ROMAN ANTIQUITIES:

OR, AN

ACCOUNT

OF THE

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS

OF THE

ROMANS;

RESPECTING THEIR

GOVERNMENT, MAGISTRACY, LAWS, JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS, RELIGION, GAMES,
MILITARY AND NAVAL AFFAIRS, DRESS, EXERCISE, BATHS, MARRIAGES, DI-
VORCES, FUNERALS, WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, COINS, METHOD of writing,
HOUSES, GARDENS, AGRICULTURE, CARRIAGES, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, &c. &c.

DESIGNED CHIEFLY

TO ILLUSTRATE THE

LATIN CLASSICS,

BY EXPLAINING WORDS AND PHRASES, FROM THE RITES AND
CUSTOMS TO WHICH THEY REFER.

BY ALEXANDER ADAM, LL. D.

RECTOR OF THE HIGH SCHOOL OF Edinburgh.

REVISED, CORRECTED, AND ILLUSTRATED WITH NOTES AND ADDITIONS,
BY P. WILSON, LL. D.

PROFESSOR OF LANGUAGES IN COLUMBIA COLLEGE.

NEW-YORK:

PRINTED BY WILLIAM A. MERCEin, no. 93 GoLD-STREET,

For Kirk & Mercein, W. B. Gilley, C. Wiley & Co. John Sayre, Scott & Seguine, John Tie-
bout, L. & F. Lockwood, E. Bliss, Samuel Campbell & Son, A. T. Goodrich & Co. G. A.
Banks, New-York, and Cushing & Jewett, and F. Lucas, jun. Baltimore.

.......

Sept. 1819.

Southern District of New-York, ss.

BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the twenty-seventh day of August, in the forty-fourth year of the Independence of the United States of America, William A. Mercein, of the said District, hath deposited in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as Proprietor, in the words following, to wit:

"ROMAN ANTIQUITIÉS : or, an Account of the Manners and Customs of the Romans. respecting their Government, Magistracy, Laws, Judicial Proceedings, Religion, Games, Military and Naval Affairs, Dress, Exercise, Baths, Marriages, Divorces, Funerals, Weights and Measures, Coins, Method of Writing, Houses, Gardens, Agriculture, Carriages, Public Buildings, &c. &c. Designed chiefly to Illustrate the Latin Classics, by explaining words and Phrases, from the Rites and Customs to which they refer. By Alexander Adam, LL. D. Rector of the High School of Edinburgh. Revised, Corrected, and Illustrated with Notes and additions, by P. Wilson, LL. D. Professor of Languages in Columbia College.

In conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States, entitled "An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the time therein mentioned." And also to an Act, entitled An Act, supplementary to an Act, entitled an Act for the encouragement of Learn ing, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints."

GILBERT LIVINGSTON THOMPSON,

Clerk of the Southern District of New-York.

PREFACE

TO

THE FIRST EDITION.

NOTHING has more engaged the attention of li-
terary men since the revival of learning, than to
trace from ancient monuments the institutions and
laws, the religion, the manners, and customs.of the
Romans, under the general name of Roman Antiqui-
ties. This branch of knowledge is not only curious in
itself, but absolutely necessary for understanding the
Classics, and for reading with advantage the history
of that celebrated people. It is particularly requisite
for such as prosecute the study of the civil law.

Scarcely on any subject have more books been writ-
ten, and many of them by persons of distinguished
abilities. But they are, for the most part, too volu-
minous to be generally useful. Hence a number of
abridgments have been published; of which those of
Kennet and Nieuport are esteemed the best. The
latter is on the whole better adapted than the former,
to illustrate the Classics; but, being written in Latin,
and abounding with difficult phrases, is not fitted for
the use of younger students. Besides, it contains no-
thing concerning the laws of the Romans, or the build-
ings of the city, which are justly reckoned among the
most valuable parts in Kennet.

On these accounts, near twenty years ago, the Compiler of the following pages thought of framing from both, chiefly from Nieuport, a Compendium for his own use, with an intention to print it, if he should meet with no book on the subject to his mind. But he soon perceived, that on several important points, he could not derive from either the satisfaction he wished. He

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