three are known from the family of the Ostorii Scapulae.

Branches and cognomina

The cognomina of the Ostorii occurring in ancient historians were Sabinus and Scapula. Sabinus refers to a Sabine and typically indicates that the bearer was of Sabine ancestry. Scapula, literally “shoulder-blade”, was probably given to someone with prominent shoulders. The Scapulae were the only important family of the Ostorii, holding four consulships over the first century.

Members of Ostoria gens

This list includes the abbreviated praenomina. For an explanation of this practice, see filiation.

• Ostorii Scapulae
• Augustus appointed Quintus Ostorius Scapula as one of the first two prefects of the Praetorian Guard in AD 2.
• Publius Ostorius Scapula, governor of Egypt during the latter part of the reign of Augustus, attested from AD 3 to 10 or 11. He was probably the brother of the praetorian prefect and father of Publius and Quintus, consuls during the reign of Claudius.
• Quintus Ostorius (P. f.) Scapula, consul suffectus in AD 41. He was probably the son of the governor of Egypt but perhaps of the praetorian prefect.
• Publius Ostorius (P. f.) Scapula, consul suffectus circa AD 45, became governor of Britain the following year. He fought successfully against several British tribes, defeating the Silures and being granted the insignia of a Roman triumph. He died before leaving office.
• Marcus Ostorius P. f. Scapula served in his father’s army in Britain and was commended for his bravery. He was consul suffectus ex kal.Juliis in AD 59. In the reign of Nero, he refused to support the accusation of maligning the emperor raised against Antistius Sosianus, but in AD 66, Sosianus accused him of conspiring against Nero. He took his own life before he could be murdered on the emperor’s orders.
• Marcus Ostorius Scapula, consul in AD 98, during the reign of Nerva.

