{"id":633,"date":"2013-11-20T20:22:19","date_gmt":"2013-11-20T20:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/dcc\/?p=633"},"modified":"2013-11-20T21:05:36","modified_gmt":"2013-11-20T21:05:36","slug":"vocabulary-of-the-roman-surveyors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/dcc\/2013\/11\/20\/vocabulary-of-the-roman-surveyors\/","title":{"rendered":"Vocabulary of the Roman Surveyors"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

They don’t get much in the way of posthumous glory, but Roman surveyors have left us a wealth of technical treatises, collectively known as the\u00a0Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum,<\/em>\u00a0which\u00a0<\/em>is\u00a0of unique historical importance for its detailed descriptions of the nature of land settlement, and the role of emperors, especially Augustus, in regulating urban centers in a rural environment.[1]<\/a>\u00a0Archaeologist David Gilman Romano, longtime director of the Corinth Computer Project<\/a>, has been using the Agrimensores<\/em> to understand the rural geography of Corinth and the nature of Roman re-settlement of the city.[2]<\/a> One of the highlights of his recent Dickinson Latin Workshop was the handy glossary of Roman surveying terms, given below.<\/p>\n

First, though, where can you read these texts online? Several are available on PHI:<\/p>\n

Balbus,Exposito et Ratio Omnium Formarum<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Sextus Iulius Frontinus, De Arte Mensoria<\/a>,\u00a0De limitibus<\/a>, De controversiis<\/a>, and\u00a0De agrorum qualitate<\/a>,<\/p>\n

Hyginus Gromaticus, De limitibus<\/a><\/p>\n

Siculus Flaccus, De condicioninus agrorum<\/a><\/p>\n

F. Blume, K. Lachmann and A. Rudorff,\u00a0Die Schriften der romischen Feldmesser<\/em> (Berlin: Reimer, vol. 1, 1848<\/a>, vol. 2, 1852<\/a>) includes\u00a0a larger index auctorum<\/a>. There is also the more recent Teubner edition of C. Thulin, Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum<\/em>, vol. 1, fasc. 1 Opuscula Agrimensorum Veterum<\/em><\/a> (Leipzig: Teubner, 1913) which includes Frontinus, Hyginus, and Flaccus, and is the source of the PHI texts. The two earliest manuscripts, dating to the 6th-7th and 9th centuries, have a wealth of color illustrations. Here is a b\/w reproduction of a few, from Thulin:<\/p>\n

\"drawings<\/a>

Illustrations from the earliest manuscripts of the Agrimensores, the sixth century codex Arcerianus (A) and the ninth century codex Palatinus Vaticanus latinus 1564 (P), from Thulin’s edition (Leipzig: Teubner, 1913), plates 24 and 25.<\/p><\/div>\n

A good translation is available in print:\u00a0J. B. Campbell, Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum<\/i>, The Writings of the Roman Surveyors<\/i>, Journal of Roman Studies, Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, Monograph Vol. 9, London, 2000; and Prof. Romano also recommends\u00a0M.J.T. Lewis, Surveying Instruments of Greece and Rome <\/i>(Cambridge, 2001).<\/p>\n

Ok, here is Prof. Romano’s lexicon. May it help to foster the study of these texts! If you are looking for examples of the actual uses of these words, Volume 2 of the Blume-Lachmann-Rudorff edition has a full index verborum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Abluvio – the erosion of soil by a river<\/p>\n

Actus (plural act\u016bs) – linear measure 120 feet<\/p>\n

Actus quadratus \u2013 an area 120 feet square or \u00bd iugerum<\/p>\n

Ager \u2013 field<\/p>\n

Ager publicus \u2013 land owned by the Roman state<\/p>\n

Agrimensor \u2013 a land surveyor<\/p>\n

Alluvio \u2013 the deposit of soil by a river<\/p>\n

Ambitus \u2013 a space of 2 \u00bd feet between neighboring buildings for a right of way<\/p>\n

Arca \u2013 a square or rectilinear boundary marker often hollowed out<\/p>\n

Arcifinius \u2013 land on the periphery of Roman territory<\/p>\n

Cardo \u2013 a limes dividing individual centuriae often running north-south and forming a set of parallel limites.\u00a0 Cardo means \u2018hinge\u2019<\/p>\n

Cardo maximus \u2013 the main and widest limes usually north-south<\/p>\n

Centuria \u2013 a unit of land division created by the intersection of four limites often measuring 20 actus square and containing 200 iugera, each traditionally contianed 100 allotments of 2 iugera<\/p>\n

Chorobates \u2013 an instrument used for levelling<\/p>\n

Cippus \u2013 a boundary stone<\/p>\n

Colonia \u2013 a self-administering community of settlers; Citizen colonies, Latin colonies, veteran colonies<\/p>\n

Colonus \u2013 a farmer, tenant farmer, farmer in a colony (from colere)<\/p>\n

Decempeda \u2013 a surveyor\u2019s 10 foot measuring rod<\/p>\n

Decumanus \u2013 the name given to limes <\/i>dividing individual centuriae often running east-west and forming a part of a set of parallel limites<\/p>\n

Decumanus maximus \u2013 the main and widest limes often east-west that intersected the cardo at right angles<\/p>\n

Decus \u2013 derived from decem (X) in surveying the intersection of two lines in the form of an X<\/p>\n

Dioptra \u2013 an instrument for surveying or for making astronomical observations<\/p>\n

