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-{{See also|Gaius Julius Caesar (disambiguation)}}
-'''Gaius Julius Caesar''' ({{lang-gr|'''ΓAIOΣ IOYΛΙΟΣ KAIΣAΡ'''<ref>''Γάιος Ιούλιος Καίσαρ'' (''Gáios Ioúlios Kaísar'')</ref>}}) was a prominent name of the ''[[Gens Julia]]'' since [[Roman Republic]]an times, borne by a number of figures, but most notably by the general and dictator [[Julius Caesar]].
-==Julius Caesar's name==
-The name ''Caesar'' probably originated from a dialect of [[Latium]] which did not share the [[Rhotacism (sound change)|rhotacism]] of the Roman dialect.<ref>L.R. Palmer, ''The Latin language'' (Bristol 1954), p. 69.</ref> (That is, the ''s'' between vowels did not change to ''r''.)  Using the [[Latin]] [[alphabet]] as it existed in the day of [[Julius Caesar]] (100 BC &ndash; 44 BC) (i.e., without lower case letters, "J", or "U"), Caesar's name is properly rendered <small>GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR</small> (the spelling <small>CAIVS</small> is also attested and is interchangeable with the more common <small>GAIVS</small>; however the letter <small>C</small> was used with its antique pronunciation of [g], as it was an adaptation of Greek ''gamma''). It is often seen abbreviated to <small>C. IVLIVS CAESAR</small>. (The letterform <small>Æ</small> is a [[ligature (typography)|ligature]], which is often encountered in Latin [[inscription]]s, where it was used to save space, and is nothing more than the letters "ae".) The leading vowels in each part of the name are long, and in Classical Latin, the whole name was pronounced {{IPA-la|ˈɡaːjus ˈjuːljus ˈkajsar|}}, or, alternatively, with praenomen pronounced trisyllabically as {{IPA-la|ˈɡaːius|}}. In Greek, during Caesar's time, his name was written ''Καίσαρ,'' which was pronounced more or less the same.
-[[Roman naming conventions|Roman nomenclature]] is somewhat different from the modern English form. ''Gaius'', ''Iulius'', and ''[[Caesar (title)|Caesar]]'' are Caesar's [[praenomen]], [[Roman naming conventions|nomen]], and [[cognomen]], respectively. In modern usage, his full name might be something like "Gaius Iulius, the Caesar", where 'Caesar' denoted him as a member of the 'Caesarian' family branch of the 'Iulian' clan, and 'Gaius' was his [[Roman naming conventions|personal name]]. Though contemporary writers sometimes referred to him as "Gaius Caesar," the name's historical usage was not the same as it is in the 21st century. His grand-nephew, [[Caesar Augustus|Gaius Octavius]], duly took the full name "Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus" upon his posthumous adoption in 44 BC, and the name became fused with the [[emperor|imperial]] dignity; in this sense it is preserved in the [[German language|German]] and [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] words ''[[Kaiser]]'' and ''[[Tsar]]'' (sometimes spelled ''Czar''), both of which refer to an emperor.
-Compare the Hungarian, Slavic and Turkish words for "king", forms of ''[[Wiktionary:kral|kral]]'', all adapted from ''Karl'', the personal name of [[Charles the Great|Charlemagne]].
-The name of the dictator Julius Caesar—Latin script: ''CAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR''—was often extended by the official filiation ''Gai filius'' ("son of Gaius"), rendered as ''Gaius Iulius Gai filius Caesar''. A longer version can also be found, however rarely: ''Gaius Iulius Gai(i) filius Gai(i) nepos Caesar'' ("Gaius Julius Caesar, son of Gaius, grandson of Gaius").<ref>The occurrence of the double ''i'', as e.g. in ''Iulii'' or ''Gaii'', was customary for Latin writings after the end of the Republic. The single ''i'' (''Iuli'', ''Gai'' etc.) is Republican Latin.</ref> Caesar often spoke of himself only as ''Caius Caesar'',<ref>''Caius'' is the old-Latin variant of ''Gaius'' (see also below).</ref> omitting the ''nomen gentile Iulius''.<ref>[[Plutarchus]], ''Caesar'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Caesar*.html#46 46]; [[Suetonius]], ''Divus Iulius'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#30 30]</ref> After his senatorial consecration as [[Divus Iulius]] in 42 BC, the ''dictator perpetuo'' bore the posthumous name ''Imperator Gaius Iulius Caesar Divus'' (<small>IMP•C•IVLIVS•CAESAR•DIVVS</small>, best translated as "Commander [and] God Gaius Julius Caesar"), which is mostly given as his official historical name.<ref>[[Augustus]] would eventually follow the use of ''Imperator'' as a praenomen. For Caesar's precedent see [[Suetonius|Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus]], ''Divus Iulius'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#76 76]: since ''Imperator'' here is a true praenomen, a translation ("commander") should—if at all—only be given for explanatory purposes. The same would apply for ''[[Divus]]'' ("god"), which derived from Caesar's god name ''Divus Iulius'' (at the latest since early 44 BC), and is therefore (as part of his name) ''per se'' untranslatable.</ref> Suetonius also speaks of the additional cognomen ''Pater Patriae'',<ref>[[Suetonius|Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus]], ''Divus Iulius'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#76 76]; the neuter variant ''Parens Patriae'' is also known from a statue of Caesar in Rome.</ref> which would render Caesar's complete name as ''Imperator Gaius Iulius Caesar Pater Patriae Divus''.
