The gens Canuleia was a plebeian family at Rome. Although members of the gens are known throughout the period of the Roman Republic, none of them ever obtained the consulship. Nevertheless, they were a senatorial family, and furnished several tribunes of the plebs.
The Canuleii used the praenomina Gaius, Lucius, and Marcus, the three most common names throughout Roman history.
Branches and cognomina of the gens
The only surname of the Canuleii is Dives, referring to one who possesses great wealth. None of the other Canuleii mentioned in history are known to have borne cognomina.
Gaius Canuleius, tribunus plebis in 445 BC, proposed the lex Canuleia, restoring the right of patricians and plebeians to intermarry. His proposal that the consulship should be opened to the plebeians led to the appointment of the first tribuni militum consulari potestate in the following year.
Marcus Canuleius, tribunus plebis in 420 BC, accused Gaius Sempronius Atratinus, consul in 423, of misconduct during the Volscian war. Canuleius and his colleagues also brought the subject of an assignment of the public land before the senate.
Lucius Canuleius, one of five senatorial legates sent to the Aetolians in 174 BC.
Lucius Canuleius Dives, praetor in 171 BC, obtained Hispania as his province; the senate commissioned him to look into complaints of extortion by previous governors, and assist in the establishment of a colony at Carteia.
Canuleius, a Roman senator, who had been one of the ambassadors sent into Egypt before 160 BC.
Gaius Canuleius, tribunus plebis in 100 BC, accused his colleague, Publius Furius, who was so detested that the people tore him to pieces before he could defend himself.
Lucius Canuleius, one of the publicani engaged in farming the duties paid on imported and exported goods at the harbor of Syracuse, during the administration of Verres.
Marcus Canuleius, was defended by Quintus Hortensius and Gaius Aurelius Cotta on an unknown occasion.
Canuleius, mentioned by Cicero in 49 BC.
Lucius Canuleius, one of Caesar's legates in 48 BC, during the Civil War, was sent into Epirus to collect grain.
