The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection

by Lawrence, Caroline

  Alba Longa (al-buh lon-guh)

  ancient colony founded by Aeneas’s son Ascanius at Lake Albano near Rome

  Alban (all-ban)

  referring to the hills about ten miles southeast of Rome

  Alexandria (al-ex-and-ree-ah)

  port of Egypt and one of the greatest cities of the ancient world

  aloes (al-oze)

  succulent plant known for its skin-healing properties in ancient times

  altar (all-tur)

  a flat-topped block, usually of stone, for making an offering to a god or goddess; often inscribed, they could be big (for temples) or small (for personal vows)

  amici (uh-mee-kee)

  Latin for ‘friends’, can also mean ‘advisors’ or ‘imperial councilors’

  amphitheatre (am-fee-theatre)

  an oval-shaped stadium for watching gladiator shows, beast fights and executions; the Flavian amphitheatre in Rome (now called the ‘Colosseum’) is the most famous

  amphora (am-for-uh)

  large clay storage jar for holding wine, oil or grain

  Amulius (a-mule-ee-uss)

  great-uncle of Romulus and Remus; according to ancient legend, he tried to depose their grandfather Numitor and get power for himself

  apodyterium (ap-oh-di-tare-ee-um)

  the changing-room in a bath-house, usually with wall-niches for clothing

  Apollo (uh-pol-oh)

  Greek and Roman god of the sun, music and plague

  Apollonius (ap-uh-lone-ee-uss) of Tyana

  (c AD 2–98) well-known philosopher, mystic and contemporary of Jesus, he lived in Tyana in southeast Turkey and was sought out by many people for his views

  Appian Way (see Via Appia)

  Aquae Cutiliae

  modern Cittaducale, a mineral spring 9 miles east of Rieti, the Flavians had a residence there; it is famous for being right in the centre of Italy

  Aramaic (ar-uh-may-ik)

  closely related to Hebrew, it was the common language of first century Jews

  Argonautica (arr-go-not-ick-uh)

  account of Jason’s search on his ship Argo for the golden fleece; the most famous was by Apollonius Rhodius but there is an unfinished version by Valerius Flaccus

  Argos (ar-goce)

  faithful dog of Odysseus in Greek mythology

  Aruva (uh-roo-vuh)

  Pinchas ben Aruva is the rabbi who recounted the story of Titus’s autopsy according to the Talmud (Gittin 56b)

  as (ass)

  a copper coin worth a quarter of a sestertius in the first century AD

  Ascanius (ass-kane-ee-uss)

  son of Aeneas; he founded Alba Longa after his father’s death; he was sometimes known as Iulus or Julus

  Ascletario (ask-luh-tar-ee-oh)

  Domitian’s astrologer is mentioned by Suetonius in his Lives of the Caesars

  Asia (ayzh-uh)

  In Roman times Asia meant what is now modern Turkey, rather than the Far East, as it does today; the province of Asia included Rhodes and other islands

  atrium (eh-tree-um)

  the reception room in larger Roman homes, often with skylight and pool

  augur (ah-gur)

  prophet who interpreted divine meaning behind the flights of birds and other natural signs

  Augustus (ah-guss-tuss)

  a title conferred on Roman emperors, it meant illustrious and hinted at an unbroken line of succession from the first emperor: Octavian Augustus

  Aventine (av-en-tine)

  one of the hills of Rome between the river Tiber and the Palatine Hill; it is named after the great grandfather of Romulus and Remus

  Aventinus (av-en-teen-uss)

  descendent of Aeneas and great great-grandfather of Romulus and Remus

  ben (ben)

  Hebrew for ‘son of’; Pinchas ben Aruva means Pinchas son of Aruva, Jonathan ben Mordecai means Jonathan son of Mordecai, etc

  Berenice (bare-uh-neece)

  beautiful Jewish Queen who was Titus’s lover in the AD 70s

  Bovillae (bo-vill-eye)

  town near Lake Albanus at the fourteenth milestone on Appian Way

  brazier (bray-zher)

  coal-filled metal bowl on legs used to heat a room (like an ancient radiator)

  Britannia (bri-tan-yuh)

  Roman name for Britain

  Britannicus (bri-tan-ick-uss)

  son and heir of the Emperor Claudius, and friend of Titus, he was reputedly poisoned by Nero and died aged 14

