Copyright 2012 by Nigel G Wilcox All Rights reserved E-Mail: ngwilcox@gmx.co.uk
The Roman Empire - Glossary of Terms Used
abutment
masonry platform or earth embankment supporting the central structure of a bridge
agger
cambered embankment-mound carrying a Roman road
ala
unit of cavalry in the Roman auxiliary army
ambulatory
covered portico surrounding the inner shrine of a temple
amphitheatre
a place where Romans went to watch animals and people fighting
apodyterium
undressing room in a bath-suite
architrave
the horizontal member above two columns (piers, etc.), spanning the interval between them
bailey
fortified enclosure in a medieval castle
ballista
artillery- weapon discharging arrows and stone balls
basilica
town hall
berm
in military defences, the level space between two features (e.g. ditch and rampart)
bonding-course
bands of brickwork (or occasionally stone slabs) which alternate with wider sections of regular stonework; they normally run through the entire thickness of the wall, presumably to give cohesion and stability to the mortared rubble-core; they were also useful as levelling courses during construction
breastwork
the vertical timber-work built on top of the earth rampart of a fort to provide screening for the sentry
caldarium
hot room (moist heat) in a bath-suite
cella
inner shrine of a temple
centuria
unit of 80 legionary soldiers, commanded by a centurion
chi- rho
Christian symbol composed of the first two letters of the Greek name for Christ (Xp-Cros); see
civitas
tribal unit
clavicula
in a Roman camp, curved extension of rampart (and ditch) protecting a gateway
cohort
unit of infantry soldiers, legionary or auxiliary
colonia
settlement of retired legionaries; for York a title of honour
crop-mark
colour-differentiation in standing crops or vegetation (best seen from the air), indicating the presence of buried ancient features
cross-hall
covered assembly- area in the headquarters building of a fort
culvert
drainage- channel
curtain
wall of fortification
dado
continuous border round the lower part of a wall decorated with painted plaster
field-system
regular pattern of rectangular fields attached to an ancient farming settlement
flue-arch
underfloor arch in a hypocaust allowing hot air to pass from furnace to room, or from one heated room to another
flue-tiles
open-ended, box-shaped tiles built in the thickness of the walls of a room heated by hypocaust
frieze
horizontal band above an architrave, sometimes carved with sculpture
frigidarium
cold room in a bath-suite
graffito
writing scratched on tile, pottery, plaster, etc.
guilloche
on mosaics, decorative feature consisting of two or more intertwining bands herringbone. descriptive of a style of construction in which stonework or tiles are set in zig-zag pattern
hypocaust
Roman method of central heating: The floor was raised, usually on pilae, and flue-tiles acting as 'chimneys' were built in the thickness of the walls. The draught created by these flues enabled hot air to be drawn from the stoke-hole on the right in fig 4), where brushwood or other fuel was burnt, to circulate under the floor, and to escape up the wall-flues to the air outside. In the channelled type of hypocaust, the hot air circulated not around pilae but through narrow channels built under the floor
imbrex
semi-circular roofing-tile, linking two flat tiles (tegulae)
in situ
Latin expression meaning "in its original position"
jamb
side-post of a doorway or window
laconicum
hot room (dry heat) in a bath-suite
latrine
Lavatory
leet
a special annual or semiannual court in which the lords of certain manors had jurisdiction over local disputes.
Lintel
wooden beam or stone slab lying horizontally above a doorway (or window)
mansio
an official stopping place on a Roman road, or via, maintained by the central government for the use of officials and those on official business whilst travelling.
milestone
A Roman mile is 1,000 paces and a milestone was set up to mark each mile. Each milestone had a dedication to the Emperor of the day. At the high of the expansion of the Empire, roads were built at the rate of 1 kilometre every day.
