Contents

(E2) 6B: Aliud Fētidum

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.)

illīus noctis of that night

sagum, sagī, n. cloak

teneō, tenēre to hold

pūgiō, pūgiōnis, m. dagger, knife

venēnō, venēnāre to poison

ampulla, ampullae, f. a little bottle, jar

caeruleus/a/um blue

Quid aliud…. What else…?

Mehercule! By Hercules! (I swear.)

fētidus/a/um foul-smelling

eāmus let’s go

vigilibus to the guards

adiuvō, adiuvāre to help

Ad Fontēs

The Vigilēs were the fire brigade of Ancient Rome. Fire was a huge danger in Ancient times. Have you heard of the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE? That fire lasted six days and engulfed more than two thirds of the city in flames.

The first Vigilēs were privately managed, but soon the emperor Augustus created the firefighters as a public service. Ostia was important enough, as the port city of Rome, that Augustus sent a Praetorian cohort to Ostia as a fire brigade. Archeologists have found a tomb of one of these Vigilēs, who died fighting a fire. He is unnamed in the inscription, but he was given a public burial by the city in honor of his service. Later, Tiberius recalled the Praetorians, but other soldiers were sent to Ostia to serve as firefighters.

There were always 320 Vigilēs in Ostia, for a period of four months, sent from Rome to patrol Ostia and prevent fires. They lived in a special barracks. The Vigilēs used special pumps to access water to fight fires. They also used sand and dirt to try to smother the fire. However, as a last resort, they carried tools such as pick-axes to tear down buildings around the fire to prevent it from spreading and destroying everything.

At night, when everyone was using lamps and torches, the risk of fire was higher. Vigilēs would patrol the streets to watch for fires. They also checked to make sure everyone had water in their house to put out small blazes. When there wasn’t a fire to put out or prevent, the Vigilēs also were on the lookout for crimes – they arrested burglars and served as an early type of police or night watchmen.

Barracks of the Fire Brigade – Caserma dei vigili – located in the Roman archaeological excavations in Ostia Antica – Rome

Notae