Customs Study Guide

Customs Study Guide

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  cursus honorum – course of honors – steps you take to make it to the highest jobs (from bottom to top – quaestor, praetor, consul)
  
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  consul – two men – executives – elected yearly
  
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  praetor – judges (8 elected yearly)
  
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  quaestor – treasurers (20 elected yearly)
  
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  aedile – in charge of roads and public games (4 elected yearly)
  
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  censor – 2 elected every five years for 18 months – in charge of taking the census and public morals
  
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  dictator – had absolute power in times of emergency; normally ruled 6 months maximum
  
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  magister equitum – master of the horse/cavalry – assistant to dictator
  
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  senator – must be a praetor to enter – for life
  
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  tribune – 10 elected yearly – only plebeians can run – can veto the senate
  
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  patricians/optimates = highest class
  
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  equites = business class
  
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  plebians/populares = lower class
  
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  patron = patron
  
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  cliens = client
  
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  salutatio = visit of client to patron’s house
  
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  sportula = cold food basket given to client when he is received by patron in his atrium
  
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  deductio = patron leads clients to forum
  
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  paterfamilias = head of family (family includes wife, children, slaves and property)
  
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  patria potestas = power (of life and death in early times) of paterfamilias over family
  

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  metae – turning posts
  
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  spina – backbone around which they raced
  
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  ova et delphines – eggs and dolphins (wood or bronze) used as lap counters
  
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  number of laps in a usual race – 7
  
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  250,000 could be held in the circus maximus
  
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  ludi circenses – chariot races
  
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  factiones – racing companies
  
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  colors of the factiones – red (russata), white (albata), blue (veneta), green (prasina)
  
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  original factiones = red, white
  
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  longest lasting factiones = blue, green
  
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  circus maximus is between the Palatine and Aventine hills.
  
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  white cloth (mappa) dropped to start race
  
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  biga – 2 horse chariot; quadriga = 4 horse chariot; auriga = charioteer
  
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  curriculum = successfully completed lap
  
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  carceres = starting gates
  

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  Myrmillones – fought with helmet, oblong shield, sword, fish crest on helmet. Usually fought the retiarius or Thracians.
  
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  Retiarii – lightly clad, armed with a net and trident. Usually fought Myrmillones or Secutores.
  
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  Samnites – oblong shield, visored helmet, sword.
  
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  Thracians – small round shield, curved scimitar.
  
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  Bestiarii – hunters – fought wild beasts.
  
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  Essedarii – rode chariots with 2 horses.
  
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  Andabata – heavily armed, but can’t see out of visored helmet.
  
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  Laquearii – armed with lasso and a curved piece of wood.
  
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  Secutores --- “pursuers” – like Samnite but without the neck protector.
  
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  Hoplomachi –full-armed with a breast-plate and visored helmet.
  
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  rudis – wooden sword given to gladiators on their retirement.
  
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  lanista – gladiator trainer.
  
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  editor munerum – giver of games.
  
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  arena/harena – sand put down to absorb the blood from a gladiator match.
  
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  venationes – hunts where Bestiarii fought wild beasts.
  
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  premere pollicem – to press the thumb against the forefinger – crowd wants to spare gladiators life.
  
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  vertere pollicem – turning the thumb upwards or towards the chest – to signify the death stroke.
  
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  gladiator fights were brought to Rome in 264 BC.
  
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  gladiator fights were originally only at funerals.
  
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  naumachiae – mock naval battles – they flooded the arena.
  

• apodyterium – dressing room

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  hypocausta – furnace
  
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  caldarium – hot bath
  
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  frigidarium – cold bath
  
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  unctorium – scraping room/ massage
  
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  strigil – scraper
  
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  palaestra – exercise area
  

• ludus – elementary school

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  litterator – elementary school teacher
  
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  paedagogus – slave who carries books to school
  
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  grammaticus – upper school teacher
  
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  rhetor – teacher of public speaking
  
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  stylus and tabula – pen and notebook
  

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  century = 60 men
  
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  maniple = 120 men
  
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  cohort = 360 men
  
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  legion = 3600 men
  
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  contubernium = 6-8 men who share a tent (part of a century)
  
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  dux = general
  
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  imperator = victorious general
  
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  legatus = legionary commander
  
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  centurio = leader of a century
  
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  optio = 2^nd in command to a centurio
  
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  toga picta = worn by victorious generals
  
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  tesserae = passwords
  
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  signum = standard
  
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  signifier = holder of standard
  
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  aquila = silver eagle-standard (of a legion)
  
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  aquilifer = holder of the eagle
  
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  cornicen = horn blower
  
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  vexillum = flag
  
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  pedites = infantry
  
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  equites = cavalry
  
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  scorpio = dart thrower (standing crossbow used by one man)
  
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  ballista = dart or stone throwing siege engine, larger than a scorpio
  
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  onager = siege engine (like a catapult), threw boulders; means “wild ass” for its kick
  
