[ 4^o ] 
father being no more than agents, or ovcrfcers, at 
the fmall town Aquinum in Naples', and that pro- 
perly {peaking he was a foldicr of fortune, who railed 
himfelf gradually to command the forces in Syria , 
and gained fome precarious honours, and a limited 
confulfhip, by the intereft of the freedmen of Corn- 
modus , but principally of Narcijfus the gladiator. 
But there are feveral antient Infer ipt ions yet pre- 
ferved, befides other monuments, which may afford 
fome light in this affair. Gruter has feven in his 
Collection , with the name of Tefcennius ; and there 
are fome others in Reinejius , Join Baptijl c Doni, 
and Anthony Muratori ; and a Greek one in the 
MifcellaneaofSpon,w\th T nEZKENNIOiS ONH2I- 
MOS* But the great variety in the cognomen of 
thefe peifons render it wholly improbable, that all 
of them ffiould have been of the fame family with 
the emperor Fefcennius ; lince there is no family, 
even in the moft flourifhing times of the republic, 
which appears to have contained fo many branches 
diftinguifhed by a different cognomen . And there- 
fore he fuppofes moft of them to have been freed- 
men or clients, who ufually affumed the family 
name of their patrons, of which he produces many 
inftances ; befides others of foreign princes, who 
paid the like compliment to the Roman emperors. 
But Philip a Turre has publifhed the fragments 
of two Infer ipt ions (1), containing the rites and ce- 
remonies of the Fratres Arvales , who were a col- 
lege of preifts of great efteem and dignity at Rome. 
Now 
(i) Frament. infeript. Fratr. Arvai 
