Gens: PETILLIUS
Created: 24th January 2018
Update:  24th January 2018
Status Republic: Patrician:     Pleb. Nobilis: X     Senatorial: X    Eques Romanus: X    Local magistrates  
Republican Family / Cognomen
Patrician n/a
Pleb. Nobilis Spurinus
Senatorial no cognomen, Capitolinus, 
Equestrian no cognomen
Local magistrat. n/a
Uncertain n/a
Imperial Family / Cognomen
Imperators n/a
Consular Cerialis, 
Senatorial Firmus, Rufus
Equestrian n/a
Equestrian (mil) Venustus
Local magistrat. no cognomen, Felix, Rufus
Uncertain n/a
Republican Consuls, Tribunes with consular power, Dictators, Magister Equitum, Censors 1
Imperial Consuls and Emperors (Augusti and Caesars) 2 incl. 0 emperors
Notes: Most common spelling is Petillius (inscriptions, coins), but Petilius is common in manuscripts.
It is possible that the cos II of 83 AD is in fact Petillius Cerialis' 3rd consulate, the iteration II being an error for III.
Literature Birley: Roman Government of Britain (2005) p.62-68 (§9 Q. Petillius Cerialis Caesius Rufus cos II 74) gives a good summary of latest theories
Birley, A.R.: "Petillius Cerialis and the Conquest of Brigantia", in Britannia, Vol. 4 (1973), pp. 179-190 on his career. Birley doubts that Rufus was cos II in 83;
due to age difference (Cerialis born maybe 30, Rufus born about 50), hardly time for a 2nd Rufus consulate in 83; he prefers that it was Cerialis' third
consulate. The only evidence of cos II 83 is a Greek inscription from Smyrna (CIG II-3173).
Bosworth, A.B.: "Firmus of Arretium", in ZPE Bd.39, 1980, p.267-277 (AE1980-468) identifies Firmus a Petilius Firmus, probably ygr son of P260.
Cebeillac: Quaestores Principis (1972) p.69-70 (§XXXII Firmus, identified by Bosworth as P261)
Champlin, Edward: "Pegasus", in ZPE Bd.32, 1978, p.269-278 (AE1967-355) on Petillius Firmus in Dalmatia as iudex of boundary dispute
Crook: Consilium Principis (1955) p.177 (§252a Q. Petillius Cerialis Caesius Rufus cos II 74, amicus of Vespasian and Domitian)
Dondin-Payre, Monique: "Firmus d'Arretium : légat préquestorien", in ZPE Bd. 52, 1983, p.236-240 (AE1983-392) argues that Firmus was a legatus legionis, 
not a vice-legate, as Bosworth argues..
Eck: Fasten der Statthalter 1.teil, (1982), p.284-293 career of Q. Petillius Cerialis Caesius Rufus (cos II 74) in Germ Inf and Brit)
Eck: Senatoren von Vespasian bis Hadrian (1970) p.112-119 career of Q. Petillius Cerialis Caesius Rufus (cos II 74) in Germ Inf and Brit)
Eck: Statthalter der germanischen Provinzen (1985) p.135-136 (§13 Q. Petillius Cerialis Caesius Rufus cos II 74)
Franke: Legionslegaten (1991) p.81-84 (§43 C. Petillius Firmus P261 as leg leg IV Fla), p.184-186 (§81 Q. Petillius Cerialis Caesius Rufus cos II 74)
Hillebrand: Vigintivirat (2006) p.197-198, 202 (§48+§57  C. Petillius Firmus P261)
Raepsaet-Charlier: PFOS (1987) stemma XII (Flavian imperial family)
Rüpke: Fasti Sacerdotum (2008) p.831 on L. Petillius (RE11) as possible pont minor
Rutledge: Imperial Inquisitions (2001) p.254 (§71 Petilius Rufus P262)
Salomies: Nomenclature (1992) p.131-132 (Q. Petillius Cerialis Caesius Rufus cos II 74, prefers him to be a natural son of P262 and his mother
a Caesia, perhaps daughter of a Caesius Cerialis. This Salomies prefers over that he was born Caesius Cerialis and adopted by P262.)
Taylor: Voting Districts (1960/2013) p.241 (senatorial gens Petillia in tribus Sergia, but RE5 is in Velina (Picenum))
Townend, Gavin: "Some Flavian Connections", in JRS Vol. 51, 1961, pp. 54-62, supports cos II 83 as son of Cerialis.
Zmeskal: adfinitas (2009) p.210 (Q. Petillius Spurinus cos 176 BC)
Changes
Q. Petilius
 