  Caesar (see-zur)

  title adopted by the emperors of Rome starting with the first emperor Augustus; after Julius Caesar adopted him in his will, his name became Gaius Julius Caesar

  caftan (kaf-tan)

  long-sleeved loose robe, worn by men and women in hot countries

  caldarium (kall-dar-ee-um)

  hot room of the public baths with a hot plunge

  Capena Gate (see Porta Capena)

  carruca (ka-ru-ka)

  a four-wheeled travelling coach, often covered

  Castor (kass-tur)

  one of the famous twins of Greek mythology, Pollux being the other

  Catullus (ka-tull-us)

  Roman poet who lived about 140 years before this story takes place; famous for his passionate, witty and often rude poetry

  cavea (kah-vay-uh)

  the curved seating area of a Roman theatre

  ceramic (sir-am-ik)

  clay which has been fired in a kiln, very hard and smooth.

  Cerberus (sir-burr-uss)

  three-headed mythological hellhound who guards the gates of the Underworld

  Chrestus (kres-tuss)

  Fairly common Greek slave name in the first century and also a possible mispronunciation of ‘Christos’

  (Christ), the Greek word for anointed (Messiah)

  chrysolite (kriss-oh-lite)

  Greek for ‘golden stone’ but actually a transparent grass-green semi-precious stone

  cicada (sik-ah-duh)

  an insect like a grasshopper that chirrs during the day

  Cicero (siss-ur-oh)

  Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BC) was a famous philosopher, orator and lawyer who lived during the time of Julius Caesar

  Circus Maximus (sir-kuss max-i-muss)

  famous course for chariot races, between the Palatine and Aventine Hills in Rome

  Claudius (klaw-dee-uss)

  fourth emperor of Rome who ruled from AD 41 to AD 54; he commissioned the building of a new harbour at Portus near Ostia and befriended young Titus

  Clivus Scauri (klee-vuss skow-ree)

  a steep road on the Caelian Hill near the Colosseum, still visible today

  Clodius Pulcher (klode-ee-uss pull-kare)

  rich politician of the first century BC; he had an opulent villa on Lake Albano

  Collina Gate (see Porta Collina)

  colonnade (call-a-nade)

  a covered walkway lined with columns

  Colossus of Rhodes (kuh-loss-iss)

  gigantic statue of Helios on the island of Rhodes; it lay on the ground, having been toppled by an earthquake 66 years after it was finished

  Corinth (kor-inth)

  Greek port town with a large Jewish population

  corona (kuh-ro-nuh)

  Latin for ‘crown’ or ‘garland’

  cryptoporticus (krypt-oh-port-ik-uss)

  Greek for ‘secret corridor’; an underground passage-way, usually vaulted

  cupid (kyoo-pid)

  Cupid (the Roman equivalent of Eros) was the son of Venus; chubby versions of him called ‘cupids’

  became popular in imperial times and were often shown as naked winged babies with bow and arrows of love

  Curia (kyoor-ee-uh)

  AKA Curia Julia, the senate-house built by Julius Caesar in the Forum Romanum

  cursus honorum (kur-siss on-or-um)

  Latin for ‘course of honours’; the steps a patrician took to reach a high position in public office, ideally that of c
onsul

  Cyclops (sigh-klops)

  mythical giant with a single eye in the centre of his forehead

  dactylic hexameter (dak-til-ik heck-sam-it-er)

  the meter of epic poems such as The Iliad, The Odyssey and The Aeneid

  Delphic oracle (del-fik or-uh-kul)

  the god Apollo was believed to speak through a priestess called the Pythia at his sanctuary at Delphi in Greece

  detectrix (dee-tek-triks)

  female form of ‘detector’, someone who uncovers things: detective

  Diana (Artemis in Greek)

  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

  Dionysius (die-oh-niss-ee-uss) of Halicarnassus

  (c. 60–7 BC) Greek historian and orator who wrote an account of Rome’s origins

  Domitia (doh-mish-uh)

  (c. AD 53–130) Domitia Longina was the wife of Domitian, she is about thirty-eight in this story

  Domitian (duh-mish-un)

  the Emperor Titus’s younger brother, is thirty-one years old when this story takes place

  eheu! (eh-ho)

  Latin exclamation meaning ‘alas!’