-==The praenomen ''Gaius''==
-[[Gaius (name)|''Gaius'']] is an archaic Latin name and one of the earliest Roman [[Praenomen|praenomina]]. Before the introduction of the [[Letter G|letter 'G']] into the [[Latin alphabet]], i.e. before the censorship of [[Appius Claudius Caecus]] in 312 BC,<ref>''RE'' XVI 1661</ref> the name was only written as ''Caius''. The old spelling remained valid in later times and existed alongside ''Gaius'', especially in the form of the abbreviation ''C''.
-The only known original Roman etymology of ''Gaius'' is expressed as ''a gaudio parentum'',<ref>''Auct. de praen.'' 5: ''Gai iudicantur dicti a gaudio parentum''; quoted in [[Paul the Deacon|Paulus Diaconus]], abridged summary of [[Sextus Pompeius Festus]], ''De Verborum Significatu''</ref> meaning that the name ''Gaius'' stems from the Latin verb ''gaudere'' ("to rejoice", "to be glad"). This etymology is commonly seen as incorrect, and the origin of ''Gaius'' is often stated as still unknown.<ref>Cp. e.g. ''RE'' XVI 1668, pp. 14ff; Frederic D. Allen, "Gajus or Gaius?", ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', Vol. 2, 1891, pp. 71–87</ref> Some have linked the name to an unknown [[Etruscan language|Etruscan]] phrase, others to the gentilician name ''[[Gavius]]'', which possibly might have lost the medial ''v'' in the course of time.<ref>Proposed e.g. by George Davis Chase, "The Origin of Roman Praenomina", ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'', Vol. 8, 1897, pp. 103–184</ref> But no supporting evidence has been found to this day.
-The most promising explanation can however be found in the folk-etymological derivation from the Greek word ''γαῖα'' (''gaîa'', "earth"), specifically ''γῆ'' ("gê") or ''γᾶ'' ("gâ"), which is supported by the Roman vow of marriage that the fiancée had to give: ''Ubi tu Caius et ego Caia''. ("Where you [will be], Gaius, likewise I [will be], Gaia.")<ref>Plutarch, ''Roman Questions'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Moralia/Roman_Questions*/B.html#30 30]; Plutarch himself is unsure of the meaning and the right translation, giving possible connections to the couple's inheritance status and household or to Gaia Caecilia, spouse of king [[Tarquinius Priscus|Lucius Tarquinius Priscus]].</ref> By the inclusion of ''Gaius'' and ''Gaia'' in the vow, the two names could of course be identified simply as "man" and "woman". But since the vow was originally an archaic rural ceremony, the vernacular explanation by the Romans, who had always been farmers, will have been "woman of the Earth" and "man of the Earth",<ref>In Greek, ''Gaius'' is rendered as ''Gaios'', which mirrors the geographical ''γαιήϊος'' (''gaiêios'', "born from the earth"); cp. also Homer, ''Odyssey'' 7.24.</ref> referring also to the agricultural property of the family.
-==The nomen ''Iulius''==
-[[Virgil]]<ref>Publius Vergilius Maro, ''Aeneid'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Verg.+A.+1.272 1.272] & [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Verg.+A.+6.756 6.756]</ref> and his commentator [[Servius]]<ref>Maurus Servius Honoratus, ''Commentary on the Aeneid of Vergil'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0053&layout=&loc=1.267 1.267]</ref> wrote that the ''[[Julius|gens Iulia]]'' had received their name ''Iulius'' from the family's common ancestor, [[Aeneas]]' son [[Ascanius]],<ref>[[Sextus Pompeius Festus]], ''De verborum significatu'' 340 M. (460 L.); ''RE'' 10.106 & 953</ref> who was also known under his cognomen ''Iulus'', which is a derivative of ''iulus'', meaning "wooly worm".<ref>Later used by Pliny for the wooly part of a plant; early form: ''Iullus''</ref> Such nicknames were typical for ''cognomina'' and were the base of old gentilician names.<ref>E.g. ''claudus'' ("lame", "crippled") for ''Claudius'', ''Petro'' ("bumpkin", "fool") for ''Petronius'' etc.</ref> By tracing their descent from Aeneas, the ''Iulii'' belonged to the so-called "[[Troy|Trojan]]" families of Rome.
