A. Tullia Scholastica quiritibus, sociis, peregrinisque omnibus S.P.D.

It¹s a lovely, warm spring day here in Rome, perfect for the Ludi and
the impressive pompa, or procession, which precedes them. The rising sun is
shining brightly and there's hardly a cloud in the sky. A gentle breeze
rustles the tender young leaves; flowers fill the early morning air with
their heady spring fragrances as birds sing sweetly--but as far as the human
population is concerned, all of this is to little avail, for the attention
of Rome is focused not on the world of nature, but on the world of men, and
the chariot races which stir the hearts of Romans.

It seems that all Rome is headed toward the Circus Maximus for these
chariot races, the first Ludi of the new year, which feature chariot races,
the Megalenses, held in honor of the Great Mother of the Gods. The air
crackles with so much excitement that one would almost think that the sky
was black and cleft with the Thunderer's bolts. Crowds throng to the Circus
with ever-quickening pace, here and there a flash of the racing factions'
colors showing as the single-minded throng hastens, jostling one another as
they rush to get good seats--or indeed, any seats at all, for the latecomers
may not be so fortunate.

By way of background for our many new citizens and visitors to our
magnificent City (whom we welcome most warmly!) as well as our radio
listeners, let me, you correspondent, A. Tullia Scholastica, explain that
the Circus Maximus, the site of these races, is nestled in a valley between
two hills, the Aventine and the Palatine, where once our ancestors sat on
the hillsides watching such races run on a simple sandy track. Now,
however, we Romans have built this magnificent structure, the Circus
Maximus, one truly worthy of our greatness, and that of our engineers. It
has starting gates, or carceres, on one end and an arch on the other,
surrounded by tiered seats, the cavea; the lowest tier is marble, the next
wooden, and the uppermost, simple stands. In its center is the formidable
spina, adorned with statues of gods and men as well as other monuments.
Round the spina the chariots must turn, and not a few chariots and
charioteers have met their doom there, taking the turn too closely or
swinging too far out as another chariot tries to hug the backbone of the
track.

The racers themselves belong to one of four factions: albata, or white,
russata, or red, praesina, (pale) green, and veneta, blue. Each faction has
its own stables, complete with veterinarians and grooms, and its own
intensely devoted partisans. The agitatores or aurigae, the charioteers,
are often slaves or freedmen, but highly popular, highly prized, and highly
paid. They risk their lives garbed in little more than tunics of the
faction's color and light helmets, a dagger stuck in their belt to sever the
reins they wrap around their waists if needed. Often the races alternate
between bigae, two horse chariots, and quadrigae, four horse chariots, but
today we will have only quadrigae, and none too many of those, sad to say.
Still, I think you'll enjoy our program, especially since all four racing
factions are represented in our quarter-final races today.

In the first heat, or missus, we have the Love Chariot, representing
Albata, Windchaser, representing Veneta, and Celeres, wearing the
Red; in the second heat, the fearsome Green Velociraptor will meet the Blue
Portus Victoriae and the Red Mercurius Visucius; in the third and final heat
of the quarter-finals, Albata's practiced Ars Longa, Praesina's experienced
Stella Iudaeae, and Russata's Aprilis will compete.

At last, everyone seems to have found a place, but the Circus is a long
remove from quiet; the crowd buzzes with excitement and anticipation,
awaiting the procession, the pompa, and the start of the races. The doors
of the procession gate, the Porta Pompae, swing open; the trumpeters, led by
a redhead said to be affiliated with Legio III of Nova Britannia Provincia,
signal the start of the procession. Aediles curules T. Iulius Sabinus and
C. Equitius Cato (the latter a man with a near-fanatical devotion to
calendars; if he didn't belong to some strange religious cult, he could have
been considered for the pontificate and become an advisor to the pontifices
on calendrical matters), both most impressive in their triumphal garb of
Tyrian purple, ride around the course in an elegant chariot drawn by Aedilis
Cato's favorite steed, Nicomachus; Praetores T. Octavius Ahenobarbus Pius
and Ti. Galerius Paulinus follow them, who in turn precede Consules C.
Fabius Buteo Modianus and Pompeia Minucia Strabo. When they reach the
pulvinar, the magistrates' skybox on the Palatine side of the Circus, they
dismount and make their way to their curule chairs, joining the other
dignitaries and acknowledging the cheers of the crowd. Another contingent
of trumpeters fills the air with their playing, then acrobats and dancers
follow. Next, a much more serious-looking vexillation of soldiers from
Legio XXIV under the command of wise and faithful Centurio Gallio Velius
Marsallas circles the track, drilling in perfect order (and reminding the
spectators that they, too, must keep in order), saluting the magistrates in
the pulvinar as they pass. To lighten the somber military mood, desultores,
acrobatic riders who leap from one horse to another and perform other feats
as they ride, make their entrance and entertain the crowd with an appetizer
for the day's festivities. Next, plaustra, or carts, carrying images of the
Gods follow, statues crafted by the finest artists anywhere in the world.
They are robed in the finest fabrics colored with the most exquisite (and
expensive...) dyestuffs, and woven by weavers whose skill is second only to
that of Minerva Herself, a worthy tribute to Those Who Made Us Great. Close
behind are the tensae, litters bearing still more images of the Gods,
equally impressive; as each is borne to its place (the highest of all
reserved today for the Mother of the Gods), Senior Consul and Pontifex
Modianus, to whom the curule aediles have graciously given the honor of
presiding over these Ludi, honors the deity it represents with an offering
of incense and a libation.

Finally, the competitors for today's races emerge, ranged according to
the order in which they will race. First is Tribunus Plebis M. Horatius
Piscinus' chariot, Celeres, wearing Russata (this provokes a hiss from some
in the crowd, for they recall the events of a few years ago when a number of
assassinations, notably of Praesina drivers, were charged to various members
of the Red Faction; he, however, was away at the time, and had no part in
this foul business); his chariot is decorated with several sculptures of
fish (they must be salmones if he's representing Russata...) and packed with
medicinal herbs, in which he has expert knowledge; his driver, Romulus, has
fittingly drawn the lot which assigns him to the carcer, or starting gate
compartment, marked with the zodiacal sign of Pisces. Next, the Veneta
faction representative, Windchaser, makes its tour of the track; driven by
Maximus and pulled by elegant and spirited steeds, it creates quite a bit of
excitement as it passes the pulvinar, for it is owned by one of the
Vestales, Maxima Valeria Messallina, who has had it specially decorated with
beautiful bluish violets. Equally appropriately, Maximus has drawn the lot
assigning him to the Sign of Virgo. Naturally, all of the sacred maidens
back their colleague's entry, and are much more excited than usual about the
outcome of today's races...Last in this, the first group, comes The Love
Chariot, owned by Diana Octavia Aventina, a former priestess of Venus, a
Goddess who could hardly be more different from the Goddess of the Hearth.
Former Tribuna Plebis and Sacerdos Veneris Aventina's lovely white chariot
is adorned with roses, camellias, and all manner of elegant blossoms--and
curiously enough, it is packed with them as well, brought from lands with
more southerly climes. Nestled amid these and bundles of marjoram and other
sweet aromatic herbs are what appear to be perfume jars, little greenish
Corinthian ware vessels, tightly corked. Whatever could she want with THOSE
during a race? True, the driver, Latina Harmonia, IS a woman, but what
earthly use could there be for such things during a race? It's said that
Diana Octavia recently returned from a trip to Greece; from the looks of
things, she must have spent a fortune buying out the Corinthian perfume
industry (well, those Greeks DO need perfume--they don't bathe every day as
WE do)...

Now that the contestants for the first heat have finished their tour,
they retire, and the second group emerges to take their round. Mercurius
Visucius is first to take his place, another Russata factio chariot, owned
by the propraetor of Gallia Provincia, Sex. Apollonius Scipio, and driven by
fellow-Gaul Ambiorix (no question about HIS nationality, now is there?).
Next come Portus Victoriae, racing for Veneta, belonging to the celestial Q.
Fabius Uranicus and driven by Ursus, an appropriately-named bear of a man
well able to manage the four dark bay Asturcon horses, a small, but nervous
breed, as well as a strong and powerful one. Last in this group is the
bearer of the leek-green Praesina tunic, the ever-flexible Spandex the
Vandal, his long braids flying (I think they're even longer than mine...),
at the helm of the feared Velociraptor, owned by the multilingual C. Aurelia
Falco Silvana, whose sturdy Sarmatian steeds are quite inured to all kinds
of weather, having been specially trained in mud and heavy snow; they have
also been fed a secret diet to build their strength. Word has it that
Spandex and his owner have cooked up some unusual tricks as well, so we may
expect some surprises somewhere along the line.

In turn, the contenders for the second missus retire, and the last group
makes its way onto the track: first is Stella Iudaeae, another Praesina
entry, owned by Aedilis Plebis and former Tribuna Plebis M. Hortensia Maior,
driven by Herodias, a Nabataean woman. Somewhat unexpectedly, her chariot
is painted pure white, with a sun sending forth its rays; white, too, are
the four horses which will pull her chariot. Next is Aprilis, yet another
Russata chariot, owned by the very youthful (but evidently wealthy) T.
Iulius Sabinus Crassus (could he be related to our Aedilis Curulis?) and
driven by him as well; lastly, the final chariot, one well known to the
onlookers: Ars Longa, owned by Censor Cn. Equitius Marinus and driven by
the astute Petronius Gnipho, representing Factio Albata. There's no lack of
talent here, though the field is perhaps disappointingly small; there's
plenty of excitement, and I suspect that the more practiced drivers in
particular have some tricks up their sleeves, so to speak, which will
surprise us all.

The chariots for the third missus now make their way back to the Porta
Pompae for a rest and some final preparations, while those for the first
missus head for the carceres. Celeres and Windchaser go into their
allotted gates easily enough, and wait patiently, but Latina Harmonia, the
driver of The Love Chariot, is making quite a fuss about something.
Whatever could be the problem? Oh, now it's clear...she's none too pleased
with her gate assignment, for she has drawn the lot for (of all things...)
the zodiacal sign of Libra. Oh, well, neither Latina nor her owner may like
Libra politics, but that's the luck of the draw today...and there's quite a
bit of buzzing and tittering about this amid some mirth in parts of the
senatorial section and the pulvinar as well.

While Latina Harmonia is protesting to the track officials, let me just
point out that the races are all seven laps long, each of which is marked by
turning an egg or dolphin marker, and that the total course is much longer
than races elsewhere; those seven laps, or spatia, cover about four miles,
and a lot can happen in those four miles.

Finally, the track attendants have convinced Latina Harmonia that, like
it or not, today she must start from the Libra gate; Consul C. Fabius Buteo
Modianus rises, and a hush falls over the crowd. His colleague, Consul
Pompeia Minucia Strabo, seems a bit anxious; perhaps she's concerned that
she might have to use some of the numerous bandages and medicines she has
had her slaves bring to the pulvinar. Censor Marinus is relaxed for the
moment, resplendent in his gorgeous (and incredibly expensive) toga picta;
as I mentioned earlier, he, too, has a chariot which will race today, but
its turn will come later. Senior Praetor T. Octavius Ahenobarbus Pius sits
calmly, the gentle breeze toying with his fair hair and red beard, while his
colleague, T. Galerius Paulinus, turns to an attendant, who is writing
something down on a wax tablet (could he be making a bet?), then summons a
vendor so he can buy some tasty honeyed glires (dormice) prepared by the
esteemed Merlinia Ambrosia, before directing his attention to the races,
while aediles curules T. Iulius Sabinus and C. Equitius Cato hope that the
vast sums they have expended on these Ludi will not be wasted despite the
comparatively small field of contestants. The Vestales are on edge, too,
for their colleague's chariot, Windchaser, will run in the very first
heat...

Consul Modianus waves the gleaming white mappa; all eyes turn toward
him. Mappa manu consulis decidit (the mappa falls from the consul's hand);
the attendants drop the rope in front of the carceres...missi sunt! They're
off!

Maximus, driving Windchaser, the Vestal's chariot, and Latina Harmonia,
guiding The Love Chariot, surge out ahead, as Romulus in Celeres seems to be
saving his horses' strength for the final laps; he's maintaining a more
leisurely pace. Maximus is trying to get Windchaser as close to the spina
as possible, but with only two other chariots in the race, he has time to
make his move, and doesn't want to peak too early. Latina has slowed a bit,
too, pouring the entire contents of one of the perfume vials over her hair
and upper body. Under the heap of flowers, she also has something else
stowed away--a whip. She won't need to use it on the horses yet; no need to
press them this early--but perhaps she has something else in mind...Now
they're coming up to the far turn, and all round it safely, heading into the
backstretch. The dolphin is turned as they begin the second lap, yielding
as little ground as possible while sparing the horses for the crucial final
laps. Around the track they gallop, polishing off the third, and then the
fourth, laps in clouds of dust. Now they are in the fifth lap, and the pace
is quickening as they vie for the lead. The whips come out as the horses
may be tiring just when their best efforts are needed. Windchaser and The
Love Chariot are only about a length apart, while Romulus in Celeres is
rapidly closing. Hooves pounding, they rush furiously into the far turn,
closely bunched, with Windchaser on the inside, The Love Chariot on the
outside, and Celeres trying to work his way between the chariots of the
Vestal and the Love Goddess' quondam sacerdos as another dolphin is turned
and they head into the sixth lap. Latina seems to sense that her horses are
tiring too quickly, but now she can't hold back; she lashes them furiously
while hatching a little plot of her own. Windchaser is pulling well ahead
now with little plying of the whip needed; perhaps it's too late to catch
the Vestal, but Latina can still proceed to the semifinals if she finishes
the race--ahead of the remaining chariot, Celeres, who is now in second
place. Her agents have brought her some useful information...Now they're
approaching the turn into the last lap; Latina pours it on, and crowds
Celeres neck and neck as they head for this crucial maneuver. Again she
douses herself with that pricey Parisian (er, Corinthian) perfume and hurls
armsful of the flowers at Romulus. He slows...oh, no! What's happening?
He can't seem to see! His nose is pouring! *Gasp* He's hit the spina!
The left wheel has come off of the chariot! He's trying to rein the horses
in; they stop obediently. Consul Po (as everyone calls her) blanches, but
her color returns when she sees that Romulus isn't seriously injured; he
grabs some of the herbs from his chariot and applies them to a scrape or
two. He's shaken up, and only slightly injured, though his hopes for this
race are dashed. Celeres seems to be salvageable, too, albeit out of the
running today. Windchaser and The Love Chariot finish the race in first and
second positions respectively, though Latina's little trick set her back a
good six lengths; both will advance to the semifinals, much to the delight
of the assembled Vestales and the devotees of Venus. One has to wonder,
however, just how former tribuna Aventina's agents found out that Romulus
was violently allergic to pollen and perfume...

Her nursing instincts spur Consul Po to dash onto the track to tend to
Romulus' minor injuries; Piscinus brings more medicinal herbs as well, and
comforts Romulus as they exit the track. The attendants unhitch the horses
from the damaged chariot, and bring them back to the stable; others haul the
chariot off to the Russata stables for repair. The team veterinarians will
look the horses over, too, to make sure that they weren't injured too badly
(one of the funales, or trace horses, does seem to have a nasty scrape), but
there won't be any festive rations for them tonight.

The crowd grows a bit restive again, stretching in their seats or
standing up, busily gossiping and signalling vendors that their appetites
have been whetted for food as well as fun, and they are hungry. The
Vestales are congratulating each other on their victory as Messallina picks
up her cithara (for she is a fine citharist) and plays a sweet song of
triumph. The chariots for the second heat have once again emerged from the
gate, and proceed to the carceres: Russata's Mercurius Visucius, driven by
Ambiorix the Gaul, and owned by Sex. Apollonius Scipio, jogs along at a
deceptively slow pace; Portus Victoriae, a Veneta entrant belonging to Q.
Fabius Uranicus and driven by Ursus, matches their pace, as the feared
leek-green Praesina contender, Velociraptor, property of C. Aurelia Falco
Silvana (as is its terrifying driver, Spandex) dawdles along. They come up
to the carceres, and draw lots: Portus Victoriae goes to the Aquarius
carcer, Velociraptor to Scorpio, and Mercurius Visucius to Taurus. No
quibbling about the allotments THIS time...