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  catapulta = siege engine which hurled javelins
  
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  gladius = sword
  
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  scutum = shield
  
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  galea = leather helmet
  
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  cassis = metal helmet
  
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  pilum = spear
  
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  hasta = javelin (used by triarii and hastati)
  
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  lorica = leather breastplate
  
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  cingulum = military belt
  
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  caligae = boots
  
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  sarcina = soldier’s cloak/blanket
  
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  pugio = dagger
  

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  tunica recta = white wedding dress
  
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  flammeum = “saffron” colored veil
  
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  sponsalia = engagement
  
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  dos = dowry
  
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  “ubi tu Gaius, ego Gaia” = what bride says at ceremony – “where you are, my husband, I am”
  
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  night before wedding, a girl would dedicate her bulla to the Lares
  
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  pronuba = matron of honor
  
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  bad luck to marry on: the kalends, nones, ides (and the day after each) of any month; all of May and half of June were all unlucky days; also unlucky, the days the lower world was supposed to open – August 24, October 5, November 8.
  
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  usus = common law marriage
  
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  coemptio = fictitious sale of the bride
  
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  confarreatio = upper class marriage ceremony
  
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  deductio = procession of wedding party to forum
  

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  Pontifex Maximus -- chief priest, elected for life
  
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  Vestal Virgins – start at age 6 – learn job for 10 years, work as Vestal for 10 years, teach for 10 years – keep flame of Vesta burning, keep documents, etc. safe; only man allowed in temple (which is round) is Pontifex Maximus
  
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  auspex – priest who checks sky for omens (birds/lightning)
  
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  augur – same as auspex
  
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  haruspex – checks guts of animals for omens (2 hearts are bad…)
  
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  Salii – priests of Mars
  
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  Lares – household gods
  
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  Lararium – shrine for Lares
  
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  Penates – gods of cupboards
  

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  praenomen – first name
  
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  nomen – family name
  
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  cognomen – name for branch of family
  
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  agnomen – earned name
  

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  subligaculum -- underwear
  
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  tunica – worn by all (like long t-shirt)
  
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  toga praetexta – worn by boys under 16 and magistrates (with purple stripe)
  
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  toga virilis – all white – worn by men over 16
  
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  toga pura – same as toga virilis
  
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  toga libera – same as toga virilis (boys gave up their toga praetexta on the Liberalia)
  
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  toga candida – worn by men running for office; bright white (chalk)
  
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  toga pulla – worn by men in mourning (called sordidati)
  
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  stola – women’s dress
  
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  palla – women’s shawl
  
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  fibula – broach, pin
  
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  bulla – child’s good luck charm
  
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  calceus – shoe (for outdoors)
  
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  solea – sandal for indoors
  
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  petasus – broad –brimmed hat
  
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  pileus – cap of freedom
  

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  atrium = entry hallway/large meeting room
  
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  compluvium = hole in roof of atrium – allows water in
  
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  impluvium = basin that catches water
  
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  alae = wings off atrium
  
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  imagines = bust of ancestors, housed in alae
  
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  tablinum = master’s office
  
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  triclinium = dining room
  
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  culina = kitchen
  
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  cubiculum = bedroom
  
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  peristylium = outdoor garden with columns
  
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  hortus = regular garden
  

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  ientaculum – breakfast
  
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  prandium – lunch
  
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  thermopolium – place to buy hot, fast food
  
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  cena – dinner
  
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  garum, liquamen – fish sauce
  
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  secunda mensa – dessert
  
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  gustatio, promulsis, antecena – appetizer
  
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  mulsum – wine mixed with honey
  
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  mulsa – fermented honey and water
  
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  mustum – grape juice
  
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  acetum – vinegar
  
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  commissatio – drinking party
  
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  rex bibendi – master of the drinking (he decides the games, etc.)
  
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  seating – Romans reclined on their left side; there were 3 couches, each seating 3 people.
  

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  Via Appia – Appian Way – from Rome to Capua early on, then extended to Brundisium; known as the queen of the roads – : regina viarum” – built by Appius Claudius Caecus in 312 BC
  
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  Via Sacra – road which ran through the forum
  
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  Mare Nostum – “our sea” – Mediterranean
  
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  Patria potestas – power of father over familia
  
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  Pater familias – head of family
  
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  basilica -- law court
  
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  curia -- senate house
  
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  cloaca maxima – great sewer
  
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  insulae – apartment buildings
  
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  vigiles – firemen/police
  

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  cisium -- lightweight, 2 wheeled vehicle
  
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  raeda – 4 wheeled carriage, comfortable and large
  
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  lectica – litter (carried by 4 slaves)
  

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  praeficae – professional mourners
  
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  neniae – dirges
  
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  conclamatio – oldest son shakes father 3 times and calls his name
  
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  sarcophagus – stone coffin
  
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  columbarium – underground chamber for urns holding the ashes of a cremated person