Quirinia gens  The gens Quirinia was an obscure plebeian family at ancient Rome. No members of this gens appear in history, but several are known from inscriptions. The nomen "Quirinius" belongs to a class of gentilicia derived from other names ending in "-inus". Its root, the surname "Quirinus", was an old Sabine word, apparently derived from "quiris", a spear or javelin. As a cognomen, it was applied to Romulus, the legendary founder and first King of Rome, and it was later applied to other persons, including a family of the Sulpicia gens, and deities, including Mars, Janus, and the deified Augustus.