Roman Times and Events: Those
about to Die, Special Terms
(Words which identify Roman terms referring to people and other topics;
especially, those appearing in Those about to Die)
Anabata (s), anabatae (Pl)
A gladiator, or gladiators, who wore a helmet without any openings for the eyes.
Those who fought without the ability to see anything.
Andabate
Someone who is hoodwinked or who exists in the dark or is virtually blind to the
realities of a situation.
ballistae
A heavy war engine for hurling large stones and other missiles.
Bestiarii
1. Animal fighters, or victims executed by animals, in the Roman circuses.
2. Among Ancient Romans, those who went into combat with beasts, or were
exposed to them with the purpose of being killed.
There were two types of bestiarii
There were two categories of bestiarii: the first were those condemned to death
by the beasts and the second were those who faced them voluntarily as fighters for
entertainment purposes.
Although bestiarii (beast fighters) and venatores (hunters) both fought wild
animals, there were differences. The bestiarii often were condemned criminals, or
prisoners of war; who had little chance against the animals they fought (Seneca,
De Beneficiis, II.19).
With no real training and often no defence, they were thrown to the beasts as
punishment and for the spectacle of the Romans. Seneca (Epistles, LXX.20)
wrote about a German prisoner, who rather than participate in such a show of
bestiarii, killed himself by forcing a sponge used in the lavatory down his throat.
Another man who was taken to the morning show for punishment, nodded as if
asleep and, lowering his head, thrust it between the spokes of the cart wheel,
breaking his neck Seneca (Epistles, LXX.23).
Symmachus (Letters, II.46) also wrote about twenty-nine Saxon prisoners
strangling one another in their cells the night before they were to appear in the
arena.
Bestiarii was also the name given to those assistants who took care of the animals
and goaded them into fighting or attempted to separate them from their victims.
After awhile, they became more trained specialists in the handling and control of
animals which were used in the circuses.
In the Satyricon (XLV), Echion complains about a particularly disappointing
gladiatorial show and disparagingly remarks that he has seen bestiarii fight better.
Martial (Spectacles, XVII, XXVI) noted that Carpophorus, who was renown as a
bestiarius, as having killed a bear, a lion, and a leopard. In fact, Carpophorus is
said to have killed twenty wild animals in one show.
Caestics
Lead balls used in knuckles of boxing gloves of fighters in the Roman circuses.
Corvus
Crow.
In the bow of ships the Romans had a long beam with a spike on one end and the
other end was fastened to the foredeck by a heavy hinge. This was the corvus or
"crow".
When the Corvus was dropped on an opposing galley, the spike sank into the
wood and held the two ships together. The Corvus was then used as a gangplank
for boarders to go aboard the other ship.
Duumvir, duumviracy, duumviral, duumvirate
1. In Roman history, one of the duumviri, the general name given to pairs of coequal magistrates and functionaries in Rome and in her coloniae and municipia.
2. In modern use, one of two colleagues in authority.
Edile, aedile
A Roman magistrate whose chief business was to superintend public buildings of
all kinds, more especially public edifices, temples, bridges, aqueducts, markets,
games, etc.
The Aediles also were responsible for the care of the highways, public places,
weights and measures, etc.
Faction
1. A group of people who express a shared belief or opinion different from people
who are not part of the group.
2. A group formed to seek some goal within a political party or a government.
The term suggests quarrelsome dissent from the course pursued by a party or
government majority.
3. A form of literature or filmmaking that treats real people or events as if they
were fictional or uses real people or events as essential elements in an otherwise
fictional rendition.
4. A literary work or film that is a mix of fact and fiction.
5. Etymology: from Latin factionem, "political party, class of people"; literally, "a
making or doing", from facere, "to do".
In ancient Rome, "one of the companies of contractors for the chariot races in the
circus".
Gladiator
1. A person, usually a professional combatant, a captive, or a slave, trained to
entertain the public by engaging in mortal combat with another person, or a wild
animal, in the ancient Roman arena; now more like a person engaged in a
controversy or debate, especially in public; a disputant.
2. In ancient Rome, a professional fighter who fought another combatant, or a wild
animal, in public entertainments which took place in an arena.
Often gladiators were criminals, or slaves, who were equipped with nets, nooses,
swords, or other weapons for battle to entertain Romans in the circuses.
Gladiatorial
Relating to or resembling gladiators or their form of combat.
Gladiators
From Gladius, sword.
Soldiers of the sand (arena), who performed for an audience as entertainment.
Inherited from the Etruscans, the gladiator performed throughout Italy, including
Rome. Whether military deserters, condemned criminals, slaves, or freemen; in all
cases, they were thought to be volunteers because, otherwise, they probably
wouldn't be worth the expense of training in the special schools (ludi).The
gladiator could be a very profitable investment and many of them became very
wealthy and were as popular as professional athletes are today.
Lanista (s), lanistae (pl)
Gladiator trainer of professional gladiators in ancient Rome who fought against
each other, wild animals, and condemned criminals; often to the death, for the
entertainment of spectators.
