Contents

(E2) 7B: Perīculōsī Virī

Hover over each panel for vocabulary hints.

(NB: Hints are provided for verba ūtilia and phrases or grammatical concepts that have not yet been covered by this unit. Hints are not provided for verba necessāria or grammatical concepts that have been covered by this unit.)

cum virō with the man

hīc here, this

taceō, tacēre to be quiet

cēlō, cēlāre to hide, to conceal

venēnō, venēnāre to poison

ēmptor, ēmptōris, m./f. customer, buyer

occīdō, occīdere to kill, to murder

taceō, tacēre to be quiet

improbus/a/um wicked, rude

adiuvō, adiuvāre to help

Mehercule! By Hercules!

illum virum that man

adiuvō, adiuvāre to help

occīdō, occīdere to kill, to murder

Ad Fontēs

The so-called “King of Garum” is named after a real man from Ostia Antica, Lucius Publius Gamala. Men from the family Gamala are named in several inscriptions as important men of Ostia, and as builders of temples and public buildings. Scholars argue over the exact dates of these men. Some say the first Gamala fought with Pompey the Great against the pirates who attacked Ostia (see more on pirates in Unit 8!). No matter the exact date, we do know that members of the Gamala family were wealthy and important men with high-ranking positions; in fact, at least three generations of Gamala served as Duovirī, the elected officials of Ostia.

Gamala, however, is distinctive, and not a traditional Roman name. It is possible that it comes from the name of a small town (Gamala) in Galilee. It is possible that an enslaved man from this town was brought back to Rome by one Lucius Publius, and this man and his descendents kept this name after gaining freedom. The name Gamala is also found in Liguria. It is possible that a man from this family ended up in Ostia.

The original Gamala family inspired the naming of our villain in our story, but there is no evidence that the descendants of the first Lucius Publius Gamala were involved in the garum trade. However, it was a profitable and competitive trade, and it is possible that the Gamala family had some influence or participation in it.

The remains of a Roman garum factory found in Spain. These large ceramic jars, known as *dolia*, were used in the process of creating fish sauce.

Notae