Spórtula, sportulæ, pen. cor. Diminutiuum. Plant. Sportula Martial. Suet. Money or meate distributed by Princes to the people. A little gift or almes. A smal hanket or drinking that the rich Romanes made to them that came to salute them, of the value of tenne Sestertij.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
sportŭla, ae, f.dim. [id.]. I.Lit., a little basket: sportulam cape atque argentum, Plaut. Men. 1, 4, 1; id. Curc. 2, 3, 10; id. Stich. 2, 1, 17; App. M. 1, p. 113, 39; Ascon. ad Cic. Verr. 1, 8.—In such little baskets it was customary for a great man to distribute presents of food or money to the mass of his clients, Juv. 1, 95; 3, 249; Suet. Ner. 16; Mart. 3, 14, 3; 14, 125, 2; 10, 27, 3.—Hence, the emperor Claudius called the brief games which he gave to the people sportulae, acc. to Suet. Claud. 21.— Prov.: sportulam furunculus captat, i. e.