monogram
set of letters combined into one (used of Chi-Rho)
mosaic
floor composed of pieces of coloured tesserae to form geometric or figured designs
parapet
top of a Roman fortification consisting of a wallwalk and battlements
pediment
triangular gabled end of a roof (usually used of temples)
pilae
pillars of brick (or stone) supporting the floor of a room with a hypocaust
pilaster
column or pillar incorporated in, but projecting from, a wall
piscina
swimming-bath in a public bath- house
plinth
projecting course at the foot of a wall; also used of a base, e.g. for an altar
podium
raised platform (especially used of temples)
portal
doorway or carriageway, especially of a fort-gateway
post-hole
hole dug to receive a wooden upright
postern
minor gate or door in a late Roman town- or fortwall
posting-station
small town on a main road, where travelling officials could find an inn (mansio)
principia
headquarters building of a Roman fort
procurator
government financial administrator
putlog holes
row(s) of square or rectangular holes in a masonry wall which held horizontal scaffolding timbers during construction; on completion of the work they were plugged with loose material, since fallen out
relieving arch
arch built as part of a solid wall to take the weight of the construction above, and to divert it from weak points such as doors and windows lower down revetment. facing of one material given to a structure of a different material (eg stone wall given to an earth bank) roundel. circular panel containing a design (eg on mosaics)
sacellum
shrine in a fort's headquarters building
samian
high-quality, red-coated pottery, imported from the continent (mainly from France)
sarcophagus
coffin of stone or lead
Saxon Shore
coast of SE England exposed to Saxon pirate raids
sleeper wall
low wall supporting a raised floor, especially in a granary
springer
the voussoir which rests on the cap above a jamb and marks the beginning of an arch stoke-hole. furnace-area for a hypocaust
street- grid
regular pattern of streets crossing at right-angles
sudatorium
hot room (dry heat) in a bath-suite
tepidarium
warm room (moist heat) in a bath-suite
tessellated
composed of tesserae, usually of a floor without decoration tesserae small cubes of coloured stone, glass or tile, of which a mosaic or tessellated floor is composed
titulum
short detached stretch of rampart (and ditch) protecting the gateway of a marching camp
tribunal
platform for commanding officer in principia, or on a parade-ground
triclinium
dining-room
vexillatio
detachment of a legion (normally 1,000 men)
vexillalion fortress
campaign base for legionaries and auxiliaries
via decumana
road in a fort running from back of principia to back gate
via principalis
road in a fort linking the gates in the long sides and passing in front of the principia
vicus
small civilian settlement, especially one outside a fort
voussoir
wedge-shaped stone forming one of the units of an arch
wall-walk
level platform for the sentry on top of a fortification (see parapet)
wattle-and-daub
wall-construction consisting of wickerwork plastered with mud
masonry platform or earth embankment supporting the central structure of a bridge
agger
cambered embankment-mound carrying a Roman road
ala
unit of cavalry in the Roman auxiliary army
ambulatory
covered portico surrounding the inner shrine of a temple
amphitheatre
a place where Romans went to watch animals and people fighting
apodyterium
undressing room in a bath-suite
architrave
the horizontal member above two columns (piers, etc.), spanning the interval between them
bailey
fortified enclosure in a medieval castle
ballista
artillery- weapon discharging arrows and stone balls
basilica
town hall
berm
in military defences, the level space between two features (e.g. ditch and rampart)
bonding-course
bands of brickwork (or occasionally stone slabs) which alternate with wider sections of regular stonework; they normally run through the entire thickness of the wall, presumably to give cohesion and stability to the mortared rubble-core; they were also useful as levelling courses during construction
breastwork
the vertical timber-work built on top of the earth rampart of a fort to provide screening for the sentry
caldarium
hot room (moist heat) in a bath-suite
cella
inner shrine of a temple
centuria
unit of 80 legionary soldiers, commanded by a centurion
chi- rho
Christian symbol composed of the first two letters of the Greek name for Christ (Xp-Cros); see
civitas
tribal unit
clavicula
in a Roman camp, curved extension of rampart (and ditch) protecting a gateway
cohort
unit of infantry soldiers, legionary or auxiliary
colonia
settlement of retired legionaries; for York a title of honour
crop-mark
colour-differentiation in standing crops or vegetation (best seen from the air), indicating the presence of buried ancient features
cross-hall
covered assembly- area in the headquarters building of a fort
culvert
drainage- channel
curtain
wall of fortification
dado
continuous border round the lower part of a wall decorated with painted plaster
field-system
regular pattern of rectangular fields attached to an ancient farming settlement
flue-arch
underfloor arch in a hypocaust allowing hot air to pass from furnace to room, or from one heated room to another
flue-tiles
open-ended, box-shaped tiles built in the thickness of the walls of a room heated by hypocaust
frieze
horizontal band above an architrave, sometimes carved with sculpture
frigidarium
cold room in a bath-suite
graffito
writing scratched on tile, pottery, plaster, etc.
