Lateran The ancient palace of the Laterani, given by the Emperor Constantine to the popes. Lateran,
from lateo, to hide, and rana, a frog. It is said that Nero ... on one occasion vomited a frog covered with
blood, which he believed to be his own progeny, and had it hidden in a vault. The palace which was built
on the site of this vault was called the “Lateran,” or the palace of the hidden frog. (Buckle: History of
Civilisation.)