Consul Modianus stands; he drops the mappa, and once again, missi sunt
currus! They're off! These experienced drivers, too, are in no hurry to
wear their horses out prematurely. Velociraptor's specially trained and
scientifically-fed Sarmatian steeds pull ahead, but not by much; Portus
Victoriae and Mercurius Visucius lag a bit behind as they round the spina as
closely as they dare; the dolphin is turned as they head into the second lap
as the drivers size one another and their chariots up. Both Spandex and
Ambiorix sneer at the nervous little bays pulling Portus Victoriae; they may
have a bear of a driver, but they're little, and high strung; easily
spooked. It's a wonder they behaved so well in the gate. Still, all keep
up a steady pace, but as the chariots move toward the fourth lap,
Velociraptor starts living up to its name: it's trying to force the others
into the wall, a tactic considerably easier for it as it has a new arrowhead
shape and specially reinforced axles; its horses have been trained in deep
snow and mud, so they can handle such challenges. On the straightaway,
Velociraptor crowds Portus Victoriae, trying to spook those nervous Spanish
stallions, but Ursus has them well under control, and avoids disaster--at
least for the moment. Nonetheless, his safety is purchased at the price of
considerable ground; he's fallen well behind as both of the others have
passed him. He's brought out his whip now, and gains some speed as he plies
it over the backs of his horses...will it be enough? Meanwhile, Mercurius
Visucius is trying to live up to its swift-footed divine namesake, as
Ambiorix lays on the lash during the stretches, even though he's more
cautious when rounding the spina. Velociraptor, however, pulls ahead and
tries to pin Ambiorix to the spina, but he, too, escapes this Germanic
tactic, if not without some loss of time. Pounding down the backstretch
they dash; the dolphin is turned for the sixth lap. Now the pace is
furious, and the dust churned up by the flashing hooves and whirling chariot
wheels almost obscures the chariots from view now and again. When they
emerge in the clear, however, we can see that Velociraptor has indeed taken
the lead. Ambiorix in Mercurius Visucius is several lengths behind, but
closing, while Portus Victoriae's Spanish stallions are a length behind
them. Round the spina again, dangerously close to the wall they rush;
Ambiorix is neck and neck with Spandex (something had flown out of
Velociraptor, however...wonder what that was?) and Portus Victoriae has
closed the gap to less than a length, but there just isn't much time for
Ursus to catch up...His stallions have some reserve nonetheless, and as they
go into the seventh and final lap, he is only a nose behind Mercurius
Visucius. However, Velociraptor's steeds are showing the effects of their
extensive strength training, and have pulled farther ahead; they're a good
three lengths ahead of Mercurius Visucius while Portus Victoriae is less
than a nose behind them, but Ursus just can't seem to get any more out of
his horses; at the finish, Velociraptor takes the lead, Mercurius Visucius
is a close second, and Portus Victoriae a closer third, but only
Velociraptor and Mercurius Visucius will go on to the semifinals. At least
there weren't any accidents...

Once again, the crowd shifts in their seats, beckoning to the vendors.
By now it's warming up, and they want to slake their thirst, their throats
dry from yelling and cheering, as well as enjoy some more of Merlinia
Ambrosia's treats--tasty bits of salmones with a generous helping of garum,
delicious and soothing polenta, fragrant sausages, breads of all sorts;
posca for the thirsty (and could there be some Falernian for sale as
well?)...

The chariots for the third and final missus enter the track and proceed
to the carceres at a gentle pace. Censor Marinus shifts to the edge of his
curule chair, looking for something less elegant than his toga picta to wipe
some beads of sweat from his brow as his chariot, Ars Longa, passes the
pulvinar. Aedilis Curulis Sabinus is equally on edge as an impubes whose
name is curiously similar to his own drives by in Aprilis, while Aedilis
Plebis M. Hortensia Maior is equally concerned about the fate of her
chariot, Stella Iudaeae, and shifts her elfin frame nervously in her seat.
This race certainly has created a stir among the magistrates...

The chariots reach the carceres; the drivers draw lots for their gate
assignments. Petronius Gnipho, the driver of Censor Marinus' chariot Ars
Longa (the third by that name!) draws the lot for Aquarius once again;
Herodias, the charioteer of Stella Iudaeae, selects Leo, and the
soprano-voiced T. Iulius Sabinus Crassus draws Gemini. They take their
places in the gate, behind the alba linea; the attendants hold the rope
taut. Consul Modianus glances round the pulvinar, the tension palpable as
two aediles and the current sole censor have chariots in this race. He
lifts the mappa on high...and drops it! Currus missi sunt! They're off!

Stella Iudaeae and Ars Longa spring from the carceres at a steady pace;
the young Crassus, in Russata's Aprilis, hangs back a bit to save his
horses. It's his very first race, and he's none too sure of himself. He's
drinking it all in, watching the two white chariots, one from the Greens,
one from the Whites, as they canter around the first lap. The dolphin is
turned, and they head into the second lap. Neither Petronius Gnipho, an old
salt who's raced for Marinus for the last five years in two different
chariots, nor Herodias, a skilled driver not known to spare the lash, is
terribly concerned about young Crassus; he's just a kid, a virgin in equine
parlance, who's never competed in anything, let alone a chariot race.
Should they be worried about him? We'll see...

The two experienced drivers guide their chariots around the course
again, neck and neck but at a constant, unhurried speed; Aprilis is a bit
behind, but not so far that he can't catch up if he simply spurs his horses,
big Romanian stallions which look as though they could pull two such
chariots at once. Again they round the spina, picking up the pace. The
dolphins are turned. Now they're heading into the fifth lap, and things are
getting serious. Suddenly, Herodias reaches for her whip--and cracks it not
over her horses' backs, but over Petronius Gnipho's head. Luckily, he had
just turned his head to check the spina, or he would have caught the lash on
his face; as is, his helmet took the blow, and its ringing is giving him a
bit of a headache. Young Crassus looks on, open-mouthed in horror--and he's
not alone. Both Consul Po and Censor Marinus are equally shocked as they
exchange significant glances with each other and Aedilis Sabinus, the latter
of whom no doubt fervently wishes that this lad Crassus had never set foot
in a racing chariot. He could be next to taste her sting, mused the
Aedilis. Meanwhile, the racers have finished the fifth lap and are on the
straightaway for the sixth; Gnipho has recovered from the shock of the
lashing, and takes a slight lead. Crassus sees that it's time to make his
move; he plies the lash ever so lightly, for he knows that he has an
advantage: weight. He's so young that his chariot weighs less than those
of the others. He somehow pulls ahead of both Ars Longa and Stella Iudaeae.
Amazed, Herodias plies the lash again, this time on the horses. Gnipho is
near enough, however, and skillful enough from his years at sea that he is
able to pull it from her hand; she is knocked off balance momentarily, but
recovers, though not before Ars Longa opens a substantial lead. Worse, from
her perspective, young Crassus is well ahead of her as well when they enter
the seventh and final lap. She has another whip, but not even laying it on
fiercely can return her to her former position; both the practiced Gnipho
and the tiro Crassus defeat her soundly. Both move on to the semifinals,
along with Velociraptor, Windchaser, The Love Chariot, and Mercurius
Visucius. See you at the races the day after tomorrow!

Valete,

A. Tullia Scholastica,
Your race correspondent

Salve Gnae Caesar

--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, "Gnaeus Iulius Caesar"
<gn_iulius_caesar@...> wrote:

>
> Cn. Iulius Caesar M. Moravio Piscino S.P.D.
>
> Let me address the resignations of magistrates. I fail to see how
> creating a set of directions that have to be followed before the
> resignation becomes official, thus enabling the replacement

process

> to commence, can in any way be considered to be making the process
> simpler. In fact if you think that the confusion occurs on the

part

> of those that are left, your proposed leges will in my opinion
> increase the confusion by a factor of 100. How can it not?
>
> Earlier Cordus and I pointed out what we considered to be a number
> of gaps, glitches and areas for confusion. These all related to a
> failure of the resigning person to follow the processes you have
> laid out, as well as for those mandated to apply the "officially
> resigned" stamp. Today I endeavoured to point out that

resignations

> are very often emotive and as such compliance with rules and
> regulations is frankly an unrealistic pipe-dream. I haven't seen
> anything from you that addresses these points in a concrete

fashion.

>
> Indeed, much like Consul Strabo, you have tended to view this
> legislation working at its most optimum, yet given that the

players

> in this are human and emotions are often highly charged in
> resignations, this law simply will not function at optimum
> efficiency. There more complex the process the more likely it will
> fail and thus will serve only to compound the confusion of those
> left, which is the exact opposite of what you want it to achieve.
>

MMPH: Again you are looking at it from the wrong side. It does not
matter how emotional or whatnot the resigning magistrate might be.
It does not matter so much if the resigning magistrate would follow
the guidelines, although I think most would once those procedures
were established as the proper way to resign. What does matter is
that the proper presiding magistrate of the comitia that elected the
resigning magistrate acknowledge the resignation. When a
resignation comes into effect, there is a time limit set in which
new elections are to be held. The presiding magistrate of the
comitia is the one who has to hold the elections to replace a
resigning magistrate. So determination of the moment a resignation
takes effect will be shifted over to the action of the presiding
magistrate. From an organizational stand point this makes more
sense. It is more orderly in how resignations of officers are to be
dealt with.

> As to the resignation of citizens, or their disappearance, I still
> fail to see the benefits of creating an intermediate class of
> the "vanished", let alone one that still has the rights of a
> citizen. Someone who doesn't answer the census will either never
> return or they will. Whilst they are "vanished" they can't access
> any rights of a citizen, because they are "vanished", gone, non-
> existent, out of communication. Once they return they are a

citizen

> once more, and they get their rights back then and not before.
> <snipped>

MMPH: We did not create a new intermediate class of the vanished.
They alread exist. They are the Socii. There are no laws related to
them other than the census law that created this class of
memebrship, instituted after the current leges de Civitate Eiuranda.
Give me one reason why we should keep them in our files
indefinitely. Three-fourths of those in our files are NOT active
citizens. I am creating a way that the Censors may use their
discretion to delete those files. Also, under the old laws, a
person who left without resigning publicly, those who left by
publicly resigning, and also those who simply "disappeared" as one
category in the files names them, may at any time return and claim
certain honors and whatnot that they formerly held. Any time, five,
ten, twenty, thirty years from now, and reclaim their former honors,
century points, and whatever. Because of that, currently it is
necessary to keep their files forever! Absolutely ridiculous when
you consider how this works in actuality. Three fourths of the
current files held for the Album Civium are not citizens and are
unlikely to ever return as citizens, and yet take up space and the
number of such non-citizen files will only continue to grow. The
current Lex Fabia de Censu says that if a citizen fails to register
with the census, that citizen is recategorized as a Socius. The new
law treats citizens who publicly resign as Socii as well. The new
law then will make it such that if any Socii fails to register with
the census a second time, the Censors can terminate their status as
Socii and delete their files. The same will happen for those who
resign. If you resign, you become a Socius, and if you do not
reestablish citizenship in the manner specified in the Lex Fabia de
Censu, then your Socius status is terminated, your file is deleted,
and you lose your right to reclaim any honors and whatnot if you
should later return. How it will work out is that files of Socii
will not be kept any longer than five years (rather than
indefinitely) and in some cases for even less time.

As I said earlier, we are bringing into consideration several
different things that already exist in our laws that are related to
the issue of resigning and returning citizens, and integrating
current laws into a new law that doesn't just amend pieces and parts
of old laws, but does away with the obsolete laws altogether.


Vale bene
M Moravius Piscinus
Tribunus Plebis

OSD C. Equitius Cato

Salvete omnes!

Hodie est postridie Nonas Aprilis (ante diem VIII Idus Aprilis); haec
dies nefastus aterque est.

"It was the third day of the games (I recall), and a certain
Elderly man, who was sitting next to me at the show, said:
`This was the day when Julius Caesar crushed proud
Juba's treacherous army, on the shores of Libya.
Caesar was my leader, under whom I'm proud
To have been a tribune: he ordered me so to serve.
I won this seat in war, and you in peace
Because of your role among the Decemvirs.'
We were about to speak again when a sudden shower
Parted us: Libra balanced there shed heavenly waters." - Ovid, Fasti
IV

"After the battle at Pharsalus, Cato and Scipio made their escape to
Africa, and there, with the aid of King Juba, collected considerable
forces. Caesar therefore resolved to make an expedition against them.
so, about the time of the winter solstice, he crossed into Sicily, and
wishing to cut off at once in the minds of his officers all hope of
delaying there and wasting time, he pitched his own tent on the sea-
beach. When a favouring wind arose, he embarked and put to sea with
three thousand infantry and a few horsemen. Then, after landing these
unobserved, he put to sea again, being full of fears for the larger
part of his force, and meeting them after they were already at sea, he
conducted all into camp.

On learning that the enemy were emboldened by an ancient oracle to the
effect that it was always the prerogative of the family of the Scipios
to conquer in Africa, he either flouted in pleasantry the Scipio who
commanded the enemy, or else tried in good earnest to appropriate to
himself the omen, it is hard to say which. He had under him, namely, a
man who otherwise was a contemptible nobody, but belonged to the
family of the Africani, and was called Scipio Sallustio. This man
Caesar put in the forefront of his battles as if commander of the
army, being compelled to attack the enemy frequently and to force the
fighting. For there was neither sufficient food for his men nor fodder
for his beasts of burden, nay, they were forced to feed their horses
on sea-weed, which they washed free of its salt and mixed with a
little grass to sweeten it. For the Numidians showed themselves
everywhere in great numbers and speedy, and controlled the country.
Indeed, while Caesar's horsemen were once off duty (a Libyan was
showing them how he could dance and play the flute at the same time in
an astonishing manner, and they had committed their horses to the
slaves and were sitting delighted on the ground), the enemy suddenly
surrounded and attacked them, killed some of them, and followed hard
upon the heels of the rest as they were driven headlong into camp. And
if Caesar himself, and with him Asinius Pollio, had not come from the
ramparts to their aid and checked their flight, the war would have
been at an end. On one occasion, too, in another battle, the enemy got
the advantage in the encounter, and here it is said that Caesar seized
by the neck the fugitive standard-bearer, faced him about, and said:
'Yonder is the enemy.'

However, Scipio was encouraged by these advantages to hazard a
decisive battle: so, leaving Afranius and Juba encamped separately at
a short distance apart, he himself began fortifying a camp beyond a
lake near the city of Thapsus, that it might served the whole army as
a place from which to sally out to the battle, and as a place of
refuge. But while he was busy with the project, Caesar made his way
with inconceivable speed through woody regions which afforded unknown
access to the spot, outflanked some of the enemy, and attacked others
in front. Then, after routing these, he took advantage of the
favourable instant and of the impetus of fortune, and thereby captured
the camp of Afranius at the first onset, and at the first onset sacked
the camp of the Numidians, from which Juba fled. Thus in a brief
portion of one day he made himself master of three camps and slew
fifty thousand of the enemy, without losing as many as fifty of his
own men.

This is the account which some give of the battle; others, however,
say that Caesar himself was not in the action, but that, as he was
marshalling and arraying his army, his usual sickness laid hold of
him, and he, at once aware that it was beginning, before his already
wavering senses were altogether confounded and overpowered by the
malady, was carried to a neighbouring tower, where he stayed quietly
during the battle. Of the men of consular and praetorial rank who
escaped from the battle, some slew themselves at the moment of their
capture, and others were put to death by Caesar after capture." -
Plutarch, Lives, "Juilius Caesar" 52-53

Caesar left Sicily and for the shores of Africa with 7 legions
totaling about 30,000 men and 2,600 cavalry in late December 47 BC.
Initially landing with only 3,000 and a handful of cavalry, some
contemporary writers have suggested that Caesar suffered a number of
minor defeats while waiting for the bulk of his forces. Caesar, not
surprisingly makes little mention of any trouble. Regardless, by early
January 46 BC the rest of the fleet arrived, bringing Caesar to full
strength.

Africa was a stronghold of Republican resistance since Caesar's march
across the Rubicon a couple of years earlier. Marcus Porcius Cato,
Caesar's bitter opponent, had been run out of Sicily and fled to
Africa. The rest of the resistance came from Publius Attius Varus who
was already installed as the governor of Africa, Titus Labienus
Caesar's former legate, and Quintus Metellus Scipio, who along with
Labienus had escaped Pompey's destruction at Pharsalus, and King Juba
of Numidia. The Republicans greatly outnumbered Caesar in total, but
their commands were split and it seemed no man wanted to yield overall
command to a single army.

Over the course of the next three months, both sides played a game of
feints, minor skirmishes and the capturing of towns. Caesar's men had
difficulty with supply, as seemed to be the usual case, and the
Republican's seemed mostly content to disrupt Caesar rather than
attack him with full force. While supply was a problem for Caesar,
loyalty was the problem for the Republicans. Their men and those of
the local auxilia went over to Caesar en masse. Some switched sided
because of Caesar's relation to the African conqueror Gaius Marius,
but more because of Caesar's legendary ability. His now famous
clemency (towards fellow Romans) surely played a part, as well.

After several minor battles, including a naval battle near Adrumentum
that sent Varus eventually in flight to Spain, the Republican army
combined and lined up for battle near Thapsus. With 8 legions and 60
elephants under Scipio, and approximately 30,000 Numidians under King
Juba, the Republicans slightly outnumbered Caesar's 11 total legions.
The difference was that Caesar had a mostly veteran army with
unquestionable loyalty, while Scipio's men assuredly lacked
confidence, which was a common occurrence while facing the great
conqueror. Caesar arrived outside Thapsus on April 6, 46 BC to find
Scipio lined up in battle formation.