-Weinstock (1971) made a case for ''Iullus'' being a diminutive, i.e. juvenescent [[theophoric name]] of ''Iovis'', which used to be one of the older names of the god [[Jupiter (mythology)|Iuppiter]]. Weinstock's argument however relies on a hypothetical intermediate form ''*Iovilus'', and he stated himself that Iullus can't originally have been a theophoric name and could therefore only have become one at a secondary stage, after the Julians had established the identification of Iulus as their gentilician god [[Vejovis|Vediovis]] (''also'': Veiovis), who was a "young Iuppiter" himself.<ref>[[Verrius Flaccus]]: Paul. 379 M. (519 L.); [[Ovid]] ''F.'' 3.437 (on Veiovis on the [[Capitol (Rome)|Capitol]]). Aeneas had been divinized as ''Iuppiter indiges'', which supported the identification of Aeneas' son Iulus as the "young Iuppiter" Vediovis, especially since Iulus had inaugurated Aeneas' cult and had built him a temple in [[Alba Longa]].</ref> Therefore, Alföldi (1975) is correct in rejecting this proposed etymological origin.
-Members of the Julian family later connected the name ''Iulus'' with ''ἰοβόλος'' ("the good archer") and ''ἴουλος'' ("the youth whose first beard is growing").<ref>Servius, ''Commentary on the Aeneid'' 1.267.</ref> This has however no etymological value and is only a retrofitting interpretation concernced with the earlier institution of the Vediovis-cult in Rome together with a statue of Iulus-Vediovis as a (possibly bearded) archer.<ref>Cf. the identification of Vediovis with Iuppiter and Apollo (see above; ''Rev. Num.'' 1971; ''Chiron'' 2, 1972; Sydenham 76 ''et al.'').</ref> Others derived Iulius from [[Ilus#Ilus (son of Tros)|King Ilus]], who was the founder of Ilion ([[Troy]]).<ref>Verg. ''Aen''. 1.267, in: Servius (and Dan.) ''Commentary on the Aeneid'' 1.267.</ref> Weinstock called these the "usual playful etymologies of no consequence".<ref>"Divus Julius", Oxford 1971, p. 9.</ref>
-==The cognomen ''Caesar''==
-In earlier times Caesar could originally have been a praenomen.<ref>''Auct. de praen.'' 3. Quoted in Stefan Weinstock: ''Divus Julius'' (Oxford 1971/2004).</ref> The suffix ''–ar'' is highly unusual for Latin, but is a common suffix in the Sabine Oscan language.   The etymology of the name ''Caesar'' is still unknown and was subject to many interpretations even in antiquity, but is always associated with Descended Divinity, a title that emporers often chose to associate themselves with. [[Julius Caesar]] himself propagated the derivation from the [[elephant]], an animal that was said to have been called ''caesai'' in the "[[Moors#History|Moorish]]", i.e. probably [[Punic language]],<ref>''[[Historia Augusta]]'', ''Aelius'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Aelius*.html#2 2.3]; [[Maurus Servius Honoratus|Servius]], ''Commentary on the Aeneid'' 1.286 i.a.; cp. Pauly-Wissowa ''RE'' X 464 sq.</ref> thereby following the claims of his family that they inherited the cognomen from an ancestor, who had received the name after killing an elephant, possibly during the [[first Punic War]]. Since the [[Gauls]] came to know the elephant through the Punic commander [[Hannibal]], it is possible that the animal was also known under the name ''caesar'' or ''caesai'' in [[Gaul]]. Caesar used the animal during his [[Gallic Wars|conquest of Gaul]] and probably of [[Caesar's invasions of Britain|Britain]],<ref>[[Polyaenus]] (''Stratagems'' [http://www.attalus.org/translate/polyaenus8A.html#23.5 8:23.5]) tells the story about Caesar using an armoured elephant during his expeditions at the river [[Thames]].</ref> which is further supported by the inclusion of forty elephants on the first day of Caesar's Gallic triumph in Rome.<ref>[[Suetonius]], ''Divus Iulius'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#37 37.2]. In addition [[Cassius Dio]] ([http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/37*.html#43.22 43.22.1]) mentions elephants as part of Caesar's entourage after a banquet in Rome on the fourth day of the same triumph.</ref> Caesar displayed an elephant above the name <small>CAESAR</small> on his first ''[[denarius]]'', which he probably had minted while still in [[Gallia Cisalpina]]. Apart from using the elephant as a claim for extraordinary political power in Rome,<ref>[[Artemidorus]] established that the elephant, undoubtedly a symbol of honor (and arrogance), denoted a ''δεσποτης'' ("lord"), a ''βασιλευς'' ("''imperator'' [of Rome]"; "king [in Greece]) or a ''και ανηρ μεγιστος'' ("man in high authority") on the [[Italy|Italian]] mainland. Therefore the coin would have to be seen as a ''presage'' for Caesar's future dominion. (From Stevenson ''et al.'': ''A Dictionary of Roman Coins: Republican and Imperial''. London 1889.)