Scaurus

Scaurus is a Roman cognomen primarily associated with the patrician gens Aemilia. The exact etymology of the name is uncertain; it appears as a surname in ancient inscriptions and texts and was used by several members of the Aemilia gens. The most famous bearer is Marcus Aemilius Scaurus (c. 163–89 BCE), a leading statesman of the late Roman Republic. He held the office of consul in 115 BCE and later served as censor. In his career he was known for wealth, oratorical skill, and patronage of building projects and public works. He aligned with the senatorial party during times of social and political change and wielded significant influence in the Senate. The theatre in Pompeii, commonly called the Theatre of Scaurus, is traditionally attributed to or named for him, reflecting his role as a patron of public entertainment and infrastructure.

Other members of the Aemilia gens bore the cognomen Scaurus in earlier or later generations, but none achieved the same level of prominence in surviving sources. After the late Republic, the use of Scaurus as a surname declined and it became primarily of historical interest to Roman prosopography. In modern times the name survives mainly in scholarly discussions of Roman history and in the title of works referencing the Pompeian theatre.