Tutti
Statius Tullianus was a minor Roman grammarian and lexicographer active no later than the first half of the fourth century AD. He is primarily known for a lost grammatical/etymological work titled De vocabulis rerum (On the Names of Things).
Because his work survives only in fragments, there are exactly two known ancient citations of his name and text preserved by later Classical commentators. Both the original Latin text and their English translations are detailed below.
1. Macrobius, Saturnalia (Book III, 8.6)
In this passage, Macrobius references the first book of Tullianus' De vocabulis rerum to debate the Etruscan versus Latin etymology of the sacred word camillus (a ritual servant or attendant).
Latin Source Text
"Statius Tullianus de vocabulis rerum libro primo ait dixisse Callimachum apud Tuscos Camillum appellari Mercurium, quo vocabulo significant deorum praeministrum, ... Romani quoque pueros et puellas nobiles et investes camillos et Camillas appellabant, flaminicarum et flaminum praeministros."
English Translation
"Statius Tullianus, in the first book of On the Names of Things, states that Callimachus said Mercury is called 'Camillus' among the Etruscans, a term by which they mean a servant of the gods... The Romans also used to call noble, pre-pubescent boys and girls camilli and camillae, the attendants of the Flamines and Flaminicae."
2. Servius Auctus / Scholia Danielis, In Aeneidem (Book XI, 543)
The expanded Carolingian-era commentary on Virgil's Aeneid (commonly known as the Scholia Danielis or Servius Auctus) references Statius Tullianus regarding the naming of the mythical Volscian warrior Camilla.
Latin Source Text
"Statius Tullianus 'de vocabulis rerum' dicit, Tuscos 'camillum' dicere Mercurium... alii dicunt hanc Camillam non a matre Casmilla, sed quasi deae Dianae ministram a poeta nominatam: unde et Statius Tullianus ait..."
English Translation
"Statius Tullianus in On the Names of Things says that the Etruscans call Mercury 'camillus'... others say that this Camilla was not named after her mother Casmilla, but rather named by the poet as a servant of the goddess Diana: whence also Statius Tullianus states..."
Fragmentary Context & Identification
- The Work: His single identified treatise, De vocabulis rerum, belonged to a long lineage of antiquarian and lexicographical works (such as those by Varro) designed to preserve archaic sacred vocabulary, names, and cultural origins.
- Distinction: In classical cataloging, it is crucial not to confuse him with his far more famous namesake, the imperial epic poet Publius Papinius Statius (author of the Thebaid and Silvae).
- Scholarly Registry: He is officially recorded under the same biographical details in the Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (PLRE), Volume I.
If you are tracking down fragments of lost Roman grammarians, would you like me to find the Teubner or fragments compilation text (such as Funaioli's Grammaticae Romanae Fragmenta) where these specific quotes are officially indexed?
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