  Emissario (em-iss-ar-ee-oh)

  emissarium is Latin for ‘outlet’; the four-century BC

  Emissario on Lake Albano can still be seen today

  ephedron (eff-ed-ron)

  a plant mentioned by Pliny the Elder still used today in the treatment of asthma

  Ephesus (eff-ess-iss)

  perhaps the most important town in the Roman province of Asia; site of one of the Seven Sights of the ancient world and also of early churches

  epsilon (ep-sill-on)

  fifth letter of the Greek alphabet, equivalent to our letter ‘E’

  Eretum (eh-ray-toom)

  perhaps modern Fara Sabina; the exact location of this Sabine town on the Via Salaria is not know, but some ancient writers place it about 15 miles outside Rome

  ergo (er-go)

  Latin adverb meaning ‘therefore’

  Etruscan (ee-truss-kan)

  race of people who inhabited the regions to the northwest of Rome long before the so-called ‘Latins’ arrived; their domination was ended by the Roman sack of Veii

  euge! (oh-gay)

  Latin exclamation meaning ‘hurray!’

  eureka! (yoo-reek-uh)

  Greek for ‘I’ve found it!’ (pronounced ‘heureka!’ in ancient Greek)

  Eurydice (yoo-rid-diss-ee)

  wife of the poet Orpheus; she died of a snakebite on their wedding day and he tried unsuccessfully to bring her back from the Underworld

  ex machina (eks mak-in-uh)

  Latin for ‘from a crane’; usually referring to the part of a play where an actor dressed as a god or goddess is lowered onto the stage to put everything right

  Flaccus (flak-uss)

  for Gaius Valerius Flaccus, see The Last Scroll

  Flavia (flay-vee-a)

  a name, meaning ‘fair-haired’; Flavius is another form of this name

  forica (for-ik-uh)

  Latin for latrine or public toilet

  forum (for-um)

  the civic centre of Roman towns, usually an open space surrounded by shady colonnades and official buildings

  Fortuna (for-toon-uh)

  Roman goddess of good luck and success

  Forum Romanum (for-um ro-mah-num)

  Rome’s most famous forum, the political hub of the empire

  freedman (freed-man)

  a slave who has been granted freedom, his ex-master becomes his patron

  frigidarium (frig-id-ar-ee-um)

  the room of the public baths with the cold plunge

  fuller (full-ur)

  ancient launderer; they used urine, mud and sulphur to whiten wool and linen

  gladius (glad-ee-uss)

  Latin for ‘sword’, especially the short thrusting sword of the legionary

  Hades (hay-deez)

  the underground Land of the Dead, in Greek mythology

  Halicarnassus (hal-ee-car-nass-uss)

  (modern Bodrum) ancient city in Turkey; site of one of the Seven Wonders

  haruspex (ha-roos-pecks)

  priest who interpreted omens by inspecting the entrails of sacrificed animals

  Hebrew (hee-brew)

  holy language of the Old Testament, spoken by (religious) Jews in the first century

  Helios (heel-ee-oss)

  Greek for ‘sun’; the divine son of Apollo, he drove the chariot of the sun

  Hercules (her-kyoo-leez)

  very popular Roman demi-god, he was worshipped by sailors in particular

  Hispania (hiss-pan-ya)

  name given by the Romans to the Iberian peninsula:

  modern Spain and Portugal

  hospitium (hoss-pit-ee-um)

  Latin for hotel or guesthouse; often very luxurious with baths and dining rooms

  Hydra (hide-ruh)

  mythological snake with many heads, when you cut one off, two new ones grew in its place

  Ides (eyedz)

  thirteenth day of most months in the Roman calendar (including September); in March, May, July, and October the Ides occur on the fifteenth day of the month.

  imperium (im-peer-ee-um)

  Latin for ‘power’, ‘command’, ‘authority’ particularly military; imperium was officially granted to new emperors by the Senate

  Italia (it-al-ya)

  Latin word for Italy, the famous boot-shaped peninsula

  Janus (jane-uss)

  two-faced Roman god of gateways, beginnings and ends

  Jerusalem (j’-roo-sah-lem)

  capital of the Roman province of Judaea, it was destroyed by Titus in AD 70, eleven years before this story takes place

  Jonah (jo-nuh) Hebrew for ‘dove’

  Josephus (jo-see-fuss)

  Jewish commander who surrendered to Vespasian, became Titus’s freedman and wrote The Jewish War, an account of the Jewish revolt in seven volumes

