Customs Certamen

cursus honorum

course of honors – steps you take to make it to the highest jobs (from bottom to top – quaestor, praetor, consul)

consul

two men – executives – elected yearly

praetor

judges (8 elected yearly)

quaestor

treasurers (20 elected yearly)

aedile

in charge of roads and public games (4 elected yearly)

censor

2 elected every five years for 18 months – in charge of taking the census and public morals

dictator

had absolute power in times of emergency; normally ruled 6 months maximum magister equitum

senator

must be a praetor to enter – for life

tribune

10 elected yearly – only plebeians can run – can veto the senate

patricians/optimates

highest class

equites

business class

plebians/populares

lower class

patron

patron

cliens

client

salutatio

visit of client to patron’s house

sportula

cold food basket given to client when he is received by patron in his atrium deductio

paterfamilias

head of family (family includes wife, children, slaves and property) patria potestas

metae

turning posts

spina

backbone around which they raced

ova et delphines

eggs and dolphins (wood or bronze) used as lap counters number of laps in a usual race

ludi circenses

chariot races

factiones

racing companies

colors of the factiones

red (russata), white (albata), blue (veneta), green (prasina) original factiones

longest lasting factiones

blue, green

circus maximus location

between the Palatine and Aventine hills.

Mappa

white cloth dropped to start race

biga

2 horse chariot

quadriga

4 horse chariot

auriga

charioteer

curriculum

successfully completed lap

carceres

starting gates

Myrmillones

fought with helmet, oblong shield, sword, fish crest on helmet. Usually fought the retiarius or Thracians.

Retiarii

lightly clad, armed with a net and trident. Usually fought Myrmillones or Secutores. Samnites

Thracians

small round shield, curved scimitar.

Bestiarii

hunters – fought wild beasts.

Essedarii

rode chariots with 2 horses.

Andabatae

heavily armed, but can’t see out of visored helmet.

Laquearii

armed with lasso and a curved piece of wood.

Secutores

“pursuers” – like Samnite but without the neck protector.

Hoplomachi

full-armed with a breast-plate and visored helmet.

rudis

wooden sword given to gladiators on their retirement.

lanista

gladiator trainer.

editor munerum

giver of games.

arena/harena

sand put down to absorb the blood from a gladiator match. venationes

premere pollicem

to press the thumb against the forefinger – crowd wants to spare gladiators life.

vertere pollicem

turning the thumb upwards or towards the chest – to signify the death stroke. gladiator fights were brought to Rome in 264 BC.

gladiator fights were originally only at funerals.

naumachiae

mock naval battles – they flooded the arena.

apodyterium

dressing room

hypocausta

furnace

caldarium

hot bath

frigidarium

cold bath

unctorium

scraping room/ massage

strigil

scraper

palaestra

exercise area

ludus

elementary school

litterator

elementary school teacher

paedagogus

slave who carries books to school

grammaticus

upper school teacher

rhetor

teacher of public speaking

stylus and tabula (tabella)

pen and notebook

century

smallest unit of a legion

maniple

double a century (later dropped in favor of a cohort)

cohort

6 times a century

legion

basic fighting unit of the Roman army

contubernium

6-8 men who share a tent (part of a century)

dux

general

imperator

victorious general

legatus

legionary commander

centurio

leader of a century

optio

2nd in command to a centurio

toga picta

worn by victorious generals

tesserae

passwords

signum

standard

signifier

holder of standard (of a century or cohort)

aquila

silver or bronze eagle-standard (of a legion)

aquilifer

holder of the eagle

cornicen

horn blower

vexillum

flag

pedites

infantry

equites

cavalry

scorpio

dart thrower (standing crossbow used by one man)

ballista

dart or stone throwing siege engine, larger than a scorpio

onager

siege engine (like a catapult), threw boulders; means “wild ass” for its kick catapulta

gladius

sword

scutum

shield

galea

helmet (originally only made of leather)

cassis

helmet (originally only made of metal)

pilum

javelin

hasta

spear (used by triarii and hastati)

lorica

leather breastplate

cingulum

military belt

caligae

boots

sarcina

soldier’s cloak/blanket

pugio

dagger

tunica recta

white wedding dress

flammeum

“saffron” colored veil

sponsalia

engagement

dos

dowry

“ubi tu Gaius, ego Gaia”

what bride says at ceremony – “where you are, my husband, I am” night before wedding, a girl would dedicate her bulla to the Lares