Glossary of ancient Roman religion

The words used in ancient Roman religion were very special. Learning these words helps us understand what the ancient Romans believed and did. Many of these ideas later influenced European culture, especially the Christian Church. This glossary explains important ideas in Latin about religious practices and beliefs. It includes links to articles about big topics like priesthoods, ways of predicting the future, and rituals.

For the names and titles of gods, called theonyms and epithets, see the List of Roman deities. To learn about public religious holidays, explore Roman festivals. For information on temples, visit the List of Ancient Roman temples. Specific landmarks related to religious places in ancient Rome are not included here; see Roman temple for more details.

Glossary

A

The word abominari means to reject or avoid an unwanted sign. It was used in Roman religion to ignore bad signs. The noun form is abominatio.

The aedes was a place where a god lived. It was a building that held the god’s image. The word can be translated as "shrine" or "temple." For example, the Temple of Vesta was called an aedes in Latin.

The word ager means land or territory. In religion, it referred to land used for making signs from birds. There were five types of ager.

The ara was an altar, a focal point for sacrifices. Most altars in Rome were simple outdoor structures. One well-known altar is the Ara Pacis.

Some trees were considered lucky or blessed (felix), while others were seen as unlucky (infelix). Lucky trees included oak, birch, and hazelnut, while unlucky trees included buckthorn and fern. The oak tree was sacred to the god Jupiter.

The verb attrectare meant to touch sacred objects during religious ceremonies. It had a positive meaning when done by authorized priests.

An augur was a priest who interpreted signs from the gods, especially the flight of birds, to guide important decisions.

B

A bellum iustum was a war considered right or justified according to Roman religious rules.

C

The word caerimonia referred to rituals or ceremonies. It could mean "sacred duty" or "ritual acts."

The calatores were assistants to senior priests, handling everyday tasks. They were public slaves.

Priests and others performing rituals often covered their heads with a fold of their toga, called capite velato.

A carmen was a chant or spell used in magic and religion.

Being castus or castitas meant being pure or morally clean, which was important in Roman religion for priests and rituals.

The cinctus Gabinus was a way of wearing the toga that allowed free arm movement. It was used in some religious ceremonies.

The phrase clavo trabali figere meant to fix or settle something important.

A collegium was a group with legal status, like a club or association. Religious groups, such as the College of Pontiffs, were important in Roman religion.

The comitia calata were special assemblies called for religious purposes.

The Commentaries of the Augurs were written records of the augurs’ decisions.

The Commentaries of the Pontiffs recorded the decisions and actions of the College of Pontiffs.

D

A decretum was a formal decision or ruling made by priests on religious matters.

A delubrum was a shrine or sacred building.

When someone moved to a new family through adoption, they performed a ritual called detestatio sacrorum to give up their old religious duties.

The words deus (god), dea (goddess), di or dii (gods) were used to refer to divine beings.

The devotio was a solemn vow where a general might offer his own life in battle for a victory.

The dies imperii was the anniversary of an emperor’s accession to power.

The dies lustricus was a purification ritual for newborns, usually on the eighth or ninth day after birth.

The dies natalis was a birthday or anniversary of a founding event. Birthdays were celebrated annually in Rome. Temples also had birthdays based on their founding dates.

E

The verb effari meant to create boundaries with fixed words.

The evocatio was a ritual to call a deity from an enemy city to support Rome.

An exauguratio was a ceremony to remove a deity from a place that had been marked out for religious use.

The adjective eximius described sacrificial victims of high quality.

The exta were the entrails of a sacrificed animal, examined for signs of divine approval.

F

Fanaticus described people devoted to a cult or shrine. It could also refer to trees struck by lightning, considered sacred.

A fanum was a sacred plot of land, a sanctuary, or a temple built there.

Fata deorum were prophecies or utterances of the gods, recorded and kept by priests for consultation.

Fas meant what was religiously right or permissible.

Records of official and religious events were kept as fasti.

In religion, felix meant blessed or favored by the gods.

A feria was a day off from work, a public holiday.

A dies festus was a festive or holy day dedicated to a deity.

The fetiales were priests who dealt with treaties and declarations of war.

The finis was a boundary or limit, important in defining sacred spaces and property lines.

The flamines were priests who served specific deities.

The Fratres Arvales were priests concerned with agriculture and farming, said to be created by Romulus.

G

The adjective gabinus described religious practices attributed to the town of Gabii.

H

The hostia was an animal offered in sacrifice.

I

An inauratio was a ritual where someone received divine approval for their appointment, performed by augurs.

The indigitamenta were lists of gods kept by priests to ensure the correct names were used in prayers.

The invocatio was the act of calling upon a deity in prayer or spell, using the correct name and titles.

Ius meant justice, right, or law.

Ius divinum was divine or sacred law, important for maintaining good relations with the gods.

Ius pontificum was the law governing Roman religion, covering rites, vows, holidays, and graves.

L

Lavatio was the ritual bathing of a deity’s statue, especially for goddesses like Cybele.

A lectisternium was a ceremony where gods were offered a meal as if they were seated on couches.

Lex referred to laws, which in Rome were often bound to religious oaths and sacrifices.

Libatio was a ritual pouring of a drink, such as wine, as an offering to the gods.