Ferramentum \u2013 the iron base of a surveying instrument<\/p>\n

Finis \u2013 a boundary between territories or landholders<\/p>\n

Forma –\u00a0 map<\/p>\n

Forum \u2013 a commercial or market center<\/p>\n

Fundus \u2013 one square actus also\u2019 acnua\u2019 also actus quadratus<\/p>\n

Geometres \u2013 a land measurer<\/p>\n

Groma \u2013 an instrument for surveying straight lines and right angles.\u00a0 Derived from Greek gnomon<\/p>\n

Heredium \u2013 a heritable plot of land traditionally two iugera<\/p>\n

Indiviso \u2013 land not allocated to individuals but left for common pasture land<\/p>\n

Iter \u2013 pathway, road, journey, right of way<\/p>\n

Iter populo non debetur – The roadways in the urban center could be planned and built so as to fully respect the entire calculated area of the insula according to a legal formula iter populo non debetur<\/i> meaning that the widths of the roads were added outside of the regular iugera measure of the insulae.<\/p>\n

Iter populo debetur – In the rural landscape there was a different solution, iter populo debetur<\/i>, which meant that roadways could be added over land that was divided into iugera for farming purposes.\u00a0 This would mean that portions of the assigned rural land would in fact be utilized as paths or cart roads through the agricultural fields.<\/p>\n

Iugerum \u2013 two square actus, land able to be plowed by a yoke of oxen in one day.<\/p>\n

Latifundium \u2013 large estate<\/p>\n

Libri aeris \u2013 mapping registers associated with a bronze forma containing details of land allocations<\/p>\n

Limes (limites) \u2013 a man made boundary or balk<\/p>\n

Limitatio \u2013 the process of establishing intersecting limites to divide land (centuriatio)<\/p>\n

Mensor \u2013 a measurer<\/p>\n

Meta \u2013 cone shaped turning post in circus, a surveyors moveable mark<\/p>\n

Metator \u2013 a surveyor, military surveyor<\/p>\n

Norma \u2013 a carpenters square<\/p>\n

Ager occupatorius \u2013 land that the Romans occupied for their own use after defeating an enemy<\/p>\n

Pagus \u2013 a country district<\/p>\n

Passus \u2013 a pace or stride\u00a0 mille passus = one Roman mile 1000 paces<\/p>\n

Pertica \u2013 a surveyor\u2019s 10 foot long measuring rod. Total area measured<\/p>\n

Pes \u2013 a foot 0.2957 m.<\/p>\n

Plethron \u2013 a Greek area of land 100 feet square = 10,000 square feet<\/p>\n

Possessio \u2013 possession of land or object as opposed to ownership<\/p>\n

Praefectura \u2013 a community of Roman citizens to which Rome had sent out legal officials<\/p>\n

Principia \u2013 headquarter buildings in a military camp<\/p>\n

Proprietas \u2013 ownership of an object or land as opposed to possession<\/p>\n

Quadrifinium \u2013 a place where the boundaries of four properties or territories met<\/p>\n

Quintarius \u2013 every fifth limes after the KM and DM.\u00a0 It was wider than the other secondary limites<\/p>\n

Rigor \u2013 a manmade straight line forming a boundary with no width<\/p>\n

Saltus \u2013 according to Siculus Flaccus 25 centuriae; According to Varo 4 centuriae.\u00a0 An estate<\/p>\n

Scamnum \u2013 a rectangle of land broader than it was long from the sighting<\/p>\n

Servitus \u2013 in law an easement or servitude on a property<\/p>\n

Striga \u2013 a rectangle of land longer than it was broad from the sighting<\/p>\n

Subruncivus \u2013 limites intervening between KM, DM and quintarii.\u00a0 Means \u2018weeded\u2019<\/p>\n

Subsecivum\u00a0 – land unsuitable for settlers<\/p>\n

Tabulae aeris \u2013 bronze records associated with the bronze map<\/p>\n

Tabularium \u2013 public records office<\/p>\n

Terminus \u2013 a boundary marker.\u00a0 In Roman religion Terminus was worshipped as the spirit of all boundary markers<\/p>\n

Territorium \u2013 all land within the boundaries of a community<\/p>\n

Tetrans \u2013 a quadrant. In surveying the point of intersection of two lines<\/p>\n

Usucapio \u2013 in law a process by which ownership could be attained by continuous possession<\/p>\n

Varatio \u2013 the process of diagonal sighting<\/p>\n

Vectigalis \u2013 land yielding revenue for the Roman state, colony, municipium<\/p>\n

Via publica \u2013 a publicly maintained road<\/p>\n

Vicus \u2013 a district, village<\/p>\n

Villa \u2013 a dwelling associated with at rural estate or farm<\/p>\n

<\/a>1. John Brian Campbell, Oxford Classical Dictionary<\/em>, 3rd ed., s.v. gromatici<\/em>
\n<\/a>2. David Gilman Romano, “Roman Surveyors in Corinth,” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society<\/em> 150.1 (2006), pp. 62-85. Idem<\/em>, “City Planning, Centuriation, and Land Division in Roman Corinth: Colonia Laus Iulia
\nCorinthiensis & Colonia Iulia Flavia Augusta Corinthiensis,” Corinth<\/em>, Vol. 20, Corinth, The Centenary: 1896-1996<\/em> (2003), pp. 279-301.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They don’t get much in the way of posthumous glory, but Roman surveyors have left us a wealth of technical treatises, collectively known as the\u00a0Corpus Agrimensorum Romanorum,\u00a0which\u00a0is\u00a0of unique historical importance for its detailed descriptions of the nature of land settlement, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/dcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/dcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/dcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/dcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/dcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/dcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/633\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/dcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/dcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/dcc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}