LĂTĪNĬTAS, LĂTĬUM, JUS LĂTĬI. All these expressions are used to
signify a certain status intermediate between that of cives and
peregrini. Before the passing of the Lex Julia de Civitate (B.C.
90) the above expressions denoted a certain nationality, and as part
of it a certain legal status with reference to Rome; but after the
passing of that lex, these expressions denoted only a certain status,
and had no reference to any national distinction. About the year
B.C. 89, a Lex Pompeia gave the jus Latii to all the Transpadani,
and consequently the privilege of obtaining the Roman civitas by
having filled a magistratus in their own cities. To denote the status
of these Transpadani, the word Latinitas was used, which since the
passing of the Lex Julia had lost its proper signification; and this
was the origin of that Latinitas which thenceforth existed to the
time of Justinian. This new Latinitas or jus Latii was given to whole
towns and countries; as, for instance, by Vespasian to the whole of
Spain. It is not certain wherein this new Latinitas differed from
that Latinitas which was the characteristic of the Latini before the
passing of the Lex Julia. It is, however, clear that all the old
Latini had not the same right with respect to Rome; and that they
could acquire the civitas on easier terms than those by which the new
Latinitas was acquired.
LĂTRUNCŬLI (πεσσοί, ψήφοι), draughts. The invention of a game
resembling draughts was attributed by the Greeks to Palamedes;
and it is mentioned by Homer. There were two sets of men, one set
being black, the other white or red. Being intended to represent
a miniature combat between two armies, they were called soldiers
(_milites_), foes (_hostes_), and marauders (_latrones_, dim.
_latrunculi_); also _calculi_, because stones were often employed for
the purpose. The Romans often had twelve lines on the draught-board,
whence the game so played was called _duodecim scripta_.