Caesar aligned in a classic Roman formation with 9 legions, leaving 2
in his camp. Supported by cavalry, archers and other auxilia on the
wings, Caesar's own soldiers were apparently tired of the delaying
game they'd been playing for 3 months. They begged Caesar to give the
order for battle, and he certainly obliged. Scipio's was forced into
battle simply through geography. Thapsus rests on a strip of land
sandwiched between the ocean and a large lake. Caesar blocked off one
end of the strip with fortifications to prevent Scipio making any last
minute attempts to refuse the battle. When Caesar gave the order to
advance his men raced ahead with incredible energy and spirit.
Scipio's elephants were turned away by fierce pilum attacks and his
cavalry was routed almost from the start. Caesar flanked Scipio and
the Republican lines buckled almost before the fighting even started.
King Juba, camped away from Scipio's main lines saw the certain defeat
and fled with his 30,000 men without even joining the battle.

With a complete rout in progress, many surrendered but 10,000 men in
particular had no such luck. They fled to a nearby hill and were
pursued by Caesar's now enraged army. Perhaps their show of cowardice,
along with the frustration of 4 months of refusal to do battle was too
much for Caesar's men to restrain. Despite likely attempts by Caesar
to restrain his army, they slaughtered these 10,000 enemy soldiers to
a man. Some have suggested that Caesar suffered an epileptic seizure
during the battle. By this time he was 54 years old and if he truly
had the condition it likely would've been worsening. This might
explain why Caesar was unable to stop the slaughter, but in reality
its just complete speculation. Caesar had hoped to prevent the escape
of his enemies, like what happened after Pharsalus, and he very well
could've openly allowed the slaughter. Only history will ever know the
truth of the matter.

Despite his efforts, Caesar's enemies did escape, however. Both
Labienus and Scipio managed to flee the battle safely. Scipio and
whatever survivors he could muster fled to Utica, where Marcus Porcius
Cato was in command of the garrison. Caesar followed immediately
(certainly a fast recovery from his seizure, if he had one), and
captured towns along the way. News of the Republican defeat reached
Cato on April 9, 46 B.C., and he knew that all was lost. After doing
what he could to help people flee the town, he decided there was
nothing left for him to do.

"Being eager to take Cato alive, Caesar hastened towards Utica, for
Cato was guarding that city, and took no part in the battle. But he
learned that Cato had made away with himself, and he was clearly
annoyed, though for what reason is uncertain. At any rate, he said:
'Cato, I begrudge thee thy death; for thou didst begrudge me the
preservation of thy life.' Now, the treatise which Caesar afterwards
wrote against Cato when he was dead, does not seem to prove that he
was in a gentle or reconcilable mood. For how could he have spared
Cato alive, when he poured out against him after death so great a cup
of wrath? And yet from his considerate treatment of Cicero and Brutus
and thousands more who had fought against him, it is inferred that
even this treatise was not composed out of hatred, but from political
ambition, for reasons which follow. Cicero had written an encomium on
Cato which he entitled "Cato"; and the discourse was eagerly read by
many, as was natural, since it was composed by the ablest of orators
on the noblest of themes. This annoyed Caesar, who thought that
Cicero's praise of the dead Cato was a denunciation of Caesar himself.
Accordingly, he wrote a treatise in which he got together countless
charges against Cato; and the work is entitled "Anti-Cato." Both
treatises have many eager readers, as well on account of Caesar as of
Cato." - Plutarch, Lives, "Juilius Caesar" 54

"Without making any reply to this, but bursting into tears, Demetrius
and Apollonides slowly withdrew. Then the sword was sent in, carried
by a little child, and Cato took it, drew it from his sheath, and
examined it. And when he saw that its point was keen and its edge
still sharp, he said: 'Now I am my own master.' Then he laid down the
sword and resumed his book, and he is said to have read it through
twice. Afterwards he fell into so deep a sleep that those outside the
chamber heard him. But about midnight he called two of his freedmen,
Cleanthes the physician, and Butas, who was his chief agent in public
matters. Butas he sent down to the sea, to find out whether all had
set sail successfully, and bring him word; while to the physician he
gave his hand to bandage, since it was inflamed by the blow that he
had given the slave. This made everybody more cheerful, since they
thought he had a mind to live. In a little while Butas came with
tidings that all had set sail except Crassus, who was detained by some
business or other, and he too was on the point of embarking; Butas
reported also that a heavy storm and a high wind prevailed at sea. On
hearing this, Cato groaned with pity for those in peril on the sea,
and sent Butas down again, to find out whether anyone had been driven
back by the storm and wanted any necessaries, and to report to him.

And now the birds were already beginning to sing, when he fell asleep
again for a little while. And when Butas came and told him that
harbours were very quiet, he ordered him to close the door, throwing
himself down upon his couch as if he were going to rest there for what
still remained of the night. But when Butas had gone out, Cato drew
his sword from its sheath and stabbed himself below the breast. His
thrust, however, was somewhat feeble, owing to the inflammation in his
hand, and so he did not at once dispatch himself, but in his death
struggle fell from the couch and made a loud noise by overturning a
geometrical abacusb that stood near. His servants heard the noise and
cried out, and his son at once ran in, together with his friends. They
saw that he was smeared with blood, and that most of his bowels were
protruding, but that he still had his eyes open and was alive; and
they were terribly shocked. But the physician went to him and tried to
replace his bowels, which remained uninjured, and to sew up the wound.
Accordingly, when Cato recovered and became aware of this, he pushed
the physician away, tore his bowels with his hands, rent the wound
still more, and so died. " - Plutarch, Lives, "Cato the Younger" 69

On this day in 46 B.C., Cato the Younger committed suicide rather than
fall into the hands of Iulius Caesar.

Valete bene!

Cato



SOURCES

Ovid, Plutarch, Caesar in Africa (http://www.unrv.com/fall-republic/
caesar-in-africa.php)

A. Apollonius Bekircano omnibusque sal.

Salve and welcome! It's good to have another artist in
our midst - we haven't many. Have you had a look at
our sodalitas Musarum? It's the club within Nova Roma
specifically dedicated to the arts:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForTheMuses/

Though of course discussions about the arts are
welcome in this forum too.

Did you know we also mint our own (modern) Roman
coins? There's currently only one type in circulation,
but a new issue is due within the next month or so.
More details here:

http://www.novaroma.org/wiki/Coin_(Nova_Roma)

and

http://www.novaroma.org/wiki/Sestertius_Signum

If you have any questions about anything, just ask!





___________________________________________________________
Yahoo! Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

A. Apollonius M. Moravio omnibusque sal.

> The other proposed lex, Lex de Abdicatone
> Magistratuum, deals with
> resignation from an office. Unlike with
> citizenship, resignations
> from office are often made publicly. They are apt
> to cause
> confusion when they occur. The problem here is not
> so much with the
> person who resigns or how, but with what is to be
> done and by who
> when a resignation occurs.

But, amice, this is precisely the point I discussed in
my last message on the subject. The above statement is
simply untrue. In the last four and a half years there
have been eight resignations of office (not including
those which were simultaneous with a resignation of
citizenship), and not a single one has caused any
confusion whatsoever. The person concerned
communicated his resignation to someone in some way.
It was ultimately made known to the consules and / or
the tribuni plebis. The consules or the tribuni
plebis, as appropriate, convened the assembly to elect
a replacement. Everything was done smoothly. There was
no confusion. The problem you claim to be addressing
with your lex de abdicatione (should be ejuratione, by
the way) is non-existent.

The only occasions on which confusion has arisen are
those on which the person concerned resigned both
citizenship and office simultaneously, and on those
occasions the confusion arose from uncertainty whether
the nine-day period of grace was applicable to the
resignation of office. In other words the problem is
entirely concerned with the law on resignation of
citizenship. There is no inherent problem with the law
on resignation of office. Your lex de abdicatione is
totally redundant.



___________________________________________________________
NEW Yahoo! Cars - sell your car and browse thousands of new and used cars online! http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/

Salve Apollonius Cordus,
Thank you very much for the very interesting
information... I immediately became a member of
sodalitas Musarum, and the Nova Roma sestertii are
very nice. This really seems to be a very interesting
group to be in.
Best
Bekircan Sandon ths tarse

--- "A. Apollonius Cordus"
<a_apollonius_cordus@...> wrote:

> A. Apollonius Bekircano omnibusque sal.
>
> Salve and welcome! It's good to have another artist
> in
> our midst - we haven't many. Have you had a look at
> our sodalitas Musarum? It's the club within Nova
> Roma
> specifically dedicated to the arts:
>
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForTheMuses/
>
> Though of course discussions about the arts are
> welcome in this forum too.
>
> Did you know we also mint our own (modern) Roman
> coins? There's currently only one type in
> circulation,
> but a new issue is due within the next month or so.
> More details here:
>
> http://www.novaroma.org/wiki/Coin_(Nova_Roma)
>
> and
>
> http://www.novaroma.org/wiki/Sestertius_Signum
>
> If you have any questions about anything, just ask!
>
>
>
>
>
>

___________________________________________________________

>
> Yahoo! Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC
> calling worldwide with voicemail
> http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
>

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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Salve Corde

Do you forget the controversy that plagued the lists last year over
Saturninus' resignation? Applying conditions of one law to a
situation under a different set of circumstances. Between the two
proposals we are offering, there will not be that confusion any
more, and we will also clarify some other things in the process.

The stated purpose of the lex on resginations is to clarify the
legal definition of magisterial resignation, consequences of
resignation, and those procedures legally necessary to validate and
remedy a magisterial vacancy. When resignations occured in the past,
they were dealt with. This lex is only going to spell how things
are done. as you said below, when a resignation occurs, eventually
it comes around to the Tribunes or Consuls being informed so that
whichever, the appropriate "presiding official" of the respective
comitia, does what is necessary to fill the vacancy. By spelling out
what is to be done, it makes the whole matter seem formalized, but
we are not changing things so greatly from what has been done in the
past. The only real thing that the proposal changes is in defining
that moment when a resignation takes effect, and we place this at
the moment that the official who is responsible to react does react.

Anyway, I am working on cleaning up the language of the proposal,
hopefully to make things clearer, and will post it as soon as the
consul and I agree on the draft. About naming the proposal, take
that up with Consul Minucia.

Vale
M Moravius Piscinus
Tribunus Plebis

--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, "A. Apollonius Cordus"
<a_apollonius_cordus@...> wrote:

>
> A. Apollonius M. Moravio omnibusque sal.
>
> > The other proposed lex, Lex de Abdicatone
> > Magistratuum, deals with
> > resignation from an office. Unlike with
> > citizenship, resignations
> > from office are often made publicly. They are apt
> > to cause
> > confusion when they occur. The problem here is not
> > so much with the
> > person who resigns or how, but with what is to be
> > done and by who
> > when a resignation occurs.
>
> But, amice, this is precisely the point I discussed in
> my last message on the subject. The above statement is
> simply untrue. In the last four and a half years there
> have been eight resignations of office (not including
> those which were simultaneous with a resignation of
> citizenship), and not a single one has caused any
> confusion whatsoever. The person concerned
> communicated his resignation to someone in some way.
> It was ultimately made known to the consules and / or
> the tribuni plebis. The consules or the tribuni
> plebis, as appropriate, convened the assembly to elect
> a replacement. Everything was done smoothly. There was
> no confusion. The problem you claim to be addressing
> with your lex de abdicatione (should be ejuratione, by
> the way) is non-existent.
>
> The only occasions on which confusion has arisen are
> those on which the person concerned resigned both
> citizenship and office simultaneously, and on those
> occasions the confusion arose from uncertainty whether
> the nine-day period of grace was applicable to the
> resignation of office. In other words the problem is
> entirely concerned with the law on resignation of
> citizenship. There is no inherent problem with the law
> on resignation of office. Your lex de abdicatione is
> totally redundant.
>
>
>
> ___________________________________________________________
> NEW Yahoo! Cars - sell your car and browse thousands of new and

used cars online! http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/

>

Edictum II - Appointment of Scribe, Archivist

I, Arnamentia Moravia Aurelia, do hereby appoint Lucius Aurelius
Severus to the position of Scribe and Assistant to the Propraetrix of
America Austroccidentalis Provincia.

Lucius Aurelius Severus shall also be the Archivist for America
Austroccidentalis Provincia, and shall archive Edicts issued by the
Propraetrix on behalf of America Austroccidentalis Provincia.

Dated March 30, 2759 A.U.C. in the Consulship of Gaius Fabius Buteo
Modianus et Pompeia Minucia Strabo

Salvete omnes!

Today's questions deal with the Magna Mater outside of Italia. Long before she was brought to Rome, to put an end the scourge of Hannibal, the Phrygian goddess Cybele was worshipped in Anatolia and Greece, among other lands. Once brought to Rome, the Great Mother traveled along with soldiers posted to Rome's many provinces, where inscriptions to her may be still found.

Question #5:

In the 6th C BCE, a Scythian noble traveled to Athens and became enamored of the Greek culture. Upon his return to Scythia he was put to death for performing rites to Cybele. The historian Herodotus suggests the killer was none other than his own brother--the king. What was the slain man's name? (1 pt.)

Question #6

In 2002, archaeologists in Britain discovered the remains of a 4th C man, dressed as a woman and adorned with jewelry, that they suspect was a galli--a priest of the Magna Mater. Evidence pointing to the presence of the Great Mother's cult in Britain includes an altar dedicated to Cybele and a bronze testicular clamp, probably used during the castration ceremony of the galli. (2 pts.)

a) What was the (Latin) name of the Roman settlement where
the body was found?
b) Which Roman fort (again, the Latin name) contained the altar to Cybele?

Good luck!

Valete bene,
Tita Artoria Marcella
Scriba Aedilis Curulis

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Salvete omnes!

Here are the answers to yesterday's questions:

Question #3:

The Battle of Zama was the name given by Cornelius Nepos roughly 150 years after the battle occured. What other name was the battle known by? (1pt.)

Answer: The Battle of Naraggara.

Question #4:

Scipio's use of cavalry turned the tide at Zama and led to his victory and the subsequent surrender of Carthage. (2 pts.)

a) What were the names of the two men that led his cavalry units?

Answer: Gauis Laelius (Italian cavalry) and Masinissa (Numidian cavalry).

b) What were the terms of Carthage's surrender?

Answer: (per Polybius)

Carthage was confined to a certain area in Africa; but self-governing within its borders. All of its other dependencies outside Africa, including those in Spain, were to be surrendered to Rome.
Carthage had to return any prisoners of war and deserters, surrender all war elephants, and give up all warships except ten triremes.

Carthage was required to pay a war indemnity of 10,000 talents over a period of fifty years, in instalments of 200 talents each year.

100 hostages were to be handed over.

Carthage was to return to Masinissa all the lands which had belonged to him and/or his ancestors.

Carthage was not to make war on any people outside Africa at all, and none in Africa without the consent of Rome.

Valete bene,
Tita Artoria Marcella
Scriba Aedilis Curulis





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Salvete omnes!

Here is the ranking after the first four questions:

Marcus Horatius Piscinus -- 7 pts.
Lucius Cassius Pontonius -- 6 pts.
Livia Aurelia Procula -- 6 pts.
C. Aurelia Falco Silvana -- 6 pts.
Gn. Equitus Marinus -- 5 pts.
Gaius Cornelius Lentulus -- 4 pts.
Aula Claudia Vopisca -- 3 pts.
Marca Hortensia Maior -- 3 pts.
Sextus Apollonius Scipio -- 3 pts.

Although Piscinus is in the lead with a perfect 7 out of 7 possible points, it's still anyone's certamen!

Valete bene,
Tita Artoria Marcella
Scriba Aedilis Curulis



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

SALVETE OMNES!

We are after the day when Tullia Scholastica transformed her Ludi
Circenses stories in a veritable art.
I was impressed about the details from her stories. It was a very
well done job, if I can use this superlative. The presented details,
a good action and some fun, sure represent a succesful description
of the Circus Maximus events. From my personal point of view you
have pointed very well the Crassus weight advantage. It's a true and
I know that from his motorcycle races.

Our fine Artoria Marcella presented the first standings of the
Certamen Historicum.
Well, we have a lot of good participants, some of them with a lot of
victories in that contest type in the past years. But there are new
names, too, and I want to thanks them for their wonderful interest.
You all honoured our roman culture, you paid in this way a great
tribute to our festival, Megalesia, and why not, you respect the
organizer, in this case Artoria Marcella, who from a lot of time is
working to present a very good contest.

Even if Certamen Latinum is a new type of contest, is a very
important one. First because Cornelius Lentulus put in our attention
the importance of the latin language and second because
participating we can demonstrate our affiliation to the roman
culture.

In this fourth day of Megalesia, the united Aediles Cohors will
present you these two Certamen already mentioned, and Munera
Gladiatoria, the semifinals.
A lot of interesting events in Circus Maximus.

As usualy, please visit our website at :
http://www.crystalwebvision.com/aedil/index.htm

Take a look to the history of the Palatine Magna Mater sanctuary :
http://www.magnamaterproject.org/en/sanctuary.htm

To the Magna Mater Collegium page :
http://www.crystalwebvision.com/aedil/magnamater.htm

And of course, participate to all these wonderful events organized
in the honour of our Great Mother, Magna Mater.

I wish you a happy Megalesia !

