Africa
In AD 80, the time of this story, Africa was the Roman name for the coastal strip of North Africa, rather than the whole continent; it was divided into five Roman provinces; from west to east: Mauretania Tingitana, Mauretania Caesariensis, Africa Proconsularis, Cyrenaica and Egypt (see map at front of book)
Alexander Helios
(c. 40–c. 25 BC) son of Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra, and twin brother of Cleopatra Selene, he probably died of a fever in Rome around the age of fifteen
amphitheatre (am-fee-theatre)
oval-shaped stadium for watching gladiator shows, beast fights and the execution of criminals
amphora (am-for-uh)
large clay storage jar for holding wine, oil or grain
Antonius (see Marcus Antonius)
as (ass)
a acopper coin worth a quarter of a sestertius in the first century AD
Atlas Mountains
mountains in what is now Morocco; named after the mythical titan who ‘held’ the sky on his shoulders; the Middle Atlas range are the furthest north
atrium (eh-tree-um)
the reception room in larger Roman homes, often with skylight and pool
aulos (owl-oss)
wind instrument with double pipes and reeds that made a buzzy sound
Augustus (awe-guss-tuss) (63 BC–AD 14)
Julius Caesar’s adopted grand-nephew (son of Caesar’s niece, Atia) and first emperor of Rome; his given name was Octavian; the Octavia mentioned in this story was his older sister
basilica (ba-sill-ik-uh)
large public building in the forum of most Roman towns, it served as a court of law and meeting place
bath-set
a ring (usually bronze) with various bath-implements (also bronze) hanging from it: strigil, oil flask, tweezers and ear scoop; you would hold it or wear it around your wrist whenever you went to the baths
caelum (kai-lum)
Latin for ‘heavens’ or ‘sky’; homo ad caelum means ‘man to the sky’
Caesarea (kai-zah-ree-uh)
(modern Cherchell) port town capital of the client kingdom of Mauretania, then of the Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis (see next entry)
Caesariensis (kai-zar-ee-en-siss)
Mauretania Caesariensis (modern Algeria) was a Roman province in North Africa, named after its capital Caesarea (modern Cherchell)
Caesarion (kai-zar-ee-on)
(47–30 BC) son of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra, he was murdered by Octavian (who would later become Augustus) when he was seventeen
caftan (kaf-tan)
long-sleeved loose robe, worn by men and women in hot countries
Capitolium (kap-it-toll-ee-um)
temple of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, usually located in the forum of a town
Carthage (kar-thaj)
Phoenician port town founded by the mythical Queen Dido; the Romans destroyed it in BC but soon realised the value of its location and rebuilt it
Castor (kas-tor)
one of the famous twins of Greek mythology (Pollux being the other)
caupona (cow-pone-uh)
inn, tavern or shop, usually the former
cavea (kah-vay-uh)
the curved seating of a Roman theatre, often divided into three sections
Circus Maximus
famous oval course for chariot races, located in Rome near the imperial palace
Cleopatra (klee-oh-pat-ra)
(69–30 BC) Cleopatra VII was the Greek ruler of Egypt during part of the first century BC; she bore children to Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius
Cleopatra Selene (c. 40 BC–AD 5)
daughter of Cleopatra VII (above) and Marcus Antonius, she married the Numidian King Juba II and ruled Mauretania with him until her death
Cydamus (kid-a-mus)
(modern Ghadames) an oasis town in Libya which was on the Saharan caravan route from Roman times; it has covered streets and thick, bread-like walls
deus (day-ooss)
Latin for ‘god’ the expression deus ex machina means ‘god from a crane’
Diana aka Artemis
virgin goddess of the hunt and of the moon: she despises men and loves her independent life of adventure, hunting with her maiden friends and her hounds
domina (dom-in-ah)
Latin word meaning ‘mistress’; a polite form of address for a woman
Drusilla (droo-sill-uh)
(born c. AD) daughter of Ptolemy and Julia Urania of Mauretania
euge! (oh-gay)
Latin exclamation: ‘hurray!’