 
C. Petillius Q.f.         (Q. Petilius)
?
   
RE11   RE4   RE2 RE1
Q. Petillius C.f. Q.n. Spurinus Q. Petillius L. Petillius L. Petillius
q by 188 tr pl 187 pr urb 181 tr pl 187 envoy to Illyria 168 ment as scriba 181 as related to RE11
cos 176 † 176 killed in battle but probably false name
found documents from king Numa Pompilius
RE6 RE5 RE3 Nic 266
Q. Petillius T.f. Q. Petilius L.f. M. Petilius
trib. Serg. trib. Velina eques Romanus at Syracus 73-71
senator 78 tr mil in consilium of Pompeius Strabo 89 in consilium of pr Verres
? = iudex in case vs Milo 52  ? = iudex in case vs Milo 52 
RE7 ILLRP 1042 1044 1060
Petillius Capitolinus Petillius
monet c.43 banker (tesserae 56 54 46)
XV vir sf ? (S F on coins) ? = RE3
accused for theft from Jupiter temple
but aquitted by Caesar
REPUBLIC
IMPERIAL                                                      
P262 RE9 ILS154
Petilius Rufus T. Petillius P.f.
ex-praetor, delator 27-28 AD trib. Quirina,
later downfall during 30s or early 40s II vir at Forum Clodi 18 AD
~ (Caesia)  in Etruria
 
P260 RE8
Q. Petillius Cerialis Caesius Rufus
from Umbria or Etruria ??
leg leg IX Hisp in Brit 60 leg of Flavians 69
leg Aug pro pr Germ Inf 70-71 cos suff 70 ?
leg Aug pro pr Brit 71-73
cos suff II 74
~ 1 ignota
~ 2 Flavia Domitilla † by 69 (F417 FOS368)
sister to Imp Titus and Domitian
1   1 2
P263 RE10  P261 F159 RE Firmus2 PME-P19 F418 RE227 FOS369
Q. Petillius Rufus     C. Petillius Firmus         Flavia Domitilla  
cos II ord 83 trib.Pomptina from Arretium in Etruria * c.64 exiled 95
? or brother of P260 X vir stlit iudic, tr mil IV Fla in Dalmatia 70 owner of figlinae
? or = P260 leg leg IV Fla in Dalmatia 70 q Aug,  ~ Flavius Clemens
? = Rufus relegated 93 ornmaenta praetoria, dona militari, pr, cos ord 95
UNCERTAIN DATE                                                    
Rüpke2646 ILS6187 cf Birley p.66 note 16 cf RE8 Dobson-1-347 L230 RE Lic 141
Q. Petilius Felix Petilius Rufus Petillia Q.f. Modesta C. Petilius Venustus M. Licinius Petilius Aia[cius?]
praetor quinquennnalis  name on inscription at Nicaea in Bithynia trib praet, clar vir from Aquileia
Laurentium Lavinatium could be either P 262 or P260 ~ C. Mutilius C.f. ILS4871 at Aquileia late 2nd century
2nd century Schneider: "Istanbuler Forschungen", vol.16,  decurion at Aquileia
1943, p.23f, no.4  
CIL IX, 5580-5584 A299 RE Aelius195 FOS15
C. Petillius M.f. Rufus Aelia Licinia Petilia
II vir at Septempeda in Picenum