market (subs.) Copy link Outline I. The place1. măcellum (for provisions)2. fŏrum (place of public meeting for sundry purposes)3. perh. mercātus, ūsII. The regularly instituted season1. mercātus, ūs2. nundĭnae, arum (held every nine [eight] days)III. Sale • market (subs.): I. The place: 1. măcellum (for provisions): the forum olitorium was an old m., where there was a plentiful supply of vegetables, forum ol. erat antiquum m., ubi olerum copia, Varr. L. L. 5, 32, 146: the fish-m., m. cetariorum, id. R. R. 3, 17, ad fin.: Pl.: Cic. (N.B.--The passage from Varr. shows macellum to have been the current term: cf. ib. § 147.) 2. fŏrum (place of public meeting for sundry purposes): fish-m., cattle-m., f. piscarium, boarium, etc.: Pl.: Liv. (but in various cases, the name was all that remained of the ancient market: cf. art. Roma, Dict. Geog. ii. 813). In wider sense, applied to a town: the most frequented market ("mart") in the whole kingdom, forum rerum venalium totius regni maxime celebratum, Sall. Jug. 47: v. market-town. 3. perh. mercātus, ūs: cf. infr. II. The regularly instituted season: 1. mercātus, ūs: to hold a m., m. habere, Cic. Tusc. 5, 3, 9: a crowded m., Liv. 1, 30, med. (also used of other public gatherings: cf. Cic. l. c.). 2. nundĭnae, arum (held every nine [eight] days): it was not legal for the elections to be held on m.-days, comitia nundinis haberi non licebat, Plin. 18, 3, 3, § 13: Cic.: Fest. Phr.: pertaining to the (weekly) m., nundinarius, Plin.: Ulp.: to attend or hold a m., nundinari: usu. in fig. sense, e. g. to make m. of the empire of the Roman people, imperium P. R. nundinari, Cic. Ph. 3, 4, 10. III. Sale: q. v.