VALETE,
IVL SABINVS
Curule Aedile.

Salvete bene Quirites

As discussions have progressed, the Consul and I have consulted and
rewritten the proposed lex Minucia Moravia de Civitate Eiuranda. We
then consulted others and have refined it further. Discussions
continue, but the latest version is given below.

The proposed lex Minucua Moravia has also been rewritten, refined
somewhat, and will be posted soon.

Valete optime
M Moravius Piscinus


Lex Minucia Moravia de Civitate Eiuranda

Citizenship in Nova Roma may be voluntarily relinquished or
involuntarily revoked as per the Constitution of Nova Roma,
paragraph II.A.4, or may be temporarily suspended under the Lex
Fabia de Censu, paragraph VI.
http://www.novaroma.org/tabularium/leges/2003-05-31-i.html Further
provision is made by this lex Minucia Moravia de Civitate Eiuranda
by which citizenship in Nova Roma may be involuntarily terminated at
the discretion of the Censors when a Citizen fails to register in
two consecutive censuses. Outlined in this lex are the procedures
by which a Citizen may voluntarily relinquish his or her citizenship
by a process of resignation from Nova Roma, guidelines for censorial
termination of citizenship for non-compliance with the Lex Fabia de
Censu, and procedures to be followed when a person returns into
citizenship following suspension of citizenship or relinquishment of
citizenship.

I. The leges Cornelia et Maria De Civitate Eiuranda and Equitia de
Civitate Eiuranda are hereby repealed.

http://www.novaroma.org/tabularium/leges/2001-05-20-iii.html
http://www.novaroma.org/tabularium/leges/2004-10-07-v.html

II Resignation of Citizenship

A: Citizenship from Nova Roma may be voluntarily relinquished by
notification of the Censors. Submission to the Censors of an
intention to resign citizenship should be made in writing with the
intention clearly stated, and may be transmitted via any available
means.

B. For purposes of this lex an official forum shall include the
NovaRoma-Announce List and/or the Nova-Roma Mainlist Forum. A
resignation from citizenship takes effect immediately upon posting
its announcement to an official forum.

C. In keeping with Constitutional clause II.A.5, a parent or
guardian may voluntarily rescind Nova Roma citizenship of Impuberes
(minors) as provided for above.

III. If citizenship is resigned, any and all public offices held by
the Citizen are immediately vacated at the time that the Censors
either receives a resignation or that the resignation is posted to
an official forum, whichever is the earlier. No public offices,
elected or appointed, shall carry over into a new citizenship should
a resigning citizen later reestablish citizenship.

IV A Citizen whose citizenship is temporarily suspended under the
Lex Fabia de Censu or by process of law is known as a Socius. A
Citizen who voluntarily relinquishes citizenship by submitting a
resignation from Nova Roma may also be regarded as a Socius. Any
Socius who fails to register with two (2) consecutive censuses or
who fails to otherwise reestablish citizenship within a period of
five (5) years may, at the discretion of the Censors, have his or
her status terminated, and thus be removed from the censorial Album
Civium.

B. A Socius may request that he or she be removed from the Album
Civium and thus all records of the Socius' former membership in Nova
Roma are to be deleted. The Censors must comply with such a request
if no exceptions are provided for under the law.

V: A former Citizen or Socius may reapply for citizenship to the
Censors under prevailing legal procedures.

VI.A: After a period of ninety (90) days has passed from the date
that citizenship is reestablished, a
Socius, or a former Citizen who was in a Socius status, shall have
restored any titles, honors and/or effects of past public offices
(including century points) that he or she may have held at the time
that citizenship was either suspended or resigned. A former
Citizen whose Socius status was legally terminated, and whose
records were thus lawfully removed from the Album Civium, is not
entitled to a restoration of any titles, honors and/or effects of
past public offices (including century points).

B. After ninety (90) days of being reinstated into citizenship, a
returning Citizen may apply to the Collegium Pontificum for
reappointment to any religious offices that he or she may have
previously held. Only the Collegium Pontificum, or an otherwise
designated religious body, is authorized to reappoint a returning
Citizen to a religious office.

C: Century points that are due to a returning Citizen for any and
all public and/or religious offices that he or she may have
previously held shall be restored at the end of ninety (90) days,
provided that citizenship was reestablished while the former Citizen
was in a Socius status, as per VI.A.

D. Senatorial status may be resumed by a returning Citizen at the
discretion of the Censors collegially.

VII. If a Citizen resigns his or her citizenship, is subsequently
reinstated, and resigns a second time, the Censors may bar this
former Citizen from reinstatement as a Citizen of Nova Roma. An
exception to IV.B is hereby made such that the Censors may retain
records in addition to the Album Civium on any person who has been
barred from citizenship in Nova Roma for any reason.

VIII.A: All rights and privileges of citizenship are restored in
full to a returning Citizen, after a waiting period of ninety (90)
days has passed from the time he or she applies anew, when
citizenship is reestablished. This lex does not in itself restrict
a returning Citizen in any way from lawfully pursuing any
entitlements or official positions (via election or appointment) for
which he or she would again become eligible.

B. At the discretion of the Senate, the normal waiting period of
ninety (90) days may be waived.

Salvete,

I was looking on the website listed on the calendar for the Cerialia to see what events are planned so that I can get involved. The link there seems to be faulty. Is there a correct link for the event?

Valete,

Lucius Cassius Pontonius

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Salvete bene Quirites omnes

After consulting further with Consul Minucia and others, I have
rewritten what earlier was proposed as a lex Abdicatione
Magistratuum. The bill on magisterial resignations is presented now
as a proposed Lex Eiuratione Magistratuum (easier for me at least to
keep the two separate). Earlier provisions were rearranged,
combined, and reworded. Then further suggestions were sought, and
the Consul and I refined the proposal further.

Valete optime
M Moravius Piscinus
Tribunus Plebis



Lex Moravia Minucia Eiuratione Magistratuum Comitium Populum
Tributum et Comitium Plebium Tributum

This lex clarifies the legal definition of magisterial resignation,
consequences of resignation, and those procedures legally necessary
to validate and remedy magisterial vacancy due to a resignation of
office, in accordance with the Constitution of Nova Roma, Section
IV, on 'Magistrates', which states that an office becomes vacant
when a magistrate resigns or dies while in office. The language of
this lex is binding on resignation of magisterial offices elected in
the in the Comitia Populi Tributa and in the Comitia Plebis Tributa.

I.A: An elected magistrate resigns from office by tendering his or
her notification of a resignation to the presiding official (defined
below) of the comitia in which the resigning magistrate was elected.

B: The Tribunes of the Plebs are the presiding officials of the
Comitia Plebis Tributa. A resignation of an office that was elected
in the Comitia Plebis Tributa may be tendered in writing directly to
one or more Tribunes of the Plebs, or else is tendered to the
Tribunes of the Plebs by public statement via NovaRoma-Announce
List, the official Comitia Plebis Tributa List, and/or Nova-Roma
Mainlist Forum

C: The Consuls and Praetors are the presiding officials of the
Comitia Populi Tributa. A resignations of an office that was
elected in the Comitia Populi Tributa may be tendered in writing
directly to one or both Consuls, or else is tendered to the Consuls
by posting a resignation on a list that is supported by Nova Roma as
a public Forum.

II.A: A vacancy of office is legally established when an appropriate
presiding official acknowledges in writing the receipt of a tendered
resignation to the resigning magistrate. A vacancy may also be
legally established when the Censors inform the presiding
magistrates that a magistrate is unreachable after an absence of 45
or more days.


B: Within twenty-four (24) hours of receiving notification of a
resignation, the presiding official of the respective comitia – any
one of the Consuls or Praetors, or any one of the Tribunes of the
Plebs, as the case may be, will acknowledge receipt to the resigning
magistrate and announce receipt of a resignation to the appropriate
fora, as outlined in I.A and I.B.

C. Consuls shall not accept a resignation from office of a
magistrate elected in the Comitia Plebis Tributa.

D. Tribunes of the Plebs may only accept the resignation from office
of a magistrate elected in the Comitia Populi Tributa when none of
the Consuls or Praetors is available to accept the resignation on
behalf of the comitia.

III: Elections shall be held within 45 days of the established
vacancy for a suffect magistrate, respectively in the Comitia Plebis
Tributa or Comitia Populi Tributa, according to prevailing legal
procedure governing elections of the comitia.

IV: This lex does not in itself restrict a former magistrate from
standing for election in the Comitia Plebis Tributa or in the
Comitia Populi Tributa to fill the vacancy caused by his or her
resignation, and for which he or she are eligible to hold.

V: The presiding official of a comitia who lawfully acknowledges
receipt of a resignation from office of any magistrate who was
elected in either the Comitia Plebis Tributa or Comitia Populi
Tributa, as outlined in this lex, shall be responsible for
communicating this information to the Censors, the Magister
Aranearius and to the citizenry via public fora within the following
forty-eight (48) hours from the time that the resignation goes into
effect.

C. Equitius Cato M. Moravio Piscino quiritibusque S.P.D.

Salve et salvete.

Piscinus, it's getting better :-)

A few suggestions (of course):

> I. The leges Cornelia et Maria De Civitate Eiuranda and Equitia de
> Civitate Eiuranda are hereby repealed.
>
> http://www.novaroma.org/tabularium/leges/2001-05-20-iii.html
> http://www.novaroma.org/tabularium/leges/2004-10-07-v.html

CATO: drop the links. Unnecessary and can cause confusion.

> II Resignation of Citizenship
>
> A: Citizenship from Nova Roma may be voluntarily relinquished by
> notification of the Censors. Submission to the Censors of an
> intention to resign citizenship should be made in writing with the
> intention clearly stated, and may be transmitted via any available
> means.

CATO: are they submitting their resignation or their *intention* to
resign? "Any available means" contradicts "in writing" --- can
someone call a censor on the phone and read their written resignation?
Simplify.

> B. For purposes of this lex an official forum shall include the
> NovaRoma-Announce List and/or the Nova-Roma Mainlist Forum. A
> resignation from citizenship takes effect immediately upon posting
> its announcement to an official forum.

CATO: the "and/or" conjunction needs to be made one or the other.
This contradicts Section "A" in that under this article they could
post to the Announce List or in the Forum and not notify the censors.

These two sections are competing with the lex Constitutiva, which
*already says* how citizenship may be voluntarily resigned. You are
simply using more words to say the same thing, and unfortunately you
have seperated the two avenues by which the lex Constitutiva already
provides for voluntary resignation and in doing so create a
contradiction.

This is why, in my proposal, I simply say that for purposes of
resignation, a message posted to the "Main List" (you could add the
"NR Announce" List if you feel the need) will be considered sufficient
to fulfill the "three witnesses or more" phrase in the lex
Constitutiva.

> IV A Citizen whose citizenship is temporarily suspended under the
> Lex Fabia de Censu or by process of law is known as a Socius. A
> Citizen who voluntarily relinquishes citizenship by submitting a
> resignation from Nova Roma may also be regarded as a Socius. Any
> Socius who fails to register with two (2) consecutive censuses or
> who fails to otherwise reestablish citizenship within a period of
> five (5) years may, at the discretion of the Censors, have his or
> her status terminated, and thus be removed from the censorial Album
> Civium.
>
> B. A Socius may request that he or she be removed from the Album
> Civium and thus all records of the Socius' former membership in Nova
> Roma are to be deleted. The Censors must comply with such a request
> if no exceptions are provided for under the law.

CATO: more unnecessary complexity. If they answer a census, they're
a citizen. If they don't, they're not, and their macronational
information should be deleted. I understand what you're trying to do,
but rather than jumping through all these hoops, if they come back,
the burden of proof is on the returning citizen to show how many
century points &c. they should have after the 90-day waiting period;
they could use those 90 days to gather that proof. The responsibility
needs to be shifted from the Republic onto the returning citizen.

Again, a citizen who resigns should know precisely what will be
expected of them should they decide to return.

Vale et valete bene,

Cato

A. Apollonius M. Moravio omnibusque sal.

> Do you forget the controversy that plagued the lists
> last year over
> Saturninus' resignation?

No, but evidently you haven't read what I wrote. I
said quite clearly, twice, that resignation of office
and citizenship simultaneously is a separate issue. C.
Curius' resignation was of that kind. Problems have
arisen in cases of that kind only because of lack of
clarity in the law on resignation of *citizenship*.
They do not indicate a problem in the law on
resignation of office, which is already perfectly
clear and has never caused any problems.

The entire problem concerning simultaneous
resignations of office and of citizenship can be
resolved by changing the law on resignation of
citizenship. In fact article III of your proposed lex
de civitate ejuranda does this. If that article is
enacted into law, there will be no further problems of
any kind, and your second proposal will be pointless.

You say that the proposal merely formalizes what is
already done, that it doesn't change things too much,
that it makes things clearer. This may all be true,
but it is irrelevant. If it doesn't change anything,
what is the need for it? If it merely clarifies
existing practice, why do you need to do so when, as
I've demonstrated, existing practice is abundantly
clear and has never caused the least iota of
confusion?

In fact, however, it is not true that your proposal
makes few changes and is merely by way of
clarification. It makes a fundamental change. The
current law is that a resignation is effective when it
is made, not when it is received or acknowledged. The
person who has the power to make a resignation
effective is the person who is resigning, and no one
else. Under your proposal that is completely reversed:
the effectiveness of a resignation is made to depend
on the actions of other people, not of the person who
resigns.

There is no earthly need for this change. It is
totally unhistorical and totally untested. It amounts
to making a fundamental change to a system which has
worked perfectly well for five hundred years of the
ancient republic and eight years of this new republic.
The best thing you could do with this proposal is to
withdraw it and leave it in your files until you can
come up with at least a tiny bit of evidence that it
is needed.



___________________________________________________________
To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre. http://uk.security.yahoo.com

A. Apollonius M. Moravio omnibusque sal.

Thanks for this new draft. It is a very considerable
improvement not only on the original draft but also,
now, on the current law which it would replace.

I would still like ultimately to see a system based on
the one which served the majores well for five
centuries, but we must take what we can get. Cato has
pointed out a few points of detail which could perhaps
be improved. But in general I'm strongly minded to
support this new draft.

Thanks again to you and the consul for extending the
contio, engaging in the discussion, and making these changes.





___________________________________________________________
Yahoo! Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

Citizens of Nova Roma;

It would seem that, unknown to myself, I have been challenging citizens to respond to a weblist (Sodalitas Virtutis) which has an automatic Moderation element installed, and which the determined moderator has failed to review periodically. Thus, at least one and perhaps more of the NR Citizens who have in the past wished to discuss the Roman Virtues have been prevented from doing so.

I have contacted the owner of the list but he refuses to answer me, so I have the idea of starting a parallel list where those who wish to discuss the Virtues may post and receive an answer. I will take the position as Moderator, in order to keep Spammers out of the website, and in order to maintain a polite website where members and posters cannot be abused verbally.

If anyone is interested in such a website please contact me and let me have your ideas. Those on the Nova-Roma List can contact me off-line at the above address, since I do not often monitor the Nova-Roma weblist.

Anyone who has been moderated on the existing "Sodalitas Virtutis" list and who wishes to discuss this move, please let me know. Further, you have my apology for my comments in regard to not being interested in this basic Roman set of ideals. I had no idea that citizens were being moderated and then not reviewed. As I have told the owner, it as most embarrassing to find out that friends, potential friends and citizens of NR were being held off from sharing their ideas on the subject list.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully;

Marcus Minucius Audens
Senator, ProConsul, Magistrate






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

OSD C. Equitius Cato

Salvete omnes!

Hodie est ante diem VII Idus Aprilis; haec dies nefastus est.

"In addition to the above, there is another kind of egg, held in high
renown by the people of the Gallic provinces, but totally omitted by
the Greek writers. In summer time, numberless snakes become
artificially entwined together, and form rings around their bodies
with the viscous slime which exudes from their mouths, and with the
foam secreted by them: the name given to this substance is "anguinum."
The Druids tell us, that the serpents eject these eggs into the air by
their hissing, and that a person must be ready to catch them in a
cloak, so as not to let them touch the ground; they say also that he
must instantly take to flight on horseback, as the serpents will be
sure to pursue him, until some intervening river has placed a barrier
between them. The test of its genuineness, they say, is its floating
against the current of a stream, even though it be set in gold. But,
as it is the way with magicians to be dexterous and cunning in casting
a veil about their frauds, they pretend that these eggs can only be
taken on a certain day of the moon; as though, forsooth, it depended
entirely upon the human will to make the moon and the serpents accord
as to the moment of this operation.