Flavia (flay-vee-uh)
a name, meaning ‘fair-haired’; Flavius is the masculine form of this name
Flavia Domitilla (flay-vee-uh dom-ee-till-uh)
wife of Vespasian and mother of Titus; she lived in Sabratha for a time
forum (for-um)
ancient marketplace and civic centre in Roman towns
Forum of the Corporations
Ostia’s special forum for businesses associated with ships, import and export
Fulvia (full-vee-uh)
(75?– 40 BC) a colourful Roman matron, she was a wife of Marcus Antonius (he was her third husband) and an enemy of Cicero
ghul (gool)
Arabic for ‘demon’, especially of the desert
gladiator (glad-ee-ate-or)
man trained to fight other men in the arena, sometimes to the death
gratis (grat-iss)
Latin for ‘free’ or ‘no charge’
Helios (heel-ee-oss)
Greek for ‘sun’; a popular name for boys and men in Roman Egypt
Hercules (her-kyoo-leez)
very popular Roman demi-god, the equivalent of Greek Herakles
homo (ho-mo)
Latin for ‘man’; homo ad caelum means ‘man to the sky’
Ides (eyedz)
thirteenth day of most months in the Roman calendar; in March, May, July and October the Ides occur on the fifteenth day of the month
Isis (eye-siss)
Egyptian goddess often shown with her baby son Horus and a sacred rattle, or sistrum; in the Roman period she became associated with Venus
Italia (it-al-ya)
Latin word for Italy, the famous boot-shaped peninsula
jinn (gin)
Arabic for a kind of demon who can take on the shape of man or beast
Juba II (joo-ba)
(c. 50 BC–AD 23) king and scholar of Numidian birth who was raised in Rome after the defeat of his father Juba I by Julius Caesar; Juba II became a friend of Augustus, married the daughter of Cleopatra and ruled the client kingdom of Mauretania from Caesarea (Cherchell) and especially Volubilis
Julia Urania (jool-ya yur-an-ya)
wife of Ptolemy of Mauretania and mother of Drusilla of Mauretania
Juno (joo-no)
queen of the Roman gods and wife of the god Jupiter
Jupiter (joo-pit-er)
king of the Roman gods, husband of Juno and brother of Pluto and Neptune
kohl (coal)
dark powder used to darken eyelids or outline eyes
Laurentum (lore-ent-um)
village on the coast of Italy a few miles south of Ostia and site of a villa belonging to Pliny the Younger
lemures (lay-myoor-aze)
ghosts of the dead
Leptis Magna (lep-tiss mag-nuh)
one of the three port towns comprising Tripolitania’ in the province of Africa Proconsularis (the other two being Oea and Sabratha); this is the Latin spelling: the Phoenician spelling is Lepcis Magna
libretto (lib-ret-oh)
Italian word from the diminutive of Latin ‘liber’ (book), meaning the text of a long musical vocal piece
Liber Pater (lee-bare pah-tare)
an Italian fertility god who was often identified with Greek Dionysus and African Shadrapa; he was the male equivalent of Ceres, goddess of grain
Libya
the Greek word for Africa in the
first century AD
lictor (lick-tor)
official who holds fasces – sticks and an axe – and who usually precedes a magistrate
Lixus (licks-uss)
(modern Larach) Phoenician trading port on the Atlantic coast of Mauretania Tingitana (modern Morocco)
machina (mak-ee-nuh)
Latin for ‘crane’ the expression deus ex machina means ‘god from a crane’
Macedonian (mass-uh-doe-nee-un)
anyone from the part of Northern Greece called Macedonia; Cleopatra’s ancestors were from Macedonia, so she was Macedonian not Egyptian
Marcus Antonius (mar-kuss an-tone-ee-uss)
(82–30 BC) aka Mark Anthony, a soldier and statesman who lived during the time of Julius Caesar; he was an enemy of Augustus and a lover of Cleopatra
Mauretania (more-it-tan-ya)
region corresponding to northwest Africa; in the first century BC, it was a client kingdom of Rome, ruled by kings subject to Rome; after the murder of King Juba II’s son Ptolemy by Caligula in AD 40, it became a Roman province with a governor rather than a king
meander (mee-and-er)
Greek pattern of straight boxy lines which imitates a winding or meandering river; often resembling a maze, it was a popular border for clothing and architecture
mendicus (men-dee-kooss)
Latin for ‘beggar’
Medusa (m’-dyoo-suh)
mythical female monster with a face so ugly she turned people to stone
