| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Roman literature | The body of written works produced by Roman authors, including various genres such as epistles, poetry, and prose. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| -ne | A Latin suffix placed on the first or most important word of a sentence to indicate that a question is being asked. |
| ablative case | A Latin grammatical case with multiple functions, including showing the means, agent, manner, time, place, or separation in a sentence. |
| accusative case | A Latin grammatical case used to mark the direct object of a verb and, without a preposition, to indicate direction or destination ('place to where'). |
| adjective | Words that modify nouns and must agree with them in case, number, and gender in Latin. |
| adverb | Words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to describe how, when, where, or to what extent an action occurs. |
| conditions | Grammatical structures in Latin that express hypothetical or conditional situations, typically introduced by si, nisi, or ni. |
| conjunction | Words that connect words, phrases, or clauses together in a sentence. |
| indicative mood | The mood of verbs used to express facts, statements, and questions; includes six tenses: present, imperfect, future, perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect. |
| interrogative words | Question words in Latin used to introduce questions, such as quis (who), quid (what), and ubi (where). |
| locative case | A Latin grammatical case used to indicate location, translated as 'at' or 'in,' primarily used with names of cities and small towns. |
| ni | A Latin conjunction meaning 'not' used to introduce conditional clauses. |
| nisi | A Latin conjunction meaning 'if not' or 'unless' used to introduce conditional clauses. |
| particle | Small words in Latin that modify or connect other words, including adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions. |
| preposition | Words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence, often indicating location, direction, or time. |
| si | A Latin conjunction meaning 'if' used to introduce conditional clauses. |
| subjunctive mood | A verb mood used in Latin to express wishes, doubts, conditions, and in dependent clauses such as indirect questions. |
| verb | Words that express actions, states, or conditions and are central to Latin sentence structure. |
| verbals | Non-finite verb forms in Latin (such as infinitives, participles, and gerunds) that function as other parts of speech while retaining verbal characteristics. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ablative case | A Latin grammatical case with multiple functions, including showing the means, agent, manner, time, place, or separation in a sentence. |
| allusions | Indirect or implied references to people, literary works, or historical events that readers are expected to recognize. |
| clients | Individuals in Roman society who were dependent on and owed loyalty to a patron, often including formerly enslaved people after manumission. |
| Domitian | Roman emperor from 81 to 96 CE and the last member of the Flavian dynasty, known for transferring government functions to the imperial court and diminishing Senate power. |
| enslaved people | Individuals held as property under Roman law with limited legal rights, often performing manual labor, domestic services, or skilled work. |
| figurative language | Language that uses figures of speech such as metaphor, simile, personification, and symbolism to convey meaning beyond the literal sense of words. |
| Flavian dynasty | A Roman imperial dynasty consisting of Domitian and his father and brother, who all ruled as emperors. |
| future perfect tense | A verb tense in the indicative mood expressing an action that will be completed before another future action, translated as 'will have _ed.' |
| future tense | A verb tense in the indicative mood expressing an action that will happen, translated as 'will _.' |
| imperfect tense | A verb tense in the indicative mood expressing a past action in progress or habitual action, translated as 'was/were _ing' or 'used to _.' |
| implied meaning | The meaning suggested or understood indirectly from a text, rather than stated explicitly. |
| indicative mood | The mood of verbs used to express facts, statements, and questions; includes six tenses: present, imperfect, future, perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect. |
| inferences | Conclusions drawn from evidence and reasoning based on textual clues rather than explicit statements. |
| interpretation | The process of determining the meaning and significance of a Latin text based on careful analysis of language, context, and literary elements. |
| manumission | The legal process by which an enslaved person in Rome was freed and typically became a client of their former master. |
| ne | A Latin conjunction used to introduce negative purpose clauses with subjunctive verbs. |
| noun | Words that name persons, places, things, or ideas and function as subjects, objects, or complements in Latin sentences. |
| perfect tense | A verb tense in the indicative mood expressing a completed past action, translated as '_ed,' 'has/have _ed,' or 'did _.' |
| Pliny the Younger | A Roman lawyer, magistrate, and letter writer (61-c. 113 CE) who served under Emperor Trajan and whose letters provide insight into Roman life and administration in the first century CE. |
| pluperfect tense | A verb tense in the indicative mood expressing an action completed before another past action, translated as 'had _ed.' |
| present tense | A verb tense in the indicative mood expressing an action happening now or habitually, translated as 'is/are _ing.' |
| purpose clause | A subordinate clause introduced by ut or ne with a subjunctive verb that expresses the purpose or intention of the main clause action. |
| references | Direct mentions or citations of specific people, places, events, or concepts in a text. |
| Roman citizenship | Legal status in ancient Rome that granted free male citizens specific rights and protections, including the right to legal trial, voting rights, and eligibility for civic office. |
| Roman social norms | The established customs, behaviors, and social expectations that governed interactions and relationships in Roman society. |
| stylistic information | Literary techniques and devices (such as word choice, sentence structure, imagery, and tone) that an author uses to create meaning and effect in a text. |