I myself, however, have seen one of these eggs: it was round, and
about as large as an apple of moderate size; the shell of it was
formed of a cartilaginous substance, and it was surrounded with
numerous cupules, as it were, resembling those upon the arms of the
polypus: it is held in high estimation among the Druids. The
possession of it is marvellously vaunted as ensuring success in
law-suits, and a favourable reception with princes; a notion which has
been so far belied, that a Roman of equestrian rank, a native of the
territory of the Vocontii, who, during a trial, had one of these eggs
in his bosom, was slain by the late Emperor Tiberius, and for no other
reason, that I know of, but because he was in possession of it. It is
this entwining of serpents with one another, and the fruitful results
of this unison, that seem to me to have given rise to the usage among
foreign nations, of surrounding the caduceus with representations of
serpents, as so many symbols of peace-it must be remembered, too, that
on the caduceus, serpents are never represented as having crests. " -
Pliny, Natural History 29.12

"In Gaul, the heads of enemies of high repute they used to embalm in
cedar oil and exhibit to strangers, and they would not deign to give
them back ever for a ransom of an equal weight of gold. But the Romans
put a stop to these customs, as well as to all those connected with
the sacrifices and divinations that are opposed to our usages. They
used to strike a human being, whom they had devoted to death, in the
back with a sword, and then divine from his death-struggle. But they
would not sacrifice without the Druids. We are told of still other
kinds of human sacrifices; for example, they would shoot victims to
death with arrows, or impale them in the temples, or having devised a
colossus of straw and wood, throw into the colossus cattle and wild
animals of all sorts and human beings, and make a burnt-offering of
the whole thing." - Strabo, Geographica

Today is the fourth day of the Megalesia in honor of the Magna Mater.

Valete bene!

Cato



SOURCES

Pliny, Strabo

Salve Marcus Flavius Philippus Conservatus!

I am very happy to have You back! I was among those who thought
something even worse had happened to You after the car accident. I
asked (both as a Censor and a privatus) our common friend Aestiva to
make enquiries for You in Germania, I think she phoned your home, but
we didn't get an useful information. I hope that You are OK now and
that You will be able to take up your duties as Propraetor of
Germania as Germania really need some work to get it on its feet.

Please allow me to thank You publicly for the great work You did as
my Scriba Censoris and please let me add that I hope to have the
pleasure to work with You also in the future.!;-)

>Marcus Flavius Philippus Conservatus salutem omnibus dicet.
>
>Yes I was a bit silent over the past months and my mailbox overcrowed too.
>I got a good business contract in the last quater of the past year,
>but had to travel nearly from up to now to Ukrain.
>
>While my wife has family there (Odessa) my trip took me to their
>eastern regions
>and the work didn't offer me some hrs to follow any discussions or
>other topics
>online thou I was working with PCs there. What an irony, damn.
>
>Well, but all is fine and my daily work needn't so much of my time
>at all now and
>I think the past offer wont come back again so soon.
>
>I continued my interupted work and, of course fullfill my other
>duties here too.
>If I missed any important personal msgs pls be so kind to send me them again.
>
>I hope you all forgive my abrupt trip.
>
>Bene valete
>Conservatus

--

Vale

Caeso Fabius Buteo Quintilianus

Senator, Censorius et Consularis
Accensus GFBM, Scriba Censoris GEM
Praeses, Triumvir et Praescriptor Academia Thules ad S.R.A. et N.
Editor-in-Chief, Publisher and Owner of "Roman Times Quarterly"
Sodalitas Egressus Beneficarius et Praefectus Provincia Thules
Civis Romanus sum
************************************************
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam
"I'll either find a way or make one"
************************************************
Dignitas, Iustitia, Fidelitas et Pietas
Dignity, Justice, Loyalty and Dutifulness

F. Galerius Aurelianus M. Moravio Piscino salutem dicit

<snip>

FGA: Piscino, I find that this lex still does not warrant my support and I will continue to oppose its passage in the Comitia. The revisions to the proposed lex still do not fill all the loopholes that Cordus pointed out in his previous communications to the Consuls. Remember that this is Nova Roma and if there is a loophole for a worst case scenario, one of our citizens will find it. I particular find section IV. to be completely wrong. I proposed some time ago to the Consuls that the sections of the Lex Fabius de Censu dealing with the Socii be repealed by a new lex because the Socii do nothing for Nova Roma but artificially inflate our membership numbers. I believe that the proposed Lex Minucia does not go far enough with citizens who resign. If there is no Socius status for member who wants to resign to use as a safety net then it will likely encourage those members to merely take a sabbatical for a time rather than resign totally. Also, I believe that if someone doesn't answer one census, they should be stricken from the album civium rather than giving them two censorial periods. Also, I don't think much of someone who resigns or fails to answer a census (which only takes about three minutes) to be able to regain their points or honors. The Socii should have a period of one censorial period to get active again or they will be stricken from the rolls with loss of all honors and century points. Someone who has a legitimate reason for taking a sabbatical from Nova Roma can notify the administration of the reason why and how long they are going to be inactive. If the administration of Nova Roma is genuinely interested in keeping members and magistrates from quitting or resigning, they should formulate laws that encourage participation (membership cards, more ML education, & local/provinicial gatherings) and discourage resignations by not creating this suspended citizenship/five year period--it is, in my opinion, a complete load of male bovine-produced fertilizer.
I want the Consuls to understand that if they continue with these half-thought out leges that do not address the fundamental causes of loss of interest & separation of members in Nova Roma, I will actively oppose any and all leges that they propose.

At present, I continue to encourage the Plebs and other orders of Nova Roma to vote NO to the proposed Lex Minucia Moravia de Civitate Eiuranda.

Vadite in pace Cereris.

***********************************************************************************************


Lex Minucia Moravia de Civitate Eiuranda

Citizenship in Nova Roma may be voluntarily relinquished or
involuntarily revoked as per the Constitution of Nova Roma,
paragraph II.A.4, or may be temporarily suspended under the Lex
Fabia de Censu, paragraph VI.
http://www.novaroma.org/tabularium/leges/2003-05-31-i.html Further
provision is made by this lex Minucia Moravia de Civitate Eiuranda
by which citizenship in Nova Roma may be involuntarily terminated at
the discretion of the Censors when a Citizen fails to register in
two consecutive censuses. Outlined in this lex are the procedures
by which a Citizen may voluntarily relinquish his or her citizenship
by a process of resignation from Nova Roma, guidelines for censorial
termination of citizenship for non-compliance with the Lex Fabia de
Censu, and procedures to be followed when a person returns into
citizenship following suspension of citizenship or relinquishment of
citizenship.

I. The leges Cornelia et Maria De Civitate Eiuranda and Equitia de
Civitate Eiuranda are hereby repealed.

http://www.novaroma.org/tabularium/leges/2001-05-20-iii.html
http://www.novaroma.org/tabularium/leges/2004-10-07-v.html

II Resignation of Citizenship

A: Citizenship from Nova Roma may be voluntarily relinquished by
notification of the Censors. Submission to the Censors of an
intention to resign citizenship should be made in writing with the
intention clearly stated, and may be transmitted via any available
means.

B. For purposes of this lex an official forum shall include the
NovaRoma-Announce List and/or the Nova-Roma Mainlist Forum. A
resignation from citizenship takes effect immediately upon posting
its announcement to an official forum.

C. In keeping with Constitutional clause II.A.5, a parent or
guardian may voluntarily rescind Nova Roma citizenship of Impuberes
(minors) as provided for above.

III. If citizenship is resigned, any and all public offices held by
the Citizen are immediately vacated at the time that the Censors
either receives a resignation or that the resignation is posted to
an official forum, whichever is the earlier. No public offices,
elected or appointed, shall carry over into a new citizenship should
a resigning citizen later reestablish citizenship.

IV A Citizen whose citizenship is temporarily suspended under the
Lex Fabia de Censu or by process of law is known as a Socius. A
Citizen who voluntarily relinquishes citizenship by submitting a
resignation from Nova Roma may also be regarded as a Socius. Any
Socius who fails to register with two (2) consecutive censuses or
who fails to otherwise reestablish citizenship within a period of
five (5) years may, at the discretion of the Censors, have his or
her status terminated, and thus be removed from the censorial Album
Civium.

B. A Socius may request that he or she be removed from the Album
Civium and thus all records of the Socius' former membership in Nova
Roma are to be deleted. The Censors must comply with such a request
if no exceptions are provided for under the law.

V: A former Citizen or Socius may reapply for citizenship to the
Censors under prevailing legal procedures.

VI.A: After a period of ninety (90) days has passed from the date
that citizenship is reestablished, a
Socius, or a former Citizen who was in a Socius status, shall have
restored any titles, honors and/or effects of past public offices
(including century points) that he or she may have held at the time
that citizenship was either suspended or resigned. A former
Citizen whose Socius status was legally terminated, and whose
records were thus lawfully removed from the Album Civium, is not
entitled to a restoration of any titles, honors and/or effects of
past public offices (including century points).

B. After ninety (90) days of being reinstated into citizenship, a
returning Citizen may apply to the Collegium Pontificum for
reappointment to any religious offices that he or she may have
previously held. Only the Collegium Pontificum, or an otherwise
designated religious body, is authorized to reappoint a returning
Citizen to a religious office.

C: Century points that are due to a returning Citizen for any and
all public and/or religious offices that he or she may have
previously held shall be restored at the end of ninety (90) days,
provided that citizenship was reestablished while the former Citizen
was in a Socius status, as per VI.A.

D. Senatorial status may be resumed by a returning Citizen at the
discretion of the Censors collegially.

VII. If a Citizen resigns his or her citizenship, is subsequently
reinstated, and resigns a second time, the Censors may bar this
former Citizen from reinstatement as a Citizen of Nova Roma. An
exception to IV.B is hereby made such that the Censors may retain
records in addition to the Album Civium on any person who has been
barred from citizenship in Nova Roma for any reason.

VIII.A: All rights and privileges of citizenship are restored in
full to a returning Citizen, after a waiting period of ninety (90)
days has passed from the time he or she applies anew, when
citizenship is reestablished. This lex does not in itself restrict
a returning Citizen in any way from lawfully pursuing any
entitlements or official positions (via election or appointment) for
which he or she would again become eligible.

B. At the discretion of the Senate, the normal waiting period of
ninety (90) days may be waived.








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F. Galerius Aurelianus fl Cer L. Cassio Pontonio salve.

What site are you looking at, amice? I am holding private games for Ceres Mater and Dea Flora at the Pagan Unity Festival in Burns, Tennessee on April 28-30, 2006. The website for this event is paganunityfestival.org. If you have any specific questions, please contact me at padruigtheuncle@... or brotherpaganus@.... I will check with the site administrator for PUF to see if the list of events have been published yet & get back to you.
There are no events planned within Nova Roma for the ludi Cerealia on April 12-18 unless the Plebeian Aediles choose to sponsor some on their own initiative. I will be conducting the ritus Cerealia at the shrine of Ceres at my home on April 19 and publishing the text of the ritual on the NR ML and NR RR websites.

Vadite in pace Cereris

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Ponte <superponte@...>
To: Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 23:15:29 -0400
Subject: [Nova-Roma] Cerialia question


Salvete,

I was looking on the website listed on the calendar for the Cerialia to see what
events are planned so that I can get involved. The link there seems to be
faulty. Is there a correct link for the event?

Valete,

Lucius Cassius Pontonius

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F. Galerius Aurelianus S.P.D.

<snip>

FGA: I find this proposed lex to be somewhat better phrased but I believe it could be improved with a couple of additions. Specifically, substitution of the word "must" instead of "will" as in "... must acknowledge receipt...".
Also, I believe that the proposed lex should include a section stating that the resigning magistrate will not be able to run for any public office during the next election period effective skipping a year plus before running for office again. There should be a section that specifically states that should a magistrate who has resigned once should not ever be able to run for public office should they resign a second time within a three (or five?) year period of the first resignation. This will insure that the resigning magistrate has time to reflect on whether they truly want a career in the administration of Nova Roma.
Proposed leges concerning resignation of citizenship or magistracy should do everything possible to discourage the resignation and encourage active participation.

Vadite in pace Cereris.



After consulting further with Consul Minucia and others, I have
rewritten what earlier was proposed as a lex Abdicatione
Magistratuum. The bill on magisterial resignations is presented now
as a proposed Lex Eiuratione Magistratuum (easier for me at least to
keep the two separate). Earlier provisions were rearranged,
combined, and reworded. Then further suggestions were sought, and
the Consul and I refined the proposal further.

Valete optime
M Moravius Piscinus
Tribunus Plebis



Lex Moravia Minucia Eiuratione Magistratuum Comitium Populum
Tributum et Comitium Plebium Tributum

This lex clarifies the legal definition of magisterial resignation,
consequences of resignation, and those procedures legally necessary
to validate and remedy magisterial vacancy due to a resignation of
office, in accordance with the Constitution of Nova Roma, Section
IV, on 'Magistrates', which states that an office becomes vacant
when a magistrate resigns or dies while in office. The language of
this lex is binding on resignation of magisterial offices elected in
the in the Comitia Populi Tributa and in the Comitia Plebis Tributa.

I.A: An elected magistrate resigns from office by tendering his or
her notification of a resignation to the presiding official (defined
below) of the comitia in which the resigning magistrate was elected.

B: The Tribunes of the Plebs are the presiding officials of the
Comitia Plebis Tributa. A resignation of an office that was elected
in the Comitia Plebis Tributa may be tendered in writing directly to
one or more Tribunes of the Plebs, or else is tendered to the
Tribunes of the Plebs by public statement via NovaRoma-Announce
List, the official Comitia Plebis Tributa List, and/or Nova-Roma
Mainlist Forum

C: The Consuls and Praetors are the presiding officials of the
Comitia Populi Tributa. A resignations of an office that was
elected in the Comitia Populi Tributa may be tendered in writing
directly to one or both Consuls, or else is tendered to the Consuls
by posting a resignation on a list that is supported by Nova Roma as
a public Forum.

II.A: A vacancy of office is legally established when an appropriate
presiding official acknowledges in writing the receipt of a tendered
resignation to the resigning magistrate. A vacancy may also be
legally established when the Censors inform the presiding
magistrates that a magistrate is unreachable after an absence of 45
or more days.


B: Within twenty-four (24) hours of receiving notification of a
resignation, the presiding official of the respective comitia – any
one of the Consuls or Praetors, or any one of the Tribunes of the
Plebs, as the case may be, will acknowledge receipt to the resigning
magistrate and announce receipt of a resignation to the appropriate
fora, as outlined in I.A and I.B.

C. Consuls shall not accept a resignation from office of a
magistrate elected in the Comitia Plebis Tributa.

D. Tribunes of the Plebs may only accept the resignation from office
of a magistrate elected in the Comitia Populi Tributa when none of
the Consuls or Praetors is available to accept the resignation on
behalf of the comitia.

III: Elections shall be held within 45 days of the established
vacancy for a suffect magistrate, respectively in the Comitia Plebis
Tributa or Comitia Populi Tributa, according to prevailing legal
procedure governing elections of the comitia.

IV: This lex does not in itself restrict a former magistrate from
standing for election in the Comitia Plebis Tributa or in the
Comitia Populi Tributa to fill the vacancy caused by his or her
resignation, and for which he or she are eligible to hold.

V: The presiding official of a comitia who lawfully acknowledges
receipt of a resignation from office of any magistrate who was
elected in either the Comitia Plebis Tributa or Comitia Populi
Tributa, as outlined in this lex, shall be responsible for
communicating this information to the Censors, the Magister
Aranearius and to the citizenry via public fora within the following
forty-eight (48) hours from the time that the resignation goes into
effect.








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Salve Minuci Audens!

I note your comments about contacting you directly and will do so but I would like to put a message here on the main-list as I have been having identical problems with the Religio Romana list. I have made a number of (non-controversial!) posts on this list only to have them returned to me unapproved and unchecked some weeks later. Of course it may well be that there is some kind of problem beyond the moderator's control. I have also tried to make contact with the group owner but have found this impossible. I was wondering if anyone might have some idea what is the matter?

Vale!

Caius Moravius Brutus

Marcus Audens <MarcusAudens@...> wrote:
Citizens of Nova Roma;

It would seem that, unknown to myself, I have been challenging citizens to respond to a weblist (Sodalitas Virtutis) which has an automatic Moderation element installed, and which the determined moderator has failed to review periodically. Thus, at least one and perhaps more of the NR Citizens who have in the past wished to discuss the Roman Virtues have been prevented from doing so.

I have contacted the owner of the list but he refuses to answer me, so I have the idea of starting a parallel list where those who wish to discuss the Virtues may post and receive an answer. I will take the position as Moderator, in order to keep Spammers out of the website, and in order to maintain a polite website where members and posters cannot be abused verbally.

If anyone is interested in such a website please contact me and let me have your ideas. Those on the Nova-Roma List can contact me off-line at the above address, since I do not often monitor the Nova-Roma weblist.

Anyone who has been moderated on the existing "Sodalitas Virtutis" list and who wishes to discuss this move, please let me know. Further, you have my apology for my comments in regard to not being interested in this basic Roman set of ideals. I had no idea that citizens were being moderated and then not reviewed. As I have told the owner, it as most embarrassing to find out that friends, potential friends and citizens of NR were being held off from sharing their ideas on the subject list.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully;

Marcus Minucius Audens
Senator, ProConsul, Magistrate






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Salve Cato!

Thank you so much for this fascinating bit of info!!!!

