Hannibal: Fields of Blood (63 page)
porta praetoria
: see entry above.
principes
(sing.
princeps
): these soldiers – described as family men in their prime – formed the second rank of the Roman battle line in the third century
BC
. They were similar to the
hastati
, and as such were armed and dressed in much the same manner.
proconsul: a magistrate who operated outside Rome in place of a consul. His position lay outside the normal annual magistracy and was usually used for military purposes, i.e. to conduct a war on Rome’s behalf.
pteryges
: also spelt
pteruges
. These were a twin layer of stiffened linen strips that protected the waist and groin of the wearer. They either came attached to a cuirass of the same material, or as a detachable piece of equipment to be used below a bronze breastplate. Although
pteryges
were designed by the Greeks, many nations used them, including the Romans and Carthaginians.
Rhodanus: the River Rhône.
Saguntum: modern-day Sagunto. In the late third century
BC
, it was populated by Greeks and had allied itself to Rome in an effort to resist Carthaginian influence. When Hannibal attacked it in the spring of 219
BC
, he did so in the knowledge that it would provoke a war with Rome.
Samnium: a confederated area in the central southern Apennines. It fought three wars against Rome in the fourth and third centuries
BC
, losing the final one. The Samnites did not rest easily under Roman rule, however. They backed both Pyrrhus of Epirus and Hannibal in their wars against the Republic.
scutarii
(sing.
scutarius
): heavy Iberian infantry, Celtiberians who carried round shields, or ones very similar to those of the Roman legionaries. Richer individuals may have had mail shirts; others may have worn leather cuirasses. Many
scutarii
wore greaves. Their bronze helmets were very similar to the Gallic Montefortino style. They were armed with straight-edged swords that were slightly shorter than the Gaulish equivalent, and known for their excellent quality.
scutum
(pl.
scuta
): an elongated oval Roman army shield, about 1.2 m (4 ft) tall and 0.75 m (2 ft 6 in) wide. It was made from two or three layers of wood, the pieces laid at right angles to each other; it was then covered with linen or canvas, and leather. The
scutum
was heavy, weighing between 6 and 10 kg (13–22 lbs). A large metal boss decorated its centre, with the horizontal grip placed behind this. Decorative designs were often painted on the front, and a wooden spine ran down the front of it. A leather cover was used to protect the shield when not in use, e.g. while marching. Some of the Iberian and Gaulish warriors used very similar shields.
Senate: a body of three hundred senators who were prominent Roman noblemen. The Senate met in the Curia in central Rome, and its function was to advise the magistrates – the consuls, praetors, quaestors etc. – on domestic and foreign policy, religion and finance.
Seres: the Roman name for the Chinese people.
Sibylline Books: ancient texts stored in the temple of Jupiter in Rome, and reputed to have been written by the Sibyls, mythical oracles.
signifer
(pl.
signiferi
): a standard-bearer and junior officer. This was a position of high esteem, with one for every century in a legion.
socii
: allies of Rome. By the time of the Punic wars, all the non-Roman peoples of Italy had been forced into military alliances with Rome. In theory, these peoples were still independent, but in practice they were subjects, who were obliged to send quotas of troops to fight for the Republic whenever it was demanded.
strigil
:
a small, curved iron tool used to clean the skin after bathing. First perfumed oil was rubbed in, and then the
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, the peristyle.
Tanit: along with Baal Hammon, the pre-eminent deity in Carthage. She was regarded as a mother goddess, and as the patroness and protector of the city.
Telamon: modern-day Talamone, in Tuscany. In 225
BC
, it was the site of an enormous battle between the Romans and an army of invading Gauls, which was heading south for Rome.
tesserae
: pieces of stone or marble which were cut into roughly cubic shape and fitted closely on to a bed of mortar to form a mosaic. This practice was introduced in the third century
BC
.
tepidarium
: the largest area in a Roman baths and often where bathers met and talked. Containing a large, warm pool, it was a place to linger.
Ticinus: the River Ticino.
Trasimene: the modern-day Lago Trasimeno, in north-central Italy, close to Perugia and Siena.
Trebia: the River Trebbia.
triarii
(sing.
triarius
): the oldest, most experienced soldiers in a legion of the third century
BC
. These men were often held back until the most desperate of situations in a battle. The fantastic Roman expression ‘Matters have come down to the
triarii
’ makes this clear. They wore bronze crested helmets, mail shirts and a greave on their leading (left) legs. They each carried a
scutum
, and were armed with a
gladius hispaniensis
and a long, thrusting spear.
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.
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 the middle and rear lines.
triumph: the procession to the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill of a Roman general who had won a large-scale military victory.
turma
(pl.
turmae
): a cavalry unit of thirty men.
velites
(sing.
veles
): light skirmishers of the third century
BC
who were recruited from the poorest social class. They were young men whose only protection was a small, round shield and, in some cases, a simple bronze helmet. They carried a sword, but their primary weapons were 1.2-m (4-ft) javelins. They also wore wolf-skin headdresses of some kind. It’s unclear if the
velites
had any officers.
Venusia: modern-day Venosa.
Vestal Virgins: the only female priesthood in Rome, who served Vesta, the goddess of the hearth.
Via Appia: the main road from Rome to Brundisium (modern-day Brindisi) in the far south of Italy.
Via Latina: in the third century
BC
, this road ran south from Rome, through the country of the Latins and into Campania.
via praetoria
: see entry under
porta decumana
.
via principalis
: see entry under
porta decumana
.
Victumulae: a town in the vicinity of Placentia (modern-day Piacenza) in northern Italy. Its exact location is unknown.
Volturnus: the River Volturno.
Vulcan (or Vulcanus): a Roman god of destructive fire, who was often worshipped to prevent – fire!
About Ben Kane
When I was a boy, we had no TV at home, which is perhaps the reason I became an avid reader. I read just about any genre, but especially military and historical fiction. Yet my love of animals won out when it came to leaving school, and I trained as a veterinary surgeon. After spells of working in Ireland and the UK, my itchy feet took me abroad in 1997. The travelling bug bit me hard. For three and a half years, I returned only to earn enough money to travel again. It was during this time that I first had thoughts of writing historical military fiction.
I came back to the UK in early 2001 as the terrible foot-and-mouth disease outbreak began. I volunteered immediately and spent nearly a year working in Northumberland. Supervising the slaughter of livestock was truly awful, but I was able to visit the Roman sites along Hadrian’s Wall as well. My imagination ran riot in every place I visited, wondering what the Italian legionaries first posted there must have thought. It was then that my determination to become a writer of historical fiction took firm root. What started as a hobby became an obsession, and by 2006, I was writing
The Forgotten Legion
.
Landing a book deal in 2007 changed my life. After about 18 months, I was able to switch careers and become a fulltime writer and now I buy textbooks and military/civilian replica Roman items as part of my job! I also travel to the places that I write about; I see and feel and breathe them for myself. Over the last two years, I’ve followed Spartacus’ trail across Italy; I’ve stood at Cannae, and pictured Hannibal’s army meeting the massed legions of Rome; I’ve watched the sea lapping against the fortifications of Syracuse, where the Romans besieged the city for close to two years.
Writing about Roman history has become my world, as evidenced by the walk I did in April 2013 along Hadrian’s Wall in full Roman military kit, raising money for the charities Combat Stress and Medecins sans Frontieres. You can find out more about my books, my research and the walk on my website.
Ben Kane, May 2013
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Epub ISBN: 9781409023524
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