FJCL Customs Flashcards
What term is given to the political ladder Romans must take to reach consulship?
cursus honorum
What are the three steps of the cursus honorum in order?
quaestor, praetor, consul
How many men served as consul annually?
2
What elected office in Rome had the most power?
consul
How often were consuls elected?
Yearly
What role did praetors play in government?
Judges
How many praetors were elected yearly?
8
How often were praetors elected?
Yearly
What role did quaestors play in government?
Treasurers
How many quaestors are elected yearly?
20
How often were quaestors elected?
Yearly
Which political office in Rome was in charge of roads and public games?
Aedile
How many aediles were elected yearly?
4
What political office in Rome was in charge of taking the census and public morals?
Censors
How many censors were elected at at time?
2
How often and for how long were censors elected?
Every 5 years for 18 months
What political office in Rome could be appointed in times of emergency?
Dictator
What was the maximum time a dictator could normally serve?
6 months
What “master of the cavalry” served as the second in command to the dictator?
Magister Equitum
What office must a Roman have held to be a senator?
Praetor
For how long would a senator serve?
Life
How many tribunes were elected yearly?
10
To what political class must a tribune belong?
Plebeian
What office in Rome had the power to veto the senate?
Tribune
What is the highest class in Rome?
Patricians/Optimates
What is the business class in Rome?
Equites
What is the lower class in Rome?
Plebeians/Populares
What was the name of a client’s visit to a patron’s house?
Salutatio
What cold food basket would a patron give his client in the atrium during the salutatio?
Sportula
What term is given to a patron’s leading their clients to the forum?
Deductio
What name is given to the head of the family (which includes wife, children, slaves, and property)
paterfamilias
What name is given to the power of the paterfamilias over their family?
patria potestas
In Roman chariot racing, what were metae?
turning posts
In Roman chariot racing, what was the spina?
“backbone”, dividing wall running down middle of racetrack
What Latin term is given to the symbols used as lap counters in the Roman circus?
Ova et delphines
A typical race in a Roman circus would consist of how many laps?
7
How many people could be held in the Circus Maximus
250,000
What are ludi circenses?
chariot races
In Roman chariot racing, what name is given to the racing companies?
Factiones
What color faction is russata?
Red
What color faction is albata?
white
What color faction is veneta?
Blue
What color faction is prasina?
Green
In Roman chariot racing, which factiones were the original two?
red and white
In Roman chariot racing, which two factiones were the longest lasting?
blue and green
Which Roman emperor added purple and gold factiones to chariot racing?
Domitian
Between what two hills was the Circus Maximus situated?
Palatine and Aventine
What name is given to the white cloth that is dropped to start a chariot race?
mappa
In Roman chariot racing, what was a biga?
2 horse chariot
In Roman chariot racing, what was a quadriga?
4 horse chariot
In Roman chariot racing, what was an auriga?
charioteer
What did the Romans call one successfully completed lap in chariot racing?
curriculum
In Roman chariot racing, what is the term for the starting gates?
carceres
What type of gladiator is most recognizable by a fish crest on his helmet?
Myrmillo
What type of gladiator usually fought against Retiarii or Thracians
Myrmillo
What type of gladiator were armed with a net and a trident?
Retiarius
What type of gladiator usually fought Myrmillones or Secutores?
Retiarius
What type of gladiator fought with an oblong shield, a visored helmet, and a sword?
Samnite
What type of gladiator used a small round shield and a curved scimitar?
Thracian
What type of gladiator were hunters who fought wild beasts?
Bestiarius
What type of gladiator rode in a chariot?
Essedarius
What type of gladiator were heavily armed but had to fight without their vision?
Andabata
What type of gladiator was armed with a lasso and a curved piece of wood?
Laquearius
What type of gladiator, known as the “pursuer”, fought like a Samnite but without the neck protector?
Secutor
What type of gladiator fought fully armed with a breast plate and a visored helmet?
Hoplomachus
What name is given to the wooden sword given to gladiators at their retirement?
rudis
What name is given to a gladiator trainer?
lanista
What was the editor munerum?
Giver of games
What name is given to the sand placed to absorb the blood from a gladiator match?
(h)arena
What name is given to the hunts where Bestiarii fought wild beasts?
venationes
What’s the difference between premere pollicem and vertere pollicem
premere pollicem - to press the thumb against the forefinger - crowd wants to spare the gladiator
vertere pollicem - to turn the thumb towards the chest - crowd wants to kill the gladiator
In what year were gladiator fights first brought to Rome from the Etruscans?