</ref> the coin is an unmasked allusion to this etymology of the name and directly identifies Caesar with the elephant, because the animal treads a Gallic serpent-horn, the [[Ancient Celtic music#The carnyx|''carnyx'']], as a symbolic depiction of Caesar's own victory.<ref>Cf. Christoph Battenberg, ''Pompeius und Caesar: Persönlichkeit und Programm in ihrer Münzpropaganda'', Marburg/Lahn 1980. Furthermore the elephant was a counter-symbol against the ''gens Caecilia'', whose heralding symbol was the elephant, attesting victories gained by the ''[[Caecilius Metellus|Metelli]]'' in [[Sicily]] (250 BC) and [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonia]] (148 BC). In 49 BC [[Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica|Metellus Scipio]] had ordered Caesar to surrender his army, although [[Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus|Pompeius]] was levying troops, and the Metelli had also tried to stop Caesar from confiscating the [[Aerarium|state treasury]] in the [[Temple of Saturn]], where Caesar eventually had his coins struck. Therefore Caesar's propaganda communicated not only the taking of the treasure but also the taking of his enemies' symbol and placed his own victory over Gaul above the Metellan victories.</ref>
-Several other interpretations were propagated in antiquity, all of which remain highly doubtful:
-* ''a caesiis oculis''<ref>''Historia Augusta'', ''Aelius'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Aelius*.html#2 2.3]</ref> ("because of the blue eyes"): Caesar's eyes were black,<ref>Suetonius, ''Divus Iulius'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#45 45]</ref> but since the despotic dictator [[Sulla]] had had blue eyes, this interpretation might have been created as part of the anti-Caesarian propaganda in order to present Caesar as a tyrant.<ref>[[Ludwig von Doederlein]] also proposed an origin from ''caesius'', but rather interpreted it as "grey" and applied it to the color of the skin or perhaps of the eyes (''Synon.'' III 17, mentioned in [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0062&layout=&loc=caesar "Caesar"], in Harry Thurston Peck, ''Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities'', 1898).</ref>
-* ''a caesaries''<ref>According to [[Sextus Pompeius Festus]].</ref> ("because of the hair"): Since Caesar was [[Baldness|balding]], this interpretation might have been part of the anti-Caesarian mockery.
-* ''a caeso matris utero''<ref>Pliny the Elder, ''Natural History'' [http://perseus.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Plin.+Nat.+7.7 7.7]</ref> ("born by [[Caesarean section]]"): In theory this might go back to an unknown Julian ancestor who was born in this way. On the other hand, it could also have been part of the anti-Caesarian propaganda, because in the eyes of the [[Roman Republic|Republicans]] Caesar had defiled the Roman "motherland", which was also reported for one of Caesar's dreams, in which he committed incest with his mother, i.e. the earth.<ref>Suetonius, ''Divus Iulius'' [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html#7 7]; Cassius Dio [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/37*.html#52.2 37.52.2]</ref>
-Another interpretation of ''Caesar'' deriving from the verb ''caedere'' ("to cut") could theoretically have originated in the argument of the [[Julius|Julians]] for receiving a [[sodality]] of the [[Lupercalia]], the ''luperci Iulii'' (or ''Iuliani''). The praenomen ''Kaeso'' (or ''Caeso'') was best known from the [[Quinctia (gens)|Quinctii]] and the [[Fabia (gens)|Fabii]], possibly derived from their ritual duty of striking with the [[Goatskin (material)|goat-skin]] (''februis caedere'') at the ''luperci Quinctiales'' and the ''luperci Fabiani'' respectively, the Julians would then have argued that the name ''Caesar'' was identical to the Quinctian and Fabian ''Kaeso''.<ref>A later Republican inscription mentions a member of the Julian family named K(AESO) IVLIVS ([[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|''CIL'']] 1<sup>2</sup>.2806).</ref> The identification of the cognomina ''Kaeso'' and ''Caesar'' was indeed supposed by Pliny, but is—according to [[Andreas Alföldi|Alföldi]] (1975)—unwarranted.<ref>Andreas Alföldi: "Review of St. Weinstock, Divus Julius". In: ''Gnomon'' 47 (1975). 154–179.</ref>
-==References==
-{{citizendium|Gaius Iulius Caesar (name)}}
-{{reflist|30em}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaius Iulius Caesar (Name)}}
-[[Category:Julius Caesar|Name]]
-[[Category:Ancient Roman names]]
-[[Category:Iulii|Caesar, Gaius Julius]]