| subjunctive mood | A verb mood used in Latin to express wishes, doubts, conditions, and in dependent clauses such as indirect questions. |
| ut | A Latin conjunction that can introduce clauses with indicative verbs (translated 'like,' 'as,' 'when') or subjunctive verbs (showing result or purpose). |
| verb | Words that express actions, states, or conditions and are central to Latin sentence structure. |
| verbals | Non-finite verb forms in Latin (such as infinitives, participles, and gerunds) that function as other parts of speech while retaining verbal characteristics. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| allusions | Indirect or implied references to people, literary works, or historical events that readers are expected to recognize. |
| Bithynia-Pontus | A Roman province located on the southern shore of the Black Sea (in modern-day Turkey) where Pliny served as governor from 110 to 113 CE. |
| clients | Individuals in Roman society who were dependent on and owed loyalty to a patron, often including formerly enslaved people after manumission. |
| Emperor Trajan | Roman emperor who ruled from 98 to 117 CE and expanded the empire to its greatest territorial extent while overseeing major public building programs. |
| enslaved people | Individuals held as property under Roman law with limited legal rights, often performing manual labor, domestic services, or skilled work. |
| manumission | The legal process by which an enslaved person in Rome was freed and typically became a client of their former master. |
| patronage | A system of mutually beneficial relationships between individuals of different power and influence levels, central to Roman culture. |
| patrons | Wealthier and more powerful individuals who provided assistance such as legal defense and gifts to their clients in exchange for political support. |
| Pliny the Younger | A Roman lawyer, magistrate, and letter writer (61-c. 113 CE) who served under Emperor Trajan and whose letters provide insight into Roman life and administration in the first century CE. |
| political patronage | A patronage relationship based on political support and influence between individuals of different social status. |
| references | Direct mentions or citations of specific people, places, events, or concepts in a text. |
| Roman social norms | The established customs, behaviors, and social expectations that governed interactions and relationships in Roman society. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ablative case | A Latin grammatical case with multiple functions, including showing the means, agent, manner, time, place, or separation in a sentence. |
| accusative case | A Latin grammatical case used to mark the direct object of a verb and, without a preposition, to indicate direction or destination ('place to where'). |
| Aeneid | An epic poem by Virgil that tells the story of Aeneas and includes the character Camilla and her relationship with Diana. |
| Alexandria | A major city located in Egypt at the mouth of the Nile River that was part of the Roman Empire and is referenced in Pliny's letters. |
| allusions | Indirect or implied references to people, literary works, or historical events that readers are expected to recognize. |
| Athens | An ancient Greek city that was part of the Roman Empire by the late first century CE and is referenced in Pliny's letters. |
| Augustus | The first emperor of Rome (27 BCE-14 CE), born Gaius Octavius, adopted heir of Julius Caesar who consolidated power and established a stable empire. |
| Bithynia-Pontus | A Roman province located on the southern shore of the Black Sea (in modern-day Turkey) where Pliny served as governor from 110 to 113 CE. |
| Carthage | An ancient city in northern Africa founded by Dido, which became a major Mediterranean power. |
| causa | A Latin noun meaning 'cause' or 'reason' that, when placed in the ablative case after a genitive noun, is translated as 'for the sake of.' |
| civic office | A position of authority or responsibility in Roman government that citizens had the right to seek and hold. |
| Emperor Trajan | Roman emperor who ruled from 98 to 117 CE and expanded the empire to its greatest territorial extent while overseeing major public building programs. |
| genitive case | A Latin grammatical case used to show possession, descriptive properties, part of a whole, or a quasi-object of a noun implying action. |
| gratia | A Latin noun meaning 'favor' or 'grace' that, when placed in the ablative case after a genitive noun, is translated as 'for the sake of.' |
| Ilium | The rebuilt city of ancient Troy, restored by Augustus as part of the Roman Empire. |
| indirect questions | Clauses introduced by question words with verbs in the subjunctive mood that function as dependent clauses within a sentence. |
| indirect statement | A grammatical construction introduced by a verb of speaking, thinking, or feeling, consisting of an accusative subject and an infinitive verb. |
| infinitive | A verbal form that functions as the predicate verb in an indirect statement or as a noun. |
| legal trial | A formal judicial proceeding to which Roman citizens had the right to be subjected, ensuring legal protections and due process. |
| Pliny the Younger | A Roman lawyer, magistrate, and letter writer (61-c. 113 CE) who served under Emperor Trajan and whose letters provide insight into Roman life and administration in the first century CE. |
| references | Direct mentions or citations of specific people, places, events, or concepts in a text. |
| Roman citizenship | Legal status in ancient Rome that granted free male citizens specific rights and protections, including the right to legal trial, voting rights, and eligibility for civic office. |
| Roman Empire | The vast political and territorial dominion that encompassed the Mediterranean Basin and surrounding regions during antiquity. |
| Roman social norms | The established customs, behaviors, and social expectations that governed interactions and relationships in Roman society. |
| subjunctive mood | A verb mood used in Latin to express wishes, doubts, conditions, and in dependent clauses such as indirect questions. |
| verbals | Non-finite verb forms in Latin (such as infinitives, participles, and gerunds) that function as other parts of speech while retaining verbal characteristics. |
| Vergil | A Roman poet (70-19 BCE) who composed the Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid, works that had lasting influence on Western literature. |
| vocative case | A Latin grammatical case used to directly address a person or object in speech. |