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stola: a long, loose tunic, with or without sleeves, worn by married women. Those who were unmarried wore other types of tunic, but to simplify things, I have mentioned only one garment, worn by all.
a small, curved iron tool used to clean the skin after bathing. First perfumed oil was rubbed in, and then the strigil:strigil was used to scrape off the combination of sweat, dirt and oil.
tablinum: the office or reception area beyond the atrium. The tablinum usually opened on to an enclosed colonnaded garden.
tesserarius: one of the junior officers in a century, whose duties included commanding the guard. The name originates from the tessera tablet on which was written the password for the day.
testudo: the famous Roman square formation, formed by legionaries in the middle raising their scuta over their heads while those at the sides formed a shield wall. The testudo, or tortoise, was used to resist missile attack or to protect soldiers while they undermined the walls of towns under siege. The formation’s strength was reputedly tested during military training by driving a cart pulled by mules over the top of it.
Thracian: like most gladiators, this class had its origins with one of Rome’s enemies – Thrace (modern-day Bulgaria). Armed with a small square shield with a convex surface, this fighter wore greaves on both legs and, occasionally, fasciae – protectors on the thighs. The right arm was covered by a manica. A Hellenistic-type helmet was worn, with a broad curving brim and cheek guards.
tribune: senior staff officer within a legion; also one of ten political positions in Rome, where they served as ‘tribunes of the people’, defending the rights of the plebeians. The tribunes could also veto measures taken by the Senate or consuls, except in times of war. To assault a tribune was a crime of the highest order, making the Optimates’ threat to Antonius and Longinus in January 49 BC an act of real political skulduggery.
trierarch: the captain of a trireme. Originally a Greek rank, the term persisted in the Roman navy.
triplex acies: the standard deployment of a legion for battle. Three lines were formed some distance apart, with four cohorts in the front line and three in both the middle and rear lines. The gaps between the cohorts and between the lines themselves are unclear, but the legionaries would have been used to different variations, and to changing these quickly when ordered.
trireme: the classic Roman warship, which was powered by a single sail and three banks of oars. Each oar was rowed by one man, who was freeborn, not a slave. Exceptionally manoeuvrable, and capable of up to 8 knots under sail or for short bursts when rowed, the trireme also had a bronze ram at the prow. This was used to damage or even sink enemy ships. Small catapults were also mounted on the deck. Each trireme was crewed by up to 30 men and had around 200 rowers; it also carried up to 60 marines (in a reduced century), giving it a very large crew in proportion to its size. This limited the triremes’ range, so they were mainly used as troop transports and to protect coastlines. By the time of the late Republic, they were being replaced by even larger ships.
valetudinarium: the hospital in a legionary fort. These were usually rectangular buildings with a central courtyard. They contained up to 64 wards, each similar to the rooms in the legionary barracks which held a contubernium of soldiers.
Venus: the Roman goddess of motherhood and domesticity. At Pharsalus, Caesar used her name to inspire the thought of victory in his men, adding the ‘Victrix’, or ‘bringer of victory’ to her name.
vestiplicus: a specially trained slave whose job it was to take care of a wealthy man’s toga. Togas had to be kept properly creased when not in use; when worn, each fold had to be carefully arranged to lie properly. The toga was the ultimate symbol of Roman manhood, and was donned when assuming citizenship, taking a new wife from her father’s house, receiving clients and when discharging duties as a magistrate or the ruler of a province. It was worn in the Senate, during the celebration of a triumph, and of course in death.
vexillum (pl. vexilla): a distinctive, usually red, flag which was used to denote the commander’s position in camp or in battle. Vexilla were also used by detachments serving away from their units.
vilicus: slave foreman or farm manager. Commonly a slave, the vilicus was sometimes a paid worker, whose job it was to make sure that the returns on a farm were as large as possible. This was most commonly done by treating the slaves brutally.
Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
The Silver Eagle
Chapter I: The Mithraeum
Chapter II: Scaevola
Chapter III: Vahram
Chapter IV: Fabiola and Secundus
Chapter V: Discovery
Chapter VI: Chaos Descends
Chapter VII: Ambush
Chapter VIII: Despair
Chapter IX: Omens
Chapter X: Defeat
Chapter XI: The Warrior God
Chapter XII: Pacorus
Chapter XIII: Betrayal
Chapter XIV: A New Ally
Chapter XV: A New Threat
Chapter XVI: The Road to Gaul
Chapter XVII: The Final Battle
Chapter XVIII: Pompey’s General
Chapter XIX: Alesia
Chapter XX: Barbaricum
Chapter XXI: Reunion
Chapter XXII: News
Chapter XXIII: The Rubicon
Chapter XXIV: The Erythraean Sea
Chapter XXV: Pharsalus
Chapter XXVI: The Bestiarius
Chapter XXVII: Alexandria
Author’s Note
Glossary
