Glossary for Imperator and Wolf Legion

By Philip Katz
Copyright 2009, 2010

Glossary

Aedile: Elected magistrate whose term of office was one year. Not part of the cursus
honorum. Four aediles, two curule, two plebeian, were in charge of the maintenance of
public buildings, sponsored games and feasts and the nona or grain dole.

Arpinum: Modern day Arpino, Arpinum is a town approximately 50 miles east of Rome
in the foothills of the Apennines. In Caesar’s time its people had Roman citizenship.
Gaius Marius was born within its territory in a village named Cereatae and Cicero was
born in a villa 1 mile north of the town.

Assemblies: There were four popular assemblies or comitia and all male citizens were
eligible to vote in them with the exception of the Plebeian Assembly in which patricians
were excluded. They met outdoors at the Forum or at the Saepta on Mar’s field.  After
136bc voting was by secret ballot. Citizens voted in groups (curiae, centuries or tribes)
where votes were only counted till a simple majority was achieved. Hence the groups that
voted at the end rarely had their ballots cast. Assemblies met to vote on resolutions put
before them by magistrates, tribunes or the Senate or to elect magistrates.

Auger: Priests of the state religion. They were second in rank to the Pontifices and were
responsible for divining signs form the gods based originally on the motions of flying
birds and later encompassed more forms of divination. In the time of Caesar there were
15 and 16 when Caesar became Pontifex Maximus.

Campus Martius: Mars’ Field in English. was a large tract of undeveloped land north of
the city proper. It was used for military purposes such as, recruiting, training and Armies
waiting to Triumph camped there. There was voting at the Saepta and the space was also
used for sports, festivals and other public uses.

Capitoline Hill: Sacred hill within the Pomerium. It was home to the Great Temple of
Jupiter and a large building that housed public records called the Tabularium. The
Capitoline hill was fortified for use as a Citadel, to preserve the cities sacred texts and
holy utensils and to resist invaders, should the city have been sacked by a foreign power
as it was in 395 BC, by the Gauls.
Carcer: Located near the Curia Hostilia on the Capitoline Hill, was what could be called
Rome’s only prison although it was rarely used to hold prisoners as the Romans did not
use “incarceration” as punishment, instead those convicted of crimes were normally
subject to fines, public beatings, exile and execution. It was the headquarters of the
Lictors and the lower level is known as the Tullianum, a dungeon like chamber carved
from the native rock that was used as Rome’s execution chamber in which the
condemned were strangled to death.

Carthage: A city in modern Tunis in North Africa. It was home to the largest and most
powerful empire in the western Mediterranean in the third century BC. They engaged in a
series of three Wars with Rome called the Punic for the Latin word for Carthage, Punis.
The Punic wars ended with Rome’s complete destruction of Carthage in the second
century BC.

Censor: Term of office was eighteen months. Office was filled every five years by two
censors. Not part of the cursus honorum. Only those who had held the office of consul
were eligible to hold the censorship. The censors let contracts for the collection of taxes
in the provinces, public works projects, counted the population and put citizens in to the
appropriate class based on wealth (There were five classes of citizens, from senatorial to
headcount.) and kept the Senate’s rolls with the power to expel unqualified senators.

Centurion: Analogous to modern USA Sergeant. There was one centurion commanding a
century. Therefore there were 60 centurions per legion. The centurions were promoted
from the ranks of the infantry and were the professional commanders of the legion bellow
the Legati or Legates, senators assigned to command the army and the tribunes, young
nobleman fulfilling their required military service.

Century: Centuriate Assembly one of 373 voting units.

Century: Roman army a unit of 80 men

Cohort: One of ten heavy infantry units in a legion. At full strength there are 480 heavy
infantrymen in a cohort except for the 1st cohort of a legion which is double strength.

