definitions Flashcards
barbari (barbarius)
barbarian, anyone who doesn’t speak Latin or Greek
liberti (libertus)
freedmen (slaves that have been freed by their masters)
servi (servus)
slaves
ingenui (ingenus)
free born peoples
what are the two classes of ingenui?
patricians (upper class, 1%) and plebeians (plebs, the other 99%
praenomen
first name
nomen / gentilicium
family name
cognomen
nicknames or conquests, or to distinguish from other branches of the family
what is augury?
studying the flight path of birds
what is the pomerium?
the sacred boundary around a city, paved by the king using two white oxen
what is a curia?
a central meeting hall, influenced by greek democracy
what is a novus homo?
an equestrian who has sold his business to buy land so he could be a member of the Senatorial Order
what is the palladium?
the amphora that Ascanius carried out of Troy
what is a peculium?
the allowance a slave was owed
what is latifundia / latifundium?
giant factory farms that produce usually one things (olives, grapes etc)
what is manumissio?
the emancipation / freeing of a slave
what is a pileus?
a conical hat freedmen would wear to show everyone his newfound freedom
What is the lustrum?
a special ceremony performed by the the censor to mark the end of the census
what is suovetaurilia?
a triple sacrifice of a boar (suus) a ram (ovis) and a bull (taurus)
what are fasces?
axes that lictors carried - bundle of wooden rods with an ax head
what is a vestibulum?
an entrance to a roman home, where you hang your cloaks, walking sticks or shopping bags. this room is long and thin. the length of the vestibule is determined by the length of the shops on either side.
what is a taberna?
the shops on either side the vestibulum in roman homes
what does Domus mean?
home
what does insula mean?
apartment (plur. insulae)
what is the name of the famously tall roman apartment building?
insula felicles
what is an atrium?
big open area within a roman home, the central focus of the house. this is where religious shrines will be, where patrons will greet their clients
what is an impluvium?
shallow water basin with a cistern underneath, located in the atrium under a hole in the ceiling (compluvium)
what is a compluvium?
the hole in the roof to collect rain
what is an Ala?
open room in the back of houses (2 of them: one on right side, one on left side)
what is a culina?
kitchen (also housed the toilet for water consumption purposes)
what is a tablinum?
the office, where the patron/man of the house would keep the records, money etc
what is a triclinium?
dining room - Romans did not eat upright with knives and forks but rather on 3 long couches with no backs
what is a hortus?
a WORKING garden out back- meaning they grew fruit trees, vegetables etc
what is a fauces?
the narrow passage to the vestibulum, only exists in fancy houses, doesn’t contain anything
what is an andron?
the passageway into the hortus
what is a viridarium?
a green garden- not for growing crops, but for enjoying nature (only rich people had these)
what is a piscina?
a fish pond
what is a peristylium?
a covered walkway around the viridarium so people could have shade
what is a postium?
back door
what is an exedra?
big open shaded area for when it’s hot
civitas optimo iure
“best” form of roman citizenship: full roman rights
civitas sine suffragio
citizenship without the vote: must fulfill military and tax obligations but cannot run for public office, retain the rights of commericum and conubium
civitas foederatae
allied states who have a treaty with Rome
commercium
the right to free trade in any Roman city: would not have to pay taxes on products
conubium
the right to intermarriage with anyone from any allied city or territory
migratio
the right to move and become a citizen of any Roman city
