rods, perhaps birch, surrounding an axe, bound together with red leather. The fasces was carried by a lictor, the guardian for curule magistrates who held imperium. The rods symbolized the power of scourging, and the axe the power of capital punishment. When inside the pomerium, the lictors removed the axes from the fasces to symbolize that a citizen could not be executed without a trial, and that within the city, the power over life and death resided with the people’s assemblies, not magistrates with imperium. Upon entering the Comitia Centuriata (where the people elected the magistrates), the lictors would lower the fasces as a demonstration that the powers of the consuls derive from the people. back (Image courtesy: http://www.friesian.com/rome.htm)
Fibula Clasp or brooch. back
Fortuna Goddess of Luck. back
Forum If the comitium was the center of all political life in Rome, then the forum was its heart. Encompassing the comitium, over the centuries, it included many temples, basilicas, shops and plazas. In the 80’s, Sulla raised the entire plaza almost a meter and covered it with black marble paving stones. back
Frigidarium The bathing pool in Roman baths left unheated, often used after exercise and warmer pools had opened the pores. back
Furina Goddess of thieves. back
Garum Aromatic fish sauce. back
Gladius Short sword, plural: gladii. back
Imperator General who has won a great victory. back
Imperium the power of magistrates to command armies and (within limits) to coerce citizens. back
Impluvium A shallow pool, usually to be found in the atrium, that captured rainwater from an opening in the roof (the compluvium). back
Insulae Apartment houses. Singular—insula. back
Lacerna A cloak fastened on the right shoulder by a buckle (fibula). back
Lares Domestici Minor Roman deities whose function was to guard and oversee all that transpired in the home. back
Lararium Household shrine usually found in the Atrium. back
Latrunculi A popular Roman board game, similar to the Japanese game of Go. Learn more at http://www.aerobiologicalengineering.com/wxk116/Roman/BoardGames/latrunc.... back
Latifundium Large Roman farming estate. back
Laudatio Funebris Eulogy. back
Laverna Roman goddess of cheats, thieves and pickpockets, perhaps evolved from the Etruscan goddess, Furina, protector of thieves. back
Law of the Twelve Tables The foundation of the Roman constitution, written in the middle of the fifth century BCE. It established basic rights for citizens, the result of the class war between the patricians and the plebeians. The original documents were lost when the Gauls destroyed Rome in 390 BCE. back
Lectus Couch, bed. Romans ate reclining. Sitting in chairs around a dining table during the late Republic was unknown. A slightly larger version of the dining lectus was used for sleeping, although, as always, the rich tended to larger, more ostentatious sizes, materials and trappings. back
Legate Commander of a legion; one with authority delegated by a consul or magistrate. back
Legion The Roman legion of the post-Marian era toward the end of the Republic was ideally composed of 10 cohorts, 6 six centuries of 80 men in each cohort. There were 10 contuberniums per century, each with eight men. Therefore, each cohort contained 480 soldiers. However, legions rarely fought at the full strength of 4,800 fighting men. For example, Caesar often fought in Gaul with legions totaling only approximately 3,500 men. I have guestimated that Crassus was understaffed at the outset, with seven legions of 30,000 soldiers. Due to the catastrophe of the crossing from Brundisium to Dyrrachium, I have reduced the army’s strength to 28,000 legionaries, 4,000 light infantry, and 4,000 cavalry (including Publius’ contribution of 1,000 Gallic horse). back
Liburna A faster and more maneuverable warship than the trireme, it was powered by only one level of rowers sitting below-deck. It could transport about a century (80 legionaries). Picture courtesy of easypedia.gr. back
Lictor A bodyguard for high-ranking Roman magistrates. The more powerful the office, the more lictors were assigned to you. Each consul was accompanied in every public appearance by twelve lictors; praetors – six abroad, two within Rome; proconsuls and propraetors – six; curule aediles – 2; vestal virgins – 1; dictator - 24. back
Lorarius A slave whose job it was to punish other slaves by flogging; also, in the arena, a person who encouraged reluctant animals or humans with a whip. back
Lorica Armor. back
Lorum A short leather whip, often with two leather strips, thirty inches long, knotted at the ends. back
Magus Sorcerer, magician. back
Malaria The Romans called malaria the "rage of the Dog Star," since the disease was most prevalent during the caniculares dies, the dog days of summer, when Sirius disappeared in the brightness of the sun. back
Medicus A Roman physician. While doctors in the military