Comitia Centuriata: The Comitia Centuriata aka Centuriate assembly was convened by a
Magistrate with Imperium and met on the Campus Martius as it was originally an
assembly of the army. They voted in “Centuries”, groups based on wealth, at the Saepta,
a large portico. During Rome’s early regal period through the late republic the army was
made up of private citizens who were responsible for equipping themselves. The wealthy
who could afford the horses and the equipment required to serve in the cavalry were
called equestrians or knights. The less wealthy men were in the heavy infantry and those
with less money fought as light infantry then non combatant support if one was poor.
These army units based on wealth became the basis of the “Centuries”, 373 in total with
the first 18 being reserved for wealthy “Knights” aka “Equestrians”. The Centuriate
Assembly was a court of law deciding on criminal and capital cases and was also a
legislative body that voted on laws promulgated by Magistrates.
Comitia Curiata: The oldest of the assemblies had no legislative powers and by the late
Republic was largely ceremonial. It was divided into curiae or wards. There were ten
curiae in each of the three original tribes (Ramnes, Tities, and Luceres). The last official
function was conferring Imperium on consuls and praetors before embarking for their
province.

Comitia Tributa: The Comitia Tributa aka the Tribal Assembly met at the Forum could be
convened by a consul, praetor or tribune. There were thirty five tribes based on location
of residence. It could, vote on bills put before it by a magistrate, elect non curule
magistrates and was a court of appeals in non capital crimes.

Concilium Plebis: The Concilium Plebis aka Plebeian Assembly was made up of only
Plebeians who voted in their thirty five tribes and elected tribunes and plebeian aediles. It
was a legislative assembly and its laws aka plebiscites, were binding on all citizens.

Consul: An elected magistrate whose term of office was one year. The consulship was the
top rung of the cursus honorum or traditional ascent of power in the Senate. The
minimum age was 42. Two consuls were curule magistrates meaning they sat on a curule
chair a symbol of their office and they could also hold Imperium. They were the chief
magistrates of the Roman Senate, elected by the comitia centuriata or centuriate
assembly. Consuls convened and presided over the senate and assemblies excluding the
plebeian assembly. There was a senior consul based on the popular vote. The consul
could promulgate legislation, and command Rome’s armies.

Contubernium: In the Roman army a unit of 8 men.

Contio: A Contio was a public meeting, usually held in the Forum Romanum, at which
advocates of legislation or candidates for office would address the people from the
Rostra.

Curia Hostilia: Senate House located at the Forum Romanum named for its builder king
Tullus Hostilius in the mid 7th Century BC.

Cursus Honorum: Literally, the course of honor, it was the political career path of a
Roman of the Senatorial class.

Dictator: Literally master of the infantry, the office of Dictator was not part of the normal
functioning of government, rather was only instituted in time of great danger to the state,
such as foreign invasion or internal strife. The dictator was appointed by the senior
consul at the request of the senate and the term was for six months. The dictator could not
be prosecuted for any actions taken by him during his term. The office had fallen out of
use by the first century BC.
Divas: God, Divine.

Equestrians: Or Knights were Rome’s middle class. In Caesar’s time the struggle
between the Senatorial Class and the Equestrians contributed to the fall of the Republic.

Fasces: The Fasces was a bundle of wood rods that was bound by ribbons. They represent
Roman civil power and are carried by Lictors aka ceremonial body guards when
escorting the consul or dictator. An axe was inserted when outside the Pomerium.

Flamen: Priest of a particular deity or cult.

Forum Romanum: Upon Rome’s incorporation the council members from the different
communities that made up the city met at a specially designated area that is located at the
base of the Palatine hill and the sacred Capitoline hill. This meeting place came to be
known as the Forum Romanum or Roman Forum or simply the Forum. A special drain
was installed to dry out the normally marshy field for the purpose of these meetings.

Gladius: The Spanish short sword. The principle weapon of the Roman army, it was a
double edged stabbing sword with a very sharp point, meant for piercing armor. It was
used with the Scutum or shield in a line formation.

Hannibal: General who led Carthage against Rome in the second Punic War.

Head Count: The lowest of the 5 classes of Roman citizens based on wealth as
determined by the Censors.

Imperium: Imperium was the power invested in Consuls and Praetors, to command
armies and govern provinces. Imperium was represented by a red ribbon tied around the
Imperium holder’s cuirass. Imperium exists only outside the Pomerium or sacred border
of the city. Imperium was conferred by the Comitia Curiata, the oldest of the four Popular
Assemblies.