Minerva (m’-nerv-uh)
Roman equivalent of Athena, goddess of wisdom, war and weaving
munus (myoon-uss)
the Latin word for ‘duty’ or ‘responsibility’
Neptune (nep-tyoon)
god of the sea and also of horses; his Greek equivalent is Poseidon
Nero (near-oh)
(AD 37–68) notorious emperor who was reported to have strummed his lyre while Rome burned in the great fire of AD 64; he ruled from AD 54–68
Nones (nonz)
Seventh day of March, May, July, October; fifth day of all the other months
Numidians (new-mid-ee-uns)
an ancient ethnic group occupying Northwest Africa, now known as Berbers
Octavia (ok-tave-ee-uh)
(c. 69–11 BC) also known as ‘Octavia Minor’, older sister of Octavian (aka Augustus, the first emperor of Rome) and fourth wife of Marcus Antonius
Octavian (see Augustus)
Oea (oh-eh-uh)
(modern Tripoli, capital of Libya) along with Sabratha and Leptis Magna, Oea was one of the three ports collectively called ‘Tripolitania’ (lit. the three cities); the name Oea is Phoenician and Tripolitania is Greek
Orestes (or-ess-teez)
a mythical hero who killed his mother and was then driven mad by the Furies
Ostia (oss-tee-uh)
port about miles southwest of Rome; Ostia is Flavia’s home town
orchestra (or-kess-tra)
semi-circular space between the scaena (stage) and cavea (seating) of a theatre
pantomime (pan-toe-mime)
Roman theatrical performance in which a man (or sometimes woman) illustrated a sung story through dance; the dancer could also be called a ‘pantomime’
Parthian (parth-ee-un)
someone from Parthia, an ancient region of Asia now comprising parts of modern Iran, Afganistan, Pakistan and Arabia, to name just a few
pater (pa-tare)
Latin for ‘father’
paterfamilias (pa-tare fa-mill-ee-as)
father or head of the household, with absolute control over his children and slaves
Pentasii (pen-tah-zee)
one of several corporations of North African beast-hunters known in Roman times; their symbol was a five-pointed crown with a fish in the centre
peristyle (perry-style)
a columned walkway around an inner garden or courtyard
Phoenicians (fuh-neesh-unz)
Semitic sea-people who established trading posts in coastal positions all over the Mediterranean; they are described by the word Punic
plebs (plebz)
term for the ‘common people’ or ‘lower classes’, as opposed to those of the equestrian and patrician class
Pollux (pol-luks)
one of the famous twins of Greek mythology (Castor being the other)
proconsul (pro-kon-sul)
Latin term for the governor of a senatorial province
procurator (prok-yur-ate-or)
governor of an imperial province, usually a man of the equestrian class
proscaenium (pro-sky-nee-um)
the stage of a theatre, literally: the bit in front of the scaena (backing wall); in many theatres the proscaenium was wooden, and acted as a sounding board
province (pra-vince)
a division of the Roman Empire; in the first century AD senatorial provinces were governed by a proconsul appointed by the senate, imperial provinces were governed by a propraetor appointed by the Emperor
Ptolemy (tall-eh-mee) of Mauretania
(c.5 BC–AD 40) son of Juba II and Cleopatra Selene, grandson of Cleopatra and Marcus Antonius, he was the last client king of Mauretania; his execution by order of the emperor Caligula sparked a revolt in Mauretania which resulted in that client kingdom becoming a Roman province
quadrans (kwad-ranz)
tiny bronze coin worth one sixteenth of a sestertius or quarter of an as (hence quadrans); in the first century it was the lowest value Roman coin in production
Sabratha (sah-brah-tah)
(modern Tripoli Vecchia or Zouagha or Sabrata) originally a Phoenician trading post, it became one of the ‘three cities’ of Tripolitania in the North African province of Africa Proconsularis (modern Libya)
scaena (sky-nuh)
the monumental wall behind the stage in a Roman or Greek theatre; it often had up to three levels with columns, windows and doors leading backstage
scroll (skrole)
papyrus or parchment ‘book’, unrolled from side to side as it was read
Selene (s’-lay-nay)
Greek for ‘moon’; a popular name for girls and women in Roman Egypt
