by Cass Morris
Aedile: a mid-level magistrate responsible for public buildings, the public games, and the supply of grain to the city. Elected by the Tribal Assembly. Men generally served this office between their quaestorship and praetorship, though it was not strictly necessary to be elected as praetor.
Augian Commission: the group of mages dedicated to preserving the provisions of the Lex cantatia Augiae and keeping order among Aven’s magically-gifted citizens.
Campus Martius: the Field of Mars, a large open space used for military training and for elections.
Cenatoria: a simpler and less-burdensome garment than the toga, worn by men on informal occasions.
Censor: a magistrate responsible for maintaining the census and electoral rolls, supervising public morality, and some aspects of government finances. A man had to have served as consul to be elected as censor. Elected by the Centuriate Assembly.
Centuriate Assembly: one of three voting assemblies which gathered for legislative, electoral, and judicial purposes. Originally a military organization, but later expanded and ranked by wealth rather than military status. Only the Centuriate Assembly could declare war or elect the highest-ranking magistrates: praetors, consuls, and censors.
Collegia: assemblies with legal purpose and some authority which could function as guilds, religious organizations, or social clubs. Most common were the crossroads colleges, which were neighborhood associations formed around shrines placed at intersections.
Consul: the highest and most prestigious political office in the Republic. The Centuriate Assembly elected two consuls to serve together for a one-year term. Consuls held executive power. They convened and presided over the Senate, negotiated with foreign states, and served as commanders-in-chief of the legions.
Curia: the Senate House.
Cursus honorum: literally, the course of offices; the sequential order of public offices held by politicians in the Republic.
Dictator: a magistrate entrusted by the Senate with full power and authority to act unilaterally. A temporary office intended to be held for no more than six months.
Dominus/Domina: literally, “master/mistress,” but also translates as the equivalent of “Lord/Lady” when used in conjunction with a name.
Domus: house. In the city, generally referred to a free-standing building occupied by a single family.
Equestrian: one of the property classes, ranking below the Senators but above the rest.
Five Classes: property classes including all those who held land but did not have enough wealth to qualify as Equestrians or Senators.
Forum: a large open-air market, often surrounded by a mixture of temples and shops. The largest forum in Aven, generally referred to as the Forum, was the center of political, mercantile, and spiritual life.
Garum: a popular condiment made from fermenting fish.
Head Count: the property-less class, with no land and little wealth.
Insula: apartment. Blocks of insulae could be five to seven stories, with the largest and most luxurious apartments on the bottom floor and the smallest and most miserable at the top.
Ides: in March, May, July, and October, the fifteenth day of the month; in all other months, the thirteenth day.
Kalends: the first day of a month.
Latifundium: a large agricultural estate under private ownership.
Leges tabulae magicae: a section of Aventan law governing the behavior of mages, particularly with regard to interactions with non-magical citizens.
Lex cantatia Augiae: an Aventan law preventing the ascension of magically-gifted citizens to the ranks of aedile, praetor, consul, or censor.
Lictor: a civil servant who acted as a bodyguard to high-ranking public officials.
Mos maiorum: the “proper way of things.” An informal code based on precedent and custom, elevated to dogmatic status by the Optimates.
Nones: in March, May, July, and October, the seventh day of the month; in all other months, the fifth day.
Optimates: one of the two most prominent political factions in Aven, dedicated to conservatism, relative isolationism, and the preservation of power among the elite.
Patrons and Clients: a system in which the patron, a man of higher social status and clout, served as protector, sponsor, and benefactor of the client, who in turn provided support and assistance to his patron.
Penates: household gods.
Pontifical College: an institution consisting of the highest-ranking priests of the state religion.
Popularists: one of the two most prominent political factions in Aven, favoring expansion of civic rights and economic opportunity.
Praetor: a magistrate ranking just below a consul. Praetors had municipal and judicial duties, but might also serve as commanders of legions or as local governors. Their specific duties fluctuated greatly at different points in history.
Quaestor: the first rank of the cursus honorum, requisite for entry to the Senate, responsible for the state treasury and audits.
Quintilis: the month we know as July.
Senate: the Assembly consisting of the most experienced politicians. The Senate dictated foreign and military policy and directed domestic policy but could not actually pass laws.
Senators: both the highest-ranking and wealthiest social class and those men who served in the Senate.
Sextilis: the month we know as August.
Thermopolium: a quick-service restaurant for food on the go.
Tribune: a title with several meanings. A tribune of the plebs acted as a check on the Senate and the Assemblies, able to exercise veto power over the actions of consuls and other magistrates. A military tribune commanded portions of the army, subordinate to praetors and consuls; these were usually men in their early twenties, getting military experience before beginning the cursus honorum. Other mid-ranking officers were also styled tribune, generally those who were members of a commander’s staff.
Villa: a large home outside of a city. This might be a villa rustica, a country estate, or a villa maritima, a seaside home.
Acknowledgments
This book came together across a few years of personal trials, geopolitical struggle, and societal upheaval. I say “came together,” but that’s an awfully passive phrase for the labor of wrangling, molding, hammering, and sometimes just plain kicking-in-the-shins that this narrative required. I owe a great debt to the people who got me through these years, and so I give my fervent and enduring thanks to:
My parents, who have never failed to encourage their very strange child in her flights of fancy. I love you, and I am so grateful for your support and guidance.
My publishing team: agent, Connor Goldsmith; editor, Betsy Wollheim; managing editor, Josh Starr; publicist, Alexis Nixon; and every other professional whose hands and eyes have helped to shape this project and coax it out into the world.
The many scholars whose work I have leaned on while creating the world of Aven. A full list of the books, podcasts, documentaries, and other assorted sources I have used are available on my website (cassmorriswrites.com).
The Sirens community, the Authors 18 group, and so many other writer-friends. It is so crucial in this business to have a supportive network, and I am continually delighted by the generosity and grace demonstrated by these wonderful people.
My wonderful Patreon members, whose support has kept me going both materially and emotionally, and particularly to the Consuls: Bruce and Mary Morris, Marcell Williams, Solomon Romney, and Robert Mee.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, who has done more than he knows to lift my spirits during challenging times.
Noah, whose support has been unflagging, whose enthusiasm is boundless, and whose championing of a ridiculous rarepair ship in this series never fails to bring me glee.
Onward to Book Three. Audaces Fortuna iuvat!
&n
bsp; About the Author
Cass Morris works as an educator in central Virginia and as a bookseller on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She holds a Master of Letters from Mary Baldwin University and a BA in English with a minor in history from the College of William and Mary. She reads voraciously, wears corsets voluntarily, and will beat you at MarioKart. Find her online at cassmorriswrites.com or on Twitter & Instagram @cassrmorris.
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