264 BC
At what type of event were gladiator fights first introduced?
Funerals
What were naumachiae?
mock naval battles
What term is given to the Roman baths?
thermae/balneae
In the Roman baths, what was the apodyterium?
dressing room
In the Roman baths, what was the hypocausta?
furnace
In the Roman baths, what was the caldarium?
hot bath
In the Roman baths, what was the frigidarium?
cold bath
In the Roman baths, what was the unctorium?
scraping/massage room
In the Roman baths, what name is given to the scraper used in the unctorium?
strigil
In the Roman baths, what was the palaestra?
exercise area
In the Roman baths, what was a natatio?
swimming pool
In terms of Roman education, what was a ludus?
(elementary) school
In terms of Roman education, what a litterator?
elementary school teacher
In terms of Roman education, what was a paedagogus?
slave who carries books to and from school
In terms of Roman education, what was a grammaticus?
upper school teacher
In terms of Roman education, what was a rhetor?
teacher of public speaking
In terms of Roman education, what was a stylus?
writing utensil
In terms of Roman education, what was a tabula/tabella
tablet/notebook
In the Roman army, what was the smallest unit of a legion?
century
What unit of the Roman army was twice the size of a century, though it was later dropped in favor of a cohort?
maniple
What unit of the Roman army is 6 times the size of a century?
cohort
What was the basic fighting unit of the Roman army called?
contubernium
What name is given to the leader of a century?
Centurio
What Roman officer was 2nd in command to a centurio?
optio
What kind of toga was worn by victorious generals during their triumphal procession?
toga picta
What is the Latin term for passwords?
Tesserae
What name is given to the military standard of a century or cohort?
signum
What name is given to the holder of the standard of a century or cohort?
signifer
What name is given to the silver or bronze eagle standard of a legion?
aquila
What name is given to the soldier who holds the eagle standard of a legion?
aquilifer
What name is given to the horn blower of a Roman army?
cornicen
What’s the Latin word for a flag?
vexillum
What type of soldiers were pedites?
infantry
What type of soldiers were equites?
Cavalry
What kind of military weapon was a scorpio?
Dart thrower (standing crossbow used by one man)
What kind of military weapon was a ballista?
dart or stone throwing siege engine (larger than a scorpio)
What kind of military weapon was a onager?
siege engine which threw boulders
What kind of military weapon is translated as “wild ass” for its kick?
onager
What kind of military weapon was a catapulta?
siege engine which hurled javelins
What was a gladius?
sword
What was a scutum?
shield
What’s the difference between a galea and a cassis?
galea - helmet made from leather
cassis- helmet made from metal
What was a pilum?
javelin
What was a hasta?
spear (used by triarii and hastati)
What was a lorica?
leather breastplate
What was a cingulum?
military belt
What were caligae?
boots
What was a sarcina?
soldier’s cloak
What was a pugio?
dagger
What did the Romans call a wedding dress?
tunica recta
What color was the flammeum?
saffron
With respect to Roman marriage, what was the flammeum?
saffron colored veil
With respect to Roman marriage, what was a sponsalia?
betrothal/engagement
When might a woman say the phrase “ubi tu Gaius, ego Gaia”?
wedding
When would a Roman woman dedicate her bulla?
The night before her wedding
To whom would a Roman woman dedicate her bulla on the eve of her wedding?
Lares
With respect to Roman marriage, what was a pronuba?
Matron of honor
When were the kalends of any given month?
1st of the month
For most months, what day were the Nones?
5th
For most months, what day were the Ides?
13th
For what 4 months were the Nones on the 7th and the Ides on the 15th?
March, May, July, October
In addition to the Kalends, Nones, Ides, all of May, and half of June, why was it unlucky to marry on August 24th, October 5th, and November 8th?
The gates of the underworld were open
What name is given to the common law marriage?
usus
What name is given to the wedding ceremony that involves a fictitious sale of the bride?
coemptio
What type of Roman marriage ceremony, named for the spelt on the cake, is primarily for the upper class?
confarreatio
What name is given to the procession of the wedding party to the forum?
deductio
What chief priest in Ancient Rome was elected for life?
Pontifex Maximus
At what age would a Roman girl start her term as a Vestal Virgin?
