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Glossary of Roman Terms
masonry platform or earth embankment supporting the central structure of a bridge
cambered embankment-mound carrying a Roman road
unit of cavalry in the Roman auxiliary army
covered portico surrounding the inner shrine of a temple
undressing room in a bath-suite
the horizontal member above two columns (piers, etc.), spanning the interval between them
fortified enclosure in a medieval castle
artillery- weapon discharging arrows and stone balls
town hall
in military defences, the level space between two features (e.g. ditch and rampart)
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
the vertical timber-work built on top of the earth rampart of a fort to provide screening for the sentry
hot room (moist heat) in a bath-suite
inner shrine of a temple
unit of 80 legionary soldiers, commanded by a centurion
Christian symbol composed of the first two letters of the Greek name for Christ (Xp-Cros); see
tribal unit
in a Roman camp, curved extension of rampart (and ditch) protecting a gateway
unit of infantry soldiers, legionary or auxiliary
settlement of retired legionaries; for York a title of honour
colour-differentiation in standing crops or vegetation (best seen from the air), indicating the presence of buried ancient features
covered assembly- area in the headquarters building of a fort
drainage- channel
wall of fortification
continuous border round the lower part of a wall decorated with painted plaster
regular pattern of rectangular fields attached to an ancient farming settlement
underfloor arch in a hypocaust allowing hot air to pass from furnace to room, or from one heated room to another
open-ended, box-shaped tiles built in the thickness of the walls of a room heated by hypocaust
horizontal band above an architrave, sometimes carved with sculpture
cold room in a bath-suite
writing scratched on tile, pottery, plaster, etc.
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
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
semi-circular roofing-tile, linking two flat tiles (tegulae)
Latin expression meaning "in its original position"
side-post of a doorway or window
hot room (dry heat) in a bath-suite
Lavatory
Error? Aqueduct
Channel
wooden beam or stone slab lying horizontally above a doorway (or window)
an inn, especially for government officials
set of letters combined into one (used of Chi-Rho)
floor composed of pieces of coloured tesserae to form geometric or figured designs
ERROR of set point at which the thickness of a wall is reduced, forming a 'step' in the structureexercise-yard of a public bath-house, in Britain sometimes covered
top of a Roman fortification consisting of a wallwalk and battlements
triangular gabled end of a roof (usually used of temples)
pillars of brick (or stone) supporting the floor of a room with a hypocaust
column or pillar incorporated in, but projecting from, a wall
swimming-bath in a public bath- house
projecting course at the foot of a wall; also used of a base, e.g. for an altar
raised platform (especially used of temples)
doorway or carriageway, especially of a fort-gateway
hole dug to receive a wooden upright
minor gate or door in a late Roman town- or fortwall
small town on a main road, where travelling officials could find an inn (mansio)
headquarters building of a Roman fort
government financial administrator
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
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)
shrine in a fort's headquarters building
high-quality, red-coated pottery, imported from the continent (mainly from France)
coffin of stone or lead
coast of SE England exposed to Saxon pirate raids
low wall supporting a raised floor, especially in a granary
the voussoir which rests on the cap above a jamb and marks the beginning of an arch stoke-hole. furnace-area for a hypocaust
regular pattern of streets crossing at right-angles
hot room (dry heat) in a bath-suite
warm room (moist heat) in a bath-suite
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
short detached stretch of rampart (and ditch) protecting the gateway of a marching camp
platform for commanding officer in principia, or on a parade-ground
dining-room
detachment of a legion (normally 1,000 men)
campaign base for legionaries and auxiliaries
road in a fort running from back of principia to back gate
road in a fort linking the gates in the long sides and passing in front of the principia
small civilian settlement, especially one outside a fort
wedge-shaped stone forming one of the units of an arch
level platform for the sentry on top of a fortification (see parapet)
wall-construction consisting of wickerwork plastered with mud
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