Orfitus
or Orphitus, a cognomen of several gentile names under the empire, does not occur in the time of the republic. Orfitus is the correct orthography, as we see from inscriptions. Many of the Orfiti mentioned below are only known from the Consular Fasti, and from inscriptions.
1. Ser. Cornelius Orfitus, consul in A. D. 51, with the emperor Claudius (Tac. Ann. 12.41 ; Plin. Nat. 2.31; and the inscription in Fabrettus, p. 472). In A. D. 66 Orfitus proposed. in honour of the imperial family, that the month of June should for the future be called Germanicus (Tac. Ann. 16.12). It would appear, from an incidental notice in Tacitus (Tac. Hist. 4.42), that Orfitus perished not long after this, by an accusation of the informer Aquillius Regulus.
2. Salvidienus Orfitus, one of the victims of Nero's cruelty and caprice. (Suet. Nero 37.)
3. Paccius Orfitus, a centurion prini pili in Corbulo's army in the East, in the reign of Nero. (Tac. Ann. 13.36, 15.12.)
4. Salvidienus Orfitus, banished by Domitian, on the pretext of conspiracy. (Suet. Dom. 10.)
5. Cornelius Scipio Orfitus, one of the consules suffecti A. D. 101.
6. Ser. Salvidienus Orfttus, consul A. D. 110, with M. Peducaeus Priscinus.
7. Ser. Scipio Orfitus, consul A. D. 149, with Q. Nonius Priscus. He is perhaps the same as the Orfitus who was praefectus urbi in the reign of Antoninns Pius (Capitol. Anton, Pius, 8). This emperor reigned from A. D. 138 to 161.
8. M. Gavius Orfitus, consul A. D. 165, with L. Arrius Pudens.
9. Orfitus, consul A. D. 172, with Maximus. (Lamprid. Colnnod. 11.)
10. Orfitus Gavius, consul A. D. 178, with Julianus Rufus. (Lamprid. Colsmmod. 12.)
As the three persons last mentioned all lived in the reign of M. Aurelius (A. D. 161-180), it is impossible to say which of them was the Ortitus who was advanced to various honours in the state by this emperor, although he was the paramour of the empress (Capitol. M. Anton. Phil. 29).
11. Orfitus. consul in A. D. 270, with Antiochianus. Trebellius Pollio (Claud. 11) calls his colleague Atticianus.