OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation key terms

A gladiator armed with a sword and shield who fought the retiarius; his smooth helmet lacked ornaments that could catch the net.

The way a writer constructs an image of their own character, values or achievements for readers.

A column partly embedded in a wall rather than standing independently.

An influential Roman council composed of elite men, many of them former magistrates, which debated public affairs and advised serving magistrates.

A wealthy member of Rome’s governing elite who belonged to the Senate. Pliny’s senatorial career gave him influence and access to powerful social networks.

Horace’s name for his satires, meaning ‘talks’ or ‘conversations’, reflecting their conversational manner.

A Roman unit of money used to express wealth and property values.

The time, place and circumstances in which events occur; these can shape the action and its meaning.

Judging comparable behaviour differently according to whether a woman or a man performs it.

A spirit of a dead person.

A deep rectangular burial pit containing a small chamber beneath a roof supported by wooden beams; it could hold more than one burial.

Disgrace, or the fear of being judged unworthy by others, which can pressure a warrior to fight or fulfil an obligation.

A cloth used to wrap or cover a dead person's body before burial.

A collection of sacred writings attributed to a Sibyl, consulted by authorised Roman officials on the Senate’s orders during religious crises.

Small figurines given as gifts during Saturnalia; the associated market and final festive day were called the Sigillaria.

A comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’, often extending a battlefield action into an image drawn from animals, nature or everyday life.

Marriage without manus: the wife's legal family status remained as it had been before marriage.

A rattling musical instrument associated with Egyptian worship. In Virgil’s Actium scene, Cleopatra uses one to signal to her forces.

A person legally owned by another person and required to work under their authority.

A ranking of people into different levels of status, reflected in their privileges, resources and treatment.

An expectation about acceptable behaviour within a particular society or group.

A full male citizen of Sparta, belonging to the privileged group whose lives centred on military training, service and politics.

The long central dividing barrier around which chariots raced in a Roman circus.

Property taken from a defeated enemy during warfare, including weapons, armour and treasure.

A person who financed public games, such as an emperor or local politician, gaining opportunities to display generosity, wealth and authority.

A gift given by a Roman patron to a client; originally associated with a basket of food, it was normally money by the end of the first century AD.

A military emblem carried on a pole, helping soldiers recognise their unit, maintain formation and follow its movements.