Aedile
magistrate in charge of games and urban services
Augur
priest whose job is to interpret various signs
Bellum Lustum
just war
bona dea
good goddess
censors
officials who regulated senate membership
dementia mercy
forgiveness
client
a poorer person who offers loyalty to a patron
in return for his material backing
comitia
assemblies of the Roman people which elected magistrates and
passed laws
concilium plebis
assembly of plebeians
concordia ordinum
harmony of the orders
consular imperium
command wielded by a consul
consuls
There were two consuls who each held power for one year. They
were the chief magistrates and exercised executive power.
coup d'etat
takeover of the state, often violent
curator
guardian overseer
cursus honorum
ladder of office politicians climb as they get older
dictator
special office giving a man extensive powers during an emergency
dignitas
prestige, high reputation
divi filius
son of a god
dux partium
leader of all factions, Octavian's position in 32 BC
equites
social order below senators, originally cavalry arm of the army but
later much involved in commercial life
hagiographic
very flattering, as in a biography
interrex
position which acts when there are no consuls inviolability one's
person cannot be harmed
legatus
a deputy or lieutenant for a commander
lex
law
Lex Aurelia Law
of 75 BC that began the process of restoring tribunician power that
Sulla had removed
lex de Maiestate Sullan
law forbidding governor to leave their provinces without senate
permission
Lex Gabinia Gabinian Law
gave Pompey command to deal with the pirates
Lex Manilia Manilian Law
gave Pompey command in the east
Lex Titia Tribunician law
of November 43 BC establishing the Second Triumvirate of
Antony, Octavian and Lapidus
lex Villia Annalis Sullan law
to enforce the rules of the cursus honorurn
Libertas
freedom
Lusitania
modern day Portugal
Marian
supporter of Marius
novi homines
new men, first of a family to gain senate membership
oligarchy
rule by a few
optimates
conservative, aristocratic group which sought to maintain senate
power and prestige
ovation
public celebration enjoyed by a victorious general, below a triumph
parens patriae
parent of the country
pater patriae
father of the country
patricians
wealthy elite upper class citizens; origin from the first 100 men
appointed to the senate
patron
a wealthy person who materially supports a less wealthy person in
return for his loyalty
perfidia
act of disobeying a patron
plebeians
general body of citizens who were not patricians; could include
shopkeepers, skilled and unskilled workers and many wealthy
people
plebiscitum
a law enacted by the common people under the supervision of a
tribune
pontifex maximus
chief priest of Rome
populares
group which sought to break the optimates' hold on power;
worked through the tribunes and the citizen assemblies
praefectus morum
prefect of the morals
praetor
2nd most senior magistrate, mainly concerned with justice
pro praetor
position taken the year after being a praetor to govern a province
proscriptions
massacres of opponents
quaestor
Roman magistrate, first step in the cursus honorum
respublica
public concern
rhetoric
effective, persuasive speech
sancrosanctitas
inviolability, one's person cannot he harmed
senate
supreme council of Rome originally containing 300 aristocratic
members; offered advice but became main governing body of
Rome
senatus consultum
advisory decree of the senate
senatus consultum ultimum
emergency decree giving the senate the power to take whatever
measures were necessary to protect Rome
SPQR
senatus populusque Romanus
struggle of the orders
early political rivalry between patricians and plebeians
tribune
officials originally elected to protect the interests of plebeians
against patricians
tribunician sacrosanctity
protection and untouchability of a tribune's person
triumph
public celebration enjoyed by a victorious general
Via Appia
Appian Way, road from Rome to Brindisi