Gemini (jem-in-ee)
Latin for ‘twins’; often refers to the mythological twins Castor and Pollux or to their constellation in the night sky or to someone born under this sign
gladiator
man trained to fight other men in the arena, sometimes to the death
gustatio (goo-stat-yo)
first course or ‘starter’ of a Roman banquet; the main course was called prima mensa, ‘the first table’, and dessert was called secunda mensa, ‘the second table’
Hades (hay-deez)
the Underworld, the place where the spirits of the dead were believed to go
Halicarnassus (hal-ee-car-nass-uss)
(modern Bodrum) ancient city in the region of Caria (now part of Turkey)
helpis (hel-piss)
Greek for ‘hope’
Heracleia (h’-rak-lay-uh)
Ancient port on the southern slopes of Mount Latmus in Caria; Endymion was said to have slept in the caves above it
Hercules (her-kyoo-leez)
very popular Roman demi-god, the equivalent of Greek Herakles
Herodotus (huh-rod-a-tuss)
(c.484–425 BC) Greek historian from Halicarnassus; he was called ‘the Father of History’ because he was one of the first to collect material systematically
Hierapolis (hee-air-rap-oh-liss)
ancient city built above the amazing mineral cascades of modern Pamukkale; the disciple Philip is said to have been martyred there in AD 80
hospitium (hoss-pit-ee-um)
Latin for ‘hotel’ or ‘guesthouse’; often very luxurious with baths and dining rooms
icterus (ik-tur-uss)
from Greek ikteros: the Latin word for jaundice, a disease that makes the skin and eyes appear yellow
Ides (eyedz)
thirteenth day of most months in the Roman calendar (including August); in March, May, July and October the Ides occur on the fifteenth day of the month
impluvium (im-ploo-vee-um)
a rectangular rainwater pool under a skylight (compluvium) in the atrium
insula (in-soo-la)
lit. ‘island’ but also the common word for a city block in Roman times
Ioannes (yo-ah-naze)
Greek for ‘John’
Ionia (eye-oh-nee-uh)
ancient region of Turkey on the Aegean coast around Izmir (ancient Smyrna)
Ionian (eye-oh-nee-un)
member of an ancient Hellenic people from the region around Athens; they colonized part of Asia which became known as ‘Ionia’
Ionic (eye-on-ik)
an order of architecture with columns whose capitals look like scrolls
Italia (it-al-ya)
the Latin word for Italy
Jerusalem (j’-roo-sa-lem)
capital city of Judea, until AD 70, when it was ransacked and destroyed by Roman legions commanded by Titus
Jesus AKA Jesus Christ
(c.3 BC–c.AD 30); Jewish carpenter and teacher who became the central figure of the Christian faith; his followers considered him to be the Christ or Messiah (‘anointed one’) and also the Son of God who was resurrected from the dead
Josephus (jo-see-fuss)
(AD 37–c.100) a Jewish commander during the famous Jewish revolt of AD 65; he surrendered to Vespasian, became Titus’s freedman and lived in Rome, writing histories and other works, particularly about the Jews of that time
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
Kalends (kal-ends)
the first day of any month in the Roman calendar
Laodicea (lay-oh-diss-yuh)
town a few miles below Hierapolis, by the time the hot waters from Hierapolis reached Laodicea, they were lukewarm; it had one of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation
lararium (lar-ar-ee-um)
household shrine, often a chest with a miniature temple on top, sometimes a niche
Latmus (lat-muss)
dramatically rocky ridge which used to be on the coast of Caria in Ionia; because of silting it is now inland, on the shore of Lake Bafa in southwest Turkey
Leo (lee-oh)
sign of the Zodiac of the lion
Lucifer (loo-s’-fur)
Latin for ‘bringer of light’; a name for the morning star and also for Satan
Lydia (lid-ee-uh)
ancient region in Turkey north of Caria; its last king was Croesus
Lysimachus (lie-sim-a-kuss)
(C 355–281 BC) one of the successors of Alexander the Great; he rebuilt the defensive walls of Ephesus in the third century BC
