adulescens young, growing (at puberty)

ager publicas public farm land; it is deeded over by the Roman government, usually from a region
conquered; it is then made available for Roman citizens to farm; alloted is 400 iugera.
agnomen describes something they did in the past.
ala wing, squadron (milit.); small room off the atrium.
arch they perfected this use; they made the blind arch, the barrel vault, groin vault (?); they
understood its functions and capabilities.
as least valuable coin
atreum if atrium: the main reception area or salon of a Roman house. NOT on MIDTERM since
misspelled.
Augustus first Roman emperor; he called himself the princeps (the first citizen)
aureus gold; highest denomination of coins (that we’ve discussed)
auspices usually a priest takes the auspices (toga over head) and determines the divine will
bona fides good faith contract (comes into Roman business law in the late Republic); you can’t
form a valid contract thru fraud and guile (thus, invalid)
brazier for heating with charcoal
caueat emptor buyer beware; the opposite of bona fides; it means it’s your obligation to exercise due
diligence with the person selling you the item does indeed own it.
cena dinner; around 3 p.m.
censor he counts noses for the census (e.g., in Rome); he also pigeonholes everyone (senators,
plebeians, etc.)
charcoal for heating the home, cooking
coemptio a purchase, specifically a fake purchase (a sham)
cognomen middle name, sometimes based on physical traits
concrete used for almost everything; Romans were good at it, making different types of
concrete
confarreatio religious ceremony using the small spelt cake; this ceremony transfers from her
family to her husband’s family.
conubium ability to contract a valid marriage in Rome (marriage is coming together to
produce Roman citizens); the right for two people to marry
conuentio uxoris in manum uiri the movement from the manus of her family into the manus
of her husband
cubiculum room used as bedrooms or sitting rooms; bedroom (cumbo: lie down)
denarius money a step lower than the aureus
domus a house; particularly a city house
empire beginning ca. 30 BCE after the battle of Actium; empire falls around Council of Nicea (325)
[EW]
equestrian men (“knights”) who served the military service in the calvary. They weren’t
interested in senatorial career after mil. service. Social class just below the patricians. They were
wealthy men.
exedra oblong room or hall used for entertaining guests. Sit-out room in the back of the domus.
fauces “jaws”; hallway leading from door of house into the atrium; main entrance into the domus.
filiae familias loco in the place of a daughter of the family; she’s an heir to her husband just as a
daughter would be an heir.
flammeum bridal veil (bright colored)
garden it’s a working garden

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garum fish sauce: fish guts put in a jug with sea water
genius loci the spirit of the place; they were animists and the genius loci protects your home.
gnomon multiplication table; cheat sheet to help with fractions
grammaticus refined the student’s style of writing and speaking, taught him to analyze poetry,
and taught him Greek if he didn’t now it yet. He teaches you good Latin.
haruspices divination by looking at the guts
hepatoscopy inspection of the liver
honestiores more honorable people--upper class
humiliores more humble people--lower class
impluuium small pool where rainwater flowed from an opening in the compulvium. Middle of
the house.
infans child that can’t speak
Itali group of tribes inhabiting Italy
iuuentus NOT on MIDTERM since misspelled.
kingdom kingdom ends around 501 BCE; the Romans (council) chose a king who wasn’t a
Roman
lararium shrine of the ancestral gods in the house
lares spirits of ancestors; focal point of the lararium
latifundia gigantic corporation farms consuming up other farms.
Latini tribe that form the core of the citizens of Rome
libra Roman pound
litterator taught basic three R’s and also required students to memorize large amounts of
material (legends, laws, aphorisms, poetry); teaches you to read and write, memorize...
manes [di manes] the shades of the dead (DM)
manus hand; the head of the family who owns everything in the family is the manus
mater familias sim to pater familias; she rules the “roost”
matrona married woman with no children
nomen clan name (the Gentile name)
oecus typically where the house would end. Room used for entertaining; a small salon. Small
room
oil lamp for lighting
olive oil used for lots of things; foods, cleaning yourself, fuel of oil lamps, as a libation
optimates best families--the patricians and probably also the equestrians.
pater familias the father of the family
patria potestas the power of the father of the family
patrician elders of “fathers” of the state; at very top of society; supposedly all Latini and
Romani
peregrini foreigners; many in Rome; not secure with property; generally didn’t have cunibium
peristyle small decorative garden; Latin peristylium (from Greek word): open courtyard or
garden surrounded by a colonade. Area enclosed with columns in a rectangular space.
peristyle villa one of two major classes of villa; a domus in the country basically
pes a foot
pietas devoted fully to family, friends, fellow citizens, country, and gods. Since of duty to family,
country, gods; the primary virtue in a Roman man.
plebeian commoner, of the “multitude”. Could be rich or poor. The humiliores.

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porticus villa portico: walkway covered by roof supported by columns. Villa with arched porch.
ARCHES.
praenomen first name
publican wealthy Roman businessmen earning wealth by bidding on public contracts for
construction, military provisions, etc. Business who took out a contract to pay the taxes in a
geographic region (e.g., Sicily); then they would go to the region to get their money back; they were
generally despised.
puella little girl
puer little boy
republic res publica (501 BCE to 30 BCE); the Senate, two consuls, etc.
rhetor trained students for a career in public speaking, law, politics; teaches oratory. He builds on
top of the grammaticus’ work.
senatus populusque romanus distillation of Roman government; the Senate and the population of
Rome.
senex old man; man age 60 or older
serui slaves
sesterce (sestertius) coin above the as; 4 sesterces makes a denarius
silphium spice used all over Mediterranean that went extinct.
socii allies; Roman citizenship extended to all those in Italy. 9 CE?
stola cloak instead of a toga, that a woman wore
sui heredis heir; a woman becomes heir to her husband
sui iuris you’re in no manus; you’re your own law
tablinum room or alcove off the atrium; possibly used for homeowner’s office space. Mostly
used for holding court.
toga long piece of cloth folded several times on the body
triclinium dining room. The three-couch room
twelve tablets basis of Roman law (set up in Forum ca. 450 BCE)
uir (vir) man between 46-59 of age
uitae (vitae) necisque potestaspower of life and putting to death; part of the patria potestas
uncia 1/12; measurement either an inch or a pound
usus common law marriage; you live together for a year and you’re married
uxor wife
villa large building complex on a farm estate. It had sleep and living quarters for the landowner,
his family, the overseer, farmworkers, livestock, work rooms, storage rooms. Farmstead.

Essay: tracing movement in time (changes in slavery, marriage, power of the pater familias) or
comparison (compare modern marriage to Rom marriage, slavery, architecture, cooking)