Gens Iulia, the family of Julius Caesar, was a patrician family at Rome. They claimed descent from the semi-divine Iulus, but the legends vary. Iulus was identical with Ascanius, King of Alba Longa (Vergil), or he was a half-brother of Ascanius and son of Aeneas by his Trojan wife, Creüsa (Livy), or he was son of Ascanius (Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities 1.70), or Ascanius was childless (Cato). It is not known which version was accepted by the Iulii themselves.
The Iulii were undoubtedly of Alban origin. They were mentioned as one of the leading Alban families removed to Rome and enrolled among the patres there by Tullus Hostilius after the destruction of Alba Longa. (Dionys. 3.29; Tac. Ann. 11.24; in Liv. 1.30 the reading should probably be Tuttios, not Julios.)
Nevertheless, the Iulii were mentioned in Roman legend even before the destruction of Alba Longa. Proculus Iulius is said to have announced the passing of Romulus to the Roman people. He had a vision of Romulus, who bid the Roman people to worship him thereafter as the god Quirinus.
Shared to Geni.com Dec 2, 2010.