Latin edit

Etymology edit

Latinization of Ancient Greek ἁρπαστόν (harpastón).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

harpastum n (genitive harpastī); second declension

  1. a heavy hand ball, handball
  2. a handball sport of antiquity played in ancient Rome

Usage notes edit

The general impression scholars have received from writers of antiquity is that harpastum was a game quite similar to rugby. Additional descriptions suggest a line was drawn in the dirt, and that the teams would endeavor to keep the ball behind their side of the line and prevent the opponents from reaching it. This seems rather like an "inverted" form of American football. If the opponents had the ball on their side of the line, the objective would seem to be to get in and "pass" it to another player, or somehow get it back over the line. The ancient accounts of the game are not precise enough to enable the reconstruction the rules in any coherent detail.

Declension edit

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case Singular Plural
Nominative harpastum harpasta
Genitive harpastī harpastōrum
Dative harpastō harpastīs
Accusative harpastum harpasta
Ablative harpastō harpastīs
Vocative harpastum harpasta

References edit

  • harpastum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • harpastum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
  • harpastum”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • harpastum”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin