Armenia Capta

by William Kelso

  Other Characters

  Cunitius, A private investigator and one-time enemy of Marcus

  Epictetus, Great stoic Greek philosopher

  Heron of Alexandria, A Greek mathematician, engineer and inventor .

  Similis, Ex-prefect of Egypt, placed in charge of all security matters in Rome whilst Trajan is away in the east.

  Laberius, courtier at Trajan’s imperial court in Rome

  GLOSSARY

  Aerarium, State treasury for Senatorial provinces

  Aesculapius, The god of healing

  Agora, market place and public space

  Albania, Roman client kingdom at the southern foot hills of the Caucasus

  Aila, Red sea port now called Aqaba in Jordan

  Alae, Roman cavalry unit

  Alani, A Scythian people living on the steppes to the north of the Caucasus

  Antioch, Near Antakya, Turkey

  Arabia Nabataea, modern day Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia

  Araxes river, also known as the Aras. Former border between the USSR and Iran

  Artaxata, ancient capital of the kingdom of Armenia

  Athena, Greek goddess and protector of Athens

  Agrimensore, A land surveyor.

  Armorica, Region of north-west France

  Aquincum, Modern Budapest, Hungary

  Arcidava, Fort in the Banat region of Dacia

  Argiletum, Street of the booksellers in ancient Rome.

  Ballista, Roman artillery catapult

  Banat, Region of Dacia, Romania and Serbia

  Berzobis, Fort in the Banat region of Dacia

  Bonnensis, Bonn, Germany. Full name.

  Burdigala, Roman city close to modern Bordeaux, France

  Bostra, a Roman occupied town in Jordan

  Capitoline Hill, One of the seven hills of ancient Rome

  Carnuntum , Roman settlement just east of Vienna, Austria

  Carrobalista, Mobile Roman artillery catapult

  Castra , Fort.

  Caltrops, small spiked metal anti cavalry and personnel weapons

  Cappadocia, Roman province in central and eastern Turkey

  Centurion, Roman officer in charge of a company of about 80 legionaries

  Cella, internal space in a temple

  Chaboras river, now known as the Khabur river, tributary to the Euphrates

  Charax, near modern day Basra

  Cilicia, Roman province in modern Turkey

  Circessium, a town now called Buseira in Syria

  Classis Pannonica, Roman fleet based on the Danube at Carnuntum

  Cohort, Roman military unit equivalent to a battalion of around 500 men.

  Colchis , land around the south-eastern part of the Black sea

  Colonia Agrippina, Cologne, Germany.

  Contubernium, Eight-man legionary infantry squad. Barrack room/tent group room

  Cornicen, Trumpeter and signaller.

  Cuirassed armour, Expensive chest armour that followed the muscles of the chest

  Cyrenaica, eastern part of Libya

  Currach, Celtic boat

  Cataphract, type of heavily armoured cavalry

  Ctesiphon, Parthian summer capital, near modern Baghdad

  Dacia(n), The area in Romania where the Dacians lived.

  Decanus, Corporal, squad leader

  Decurion, Roman cavalry officer.

  Demeter, Greek goddess of agriculture

  Denarii, Roman money.

  Derbent, claims to be oldest town in Russia, on the Caspian-sea

  Deva Victrix, Chester, UK.

  Domitian, Emperor from AD 81 – 96

  Draco banner, Dacian coloured banner made of cloth

  Doura Europus, Near to Salihiye in eastern Syria

  Edessa, Sanliurfa, now in south eastern Turkey

  Emporium, Marketplace

  Elegeia, Armenian town in the region of Erzurum

  Eleusinion, Temple of Demeter, Athens

  Eponymous Archon of Athens, The city’s ruler and mayor

  Equestrian Order, The Order of Knights – minor Roman aristocracy

  Equites, Individual men of the Equestrian Order.

  Euphrates, major river in Iraq, Syria and Turkey

  Falx, Curved Dacian sword.

  Fibula, A brooch or pin used by the Romans to fasten clothing

  Fiscus, The Roman state treasury controlled by the emperor and not the senate

  Focale, Roman army neck scarf

  Fortuna, The Goddess of Fortune.

  Forum Boarium, The ancient cattle market of Rome

  Forum Romanum, Political centre of ancient Rome, area of government buildings

  Frisii, Tribe of Frisians who lived in the northern Netherlands

  Gades, Cadiz, southern Spain

  Garum, Roman fermented fish sauce.

  Gladius, Standard Roman army short stabbing sword.

  Greaves, Armour that protects the legs

  Hatra, Hatra in Iraq

  Hengistbury Head, Ancient Celtic trading post near Christchurch, UK.

  Hibernia, Ireland.

  Hispania, Spain.

  Hyperborea, Mythical land beyond the north wind.

  Iberia , Spain but also a small Roman client kingdom south of the Caucasus

  Imaginifer, Roman army standard bearer carrying an image of the Emperor

  Imperator, Latin for commander/emperor, used to hail the Roman emperor

  Insulae, Roman multi-storey apartment buildings

  Janus, God of boundaries.

  Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Patron god of Rome

  Kaftan, Parthian dress, a long traditional outer garment

  Kostolac, City in Serbia

  Keffiyeh, Traditional Arabic headdress

  Kushan Empire, Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India

  Lares, Roman guardian deities

  Iazyges, Barbarian tribe, roughly in modern Hungary

  Legate, Roman officer in command of a Legion

  Liburnian, A small Roman ship

  Limes, Frontier zone of the Roman Empire.

  Londinium, London, UK.

  Lower Pannonia, Roman pro vince in and around Hungary/Serbia and Croatia.

  Ludus, School

  Lugii, Vandals, barbarian tribe in central Europe.

  Luguvalium, Carlisle, UK.

  Mars, Roman god of war

  Marcomanni, Barbarian tribe whom lived north of the Danube in modern day Austria

  Mardi, Armenian tribe that lived around lake Van

  Massalia, Marseille, France

  Mausoleum of Augustus, Mausoleum of Augustus in Rome

  Mesopotamia, modern Iraq

  Middle Sea, Mediterranean Sea

  Mogontiacum, Mainz, Germany.

  Mons Graupius, Roman/Scottish battlefield in Scotland

  Mosul, Mosul northern Iraq

  Munifex, Private non-specialist Roman Legionary.

  Noviomagus Reginorum, Chichester, UK.

  Numerii, Germanic irregular soldiers allied to Rome.

  Nero, Roman emperor 54-68 AD

  Nike, Greek god of victory

  Nisibis, Known now as Nusaybin in south-eastern Turkey

  Numidians, one of the Berber tribes of northern Africa

  Nymphaeum, monument consecrated to the water nymphs

  O group meeting, Modern British army slang for group meeting of officers

  Onagers, Heavy Roman artillery catapults

  Optio, Roman army officer, second in command of a Company.

  Ostia, Original seaport of Rome

  Osrhoene, a Roman client kingdom around Edessa

  Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome. The Imperial palace there.

  Palmyra, Palmyra in Syria, ancient city partially destroyed by IS

  Panathenaea, Ancient Greek festival in honour of Athena

  Parthian Empire, Iraq, Iran and parts of Saudi, Syria and central Asia

  Parthenon, The temple of Athena on top of the Acropolis in Athens

  Peplos dress,
traditional dress presented to the goddess Athena

  Peristyle, open space surrounded by vertical columns

  Petra, Petra, Jordan.

  Pilum/pila, Roman legionary spear(s).

  Porolissum, Settlement in northern Dacia/Romania

  Portus Augusti, The new seaport of ancient Rome

  Portus Tiberinus, Rome’s Tiber river port

  Posca, watered down wine with added spices

  Praefecti Aeranii Saturni, Rome’s finance ministers

  Prefect, Roman officer in command of an auxiliary cohort or civil magistrate.

  Praetorian Guard, Emperor’s personal guard units

  Principia, HQ building in a Roman army camp/fortress.

  Propylaia, ancient monumental entrance gate into the Acropolis

  Pugio, Roman army dagger.

  Quadi, Germanic tribe living along the Danube

  Resafa II, Fictitious Roman fort near Sergiopolis

  Rosia Montana, Ancient gold and silver mining district in Romania/Dacia

  Roxolani, Barbarian tribe in eastern Romania

  Rutipiae, Richborough, Kent, UK.

  Sacred Way, Important road in the ancient city of Rome

  Satala, east of Sadak in Turkey on the ancient border with Armenia

  Sarmatians, Barbarian allies of the Dacians

  Sarmatian cataphracts, Heavily armoured Sarmatian cavalry

  Sarmisegetusa Regia, Capital city of ancient Dacia

  Saturn, God of wealth

  Saturnalia, Roman festival in late December

  Scythians, Barbarian tribes, modern Ukraine and Russia

  Singidunum, Belgrade.

  Sirmium, The ancient city of Sirmium on the Danube

  Singara, modern Sinjar in northern Iraq

  SPQR, Senate and People of Rome.

  Stola, Woman’s cloak

  Stoas, covered walkways

  Styx river, Mythical river of the underworld.

  Stylus, Roman pen

  Subura, Slum neighbourhood in central Rome

  Sura, ancient city on the Euphrates river in Northern Syria, west of Raqqa and north of Resafa

  Tapae, Dacian fort at the entrance to the iron gates pass

  Tara, Seat of the High King of Hibernia, north-west of Dublin, Ireland.

  Tesserarius, Roman army watch/guard officer, third in line of company command

  Tessera tile, A small stone carried by the Tesserarius on which the daily password was written down

  Testudo formation, Roman army formation and tactic

  Tibiscum, Fort in Dacia

  Tigris, major river in Iraq

  Tribune (military), A senior Roman army officer

  Trireme, A fast agile galley with three banks of oars

  Urban cohorts, A kind of anti-riot police force in ancient Rome

  Island of Vectis, Isle of Wight, UK

  Velarium, Retractable canvas roof over the Roman colosseum.

  Velum, Parched animal skin used as writing paper

  Vestal Virgins, Female priestesses of ancient Rome

  Vespasian, Roman Emperor 69-79 AD

  Vexillatio(n), Temporary Roman army detachment.

  Viminacium, Roman town on the Danube in modern Serbia

  Via Traiana Nova, Roman road between Bostra and the red sea port of Aila (Aqaba)