I am astounded to find out that the Greeks are ignorant of something that we (Romano)Celts take so much for granted! Ah! Many's the time I have caught a Serpent's Egg in my old checked cloak and ridden till daybreak to get across the nearest river! Happy memories!

Sometimes it is a burden to be quite so advanced but I do hope that for their own sakes the poor primitives can catch up with us before too long. We could even teach them how to make trousers!

Vale!

Brutus

gaiusequitiuscato <mlcinnyc@...> wrote:
OSD C. Equitius Cato

Salvete omnes!

Hodie est ante diem VII Idus Aprilis; haec dies nefastus est.

"In addition to the above, there is another kind of egg, held in high
renown by the people of the Gallic provinces, but totally omitted by
the Greek writers. In summer time, numberless snakes become
artificially entwined together, and form rings around their bodies
with the viscous slime which exudes from their mouths, and with the
foam secreted by them: the name given to this substance is "anguinum."
The Druids tell us, that the serpents eject these eggs into the air by
their hissing, and that a person must be ready to catch them in a
cloak, so as not to let them touch the ground; they say also that he
must instantly take to flight on horseback, as the serpents will be
sure to pursue him, until some intervening river has placed a barrier
between them. The test of its genuineness, they say, is its floating
against the current of a stream, even though it be set in gold. But,
as it is the way with magicians to be dexterous and cunning in casting
a veil about their frauds, they pretend that these eggs can only be
taken on a certain day of the moon; as though, forsooth, it depended
entirely upon the human will to make the moon and the serpents accord
as to the moment of this operation.

I myself, however, have seen one of these eggs: it was round, and
about as large as an apple of moderate size; the shell of it was
formed of a cartilaginous substance, and it was surrounded with
numerous cupules, as it were, resembling those upon the arms of the
polypus: it is held in high estimation among the Druids. The
possession of it is marvellously vaunted as ensuring success in
law-suits, and a favourable reception with princes; a notion which has
been so far belied, that a Roman of equestrian rank, a native of the
territory of the Vocontii, who, during a trial, had one of these eggs
in his bosom, was slain by the late Emperor Tiberius, and for no other
reason, that I know of, but because he was in possession of it. It is
this entwining of serpents with one another, and the fruitful results
of this unison, that seem to me to have given rise to the usage among
foreign nations, of surrounding the caduceus with representations of
serpents, as so many symbols of peace-it must be remembered, too, that
on the caduceus, serpents are never represented as having crests. " -
Pliny, Natural History 29.12

"In Gaul, the heads of enemies of high repute they used to embalm in
cedar oil and exhibit to strangers, and they would not deign to give
them back ever for a ransom of an equal weight of gold. But the Romans
put a stop to these customs, as well as to all those connected with
the sacrifices and divinations that are opposed to our usages. They
used to strike a human being, whom they had devoted to death, in the
back with a sword, and then divine from his death-struggle. But they
would not sacrifice without the Druids. We are told of still other
kinds of human sacrifices; for example, they would shoot victims to
death with arrows, or impale them in the temples, or having devised a
colossus of straw and wood, throw into the colossus cattle and wild
animals of all sorts and human beings, and make a burnt-offering of
the whole thing." - Strabo, Geographica

Today is the fourth day of the Megalesia in honor of the Magna Mater.

Valete bene!

Cato



SOURCES

Pliny, Strabo








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CAIUS MORAVIUS BRUTUS

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SOLUTIONS No1+2 and TEMPORARY CLASSIFICATION for the Latin Contest of the Ludi Megalenses

CN CORNELIVS LENTVLVS QVIRITIBVS PEREGRINIBVSQVE SPD:
Avete, in the name of Aed. Cur. T. Julius Sabinus!

Dear contestants! I apologize for the delay, I have no internet connection from yesterday, my internet doesn't work at home, so I couldn't post the answers and the Temporary Classification. Now that's here!

Here are the correct answer and a temporary classification (hereinafter) for the 1st and 2nd questions of our Certamen:



I. THE SOLUTION No1


Level 1
*******************************************************************************************
QUAESTIO N°1 - Step by step, the vulgar Latin spoken by the different peoples of the Roman Empire became more new languages at the 9th century. Which are ALL the romance languages existing today too? (Please mention at least the languages which have a state or autonomy, but two points are only for those who mention more of the minor languages!)

RESPONSUM N°1 – I quote her the romance languages as nigglig as possible for your information, but of course, you hadn't got to give all these in your answers. So, the romance languages and their variants:

- West Iberian languages
Aragonese:
Asturo-Leonese (Mirandese): 100,000 Spain, 5,000 Portugal
Extremaduran:
Fala: 10,000 Spain.
GALICIAN: 4 million Galicia
Ladino (Judaeo-Spanish):
PORTUGUESE: 230 million Portugal, Brazil; a few thousand Asia; 26 million Africa
Riverense Portuñol: about 100,000 in Uruguay and Southern Brazil.
SPANISH (Castilian): 360 million Spain, Americas

- CATALAN: 6.5 million Spain, Andorra

- Northern French languages (langues d'oïl)
Bourguignon-Morvandiau:
Champenois:
Franc-Comtois:
FRENCH: 70 million France; 87 million Americas
Gallo:
Lorrain:
Norman:
Picard:
Poitevin-Saintongeais :
WALLOON:

- Franco-Provençal:

- Southern French languages (Occitan, langue d'oc): 2 million France
Gascon:
Aranese:
Lemosin:
Auvernhat:
Aupenc:
Lengadocian:
Provençal:
Niçard:

- Corsican

- Sardinian

- Northern Italian (Gallo-Romance) languages:
Emilio-Romagnolo:
Ligurian(Genoese):
Monegasque:
Lombard:
Piemontese:
Venetian: 2 million Veneto

- Rhaetian languages
Friulian: Friuli
Ladin Dolomites:
ROMANSH: 66,000 Switzerland

- Italo-Dalmatian languages:
Dalmatian: extinct
Istro-Romanian:
ITALIAN: 60 million Italy
Judeo-Italian: 4,000 Italy
Neapolitan: 8 million Italy
Romanesco:
Sicilian: 10 million Sicily, Italy

- Eastern Romance languages:
Aromanian: 300,000 Greece, Macedonia, Albania, and Bulgaria
ROMANIAN (Moldovan): 30 million Romania and Moldova

- Istriot:

- Meglenitic:

- Mozarabic: (extinct)
*******************************************************************************************


Level 2
*******************************************************************************************
QUAESTIO N°1 - RESPONSUM N°1 – Translate the following sentence to English: "Videant consules, ne quid res publica detrimenti capiat!"

- "The consuls shall see that the republic receive no harm."

a) In what circumstances could this sentence be pronounced?

- Upon issuance of a senatus consultum ultimum.


b) In what case is the word "detrimenti"? What kind of that case is this? (For example: dativus finalis, ablativus limitationis, genitivus memoriae etc.)

- Genitivus partitivus

c) In what case is "quid"?

- Accusativus, object of "capiat".
*******************************************************************************************



II. THE SOLUTION No2



Level 1
******************************************************************************************

QUAESTIO N°2 - RESPONSUM N°2 – There are different Latin pronunciations according to ages and territorial differences but scholars usually use today the classical pronunciation of Latin which is the scholarly deduced pronunciation of the classical Latin, i.e. the Latin language of the 1st century BC and of the 1st century CE. Please answer the following questions: according to the classical pronunciation of Latin how do you pronounce these Latin words:
(You can use any transliteration, just let it be clear according to which you transcribe the words. I make an exemple: Aeneas = [ai'ne:a:s] or [eye-nay-ahs] or e.g. in German: [ein-eh-ahs] in Hungarian: [Ájnéász])

Caesar = ['kaisar] - or - [KY - sahr] etc
maior = [majjor] - or - [MY - yor] etc
Comitia Centuriata = [ko'mitia kenturi'a:ta] -
or - [koh-MEE-tee-ah / ken-too-ree-AH-tah] etc
ratiocinatio = [ratio:ki'na:tio:] - or - [rah-tee-oh-kee-NAH-tee-oh] etc
proelium = ['proilium] - or - [PROY-lee-oom] etc
Cicero = ['kikero:] - or - [KEE-kay-row] etc
consequentia = [konse'kwentia] - or - [con-say-KWEN-tee-ah] etc

*******************************************************************************************


Level 2.:
*******************************************************************************************
QUAESTIO N°2 - RESPONSUM N°2 – Put the following verbs and nouns from singular to plural and from plural to singular:

dixit - dixerunt / dixere (alternative form)
consuli - consulibus
amareris - amaremini
esto - sunto (if esto sing.3) / estote (if esto sing.2)
sacra publica - sacrum publicum
genus - genera (if genus, -eris, n) / genuum (if genu, -us, n)
fungar - fungamur (if fungar coni. praes. impf.) / fungemur (if fungar ind. fut. impf.)

*******************************************************************************************





III. TEMPORARY CLASSIFICATION
(The rules of Certamen Latinum: http://www.crystalwebvision.com/aedil/rules.htm)

Now there are two different classifications according to the two levels of the Certamen Latinum. I am glad to salute among the participants some people of the most constant participants of such festival contets: Tullia Scholastica; Censor Cn. Equitius Marinus, as well as the others! I hope there will be other new participants too.


LEVEL 1

1. C. Aurelia Falco Silvana 4 pts
1. Cn. Equitius Marinus 4 pts

2. P. Livius Triarius 3 pts


LEVEL 2

1. A. Tullia Scholastica 4 pts

2. Petrus Gray (peregrinus) 2 pts
2. L. Laelia Scaevola 2 pts

3. Cn. Equitius Marinus 1 pts
3. C. Aurelia Falco Silvana 1 pts




VALETE QVAM OPTIME!
Happy Megalesia-Days!

Cn. Cornelius Lentulus
SCRIBA LVDORVM AED T IVL SAB



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The Latin Contest N°3 of The Ludi Megalenses
- It's not important if you haven't done yesterday: you can start answering the questions today too!!! You can start participating anytime!

CN CORNELIVS LENTVLVS QVIRITIBVS PEREGRINISQVE SALVTEM DICIT:

Avete, citizens and foreigners, in the name of Aedilis T. Iulius Sabinus!


This Certamen Latinum is an easy Latin Contest of two levels not for Latinists or Latin speakers: it is for those who know some Latin linguistics, some Latin expressions, phrases or just started to learn Latin or are about starting it. So, this is a dual contest with one question "level 1" which will be for those who don't know Latin at all, and with another question "level 2" for the benefit of those who are beginners or a bit advanced. The two questions of the two different levels will create two separate contests with the same rules and scoring. Every contestant can participate in both contests, but it's also possible to participate in only one.


Here are the rules of Certamen Latinum:
http://www.crystalwebvision.com/aedil/rules.htm


And here follow the 2rd two questions according to the two levels for our Certamen Latinum:



Level 1.:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
QUAESTIO N°2 - In the Latin greetings on the beginnings of your letters you usually have to use a Latin grammatical case, the vocativus. The vocativus is used when you call somebody directly, for example, when salute somebody. What are the vocative forms of the following names of illustrious Nova Roman citizens?

Gaius Equitius Cato -
Gaia Aurelia Falco Silvana -
Kaeso Fabius Buteo Quintilianus -
Gnaeus Salvius Astur -
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



Level 2.:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
QUAESTIO N°2 - There is famous and ambiguous Latin sentence, composed in hexameter, said by the Pythia, in Delphoi, as an oracle, and can mean two totally contrary things. :

"Aio te Aeacida Romanos vincere posse."

a) What are the two contrary meanings of this Latin sentence?
b) What phenomenon of the Latin language does cause this ambiguity?
c) Whom did the Pythia say this sentence?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



All the answers have to be posted at the following email:

cnaeus_cornelius@...



HAPPY MEGALESIA ! ! !

Valete, Quirites peregrinique!

Cn. Cornelius Lentulus
SCRIBA LVDORVM AED T IVL SABINI


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Salve Maior!

Thanks for your reply and recommendation. I shall follow this up!

It occurs to me that Catullus actually travelled to Bythinia with the
praetor Memmius and may, I suppose, have had some contact with the
cult as it was followed in Asia.

I've always had the impression that the Magna Mater's cult in Rome
was effectively a female affair, the Galli notwithstanding. Do we
know whether this was the case or were uncastrated men just as likely
to participate?

Best Wishes and Vale!

Caius Moravius Brutus

--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, "Maior" <rory12001@...> wrote:
>
> M. Hortensia C.Moravio Bruto spd;
> as a cultrix and student of Magna Mater's cult, this is really
> a fascinating question. I can recommend Professor Lyn Roller's
> book "In Search of God the Mother" this is the best, latest work on
> the entire cult of MM from Anatolia to Rome.
> She discusses Catullus' poem as well as the Roman reaction to
> the galli: a kind of fascinated horror! The emotional frenzy needed
> to castrate oneself is against every principal of Roman religion &
> piety.
> Romans were entirely against what is called 'superstitio' as
this
> is a prime example. So the Romans did not approve of the Galli at
> all & they were closely supervised. Remember they were castrated
> transvestites & dressed as women with make-up and the works.At the
> same time they were part of the state cult.
> So when the Galli came out dressed as women during the Megalesia
> and begged & the priestesses blew on the horns & played cymbals &
> strew flower petals. Everyone watched, as this was so fascinating
> and unRoman.
> So I think you can see Catullus's point of view. Also the Galli
> were well-known as lovers of both men and women, so you can see why
> he was interested too:)
> bene vale in pacem Matris Idaeae!
> M. Hortensia Maior
> cultrix deorum
>
> >
>
> What do you make of Catullus' Carmen LXIII?
> >
> > I have read this poem many times over the years being an
admirer
> of the poet but I have never really been able to decide whether the
> work is born of piety or some kind of fear or supression. I'm also
> conscious that Catullus does not seem to have been the most
balanced
> (or pious) of characters. To me the whole atmosphere of the work
> seems to me to be almost stifling like a storm about to break. I
> would be most interested to hear anyone else's viewpoint.
> >
> > Valete!
> >
> > Caius Moravius Brutus
> >
> >> ---------------------------------
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> > Yahoo! Photos – NEW, now offering a quality print service from
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> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>

Salve F. Galerius Aurelianus, Amice!

I am very sorry to approach this issue again after three weeks, but I
have sadly enough been too busy to deal with this. However I have
time to say a few words now.

>F. Galerius Aurelianus C. Fabio Buteo Quintiliano. Salve.
>
>Yes You are my friend, but patron I don't really know about. ;-)
>
>FGA: Actually, I do regard you as my patron in the sense that the
>first civil appointment I ever received was as a member of your
>cohors.

Yes this is true and You are of course free to call that a
patronship. I still recall the good work You did as my Accensus.

>I think we first should look for the reasons for the category
>"socii". even before I became a Consul I had found that many
>citizens disappeared and then returned. I has always been very
>interested in this phenomena. Why did people behave like this. I
>found out that many of these people had to do military duty and
>disappeared to do so, other suddenly lost a relative or underwent a
>divorce. This way many disappeared, when they came back there was at
>least some bureaucracy to get "their" name back. No Census had ever
>been been executed before in Nova Roma and when I studied the Census
>rule at that time, they seemed lack a few things. So there was no
>surprise that the Censor the year before hadn't held any Census at
>all. When we started to study the system I felt that loosing people
>because the Census would make it hard for people to come back didn't
>make sense at all. Because of that the Socii were created.
>
>During my two years term as Censor I once again saw the same thing
>happening, good people disappearing and then coming back to ask for
>their old name. That citizens should have one name an only one name
>should be the ideal I think and under the new lex that was no
>problem.
>
>I honestly admit that some of the Socii are deadwood <snip>.
>
>FGA: MOST socii are deadwood. Horatianus is the exception and not
>the rule.

I think the gains from the law when people like Piscinus returns are
well worth it, as well as when Marcus Flavius Philippus Conservatus
returned the other day. Remember that this is something that happens
all the time. I think You overestimate the problems the Censors and
the Res Publica have with the Socii. I should know how important this
is as a problem after two years as a Censor, with many months as the
only Censor. I agree with my former colleague Gnaeus Equitius Marinus
that it would mean more work to, as You call it, cut the deadwood,
than to keep it bto harvest the best of them.

Further I am satisfied now that the new proposal for "Lex Minucia
Moravia de Civitate Eiuranda" includes my proposal that Socii should
be classified as non-citizens after not answering a Census two times.
The proposal also integrates the Socii in the citizens category even
more and the citizenship develops as much as possible in a modern
world towards a life long citizenship. I am fully satisfied with the
new proposal and I am a bit surprised that You still are not
satisfied.