Maeander (mee-and-ur)
ancient name for the Menderes, a river in Turkey which winds sinuously back and forth on its way to the sea; we get the word ‘meander’ from this river
Magnesia (aka Magnesia on the Meander)
ancient town on the Maeander River a few miles southeast of Ephesus, northwest of the present town of Magnesia
Magnesian Gate three-arched southeastern gate of
Ephesus, leading to Magnesia and beyond
maquis (mak-ee)
French word for the dense and fragrant green scrub vegetation found in regions all over the Mediterranean, especially those near the coast
Marnas (mar-nass)
brook which provided one of the major water supplies for the city of Ephesus
Mauretania (more-uh-tane-ya)
(modern Morocco) one of the North African provinces of the Roman Empire
Mausoleum (maw-zo-lee-um)
The Mausoleum of Mausolus at Halicarnassus was one of the ‘Seven Sights’ of the ancient world; it was a giant tomb to a ruler named Mausolus, who lived in the fourth century BC; we get the word ‘mausoleum’ from the tomb named after him
Messiah (m’-sigh-uh)
Hebrew for ‘anointed’ or ‘chosen’ one; the Greek word is ‘Christ’
metanoia (met-an-oy-uh)
lit. ‘change of mind’, the Greek word is often translated as ‘repentance’
Midas (my-duss)
mythical king of Phrygia with several legends attached to him; in one, everything he touches turns to gold; in another, he gets ears like a satyr
mikvah (mik-vuh)
Hebrew for ‘collection’ (usually of waters); a bath in which Jewish ritual purifications were performed
Mindius (min-dee-uss)
name of a Jewish benefactor of the synagogue of Ostia mite (might)
tiny bronze coin; the smallest denomination possible
Moriah (AKA Mount Moriah)
mountain upon which Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac, according to the account in Genesis 22
Mount Latmus (lat-muss)
dramatically rocky ridge which used to be on the coast of Caria in Ionia; because of silting it is now inland, on the shore of Lake Bafa in southwest Turkey
Myndus (min-duss)
Ancient Greek city in Caria on the coast a few miles west of Halicarnassus
Naucratis (now-kra-tiss)
important Roman town on the Canopic branch of the Nile in the Nile Delta
Neptune (nep-tyoon)
god of the sea; his Greek equivalent is Poseidon
Nero (neer-oh)
Emperor who ruled Rome from AD 54–68
Nisyrus (niss-ee-russ)
small, round volcanic island near the coast of Asia Minor (Turkey)
Nones (nonz)
seventh day of March, May, July, October; fifth day of all the other months, including August
nymphaeum (nim-fay-um)
a monument consecrated to the nymphs, most usually a fountain; therefore nymphaeum became a synonym for ‘fountain’
odi et amo (oh-dee et ah-mo)
‘I hate and I love’; first line of a famous poem by Catullus
Ombos (om-boss)
(modern Kom Ombo) town on the east ban
k of the Nile in Egypt
Orpheus (or-fee-uss)
mythological lyre-player who charmed men, animals and rocks with his music, and who tried to bring back his wife from the land of the dead
oscilla (ah-sill-uh)
Latin for ‘little faces’; these were discs of marble, wood or clay hung from trees or between columns to keep away birds and bad luck
Ostia (oss-tee-uh)
port about sixteen miles southwest of Rome; Ostia is Flavia’s home town
Ourania (oo-ran-yuh)
Greek spelling of Urania, one of the nine muses, her discipline was astronomy
palla (pal-uh)
a woman’s cloak, could also be wrapped round the waist or worn over the head
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’
papyrus (puh-pie-russ)
papery material made of pounded Egyptian reeds, used as writing paper and also for parasols and fans
pater (pa-tare)
Latin for ‘father’
patrician (pa-trish-un)
a person from the highest Roman social class
Paul of Tarsus
AKA St Paul, an early Christian who took the gospel to Greece and Asia; he lived in Ephesus for at least two years around AD 50
peristyle (perry-style)