senna (sen-uh)
a leaf with laxative effect
sesterces (sess-tur-seez)
more than one sestertius, a brass coin; about a day’s wage for a labourer
sistrum (siss-trum)
bronze rattle used as an instrument, often linked to worship of the goddess Isis
SPQR
famous abbreviation for senatus populusque romanus – the senate and people of Rome
stola (stole-uh)
a long tunic worn by Roman matrons and respectable women
stylus (stile-us)
metal, wood or ivory tool for writing on wax tablets
succubae (suck-you-bye)
from the Latin succumbo, to lie down; female demons who lie down with men
tablinum (tab-leen-um)
room in wealthier Roman houses used as the master’s study or office, often looking out onto the atrium or inner garden, or both
Tiber (tie-bur)
the river that flows through Rome and enters the sea at Ostia
Tingis (tin-giss)
(modern Tangier) port town and capital of the Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana
Tingitana (tin-gee-tah-nah)
Mauretania Tingitana (modern Morocco) was the westernmost Roman province of North Africa, and was named after its capital Tingis
Titus (tie-tuss)
Titus Flavius Vespasianus has been Emperor of Rome for almost two years when this story takes place
triclinium (tri-klin-ee-um)
ancient Roman dining room, usually with three couches to recline on
tunic (tew-nic)
piece of clothing like a big T-shirt; children often wore a long-sleeved one
Ursa Minor (er-sa mine-or)
Latin for ‘Little Bear’, a constellation known today as the ‘Little D
ipper’; the north star is part of it
Venus (vee-nuss)
Roman goddess of love, Aphrodite is her Greek equivalent
Vespasian (vess-pay-zhun)
aka Titus Flavius Vespasianus, Roman Emperor from AD 69–AD 79
vivarium (vee-var-ee-um)
a place where wild animals were kept awaiting transport to the ampitheatre; there was an Imperial vivarium south of Ostia, near Laurentum
Volubilis (vo-loo-bill-iss)
founded by Carthaginians in the third century BC, this city was one of the capitals of the territory ruled by King Juba II of Mauretania in the first century BC
vomitoria (vom-it-ore-ee-uh)
Latin word meaning ‘entrances’ to the theatres or amphitheatres
Vulcan (vul-kan
crippled god of forge and fire, he was married to Venus
wadi (wad-ee)
riverbed in the desert; usually dry
wax tablet
wax-coated rectangular piece of wood used for making notes
‘Africam Graeci Libyam appellavere . . .’
The Greeks call Africa Libya . . . So begins the fifth scroll of Pliny’s Natural History.
In the first century AD, the fertile coastal region of North Africa was part of the great Roman Empire. This region was often called ‘Rome’s breadbasket’, because of the great quantities of wheat grown here and then shipped to Rome. The wheat needed to be shipped to Rome, and so several port towns sprang up. These were usually built according to the Roman layout and would have seemed quite familiar to a Roman traveler.
Sabratha, for example, was a port town about the same size and shape as Ostia. Its wild beast importers had their own office in Ostia’s famous Forum of the Corporations (with a mosaic of an elephant as their trademark.) If you visit Sabratha today, you can still see the forum with its Capitolium and basilica, very much like Ostia’s. You can also see ruins of a massive sandstone temple to the Egyptian goddess Isis, as well as a reconstructed Roman theatre, with an imposing three-story scaena.
Even Volubilis, one of the furthest outposts of the Roman Empire and several hundred miles inland, would have felt Roman. In the first century BC, Volubilis was one of the capitals of King Juba’s client kingdom of Mauretania.
The part of Africa which would have seemed exotic to a Roman was the great inland desert. Then as now, the Sahara spread over a great area of North Africa. But in Roman times much of the Sahara was savannah, providing habitat for exotic animals like giraffe, zebra, antelope and lions. Catching game for the arena was a huge industry in the first century AD, and the Romans hunted these wild animals virtually to extinction.
The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection Page 218