These fights took place in arenas in many cities from the Roman Republic period
and into the Roman Empire times.
Gladiators were trained at special schools originally owned by private citizens, but
later taken over by the imperial state to prevent the build up of a private army.
Gladiators trained like true athletes, much like professional athletes do today.
They received medical attention and three meals a day. It is said, that their training
included learning how to use various weapons, including, of course, the sword, the
war chain, the net, a trident, a dagger, and even a lasso.
Locarii
Ushers who checked and made sure people were going to the right seats in the
Roman circuses.
Ludi publici
In Roman antiquity, ludi publici (LYOO digh PUB li sigh) were public games and
spectacles, including athletic competitions, horse and chariot races, exhibitions of
the arena, and theatre.
Ludi Cercenses (sur SEN seez) were games of the Circus; ludi scenici (SEN i
sigh) of the theatre.
Some were named for particular festivals: ludi Apollinares (uh pol" i NAY reez),
in honour of Apollo, chiefly theatrical; ludi Romani (roh MAY nigh), in honour of
Jupiter, in September; and ludi Megalenses (meg" uh LEN seez), in honour of
the Magna Mater, April 4 to April 10.
Ludi sollemnes
Formal annual games which were presided over by the public authorities.
Munera
Meaning "gifts", a reference to privately sponsored and organized games, outside
the domain of the civic administration.
They could be presented anytime a wealthy family lost a member, either
immediately following the loss, or at some time in the future, well after the death had
actually taken place.
It was through the medium of the munera that gladiatorial combats were first
introduced into Rome, and the munera remained the primary (though not exclusive)
outlet for this sort of spectacle until the beginning of the Imperial period.
Naumachia
1. A naval spectacle; a mock sea battle put on by the ancient Romans.
2. An ancient Roman spectacle representing a naval battle which was used to
entertain Romans in the circuses.
Poleaxe
1. A battle axe used in the Middle Ages formed as a long handled axe and a pick.
2. An axe used to slaughter cattle which has a hammer opposite the blade. 3.
Used to mean, "he fell as if he were hit with a poleaxe.
Generally, the head of the weapon consisted of an axe, or hammer, on the
damaging "face", with a spike, hammer, or fluke on the reverse. In addition, there
was a projection from the top built somewhat like a dagger.
Postliminium
A Roman citizen who was captured by an enemy was regarded by Roman law as a
slave, except that his rights were not extinguished, but put in temporary
suspension.
Postulati
Someone who fought in full armour with a sword and a lead mace against all
opponents who were allowed to use any weapon which they wished.
Retiarius
A fighter who wore no armour, but who carried a net and a trident (a threepronged spear).
Developed in the early Augustan era, the Retiarius (net-fighter) carried a trident,
a dagger, a net, and no helmet. Except for a loincloth, a manica on his left arm, and
a metal shoulder-guard (galerus) above the manica, the retiarius fought naked and
was always paired with a secutor.
Scutum
A curved rectangular shield.
Secutor (s), Secutores (pl)
Someone who was specially trained to fight a Retiarius, a type of gladiator that
had a trident, or a net.
The very distinctive helmet of the Secutor had only two small eye-holes, in order
to prevent a Retiarius's trident from being thrust through the face, as well as a
rounded top, so as not to get caught in a net.
The Secutor had to be quick or he was in danger of falling from exhaustion or
faint because of breath constrictions.
The Secutor wore a loincloth, and a wide belt (much like the Retiarius). On his
right arm, he wore a manicae (a heavy linen wrapping tied with leather tongs), and
on his left leg, he wore an ocrea (a greave made of boiled leather or metal). He also
carried a Scutum (a curved rectangular shield) to protect himself.
Spoliarium
A chamber beneath the Roman arena, where bodies of dead gladiators, and other
dead bodies, were dragged and later disposed of by burial or whatever was
decided by Roman officials.
Testudo (s)
1. Among the ancient Romans, a movable shelter with a strong and usually
fireproof arched roof, used for protection of soldiers in siege operations.
2. A shelter formed by overlapping oblong shields, held by soldiers above their
heads.
3. When capitalized, a genus of turtles, the land tortoise.
Trireme
An ancient Greek or Roman galley or warship having three tiers (rows) of oars on
each side; arranged one above the other.
Venatic, venatical, venatically
1. Of or pertaining to, employed in, devoted to, hunting.
2. Like or pertaining to hunting in ancient Roman times.
3. Belonging to hunting or chasing.
Venationes
"Hunts", involving the slaughter of animals, especially fierce ones, by other animals
or by human bestiarii (fighters of wild beasts) and, sometimes of criminals by
animals, were a major spectacle at Rome from 186 B.C.
They supposedly displayed the ingenuity and generosity of the sponsoring
politician, and the reach of Rome and its power over nature, in procuring exotic
species (lions, panthers, bears, bulls, crocodiles, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses,
and elephants).
Venator
1. A hunter or huntsman.
2. An ancient Roman soldier who specialized in hunting wild animals.