guilloche
on mosaics, decorative feature consisting of two or more intertwining bands herringbone. descriptive of a style of construction in which stonework or tiles are set in zig-zag pattern
hypocaust
Roman method of central heating: The floor was raised, usually on pilae, and flue-tiles acting as 'chimneys' were built in the thickness of the walls. The draught created by these flues enabled hot air to be drawn from the stoke-hole on the right in fig 4), where brushwood or other fuel was burnt, to circulate under the floor, and to escape up the wall-flues to the air outside. In the channelled type of hypocaust, the hot air circulated not around pilae but through narrow channels built under the floor
imbrex
semi-circular roofing-tile, linking two flat tiles (tegulae)
in situ
Latin expression meaning "in its original position"
jamb
side-post of a doorway or window
laconicum
hot room (dry heat) in a bath-suite
latrine
Lavatory
leet
a special annual or semiannual court in which the lords of certain manors had jurisdiction over local disputes.
Lintel
wooden beam or stone slab lying horizontally above a doorway (or window)
mansio
an official stopping place on a Roman road, or via, maintained by the central government for the use of officials and those on official business whilst travelling.
milestone
A Roman mile is 1,000 paces and a milestone was set up to mark each mile. Each milestone had a dedication to the Emperor of the day. At the high of the expansion of the Empire, roads were built at the rate of 1 kilometre every day.
monogram
set of letters combined into one (used of Chi-Rho)
mosaic
floor composed of pieces of coloured tesserae to form geometric or figured designs
parapet
top of a Roman fortification consisting of a wallwalk and battlements
pediment
triangular gabled end of a roof (usually used of temples)
pilae
pillars of brick (or stone) supporting the floor of a room with a hypocaust
pilaster
column or pillar incorporated in, but projecting from, a wall
piscina
swimming-bath in a public bath- house
plinth
projecting course at the foot of a wall; also used of a base, e.g. for an altar
podium
raised platform (especially used of temples)
portal
doorway or carriageway, especially of a fort-gateway
post-hole
hole dug to receive a wooden upright
postern
minor gate or door in a late Roman town- or fortwall
posting-station
small town on a main road, where travelling officials could find an inn (mansio)
principia
headquarters building of a Roman fort
procurator
government financial administrator
putlog holes
row(s) of square or rectangular holes in a masonry wall which held horizontal scaffolding timbers during construction; on completion of the work they were plugged with loose material, since fallen out
relieving arch
arch built as part of a solid wall to take the weight of the construction above, and to divert it from weak points such as doors and windows lower down revetment. facing of one material given to a structure of a different material (eg stone wall given to an earth bank) roundel. circular panel containing a design (eg on mosaics)
sacellum
shrine in a fort's headquarters building
samian
high-quality, red-coated pottery, imported from the continent (mainly from France)
sarcophagus
coffin of stone or lead
Saxon Shore
coast of SE England exposed to Saxon pirate raids
sleeper wall
low wall supporting a raised floor, especially in a granary
springer
the voussoir which rests on the cap above a jamb and marks the beginning of an arch stoke-hole. furnace-area for a hypocaust
street- grid
regular pattern of streets crossing at right-angles
sudatorium
hot room (dry heat) in a bath-suite
tepidarium
warm room (moist heat) in a bath-suite
tessellated
composed of tesserae, usually of a floor without decoration tesserae small cubes of coloured stone, glass or tile, of which a mosaic or tessellated floor is composed
titulum
short detached stretch of rampart (and ditch) protecting the gateway of a marching camp
tribunal
platform for commanding officer in principia, or on a parade-ground
triclinium
dining-room
vexillatio
detachment of a legion (normally 1,000 men)
vexillalion fortress
campaign base for legionaries and auxiliaries
via decumana
road in a fort running from back of principia to back gate
via principalis
road in a fort linking the gates in the long sides and passing in front of the principia
vicus
small civilian settlement, especially one outside a fort
voussoir
wedge-shaped stone forming one of the units of an arch
wall-walk
level platform for the sentry on top of a fortification (see parapet)
wattle-and-daub
wall-construction consisting of wickerwork plastered with mud
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