  Judaea (joo-dee-uh)

  ancient province of the Roman Empire; modern Israel

  Julia (jool-yuh)

  Titus’s only child Julia Flavia was seventeen and married to Titus Flavius Sabinus when this story takes place

  Julius Menecrates (jool-yuss m’-nek-ra-teez)

  we know from a poet called Statius that a man named Julius Menecrates married the eldest daughter of Pollius Felix and that she had at least three sons by him

  Juno (jew-no)

  queen of the Roman gods and wife of the god Jupiter

  Jupiter (jew-pit-er)

  king of the Roman gods; together with his wife Juno and daughter Minerva he forms the Capitoline triad, the three main deities of Rome

  Kalends (kal-ends)

  The Kalends mark the first day of the month in the Roman calendar

  kohl (kole)

  dark powder used to darken eyelids or outline eyes

  kylix (kie-licks)

  elegant, flat-bowled Greek drinking cup, especially for drinking parties

  Lacus Albanus (lah-kuss all-bah-nuss)

  modern Lake Albano; a volcanic crater lake in the Alban Hills southeast of Rome

  Laetus (lie-toos)

  Latin for ‘happy’: the cognomen of Tranquillus’ father Gaius Suetonius Laetus

  lararium (lar-ar-ee-um)

  household shrine, often a chest with a miniature temple on top, sometimes a niche

  Latinus (luh-tee-nuss)

  legendary king of Latium, he promised his daughter to Turnus, then later to Aeneas

  Latium (lat-ee-um)

  area to the south of the Tiber, from the coast to the Alban Hills; it was the part of Italy first settled by Aeneas and its language became Latin

  Laurentum (lore-ent-um)

  village on the coast of Italy in Latium, a few miles south of Ostia

  Lavinia (luh-vin-ee-uh)

  daughter of Latinus, th
e king of Latium at the time of Aeneas’s arrival in Italy

  litter (lit-tur)

  Latin ‘lectica’; a couch on poles carried by two to eight slaves, the most comfortable way to travel in Roman times

  Livy (liv-ee)

  AKA Titus Livius (c 59 BC – AD 17) was a historian who wrote about the origins of Rome in his book Ab Urbe Condita (From the Founding of Rome)

  Lucrine Lake (loo-kreen)

  Neopolitan lake which was famous for its oysters in Roman times

  Ludi Romani (loo-dee ro-mah-nee)

  Roman harvest festival held in September and celebrated with chariot races

  Lusca (luss-kuh)

  Latin for ‘one-eyed’

  Massilia (m’-sill-ee-uh)

  modern Marseilles, a port on the French Riviera

  mastic (mass-tik)

  ancient Roman chewing gum; a resin from a shrub native to the Greek island of Chios; the taste is like sweetish spicy carrot; origin of the word ‘masticate’

  mater (ma-tare)

  Latin for ‘mother’

  mausoleum (maw-zo-lee-um)

  tomb which housed more than one body or urn with ashes; we get the word from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the ‘Seven Sights’ of the ancient world

  Menecrates (see Julius Menecrates)

  mensa secunda (men-suh sek-oon-duh)

  Latin for ‘second table’, meaning the dessert course of a dinner

  Messallinus (mess-uh-leen-uss)

  Lucius Valerius Catullus Messallinus, Domitian’s blind advisor, was called ‘mortiferus’ (death-dealing) by the poet Juvenal

  Minerva (m’-nerv-uh)

  Roman equivalent of Athena, goddess of wisdom, war and weaving

  Montanus (mon-tan-uss)

  Titus Junius Montanus, Domitian’s fat advisor, is mentioned in Juvenal’s fourth satire (4.130–143)

  Neapolis (nay-ap-oh-liss)

  modern Naples, a city near Vesuvius on a bay of the same name

  nefas (nef-ass)

  Latin word for sin, wickedness or moral wrongdoing

  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

  Numa Pompilius (noo-muh pom-pill-ee-uss)

  second king of Rome, after Romulus; according to legend, he was a Sabine, born on the day of Rome’s founding (753 BC) and was a wise, peace-loving ruler

  Numitor (noo-mit-or)

  king of Alba Longa, he was deposed for a time by his brother Amulius until his grandsons Romulus and Remus restored the kingdom to him

  nymphaeum (nim-fay-um)