Icilius

Icilius is a Latin given name for males. It is primarily known from ancient Roman history. The most famous bearer of this name was Gaius Icilius, a plebeian tribune of the people in the early Roman Republic. He played a significant role in the struggle of the orders, advocating for the rights of the common people against the patrician aristocracy. His marriage to Virginia, the daughter of Lucius Virginius, is a pivotal event in Roman legend. According to the story, Virginia was forcibly taken by the decemvir Appius Claudius Crassus. To prevent her from being dishonored, her father, Lucius Virginius, tragically killed her. This act of defiance, spurred by the actions of Appius Claudius and championed by tribunes like Icilius, led to the overthrow of the decemvirate and a restoration of traditional Roman governance. The name Icilius, therefore, carries connotations of civic duty and resistance to tyranny within the context of Roman history.