Jupiter Optimus Maximus: The supreme god of Rome’s pantheon. Jupiter was the god of
the Roman social order. Julius Caesar held the post of Flamen Dialis or Priest of Jupiter.

Legion: The basic building block of a Roman army. In the time of Caesar the legion
consisted of approximately 5,000 heavy infantrymen divided up into 10 cohorts.

Lictors: Lictors were ceremonial body guards and constables that attended magistrates in
public and private. Different numbers of Lictors attended the different magistrates. They
also carried the Fasces on their left shoulder. They preceded the magistrate when walking
in public and stood at his side when the magistrate addressed the people. They were
dressed in crimson tunics with wide black belts and their headquarters was on the Arx of
the Capitol near the Carcer.
Marching Camp: When on the move the Roman army always took the time to build a
fortified camp consisting of a ditch and palisade walls in which to spend the night.

Mars: Rome’s god of war.

Mars Field: Campus Martius in Latin was a large tract of undeveloped land north of the
city proper. It was used for military purposes such as, recruiting, training and Armies
waiting to Triumph camped there. There was voting at the Saepta and the space was also
used for sports, festivals and other public uses.

Mars: Rome’s god of war.

Master of the Horse: Literally the master of the cavalry, the office of the Master of the
Horse was the deputy to the Dictator and thus only created with the Dictatorship.

Mithredates: In Caesar’s time Mithredates VI Eupator the Great was the king of Pontus,
an independent kingdom north of the Roman’s Asia Minor Province in Modern day
Turkey.

Numa Pompilius: Second king of Rome was from the people known as Sabines who were
close neighbors of the Romans and were incorporated into Rome in the time of the kings.
He is credited with melding the rites and ceremonies of the founding Tribes, that
incorporated to form the City of Rome, into one unified if complex state religion. It is
believed that he founded the priestly colleges and erected temples and public buildings
dedicated to the state religion.

Ostia: Rome’s port city.

Palatine Hill: The First of Rome’s Settlements and home to Romulus whose house was
preserved in Caesar’s time and it was the home of the wealthiest of Romans.

Patricians: In Caesar’s time they were descendants of Rome’s original ruling class. The
original Senators, their families and descendants formed an exclusive group within
Roman society known as Patricians. The name is derived from the word pater or father.
These Patricians were entitled to hold public office and priesthoods from which the
common folk, known as the Plebeians or Plebs were excluded no matter how much
wealth they might accumulate.

Pilum: Roman javelin used on masse by the legions before actual contact with the enemy
line. It had a heavy wood shaft approximately 5 feet long connected to a long steel shaft
to a steel point. The pilum was designed to stick into the enemy shield making it useless
for defense. Gaius Marius modified the pilum by exchanging of the two steel pins that
connected the wood with the steel shaft with a wood pin that would break upon contact
with the enemy of the ground if the legionary missed. This made it impossible for the
enemy to throw it back
Plebeians (Plebs): Rome’s common folk. In the early Republic the Plebs were excluded
from holding public office, priesthoods of to intermarry with Patricians. By Caesar’s time
all of these restrictions were lifted and so called “Noble Plebeian” families were on an
equal footing with the Patricians.

Plebiscite: A law passed by resolution of the Concilium Plebis or People’s Assembly.

Praetor: Term of office was one year. Part of the cursus honorum. The eight praetors,
curule magistrates, were responsible for the administration of the city of Rome. They
acted as judges in law courts and dealt with issues between Romans and foreigners.

Pomerium: Sacred boundary of the city. It changed many times over the centuries and
was at least partly fortified with a defensive wall.

Pontifex: Rome’s highest ranking priests, responsible for the state religion. In Caesar’s
time the number of Pontifices was 15 and when Caesar became Pontifex Maximus the
number was changed to 16.

Pontifex Maximus: Rome’s Chief Priest. In Caesar’s time it was an elected office. This
priesthood was held for life. Caesar was elected to the office. He was said to have told his
mother upon leaving his home in the morning on election-day; Mother, I will return
Pontifex Maximus or I will not return at all.