Liberatio was the ritual freeing of a place from unwanted spirits before a ceremony.

The libri augurales were the core books of the augurs, containing their knowledge and practices.

The libri pontificales were core texts of Roman religion, including rituals and records.

Litatio was the certification of divine approval after inspecting the entrails of a sacrificed animal.

The lituus was the curved staff carried by augurs, symbolizing their role.

A lucus was a sacred grove or wooded area dedicated to a deity.

Ludi were games held as part of religious festivals.

The Luperci were priests who participated in the Lupercalia festival.

Lustratio was a purification ritual held every five years in Rome.

M

Manubia referred to the power of a deity to wield lightning.

Miraculum was a term for a surprising or wonderful sign.

Mola salsa was ritually prepared salted flour, sprinkled on sacrificial victims and altars as part of Roman religion.

A monstrum was a sign of divine displeasure, disrupting the natural order.

Mundus referred to the world or a ritual pit in Rome, opened only on certain days for offerings to underworld deities.

N

Nefas described something contrary to divine law.

Nefastus described days when official transactions were forbidden for religious reasons.

Nemus meant forest or woodland, with some areas considered sacred, like the nemus of Anna Perenna.

Nuntiatio was the augur’s announcement of observed signs before an assembly.

O

Obnuntiatio was a declaration by an augur to suspend or cancel a public action due to unfavorable signs.

Observatio was the interpretation of signs according to tradition, used by augurs and haruspices.

An omen was a sign indicating the future.

Ostentarium was a written collection interpreting signs, used by experts.

Ostentum was a sign showing something to a person, interpreted within the Etruscan discipline.

The ordo sacerdotum was the religious hierarchy of priests at sacrificial banquets.

P

Paludatus described a military commander wearing the paludamentum.

Pax deorum was the harmony or peace between gods and humans, maintained through correct religious practices.

A piaculum was an expiatory sacrifice to make amends for a fault.

Pietas was devotion to the gods, state, and family, a key Roman virtue.

Pius described actions in accord with divine law, often used for the hero Aeneas.

Pollucere meant to consecrate.

A pontifex was a high-ranking priest, with the Pontifex Maximus as the chief.

The popa was a lower-ranking officiant at sacrifices.

Porricere meant to offer something as a sacrifice.

Portentum was a sign interpreted by a haruspex.

Precatio was the formal addressing of deities in a ritual, part of prayers.

Prex meant prayer, often used in the plural for formal requests to deities.

Prodigium was an unnatural event signaling divine displeasure.

Profanum meant not sacred, belonging to humans rather than the gods.

Propitius described favorable signs in augury, indicating divine approval.

Pulvinar was a couch used to display images of gods during ceremonies like the lectisternium.

R

The regina sacrorum was the wife of the rex sacrorum, serving as a high priestess with specific duties.

Religio meant obligation to the gods or religious duty, emphasizing correct practice over faith.

Religiosus described something pertaining to the gods or marked as theirs.

Res divinae were divine affairs, matters pertaining to the gods, explored in Varro’s works.

Resposum was the written opinion or argument of priests on religious questions.

The rex sacrorum was a priestly role reserved for patricians.

Ritus meant the traditional and correct manner of performing rituals.

Ritus graecus referred to Roman religious practices influenced by Greek rites.

S

Sacellum was a small shrine.

Sacer described something or someone given to the gods, sacred and inviolable.

Sacerdos was a priest or priestess, performing sacred acts.

Sacra were traditional cult practices, public or private.

Sacra gentilicia were private rites of a clan.

Sacra municipalia were the religious practices of a town continued under Roman supervision.

Sacramentum was a solemn oath or vow.

Sacrarium was a place for storing sacred objects.

Sacrificium was an event or thing dedicated to the gods.

Sacrosanctus described the inviolability of certain magistrates, like the tribunes of the plebs.

The Salii were the leaping priests of Mars.

Sancio meant to ratify a compact with a sanction or penalty.

Sanctus described something established as inviolable or sacred.

Servare de caelo meant to observe the sky for signs of auspices.

Signum was a sign or token indicating divine activity or communication.

Silentium was silence required during religious rituals.

Sinister originally meant well-fated, but later came to mean ill-fated.

Sodalitas was a voluntary association or society, sometimes forming priestly groups.

Spectio was the observation of omens through the sky, birds, or their feeding.

Sponsio was a formal, religiously guaranteed obligation, such as a betrothal or a magistrate’s promise in treaties.

Superstitio described excessive or irregular religious practice.

Supplicatio were days of public prayer and thanksgiving.

T

Tabernaculum was a tent or shelter used in augury.

Templum was a sacred space defined by an augur for ritual purposes.

V

Verba certa were exact, unchangeable words in legal or religious formulas.

Verba concepta were verbal formulas that could be adapted for specific circumstances.

Ver sacrum was a ritual migration, a sacred spring.

Victima was an animal offering in sacrifice.

Victimarius was an attendant at sacrifices who handled the animal.

Vitium was a fault or defect in a ritual, disrupting augural procedure.

Vitulari meant chanting or reciting a formula joyfully, related to the Vitulatio offering.

Votum was a vow or promise made to a deity.