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