Quaestor: Term of office was one year. Part of the cursus honorum. Minimum age was 30
years. Twenty quaestors maintain public records, administered the treasury and served in
the provinces assisting the provincial governor. The office entitled the holder to
membership in the Senate.

Regia: Public building located at the Forum Romanum along the Sacred Way or Sacra
via. It was the home of the priestly colleges, the residence of the Pontifex Maximus. The
many state religious records were stored at the Regia including the last will and testament
of all Citizens of Rome who cared to lodge one. The second king of Rome Numa
Pompilius is credited with building the Regia.

Romulus: Elected first king of Rome by the Senate. Romulus was descended from the
Trojan prince Aeneas, son of the goddess Venus and Anchises. Legend says that
Romulus and his brother were heirs to the throne of Alba Long and were set adrift on the
Tibur River in an effort to kill the infants by the usurper of their throne. They were
sustained by a she-wolf till they were rescued by a shepherd. As king Romulus
established the Pomerium or boundary of the city and he swelled the population of Rome
by inviting all the displaced peoples of Italy to become Romans, to man her armies and
build their city, very similar to the early United States. The Roman god Quirinus is the
Deified Romulus, known as the god of the Roman people.

Rostra: Name of the Speaker’s platform located in the Forum Romanum in front of the
Senate House from which the people of Rome were addressed by Magistrates, Senators
and Candidates for office. The name is derived from the Latin word Rostra meaning beak
or prow of a warship. Originally called a tribunal, the name was changed in the third
century BC following a major naval victory against Carthage when the prows of captured
warships were put on permanent display on the speaker’s platform.

Saepta: Located on the Campus Martius it was a large portico where voting was held
among other functions.

Scorpion: Ancient Roman artillery piece that shot large arrow shaped “Bolts” with great
force and accuracy.

Scutum: A large curved plywood shield used by the legions. It had a large metal boss that
protruded from the front making the shield a formidable shoving device and obstacle for
the enemy.

Senate: The Senate membership was originally 100 then 300 and in 80bc became 600. It
was populated by magistrates and former magistrates who were members for life, unless
expelled by the censors for misconduct or failing to maintain the prescribed property
requirement. Senators could not engage in common business and could only make money
from rents. The Senate was an advisory body with no legislative powers, yet senators
were responsible for foreign policy, acting as judges and jurors, overseeing public works
and festivals and prosecuting wars. Provincial governors were appointed from the ranks
of former praetors and consuls and given the titles of propraetor and proconsul
respectively. Normally the Senate met in the Curia Hostilia (Senate house) or the temple
of Bellona when war was being discussed or if they had to meet outside the Pomerium
(sacred boundary of the city).

Subura: A poor slum and commercial district of Rome. It is located in the low area
between the Forum, Rome’s Political Center, and the Viminal hill.

Tribune of the plebs: An elected magistracy whose term of office was one year. Not part
of the cursus honorum. Ten Tribunes protected the interests of the people against the
power of the Senate. The Tribune could veto any action within Rome. They could
convene the plebeian assembly and promulgate legislation. The election to office entitled
the holder to membership in the Senate.

Tullianum: A dungeon like chamber carved from the native rock of the Capitoline Hill
that was used as Rome’s execution chamber in which the condemned were strangled to
death.

Vesta: The ancient Roman goddess of the hearth flame. One of Rome’s earliest deities
before the founding of the city families sacrificed at home around an altar with flame
dedicated to the goddess. There is a temple dedicated to vest containing an altar with
Rome’s hearth flame. The flame was tended by the Vestal Virgins. The Vestals were a
sisterhood of six virgins serving a term of thirty years and were paid from the public
treasury. The second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, is attributed with the founding of
the college of Vestal Virgins and with building the temple.

Velabrum: A strip of low lying land within the Pomerium, between the Forum the Tibur
River, from east to west and the Capitoline and Palatine Hills north to south. The
Ruminalis Fig Tree that grew in the place where the she wolf suckled the infant Romulus,
founder of the city and his brother Remus, was located there.