Date
Meaning & History
Roman nomen gentile which was most likely derived from the Latin noun ops which can mean "power, might, influence" as well as "aid, help, support" and "wealth, abundance, riches, resources." However, the nomen could also have come into existence for a different reason than for referring to the particular meaning that I just described. Instead, it could have been intended to refer to the Roman fertility goddess OPS, in which case this nomen would be a theophoric one. The goddess derives her name from the aforementioned word ops as well, so ultimately it doesn't really matter for which reason this nomen had come into being: in either scenario, the etymology is ultimately the same. Finally, a third but less likely etymology for this name ought to be mentioned: Opsius could also be the latinized form of the Greek name Ὄψιος (Opsios), which is derived from Greek ὀψέ (opse) meaning "late, long-after". This name was borne by Marcus Opsius, a Roman praetor from the 1st century AD.