Editing Livia gens (section)

==Branches and cognomina==
The cognomina of the Livii during the Republic were ''Denter, Drusus, Libo, Macatus'', and ''Salinator''.<ref name="DGRBM Livia Gens"/> Of these, ''Denter'' was a common surname originally referring to someone with prominent teeth.<ref>Chase, p. 109.</ref> ''Macatus'' means "spotted", being derived from the same root as ''macula''.<ref>Chase, p. 110.</ref>

''Drusus'' probably means "stiff", although Suetonius records a tradition that the first of the name received it after slaying a [[Gauls|Gallic]] chieftain named ''Drausus''. If this is the true origin of the name, then it probably dates the story to the year 283 BC, when the [[Senones]], the Gallic people of whom Drausus was said to be the leader, were defeated and scattered, for the most part vacating northern Italy. ''Libo'', derived from ''libere'', designated a libation pourer, and entered the family from the [[Scribonia gens]], one of whom was adopted by the Livii Drusi.<ref>Chase, pp. 210, 211.</ref><ref name="Suetonius Tiberius 3"/>

The surname ''Salinator'', meaning a salt-merchant,{{efn-lr|The word came to mean a money-dealer or banker, as salt was a valuable commodity, and a common medium of exchange. Salt-works were generally termed ''salinae'', but the district of ''Salinae'' at the foot of the [[Aventine hill]] was probably the place where salt from [[Ostia Antica|Ostia]] was offloaded and sold. "Salinae... does not refer to the salt fields, since the coastline is located nearly thirty kilometres away, but rather to a site for unloading, stocking and supplying the precious product."<ref>[[Alexandre Grandazzi|Grandazzi]], pp. 86, 87.</ref>}} is said to have been given in derision to Marcus Livius, who as censor in 204 BC, imposed an unpopular salt tax. A question arises from the fact that Marcus' father is also referred to as ''Salinator'', although the historians may simply have applied the cognomen retroactively.<ref>Livy, xxix. 37.</ref><ref name="AV DVI 50">Aurelius Victor, ''De Viris Illustribus'', 50.</ref><ref>Valerius Maximus, ii. 9. § 6, vii. 2. § 6.</ref>