The Redemption of Pontius Pilate (59 page)

32 AD—
Pilate wounded by Zealots; his slow recovery fills the summer

33 AD—
Bar Abbas captured; Jesus crucified, Day of Pentecost

34 AD—
John heals Pilate's son; Herod begins persecuting the church, Stephen martyred

35 AD—
Porcia becomes a follower of Jesus

37 AD—
Pilate orders an attack on the Samaritan followers of Moses ben Judah, then recalled to Rome; Tiberius dies, Caligula becomes Emperor, and Pilate and his family become fugitives

38 AD—
Lucius Pontius Pilate redeems himself

GLOSSARY OF LATIN TERMS USED IN THIS BOOK

Absolvo:
A verdict of “Not Guilty” declared by a Roman judge or jury

Amuensis:
A scribe or secretary who penned letters dictated by another

Arctoritas:
the circle of influence and prestige enjoyed by a member of the Roman aristocracy – it was measured by the number of clients one had, the respect one commanded from his peers, and one's public reputation

Armillae:
A golden armband awarded to legionaries who slew an enemy in hand to hand combat

Ave:
“Greetings!” – a common Latin salutation, “Hello” in English

Cacat:
Latin slang for human feces; sometimes also used as an expletive

Calvarium:
the skull

Centurion:
A noncommissioned officer in a Roman legion who commanded 100 legionaries and around 20 auxiliaries

Condemno:
A verdict of “Guilty” from a Roman court or magistrate

Consul:
The Chief executives of the Roman Republic; two in number, they were elected by the citizens of Rome and served a one year term. Under the Emperors, the office held less power, but still carried great prestige.

Conterburnalis:
A junior officer in the Roman military, equivalent to an ensign or field cadet.

Corona Civitas:
the Civic Crown, Rome's second highest military decoration. It was awarded to any soldier who saved the life of a comrade, held his ground throughout the battle, and personally killed at least one of the enemy.

Corona Granicus:
Rome's highest decoration, a simple crown woven from the grass of the battlefield where it was won. This award was given to any soldier who single-handedly saved an entire legion from destruction.

Culus:
slang term for the anus

Curia Julia:
the Court of Julia, a public building erected by Gaius Julius Caesar in honor of his daughter Julia, which became the customary meeting place of the Roman Senate in Augustus' time

Cursus Honorum:
The “ladder of honors” – the succession of offices that a successful Roman was expected to occupy on his way to the highest elected position, that of Consul.

Denarius:
a common Roman coin, made of silver, which represented one day's wage for an average laborer.

Divus Julius:
the “Divine Julius” – the title granted to Gaius Julius Caesar after his death and deification

Ecastor:
“By Castor!” – a mild expletive used by Roman men and women in polite conversation to express dismay or disbelief

Edepol:
“By Pollux!” a companion expletive used more often by Roman men than women

Fortuna:
the Roman Goddess of Luck, believed to favor certain individuals

Gens humana:
the human race; mankind

Gladius:
A Roman shortsword. The blade was double edged, and typically 16 to 18 inches in length

Hubris:
(actually Greek rather than Latin) a pride so great that it offends the gods

Imperator:
lit. “conqueror,” this was the designation normally given to any Roman commander who vanquished an enemy army on the field. Later, it became the title of Rome's rulers, and passed into English as the word “Emperor”

Imperium:
The right to command; conferred by the Senate and People of Rome, or later by the Emperor. There were different levels of
imperium,
according to one's rank.

Legate (also Legatus):
The commander of a Roman Army, while a Junior Legate commanded individual legions within the Army.

Lictors:
The honor guards assigned to Roman officials - the greater the number of lictors, the higher the rank. The senior lictor would carry the
fasces
which represented the official's
imperium

Ludus Magnus:
Rome's largest gladiator training facility

Mare Nostrum:
“Our Sea,” the Romans' nickname for the Mediterranean

Mos Maorum:
The traditions of the Roman Republic, the way things had always been done, similar to the Biblical “traditions of our elders.”

Paterfamilias:
“Head of the Family;” the formal position of the father in a Roman home. As head, he literally had the power of life and death over family members.

Pax Romana:
The “Peace of Rome,” begun during the reign of Augustus, which would last for nearly 200 years without large-scale wars

Phalerae:
a disc worn on the breastplate; could be gold, silver, or bronze according to the valor of the act it was awarded for

Pilae (pilus
singular): the standard spear used by Roman legionaries, about five feet in length, with a forged iron head. They were designed to be thrown, although they could also be useful in short-range combat as a thrusting lance

Plebeian:
The historically “common” classes of the Roman Republic, although by Pilate's time plebs were eligible to hold any political office, and comprised more than half the membership of the Senate.

Podex:
The part of the anatomy one sits on; the buttocks

Pomerium:
The sacred boundary of the city of Rome. By tradition, no military commander could cross it without laying down his
imperium.

Praetor:
A local magistrate, elected by the citizens of Rome. The Urban Praetors were in charge of maintaining the city of Rome's infrastructure, including roads, aqueducts, and sewers, as well as public buildings.

Praetorian Guard:
The personal bodyguards of the Emperor of Rome

Prefect:
A Roman official who was appointed by the Senate or Emperor rather than elected; there were both military and civilian prefects

Primus Pilus (
also
Primipilus):
Lit. “First Spear,” the highest ranking centurion in a legion of Roman soldiers.

Princeps:
One of the Emperor's official titles, loosely translated to “First Citizen”

Princeps Senatus:
The senior member and leader of the Roman Senate

Proconsul:
A Roman governor who has held the rank of Consul before being sent to his province

Publicani:
also called tax farmers, they were usually local residents who contracted to collect taxes from the native population. Called “Publicans” in the New Testament, they were universally despised.

Quaestor:
an elected magistrate of the Roman Republic, whose members automatically qualified for a seat in the Senate.

Retarius:
A gladiator who fought with a net and a trident as his weapons

Rudis:
a wooden sword used for training purposes

Sagum:
A leather cloak worn by soldiers on campaign; it was oiled to keep it supple and waterproof

Secutor:
A gladiator who fought with the sword and shield

Spartacanii:
The army of slaves that followed Spartacus in his rebellion against Rome in 70 BC

Stadia:
a unit of measurement, approximately 600 feet

Stibium:
Makeup favored by prostitutes and older women in the East; believed to have been invented in Egypt

Tata:
childish name for one's father, equivalent to “Daddy”

Tetrarch:
One who governs one fifth of a kingdom – a title given to Herod the Great's sons after their father's kingdom was split between them

Torcs:
a golden necklet awarded for valor in combat

Tribune:
An elected official who represents the interests of the electorate. Military Tribunes acted as liaisons between the soldiers and their commander; Tribune of the Plebs was a very important political office that automatically enrolled its members in the Senate. Historically, Tribunes of the Plebs could introduce legislation and veto any proposal from the Consuls or the Senate. Although their powers were reduced under the Principate, the office still carried great honor and was highly sought after.

Vestal Virgins:
these were the ten priestesses of Vesta, the goddess of hearth and home, bound for the duration of their office to remain pure. They were usually pledged to Vesta at age 8 and released from their vows at the age of 35.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

LEWIS BEN SMITH is a pastor, a Christian school teacher, an avid collector of Indian Artifacts, a third degree black belt, a computer game junkie, and the father of twin daughters. He has a Master's Degree in history and has studied the early history of Christianity for many years. With so much spare time on his hands, he decided to start writing novels.