>We currently have the census which allows anyone really
>interested in remaining as a member to do so with very little
>effort. We have the 9-day option to allow someone who resigns or
>quits a grace period to realize their mistake and make it right.
>There have not been more enough socii becoming active again to
>justify continuing to keep so many names on the rolls. Furthermore,
>I believe that if the socii no longer exist as a long term safety
>net, citizens will be less willing to consider resigning or going
>inactive for long periods of time until the atmosphere calms down
>enough for a return.
>
>Dear F. Galerius Aurelianus, amice, I think your search for a change
>in the Census system mostly has developed form the effects of a
>recent return, the return of our Pater Patriae, Flavius Vedius
>Germanicus. He returned to Nova Roma not too long ago and has been
>reinstated in most of his old positions, except the Augurship. When
>the present Senior Consul supported his interpretation that Flavius
>Vedius Germanicus already was an Augur and also should be fully
>reinstate as one both as an individual and colleague in the
>Collegium Augurum, it lead to to some strife in the Collegium
>Pontifeces (at least I think so). I have the feeling that You want
>to see to it that some like that never might happen again.
>
>FGA: Actually, my dear Quintilianus, you are DEAD WRONG. Germanicus
>has nothing to do with this as I raised the issue of doing away with
>the socii to Modianus Consul & Paulinus Praetor before the last
>election. Personally, I always believed that Germanicus' person
>remained sacer and I ultimately suggested to the CP that Germanicus
>be allowed to resume his duties & prerogatives as an Augur with no
>loss of time.

I this case I feel I must offer You my excuses for my conclusion that
were too fast when it came to your reason for your proposal! I admit
that I shouldn't have done it, even if at a fast glimpse I felt
justified to draw this conclusion. However this only proves the good
rule " to wait one more day" before acting on ones first thought. I
am truly sorry, Amice!

>I had many reservations initially about his return
>based on his prior resignations and his renouncment of the Religio
>Romana but he gave me his private promise to work with the CA if
>restored. However, he chose to withdraw his wish to become an augur
>again before the CP could vote on a decretum about his augurship.
>L. Equitius Cincinnatus Augur has resumed active participation in
>his duties as the flamen of Mars and any magistrate who wishes to
>have him perform his office of Augur has but to ask him to do so.
>There are definitely some unresolved issues between our two current
>Augurs but that is for them to settle

But the Res Publica need them to settle this problem and I am afraid
I still think the problem mostly lies with one of them, relative or
not.

>and not for someone outside of
>the CP or CA

As a Senator it is my right to comment on this, if I am wrong, it is
easy to change the Augurship from a one or two man show to a real
collegium by appointing more augurs.

>to comment upon without full knowledge or both sides of
>the arguments. I will say as a member of the CP, I do not find
>either Modianus Augur's or Cincinnatus Augur's behavior to be very
>admirable but that is a personal viewpoint.

As a Senator, Consularis, Censorius and cives I think that I have the
right to ask for a change in this. There still is a need for a real
collegium of augurs.

>Now I need to be open and honest with You. I really don't think this
>is the real problem. The real problem is Senator Lucius Equitius
>Cincinnatus Augur, for a long time our only Augur, who doesn't want
>to see any other augur. How can I say so, well as far as I know he
>has thrown out our present Senior Consul from the Collegium Augurum,
>so in effect there is no Collegium at all. Further he has also
>blocked every new candidate for Augurship. When it comes to Flavius
>Vedius Germanicus the conflict between these two individuals are
>well known. This is the real reason it became so complicated to
>reinstate Flavius Vedius Germanicus, something that should have been
>look at with satisfaction as this citizen is our founding Father and
>also well versed in augury as far as i know. There is however also
>another problem included in this the fact that a political faction,
>which could be named the ex-boni seek to control the priesthood of
>Nova Roma as their last political stronghold.
>
>FGA: My dear Quintilianus, while I respect that one should always
>support and uphold one's family,

Of course I will support my family, but You know very well that I
always put the Res Publica first.

>your last statement shows that you
>have been woefully misinformed about the current situation within
>the CP and the CA.

I am afraid You don't convince me at all with the arguments below. I
might be wrong, but so far I see no real reason to change my mind. I
don't need anyone to try to convince me, what I need is a real
change. If I see female Pontifeces elected and more augurs appointed
I will be satisfied. If not I will draw the conclusion that a few
have more influence than they should.

>Primus, Cinncinatus Augur did toss Modianus Augur off the CA list he
>owned. I agree that this is a tacky sort of way to treat someone
>who should be on the College of Augurs list.

So far we agree!

>Secundus, the CP votes on petitions for new Augurs not just the
>current Augurs. It would not be possible for Cinncinatus Augur to
>be able to block any new petitions with just his vote. It would
>take the majority of the voting members of the CP to block any new
>petitions for an Augurship.

I know who appoints augurs in Nova Roma (even if it wasn't that way
in Roma Antiqua), but You should know better than I do about the
actions of each Pontifex. Still I think there are other ways than the
formal way to block anyone from becoming an Augur or Pontifex. What I
am saying is that some have some more influence or might even be
known to bully when it suits them. I don't _know_ if this is the case
here, but I can guess from _personal_ experience and the stories that
other citizens tell.

>HOWEVER, my post on the ML and to the Consuls about eliminating the
>Socii was based on my personal belief that the Socii serve no
>purpose in Nova Roma and a new lex needs to be formulated to remove
>them. If the Consuls formulate a new lex to be voted on, any Socii
>will have plenty of notice so they can rejoin NR as active citizens
>before they and their names are eliminated permanently.
>
>Be well, Quintilianus. Vadete in pacem Cereri, you Patrician hoot.

Yes my dear friend I am a Patrician and proud of it! ;-)
--

Vale

Caeso Fabius Buteo Quintilianus

Senator, Censorius et Consularis
Accensus GFBM, Scriba Censoris GEM
Praeses, Triumvir et Praescriptor Academia Thules ad S.R.A. et N.
Editor-in-Chief, Publisher and Owner of "Roman Times Quarterly"
Sodalitas Egressus Beneficarius et Praefectus Provincia Thules
Civis Romanus sum
************************************************
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam
"I'll either find a way or make one"
************************************************
Dignitas, Iustitia, Fidelitas et Pietas
Dignity, Justice, Loyalty and Dutifulness

Salve Omnes!

I am unfamiliar with the inactive citizens which you refer to as I
am a new citizen. However I offer the following thoughts...

I really enjoy my citizenship in Nova Roma and like to be active in
the main group and try some real world activities if I am able. But
as in all organisations, we do not make our livings as Nova Romani
and practical considerations take precident. Now I can in my spare
time at work can post, but if I changed jobs I may not be able to
post much though I may like to. I may in the future become inactive
due to personal or professional needs, yet I intend to keep my name
and citizenship and same name for life.

Members becoming inactive for periods of time is normal and does not
harm Nova Roma in anyway, providing they hold no office. I doubt
Nova Roma will run out of names soon.

If citizens can not or do not want to stay active they should resign
their office, yet should be allowed to retain their citizenship if
they desire to return. If they become inactive and do not resign
their office it should be removed.

Citizens that have gone inactive with no known intention of
returning should be purged after a reasonable amount of time (no
activity for 2 years would be sufficient).

Citizens becoming inactive should be able to announce there intents
to the censors and that they intend to return, thence their
citizenship would not be cancelled.

Taxes: there should be a 'life membership' option, like $150 as a
lifetime contribution, Nova Roma could invest these funds as a core
endowment, and that citizen would be guaranteed full citizenship for
life regardless of activity. Citizens that pay taxes should always
be considered active.

Good day people and welcome to the semifinals of Munera Gladiatoria
It is a sunny day and let us see who is fighting first today

The first fight is being fought between Spartacus owned by hon.
Cornelius Lentullus and Retiarus the Viking property of the
charming Diana Octavia Aventina.
In the quarters Spartacus defeated Rus and Retiarus the Viking won
against Brutus

The fight begins, every gladiator walks slowly in circles observing
the adversary.
Once in a while they simulate an attack just to test the opponent.
Their weapons are blazing in the sun. The Viking simulates an attack
with his long trident and tries to touch the Spartacus' scutum.
Spartacus waits for the strike and turns to strike the arm of
Retiarus the Viking, but this one sees the move and strafes left
guarding his hand with the net.
Spartacus attacks again but Retiarus the Viking defends himself and
with his trident throws Spartacus 3 meters away, then he turns looks
to the crowd and encourage thei shouts.
Now the audience is going mad and supportive: some of them like the
strenght of Retiarus the Viking and some of them like the courage
and tenacity of Spartacus.
Spartacus attacks again but he is weaken by the total control that
Retiarus the Viking shows.
Now is a total chaos in Circus Maximus: the ladies call the name of
Retiarus the Viking, and their husbands hope for the victory of
Spartacus.
Spartacus is tired, and his attacks begin to be weak and ineffective.
Retiarus the Viking throws the net precisely over Spartacus head,
and with his trident mannage to keep Spartacus to the ground.
Spartacus doesn't give up fighting yet and tries to unleash him, but
his powers are leaving him, and remain calm waiting the damnation.
This doesn't happened because the crowd astonished by his efforts
and courage decide to let him live and enchant them with his style
in another day.


With the first semifinal over it is the time to call the other
gladiators who will fight today
And they are Onomaeus owned by the same hon. Cornelis Lentullus and
Baro owned by the sweet lady Aurelia Falco Silvana.
Please let me remind you that Onomaeus defeated Kuntakinteh giving
the audience a deathmatch, and Baro defeated Orphaeus in a blitz
battle playing clumsy and fooling Orphaeus.

The fight begins.
Baro jumps around Onomaeus and this one begin roaring, shouting and
do all that scary stuff. Baro continues jumping around but his
helmet falls on his face. He turns around, runs and arrange his
helmet back to his ideea of headÂ…he is such a clown.
Seing this fight is like a Venationes battle between a lion and a
monkey and we all know who the monkey is.
Onomaeus attacks in force with his Sicca rolling over his head and
roaring madly, but Baro strafes again by takeing a wrong step and
falling on his belly in the arena. Quickly he stands up and
continues jumping arround Onomaeus. This one launches another attack
aiming for the chest of Baro but this is like having shock springs
attaached to his legs.
Another attack of Onomaeus manage to touch the pectoral plate of
Baro but nothing serious.
Another attack of an Onomaeus driven by rage coughts Baro
unprepaired and this one drops the lance, but when Onomaeus comes
closer Baro sthrows the lange with his foot from the dirt right into
his hands and attacks the chest of Onomaeus. This one starfes but
not enough and gets himself a deep cut.
While Baro is jumping again around Onomaeus waiting for the
decision, Onomaeus' blood flows in the arena in a big red spot.
The audience let him live.


Untill next time GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD FIGHT.

M. Hortensia L. Cassio Pontonio spd;
I'm one of the plebeian aediles along with the Senatrix,
responsible for the Cerealia, I'll check with her asap!
Not to worry, I will be sure to post on the ML numerous times to
make sure all the plebs enjoy celebrating Ceres!
bene vale in pace
Marca Hortensia Maior, aedilis plebis

> I was looking on the website listed on the calendar for the Cerialia

to see what events are planned so that I can get involved. The link
there seems to be faulty. Is there a correct link for the event?

>
> Valete,
>
> Lucius Cassius Pontonius
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Salve, D. Octavia Aventina

No kidding! We get great seats? OOO!!!
Don't worry, I'll remember to wave you! ;)

Vale bene in pace Deorum,

Maxima Valeria Messallina :)
Happy Vestal (Someone please tell me how to write that in Latin...)


Diana Octavia Aventina <diana@...> wrote:

> Maxima Valeria Messallina
> The Vestal who LOVES chariot racing! ;)

Huh! No doubt you'll get a great seat too just becuase you're a Vestal!


---------------------------------
Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. PC-to-Phone calls for ridiculously low rates.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Salvete omnes,

Welcome to the fourth day of the Certamen Historicum! I'll be posting the answers to yesterday's questions soon, along with the current standings.

Question #7:

With the passing of the Republic, the cult of the Magna Mater underwent growth and change. Under Claudius' rule, Roman citizens were allowed to become priests of Cybele and the taurobolium was introduced. "Taurobolium" is the blood sacrifice of a bull. With the growing popularity of Attis, Cybele's consort, another rite was introduced to emphasize their joint worship--the sacrifice of a ram.

What was the term for the ram sacrifice? (1 pt.)

Question #8:

An extract of a poem about the Magna Mater's worship:

"Her the wide nations, after antique rite,
Do name Idaean Mother, giving her
Escort of Phrygian bands, since first, they say,
From out those regions 'twas that grain began
Through all the world." (3 pts.)

a) Who was the poet? (praenomen, nomen, and cognomen)
b) What is the Latin name of the poem? )
c) Who was the poet's patron?

Good luck!

Valete bene,
Tita Artoria Marcella
Scriba Aedilis Curulis


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Q. Caecilius Metellus Quiritibus salutem.

Salvete, Quirites.

Rather than use more bandwidth than necessary, especially for those not
interested, I have posted my quarterly report online. It can be
accessed at http://home.cinci.rr.com/metellus/2758-iv/index.html.

As always, your comments, questions, concerns, etc, will be most welcome.

Valete Bene,

Quintus Caecilius Metellus
Pontifex

Maior Bruto sal;
Both Roller & Beard and North write very explicitly about
Catullus's poem; it's about Roman values dealing with a 'foreign'
cult that is also the great state cult.
Magna Mater was served by a high priestess (supposedly a
foreigner) priestesses and the castrated Galli. Roman citizens were
not permitted to castrate themselves. So no Roman citizen could
become a Gallos, until Imperial times when the cult changed.

So respectable Romans could not serve Magna Mater as priests or
priestesses. But it was an aristocratic cult. Instead the
aristocracy formed sodalities to host great banquets 'mutitationes'
in her honour. So aristocratic Roman men and women participated in
these banquets & the goddess probably was present seated on a chair.

Also the urban praetor offered a public sacrifice. Then there was
the plays, over which the goddess presided & the games. These are
all part of Magna Mater's worship. So for sure both men & women
worshipped her. It was not a 'women' only cult like Bona Dea at all.

In Imperial times under Claudius the cult changed to include the
Mysteries of MM & Attis (41-54 C.E) , later the Archigallus was not
castrated so Romans could become priests & then there were colleges
of 'dendrophori' and 'cannephori.' So Romans, male & female
participated. With the Taurobolia (4c A.D) we have private & public
rites and women and men both celebrated them.

The Corpus Cybelae Attidisque, by M. J. Vermaseren is a great work,
preserving every inspription, site, of MM's worship all over the
Empire. Vol 3 pertains to Rome, if you can get a look!
I hope I answered your questions, if you have any or
anyone else here. Just ask! I'm happy to help.
bene vale in pace Matris Idaea
Marca Hortensia Maior

> Salve Maior!
>
> Thanks for your reply and recommendation. I shall follow this up!
>
> It occurs to me that Catullus actually travelled to Bythinia with

the

> praetor Memmius and may, I suppose, have had some contact with the
> cult as it was followed in Asia.
>
> I've always had the impression that the Magna Mater's cult in Rome
> was effectively a female affair, the Galli notwithstanding. Do we
> know whether this was the case or were uncastrated men just as

likely

> to participate?
>
> Best Wishes and Vale!
>
> Caius Moravius Brutus
>
>
> --- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, "Maior" <rory12001@> wrote:
> >
> > M. Hortensia C.Moravio Bruto spd;
> > as a cultrix and student of Magna Mater's cult, this is

really

> > a fascinating question. I can recommend Professor Lyn Roller's
> > book "In Search of God the Mother" this is the best, latest work

on

> > the entire cult of MM from Anatolia to Rome.
> > She discusses Catullus' poem as well as the Roman reaction

to

> > the galli: a kind of fascinated horror! The emotional frenzy

needed

> > to castrate oneself is against every principal of Roman religion

&

> > piety.
> > Romans were entirely against what is called 'superstitio' as
> this
> > is a prime example. So the Romans did not approve of the Galli

at

> > all & they were closely supervised. Remember they were castrated
> > transvestites & dressed as women with make-up and the works.At

the

> > same time they were part of the state cult.
> > So when the Galli came out dressed as women during the

Megalesia

> > and begged & the priestesses blew on the horns & played cymbals

&

> > strew flower petals. Everyone watched, as this was so

fascinating

> > and unRoman.
> > So I think you can see Catullus's point of view. Also the

Galli

> > were well-known as lovers of both men and women, so you can see

why

> > he was interested too:)
> > bene vale in pacem Matris Idaeae!
> > M. Hortensia Maior
> > cultrix deorum
> >
> > >
> >
> > What do you make of Catullus' Carmen LXIII?
> > >
> > > I have read this poem many times over the years being an
> admirer
> > of the poet but I have never really been able to decide whether

the

> > work is born of piety or some kind of fear or supression. I'm

also

> > conscious that Catullus does not seem to have been the most
> balanced
> > (or pious) of characters. To me the whole atmosphere of the work
> > seems to me to be almost stifling like a storm about to break. I
> > would be most interested to hear anyone else's viewpoint.
> > >
> > > Valete!
> > >
> > > Caius Moravius Brutus
> > >
> > >> ---------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------
> > > Yahoo! Photos – NEW, now offering a quality print service from
> > just 8p a photo.
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>

Salvete omnes,

I have experienced exactly the same problems with both the Virtues and Religio lists. I do hope that whatever the problem that they will be solved soon as these are my two prime interests in Nova Roma.

As soon as they are fixed I will become an enthusiastic member and eager student.