6
For how long must a woman serve as a Vestal Virgin?
30 years (10 learning, 10 working, 10 teaching)
What was the primary function of a Vestal Virgin?
Keep sacred flame of Vesta burning
Who was the only man allowed in the temple of Vesta?
Pontifex Maximus
What type of priest in Ancient Rome checks the sky for omens (birds/lightning)?
augur/auspex
What type of priest in Ancient Rome checks the guts of animals for omens (2 hears are bad)?
Haruspex
Who were the priests of Mars, so named for a type of jumping dance they performed?
Salii
Who were the Roman household gods?
Lares
What name is given to the shrine for the household gods?
Lararium
Who were the gods of the cupboards?
Penates
With respect to Roman naming, what was the first name?
Praenomen
With respect to Roman naming, what was the family name?
nomen
With respect to Roman naming, what was the name for branch of family?
cognomen
With respect to Roman naming, what was the earned name (nickname)?
agnomen
Identify all parts of the Roman name: Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus.
Publius (praenomen)
Cornelius (nomen)
Scipio (cognomen)
Africanus (agnomen)
What was subligaculum?
Underwear
What garment (like a long t-shirt) was worn by everyone?
tunica
What type of toga was all white and worn by men over 16?
toga virilis/libera/pura
What type of toga, so named for its bright white color, was worn by men running for office?
toga candida
What type of toga was worn by men in mourning?
toga pulla/sordida
What was a stola?
woman’s dress
What was a palla?
woman’s shawl
What was a fibula?
broach/pin
What was a bulla?
child’s good luck charm
What were calcei?
outdoor shoes
What were soleae?
indoor sandals
What was a petasus?
broad-brimmed hat
What was a pileus?
cap of freedom
In a Roman house, what was the atrium?
entry hallway/large meeting room
In a Roman house, what was the compluvium?
hole in roof of atrium that allows water in
In a Roman house, what was the impluvium?
basin in the atrium that catches water
In a Roman house, what were the alae?
wings (hallways) off of the atrium?
In a Roman house, what were the imagines?
busts of ancestors housed in the alae
In a Roman house, what was the tablinum?
master’s office
In a Roman house, what was the triclinium
dining/living room
In a Roman house, what was the culina?
kitchen
In a Roman house, what was the cubiculum?
bedroom
In a Roman house, what was the peristylium?
outdoor garden with columns
In a Roman house, what was the hortus?
regular garden
What did the Romans call breakfast?
ientaculum
What did the Romans call lunch?
prandium
What did the Romans call dinner?
cena
What’s the Ancient Roman equivalent to fast food?
thermopolium
What two names are given to fish sauce?
garum & liquamen
Literally “second table”, what did the Romans call dessert?
secunda mensa
What three words did the Romans use for an appetizer?
gustatio, promulsis, antecena
What was mulsum?
wine mixed with honey
What was mulsa?
Fermented honey and water
What was mustum?
grape juice
What was acetum?
vinegar
What was a comissatio?
drinking party
On which side of their body would a Roman recline while they ate?
left side
What “master of the drinking” would decide the games and wine portions?
rex/magister bibendi
How many seats would each couch in a triclinium have?
3
What “queen of the roads” ran from Rome to Capua before later extending to Brundisium?
Via Appia
Which road ran through the Roman Forum?
Via Sacra
What name did the Romans give the Mediterranean Sea?
Mare Nostrum (“our sea”)
What did the Romans call their law court?
basilica
What did the Romans call their senate house?
curia
What did the Romans call their underground sewer system?
Cloaca Maxima
What did the Romans call their apartment buildings?
insulae
What did the Romans call their firemen/police?
vigiles
What name was given to the lightweight, 2-wheeled vehicle?
cisium
What name is given to the comfortable and large 4-wheeled carriage?
raeda
What name is given to the litter carried by 4 slaves?
lectica
At a Roman funeral, what name is given to the professional mourners?
Praeficiae
At a Roman funeral, what name was given to the dirges?
neniae
At a man’s funeral, the oldest son would shake his father three times and call his name as part of a process by what name?
conclamatio
At a Roman funeral, what name is given to a stone coffin?
sarcophagus
At a Roman funeral, what name is given to the underground chamber for urns holding the ashes of a cremated person?
columbarium
What name is given to an empty tomb?
cenotaphium