a columned walkway around an inner garden or courtyard
Persephone (purr-sef-uh-nee)
beautiful young daughter of Demeter, she was abducted by Pluto while gathering flowers and had to spend six months of the year in the underworld
Pharos (far-oss)
name of an island off the coast of Alexandria on which a massive lighthouse was built; for this reason, people began to call the lighthouse ‘pharos’ too
Philadelphus (fill-a-del-fuss)
Lit. ‘loves his brother’; popular male name in the Greek-speaking parts of the Roman empire
Phoenician (fuh-neesh-un)
Semitic sea-people who established trading posts in coastal positions all over the Mediterranean; they were renowned sailors
Phrygia (frij-ee-uh)
Part of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) to the east of Caria and Ionia; it was also sometimes used for the whole province of Asia
Pion (pee-on)
one of the mountains upon which Ephesus was built, also the name of the god of that mountain
Pliny (plin-ee)
(AD 23–79) Gaius Plinius Secundus was a famous Roman admiral and scholar who died in the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79; his Natural History still survives
Pluto (ploo-toe)
Roman god of the underworld; his Greek equivalent is Hades
Pollux (pol-luks)
one of the famous twins of Greek mythology (Castor being the other)
posca (poss-kuh)
well-watered vinegar; a non-alcoholic drink particularly favoured by soldiers on duty
prima mensa (pree-ma men-sa)
Latin for ‘the first table’ or main course of a meal, the starter was called gustatio; and dessert was called secunda mensa, ‘the second table’
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
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
Rhakotis (rah-ko-tiss)
western suburb of Alexandria; may have been the original fishing settlement
Rhodes (roads)
large island in the Aegean Sea near Turkey, its capital was Rhodes Town
Sabratha (sah-brah-tah)
(modern Tripoli Vecchia/Zouagha) one of the ‘three cities’ of Tripolitania in the North African province of Africa Proconsularis (now northern Libya)
satyr (sat-tur)
mythical woodland creature which is half man, half animal; in Roman times they were shown with goat’s ears, tail, legs and horns
scroll (skrole)
a papyrus or parchment ‘book’, unrolled from side to side as it was read
secunda mensa (sek-oon-da men-sa)
Latin for ‘the second table’ or dessert course of a meal, the starter was called gustatio; and the main course was called prima mensa, ‘the first table’
Selene (sel-ee-nee)
titaness who drove the chariot of the moon; she loved Endymion and Zeus put him in a perpetual sleep so that she could gaze upon him at night
Seneca (sen-eh-kuh)
(c. BC–AD 65) Roman philosopher who wrote about how to die a good death
sesterces (sess-tur-seez)
more than one sestertius, a brass coin; about a day’s wage for a labourer
Smyrna (smeer-nuh)
(modern Izmir) ancient port city in Ionia, one of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation was located here
Soter (so-tare)
Lit. ‘saviour’; popular male name in the Greek-speaking parts of the Roman empire
sponsa (spon-suh)
Latin for fiancée, wife or betrothed
stola (stole-uh)
a long sleeveless tunic worn mostly by Roman matrons (married women)
stylus (stile-us)
a metal, wood or ivory tool for writing on wax tablets
suppressio (suh-press-ee-oh)
Latin legal term for the abduction and enslavement of a person who is freeborn
Surrentum (sir-wren-tum)
modern Sorrento, a pretty harbour town on the Bay of Naples south of Vesuvius
Symi (sim-ee)
small island near Rhodes famous for its sponge-divers
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
Tarquin (tar-kwin)
one of the first kings of Rome; lived in the sixth century BC
temenos (tem-en-oss)
sacred marked-out area, usually in a sanctuary
tesserae (tess-sir-eye)
the little cubes of stone and glass that make up a mosaic
