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Meaning & History
Archaic Roman praenomen which had already fallen out of use by the 1st century BC. It was typically given to a son that had been born after the death of his father, while the son's paternal grandfather was still alive. The praenomen was derived from the Latin noun ops which can mean "power, might, influence" as well as "aid, help, support" and "wealth, abundance, riches, resources." However, it should be noted that the praenomen could also refer to the Roman fertility goddess OPS, in which case this praenomen would be theophoric. The goddess derives her name from the aforementioned word ops as well, so either way the etymology is ultimately the same. A bearer of the praenomen was Opiter Verginius Tricostus, a Roman consul from the 6th century BC.