Others

• Ostoria, daughter of Ostorius Euhodus and Caprilia Cassia, was buried in Rome at fifteen years and fifteen days old.
• Ostoria, mother of Ostoria and Gaius Ostorius Capitonius, was buried at Capena in Etruria.
• Ostoria, daughter of Ostoria and sister of Gaius Ostorius Capitonius.
• Ostoria was buried in Rome.
• Ostoria S. f. Quarta, the mother of Calpurnia Ostoria Pia, was buried at Anagnia during the late first or early second century.
• Ostorius, a man of consular rank, was probably the legate of Cilicia during the reign of Severus Alexander.
• Hostorius, a freedman buried in the sepulchre of Lucius Ostorius Felix.
• Marcus Ostorius, named in an inscription from Pompeii.
• Marcus Ostorius was mentioned in a funerary inscription from Capua.
• Publius Hostorius, dedicated a monument at Rome to his children, Publius Hostorius and Hostoria Helena.
• Publius Hostorius P. f., brother of Hostoria Helena, buried at Rome.
• Publius Ostorius, a boxer named in a list of gladiators found at Pompeii.
• Quintus Ostirius is named in an inscription from Rome.
• Spurius Ostorius, the father of Ostoria Quarta.
• Ostorius Amandus, buried at Ostia.
• Ostoria P. l. Amma, the freedwoman of Publius Ostorius Scapula, was buried in Rome.
• Gaius Ostorius C. l. Anthimus, freedman of Gaius Ostorius Italus, buried at Puteoli in Campania.
• Ostorius Aprilis, dedicated a monument at the present site of Settecamini in Rome, to his son, Gnaeus Fresidius Marsus, who had been quaestor. The tomb dates to the second century.
• Gaius Ostorius Athenio, chorales buried at Carthage.
• Ostoria Autodice, named in an inscription from Rome.
• Ostoria Auxinis, a freedwoman and the wife of Publius Octavius Chryseros, was buried in Rome.
• Gaius Ostorius Capitonius, son of Ostoria, and brother of Ostoria.
• Ostoria Chelido, the wife of the senator Ostorius Euhodianus, was buried in Rome. Her monument dates to the late third or early fourth century.
• Ostorius Crysis, a freedwoman, was buried in the sepulchre of Lucius Ostorius Felix.
• Ostoria Dia, a freedwoman and the wife of Gaius Julius Faustus, was named in an inscription from Puteoli.
• Lucius Ostorius Dionysius, named in an inscription from Narona in Dalmatia.
• Publius Ostorius P. f. Dorus, son of Publius Ostorius Telesphorus, was buried at Rome, aged five.
• Ostoria Dynamis, the mother of Publius Ostorius Ingenuus, was buried in Rome.
• Quintus Ostorius Epagathus is named in an inscription from Rome.
• Quintus Hostorius Evangelus, the husband of Marcia, was buried in Rome.
• Ostorius Eugraphianus, a youth buried at Novaria in Cisalpine Gaul.
• Ostorius Euhodianus, a senator and consul designate during the late third or early fourth century, dedicated a monument in Rome to his wife, Ostoria Chelido.
• Ostorius Euhodus, Caprilia Cassia’s husband, dedicated a Rome monument to their daughter, Ostoria.
• Ostorius Euhodus, buried at Portus.
• Ostoria Eutychia, the wife of Gaius Julius Similis, was buried in Rome.
• Ostoria Felicitas of Erindine, a child, buried at Corfinium in Samnium, aged one year, ten months. Her caretakers, Aulus Vercius Auxilaris and Adauta, dedicated a monument to her.
• Ostorius Felix, the husband of Claudia Procula, was buried in Rome.
• Lucius Ostorius Felix was buried in Rome, the husband of Seppia Pyrallis and patron of Lucius Ostorius Fortunatus.
• Ostoria Fortunata, buried at Portus in Latium.
• Ostorius Fortunatianus, one of the quinquennial masters of the collegium fabrum at Rome, during the reign of Maxentius.
• Lucius Ostorius Fortunatus, dedicated a monument to his patron, Lucius Ostorius Felix, and his family.
• Gaius Ostorius Galata, one of the soldiers stationed at Rome in AD 70. His commander was the centurion Gnaeus Pompeius Pelas.
• Hosteria P. f. Helen, sister of Publius Hostorius, was buried in Rome.
• Gaius Hostorius Helenus, buried in Rome, with a monument dedicated by Gaius Hostorius Ingenus.
• Gaius Hostorius Ingenus, dedicated a monument at Rome to Gaius Hostorius Helenus.
• Publius Ostorius Ingenuous dedicated a monument in Rome to his mother, Ostoria Dynamis.
• Gaius Ostorius the Italian, dedicated a monument at Puteoli to his freedman, Gaius Ostorius Anthimus.
• Gaius Ostorius,, the Italian, made a gift to the shrine of Diana at Tibur.
• Ostorius Januarius, a freedman buried in the sepulchre of Lucius Ostorius Felix.
• Quintus Ostorius Q. f. Licinianus, a child, buried at Rome, aged nine years, three months.
• Marcus Ostorius Marcianus dedicated a monument at Salinae in the province of the Maritime Alps to his son, Valerius Frontinianus.
• Ostoria Minatia dedicated a monument at Carthage to her husband, Servius Icundus Cretasius, one of the municipal officials at Corfinium.
• Ostoria Nike, dedicated a monument at Rome to her patron, Gaius Ostorius Successus.
• Lucius Ostorius Nice[…], listed among the men of Ostia donated the sum of ten thousand sestertii to the emperor Septimius Severus in AD 193.
• Quintus Ostorius Q. f. Ostorianus, a youth buried at Portus.
• Ostoria Paezusa, the concubine of Gaius Volusius Inventus, to whom she and her sons, Gaius Volusius Sabinianus and Gaius Volusius Fructus, dedicated a monument at Rome.
• Gaius Ostorius Peregrinus, son of Julia Edone, was buried at Rome, aged thirty-five.
• Publius Ostorius P. l. Pharnaces, freedman of Publius Ostorius Scapula, was buried in Rome.
• Ostoria Pia, mother of Gaius Ostorius Pius, was buried in Rome.
• Gaius Ostorius Pius, son of Ostoria Pia and husband of Hisonia Nike dedicated a monument in Rome to his mother and wife.
• Quintus Ostorius Primitivus, buried at Rome.
• Ostoria Procula dedicated a monument to her husband, Publius Aelius Felix, a freedman of the emperor Hadrian.
• Ostorius Sabinus, a knight who was richly rewarded by Nero for betraying Barea Soranus and his daughter in AD 66, received twelve hundred thousand sestertii and the insignia of a Roman quaestor.
• Ostoria C. f. Satria Eubulis, the foster daughter of Titus Flavius Vitalis, married Decimus Fonteius Messallinus and was the mother of Fonteia. She was buried in Rome, aged twenty-eight, eight months, and nine days. Her monument dates from the first century.
• Lucius Ostorius Secundus, buried at Torcello in the province of Venice and Histria.
• Ostoria Sexta is named in a funerary inscription from Dalmatia.
• Ostoria Successa, the wife of Titus Flavius Ampliatus, was a priestess from Bubastis, buried in Rome.
• Gaius Ostorius Successus, patron of Ostoria Nike, buried at Rome.
• Publius Ostorius Telesphorus dedicated a monument to his son, Publius Ostorius Dorus, in Rome.
• Gaius Ostorius Terpons, husband of Julia, was buried in Rome.
• Quintus Ostorius Thia[…], named in a funerary inscription from Rome.
• Gaius Ostorius Tranquillianus, named in a military diploma from Pelovo in Moesia Inferior, dating from AD 153, as well as some inscriptions, the origin of which is uncertain.
• Quintus Ostorius Valerius is listed among the Augustan priests in Rome.
• Ostoria Varilla, the concubine of Acidus, was buried in Rome.
• Publius Ostorius Vitalius, son of Ostoria Vitalis, one of the Seviri Augustales at Marruvium in Samnium, where he was buried, aged twenty-three.
• Ostoria Vitalis, dedicated a monument at Marruvium to her son, Publius Ostorius Vitalius.
• Marcus Ostorius Zithis, husband of Claudia Erotis, was buried in Rome.

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