Name Mare Nostrum Type Body of Water Usage Ancient Roman, Late Roman Pronounced Pron. [ˈma.rɛ ˈnɔs.t̪rʊ̃](Latin) [ˈmaː.rɛ ˈnɔs.t̪rum](Late Latin) Edit Status Status Meaning & History Ancient Roman term for the Mediterranean Sea. Meaning "our sea", from Latin mare meaning "sea" and nostrum meaning "our, ours".