tetradrachm (tet-ra-drak-m)
coin of the Greek-speaking part of the Roman empire; in the first century, one tetradrachm was equal to four drachmae or one denarius
tetrarch (tet-rark)
Greek for ‘ruler of a quarter’; term for governor of part of a province in the Roman empire or a ruler of a minor principality
thalassa (tha-la-sa)
Greek word for ‘sea’; this is what Xenophon and his men shouted after months of being lost inland and finally catching sight of water
Thebaid (thee-bye-id)
region of Upper Egypt around Thebes (modern Luxor and Karnak)
Titus (tie-tuss)
Titus Flavius Vespasianus, forty-one-year-old son of Vespasian, has been Emperor of Rome for almost a year when this story takes place
toga (toe-ga) a blanket-like outer garment, worn by freeborn men and boys
triclinium (trik-lin-ee-um)
ancient Roman dining room, usually with three couches to recline on
tunic (tew-nik)
a piece of clothing like a big T-shirt; children often wore a long-sleeved one
tyche (tie-kee)
Greek word for ‘luck’ or ‘fortune’
Tychicus (tik-ee-kuss)
early Christian who traveled with St Paul and is mentioned in some of his letters; we only know that he came from Ionia and ministered around Ephesus
Vespasian (vess-pay-zhun)
Roman emperor who ruled from AD 69–79; father of Titus and Domitian
vespasian (vess-pay-zhun)
slang term for ‘piss-pot’, so called because the emperor Vespasian had once
set a tax on urine
Vesuvius (vuh-soo-vee-yus)
volcano near Naples which erupted on 24 August AD 79 and destroyed Pompeii
Via Ostiensis (vee-uh os-tee-en-suss)
road from Ostia to Rome
vinea (vin-nay-uh)
Latin for ‘vineyard’ or ‘vines’
Virgo (vur-go)
Latin for ‘virgin’ or ‘maiden’; sign of the zodiac of the maiden
Vulcan (vul-kan)
god of fire, the forge and blacksmiths
wall-nettle AKA herba murialis also known as parthenion, a herb recommended by Pliny and Celsus for bruises
wax tablet
a wax-covered rectanglar piece of wood used for making notes
wet-nurse
a woman who breast-feeds an infant if his mother is dead or can’t feed him herself
Xenophon (zen-oh-fon)
(C.431–355 BC) a Greek who lived in the time of Plato; he led a group of mercenary soldiers who were lost for many months, when at last they caught sight of the sea, they knew they could find their way home to Greece
Yohanan (yo-ha-nan)
Hebrew for ‘John’; John son of Zebedee was one of Jesus’s disciples
Zabdai (zab-die)
Hebrew for ‘Zebedee’, a surname mentioned in the New Testament
Zodiac (zo-dee-ak)
Greek for ‘animal figure’: a belt of the heavens which includes twelve important constellations, (e.g. Virgo, the maiden); the ancients put great significance on the movement of the sun, moon and seven planets through these constellations
Jesus of Nazareth was the name of the man who gave rise to the whole Christian faith. Some people believe he was the Son of God and that he performed miracles and rose from the dead. Others think he was just a wise prophet who lived in the first century AD. We know he was born about the year ‘dot’ and we still count our calendar from his birth. (AD stands for anno domini – ‘in the year of the Lord’– and CE stands for ‘Christian era’.) We know Jesus was Jewish, and that he spoke Aramaic and probably also Greek. We know that Jesus had at least a dozen disciples (all Jews) who followed him and claimed to have witnessed his miracles and resurrection. Almost all historians agree that Jesus was crucified in the Roman province of Judea around AD 30, during the reign of Tiberius, forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus’s legions. We know that in the first century, Christianity seemed to be another sect of Judaism, and the two were often confused. Rome considered both dangerous because their followers would not worship deified Roman emperors, and this was considered subversive.
The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection Page 254