Editing Roman naming conventions (section)

===Binary nomenclature and polyonymy===
Under the "High Empire", the new aristocracy began adopting two or more nomina – a practice which has been termed 'binary nomenclature'.<ref name=Salway131>Salway, p.131</ref> This arose out of a desire to incorporate distinguished maternal ancestry in a name or, in order to inherit property, an heir was required by a will to incorporate the [[testator]]'s name into his own name.<ref name=Salway132>Salway, p.132</ref> For example, the suffect consul of AD 118/9, [[Gaius Bruttius Praesens Lucius Fulvius Rusticus]], has a name which is composed of two standard sets of tria nomina: he was the natural son of a Lucius Bruttius, and added the nomina of his maternal grandfather, Lucius Fulvius Rusticus, to his paternal nomina.<ref name=Salway132/>

In order to reflect an illustrious pedigree or other connections, the aristocracy expanded the binary nomenclature concept to include other nomina from an individual's paternal and maternal ancestry.<ref name=Salway132/> There was no limit to the number of names which could be added in this way (known as polyonomy), and, for example, the consul of 169 AD, (usually called [[Quintus Pompeius Senecio Sosius Priscus|Q. Sosius Priscus]]) had thirty-eight names comprising fourteen sets of nomina reflecting a complex pedigree stretching back three generations.<ref name=Salway132/>