Valete,

M. Aurelius Varus

Caius Moravius Brutus <crwbanmor@...> wrote:
Salve Minuci Audens!

I note your comments about contacting you directly and will do so but I would like to put a message here on the main-list as I have been having identical problems with the Religio Romana list. I have made a number of (non-controversial!) posts on this list only to have them returned to me unapproved and unchecked some weeks later. Of course it may well be that there is some kind of problem beyond the moderator's control. I have also tried to make contact with the group owner but have found this impossible. I was wondering if anyone might have some idea what is the matter?

Vale!

Caius Moravius Brutus

Marcus Audens <MarcusAudens@...> wrote:
Citizens of Nova Roma;

It would seem that, unknown to myself, I have been challenging citizens to respond to a weblist (Sodalitas Virtutis) which has an automatic Moderation element installed, and which the determined moderator has failed to review periodically. Thus, at least one and perhaps more of the NR Citizens who have in the past wished to discuss the Roman Virtues have been prevented from doing so.

I have contacted the owner of the list but he refuses to answer me, so I have the idea of starting a parallel list where those who wish to discuss the Virtues may post and receive an answer. I will take the position as Moderator, in order to keep Spammers out of the website, and in order to maintain a polite website where members and posters cannot be abused verbally.

If anyone is interested in such a website please contact me and let me have your ideas. Those on the Nova-Roma List can contact me off-line at the above address, since I do not often monitor the Nova-Roma weblist.

Anyone who has been moderated on the existing "Sodalitas Virtutis" list and who wishes to discuss this move, please let me know. Further, you have my apology for my comments in regard to not being interested in this basic Roman set of ideals. I had no idea that citizens were being moderated and then not reviewed. As I have told the owner, it as most embarrassing to find out that friends, potential friends and citizens of NR were being held off from sharing their ideas on the subject list.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully;

Marcus Minucius Audens
Senator, ProConsul, Magistrate






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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Salve Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Postumianus!

>Q. Caecilius Metellus Quiritibus salutem plurimam dicit.
>
>Salvete, Quirites.
>
>Before I make my quarterly report, to assist me in planning the
>remainder of the year (and perhaps some coming years), I thought I'd
>open the flood gates and ask you all what I consider a rather important
>question. Please believe me when I say that I am interested in reading
>everyone's answers to my question, and I will take under serious
>consideration whatever anyone has to say.

I really appreciate your attitude. As I believe Religio Romana and
our relation to the Gods to be very important for the Res Publica and
our priests just another group of magistrates I certainly support
your communication with the Populus.

>Of course, I have to keep you in suspense for just a little longer, so
>if I may impose one request on you before asking the question, I would
>ask that you please send your responses to me privately (sapientissimi
>'at' gmail 'dot' com), so as not to tie up the list with things, unless
>the moderators of this list have no objection. I will try to generate a
>public response to what I receive Quando Rex Comitiavit.

I just want to publicly support your efforts and your approach.

>And lastly, please also know that I truly will appreciate any responses
>that I receive. As I said from the beginning, I sought a pontificate
>for the benefit of the Gods *and* the People. I can only serve the
>latter end by knowing what the People (magistrates, senators, and
>sacerdotes publici naturally included) want.

I agree!

>So then, my question. What would you like to see from me, as a
>pontifex? (Inherent in this, of course, if there is anything you would
>like to see from the Collegium Pontificum, I'd be willing to address
>that as well.)

Your reports are a good thing, but I would like to see something like
it from both the whole Pontifex Collegium and the whole Augur
Collegium.

I want to _see_ an active Religio, also in real life.

>A seemingly simple question, I hope it will become more
>complicated as the responses come. I suppose that's why I love
>Classics. As Michael Sage always tells me, I must be a glutton for
>punishment.

I am sorry that I answer You so late, but I have been extremely busy.

>Valete Bene in Pace Deorum,
>
>Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Postumianus
>Pontifex, Fetialis, et Civis Romanus

--

Vale

Caeso Fabius Buteo Quintilianus

Senator, Censorius et Consularis
Accensus GFBM, Scriba Censoris GEM
Praeses, Triumvir et Praescriptor Academia Thules ad S.R.A. et N.
Editor-in-Chief, Publisher and Owner of "Roman Times Quarterly"
Sodalitas Egressus Beneficarius et Praefectus Provincia Thules
Civis Romanus sum
************************************************
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam
"I'll either find a way or make one"
************************************************
Dignitas, Iustitia, Fidelitas et Pietas
Dignity, Justice, Loyalty and Dutifulness

Salvete omnes,

Here are the answers to yesterdays questions, and the current ranking. With four days left, C. Aurelia Falco Silvana has taken the lead!

Question #5:

In the 6th C BCE, a Scythian noble traveled to Athens and became enamored of the Greek culture. Upon his return to Scythia he was put to death for performing rites to Cybele. The historian Herodotus suggests the killer was none other than his own brother--the king. What was the slain man's name? (1 pt.)

Answer: Anacharsis.

Question #6

In 2002, archaeologists in Britain discovered the remains of a 4th C man, dressed as a woman and adorned with jewelry, that they suspect was a galli--a priest of the Magna Mater. Evidence pointing to the presence of the Great Mother's cult in Britain includes an altar dedicated to Cybele and a bronze testicular clamp, probably used during the castration ceremony of the galli. (2 pts.)

a) What was the (Latin) name of the Roman settlement where
the body was found?

Answer: Cataractonium (modern name -- Catterick)

b) Which Roman fort (again, the Latin name) contained the altar to Cybele?

Answer: Corstopitum (modern name -- Corbridge)

Current standings:

C. Aurelia Falco Silvana -- 9 pts.
Marcus Horatius Piscinus -- 8 pts.
Lucius Cassius Pontonius -- 8 pts.
Livia Aurelia Procula -- 8 pts.
Gn. Equitus Marinus -- 6 pts.
Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus -- 5 pts.
Sextus Apollonius Scipio -- 5 pts
Aula Claudia Vopisca -- 3 pts.
Marca Hortensia Maior -- 3 pts.

Valete bene,
Tita Artoria Marcella
Scriba Aedilis Curulis
.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

SALVETE OMNES !

Another important day in Circus Maximus: Ludi Circenses, the
semifinals.To understand what is happen, take a look again to the
quarters :
http://www.crystalwebvision.com/aedil/april6.htm
Our curiousity is to a high level. Who will be the next winners ?

The first ranking it was presented to the Certamen Latinum. I was nice
surprised to see there new participants. And my hope is to see more in
the next days. Certamen Latinum is a complex contest. For the first
time organized in Nova Roma it represent a new step in the ludi
cultural part development.

Participate to the Certamen Historicum, too. Even if you will start to
answer to the questions from this day. In fact, don't forget - and
that is very important - take the participation as a challange with
yourself. It's important to try to do more. To exceed the limits, of
course in a rational,logical and moral way.

These are the events organized by the Aediles Cohors for April 8th,
the fifth day of Megalesia.

What it was happened is posted to our website :
http://www.crystalwebvision.com/aedil/april4.htm
http://www.crystalwebvision.com/aedil/april5.htm
http://www.crystalwebvision.com/aedil/april6.htm
http://www.crystalwebvision.com/aedil/april7.htm

Another interesting section from the Aediles website is the history
page of aedilitas posted by the hon. Praetor Tiberius Galerius
Paulinus after George Long ( M.A., Trinity College ) presentation:
http://www.crystalwebvision.com/aedil/history.htm

From the Magna Mater website I recommand the page with the Magna Mater
sanctuaries around the ancient world :
http://www.magnamaterproject.org/en/ancientworld.htm

To participate to the ludi is a wonderful way to celebrate the Gods,
the Ancestors and their legacy, and to honour our Great Mother of the
Gods.

The Curulis Aediles and the Aedilicia Cohors wish you a happy
Megalesia !

VALETE,
IVL SABINVS
Curule Aedile

Salve F. Aureliane

"The Fathers voted that it seemed proper that the right should
reside with the People to elect anyone they chose who sought an
office if it was not expressly forbidden (Livy 32.7.2)."

There is no good reason in what you say to justify curtailing a
Citizen's right to stand for election. The Quirites are perfectly
capable of deciding for themselves whether a candidate had good
reason to resign from an earlier office. I am not going to expressly
forbid the Quirites from choosing for themselves.

Vale
M Moravius Piscinus
Tribunus Plebis

--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, PADRUIGTHEUNCLE@... wrote:
>
> F. Galerius Aurelianus S.P.D.
>
> <snip>
>
> FGA: I find this proposed lex to be somewhat better phrased but I
believe it could be improved with a couple of additions.
Specifically, substitution of the word "must" instead of "will" as
in "... must acknowledge receipt...".
> Also, I believe that the proposed lex should include a section
stating that the resigning magistrate will not be able to run for
any public office during the next election period effective skipping
a year plus before running for office again. There should be a
section that specifically states that should a magistrate who has
resigned once should not ever be able to run for public office
should they resign a second time within a three (or five?) year
period of the first resignation. This will insure that the resigning
magistrate has time to reflect on whether they truly want a career
in the administration of Nova Roma.
> Proposed leges concerning resignation of citizenship or magistracy
should do everything possible to discourage the resignation and
encourage active participation.
>
> Vadite in pace Cereris.
>
>
>
> After consulting further with Consul Minucia and others, I have
> rewritten what earlier was proposed as a lex Abdicatione
> Magistratuum. The bill on magisterial resignations is presented
now
> as a proposed Lex Eiuratione Magistratuum (easier for me at least
to
> keep the two separate). Earlier provisions were rearranged,
> combined, and reworded. Then further suggestions were sought, and
> the Consul and I refined the proposal further.
>
> Valete optime
> M Moravius Piscinus
> Tribunus Plebis
>
>
>
> Lex Moravia Minucia Eiuratione Magistratuum Comitium Populum
> Tributum et Comitium Plebium Tributum
>
> This lex clarifies the legal definition of magisterial
resignation,
> consequences of resignation, and those procedures legally
necessary
> to validate and remedy magisterial vacancy due to a resignation of
> office, in accordance with the Constitution of Nova Roma, Section
> IV, on 'Magistrates', which states that an office becomes vacant
> when a magistrate resigns or dies while in office. The language of
> this lex is binding on resignation of magisterial offices elected
in
> the in the Comitia Populi Tributa and in the Comitia Plebis
Tributa.
>
> I.A: An elected magistrate resigns from office by tendering his or
> her notification of a resignation to the presiding official
(defined
> below) of the comitia in which the resigning magistrate was
elected.
>
> B: The Tribunes of the Plebs are the presiding officials of the
> Comitia Plebis Tributa. A resignation of an office that was
elected
> in the Comitia Plebis Tributa may be tendered in writing directly
to
> one or more Tribunes of the Plebs, or else is tendered to the
> Tribunes of the Plebs by public statement via NovaRoma-Announce
> List, the official Comitia Plebis Tributa List, and/or Nova-Roma
> Mainlist Forum
>
> C: The Consuls and Praetors are the presiding officials of the
> Comitia Populi Tributa. A resignations of an office that was
> elected in the Comitia Populi Tributa may be tendered in writing
> directly to one or both Consuls, or else is tendered to the
Consuls
> by posting a resignation on a list that is supported by Nova Roma
as
> a public Forum.
>
> II.A: A vacancy of office is legally established when an
appropriate
> presiding official acknowledges in writing the receipt of a
tendered
> resignation to the resigning magistrate. A vacancy may also be
> legally established when the Censors inform the presiding
> magistrates that a magistrate is unreachable after an absence of
45
> or more days.
>
>
> B: Within twenty-four (24) hours of receiving notification of a
> resignation, the presiding official of the respective comitia â€"
any
> one of the Consuls or Praetors, or any one of the Tribunes of the
> Plebs, as the case may be, will acknowledge receipt to the
resigning
> magistrate and announce receipt of a resignation to the
appropriate
> fora, as outlined in I.A and I.B.
>
> C. Consuls shall not accept a resignation from office of a
> magistrate elected in the Comitia Plebis Tributa.
>
> D. Tribunes of the Plebs may only accept the resignation from
office
> of a magistrate elected in the Comitia Populi Tributa when none of
> the Consuls or Praetors is available to accept the resignation on
> behalf of the comitia.
>
> III: Elections shall be held within 45 days of the established
> vacancy for a suffect magistrate, respectively in the Comitia
Plebis
> Tributa or Comitia Populi Tributa, according to prevailing legal
> procedure governing elections of the comitia.
>
> IV: This lex does not in itself restrict a former magistrate from
> standing for election in the Comitia Plebis Tributa or in the
> Comitia Populi Tributa to fill the vacancy caused by his or her
> resignation, and for which he or she are eligible to hold.
>
> V: The presiding official of a comitia who lawfully acknowledges
> receipt of a resignation from office of any magistrate who was
> elected in either the Comitia Plebis Tributa or Comitia Populi
> Tributa, as outlined in this lex, shall be responsible for
> communicating this information to the Censors, the Magister
> Aranearius and to the citizenry via public fora within the
following
> forty-eight (48) hours from the time that the resignation goes
into
> effect.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Salve M Moravius Piscinus

You quote (Livy 32.7.2). "if it was not expressly forbidden" so it would seem that the Roman did have restrictions on who could stand for office. .

Now we can debate wither resigning from an office once or twice should be grounds to limit ones ability to stand again but it should be a debate.

Vale

Tiberius Galerius Paulinus


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

C. Equitius Cato C. Moravio Bruto sal.

Salve Brutus!

Yes indeedy, those wild rides across the marshes of Latium desperately
seeking a river --- ANY river --- in order to escape the serpents....
ahhhh, the good old days...

I'm glad you enjoyed; I find the mindset of the earlier geographers
fascinating in the way that they write --- in much the manner of a
19th-century A.D. matron writing to her social circle: some (if not
most) things are simply taken for granted :-)

On days when nothing of particular urgency presents itself
calendrically, I will try to post this kind of thing; as a tiny window
into the minds of our Roman forebears.

Vale bene,

Cato

--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, Caius Moravius Brutus <crwbanmor@...

> wrote:
>
> Salve Cato!
>
> Thank you so much for this fascinating bit of info!!!!
>
> I am astounded to find out that the Greeks are ignorant of

something that we (Romano)Celts take so much for granted! Ah! Many's
the time I have caught a Serpent's Egg in my old checked cloak and
ridden till daybreak to get across the nearest river! Happy memories!

>
> Sometimes it is a burden to be quite so advanced but I do hope

that for their own sakes the poor primitives can catch up with us
before too long. We could even teach them how to make trousers!

>
> Vale!
>
> Brutus

Salve F. Aureliane

A Citizen becomes a Socius by missing one census. There are any
number of good reasons why someone might miss one census - serving
in the military, temporary loss of Internet access, hospitalization,
et cetera. Citizenship is then held in suspesion until
reactivated. In actuality there is really very little a Socius
regains when he or she might reestablish citizenship. In most cases
it would amount to a few century points for earlier participation.
Not exactly an incentive to return, but depriving people of what
they had earlier would act to discourage people from reactivating
citizenship.

A Socius has citizenship held in suspension; in effect he
temporarily loses the right to vote or run for office. A Socius is
still a Citizen in some sense and we are going to preserve some
things for Socii. A Citizen who resigns citizenship is no longer a
citizen, but for the purposes of the lex will be treated as a
Socius, in case he might later decide to return, but with one
difference. A resigning Citizen, when he would apply for
reinstatement of citizenship would have to wait for 90 days before
citizenship is reestablished. In other words a returning Citizen
would in that case be treated in a manner similar to a new
applicant. Under the Lex Fabia de Cesnu the same would not occur
for a reactivating Socius. This difference was not spelled out in
the most recent draft that I posted to this list. I am still
working with others to refine the proposal before it is placed
before the comitia.

A Socius who misses a second census - or another way to look at it,
one census after being reclassified a Socius, would have his status
as a Socius terminated. For both resigning Citizens and Socii, once
their status as a Socius is terminated they will lose the right to
reclaim anything they may have previously held.

I have said previously that I prefer retaining the nundinum as
a "grace period" in which someone who resigns could rescind a
resignation. Upon further reflection, I don't think it is
necessary. If a person would resign and then turn around and change
his mind by reapplying, the effect would be that he loses his rights
of citizenship for 90 days. People who do make a big thing out of
resigning usually could use a cooling off period, and in effect this
is what will happen.

We are going to eliminate the option of resigning by posting to a
forum. No need to encourage people to turn their resignation into
some political statement. They could, and maybe would, but the lex
will not encourage this sort of behavior. Notification in writing
of a resignation, to be sent to the Censors who are responsible for
recording membership and resignations, is the only method of
resigning that will be left in the lex.

So some provisions are being tightened up. Some provisions that are
redundant are being eliminated. And then the overall proposal has to
be reviewed for consistency. As soon as I receive feedback from
some magistrates, I will post the latest version.

Valete
M Moravius Piscinus
Tribunus Plebis

--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, PADRUIGTHEUNCLE@... wrote:
>
> F. Galerius Aurelianus M. Moravio Piscino salutem dicit
>
> <snip>
>
> FGA: Piscino, I find that this lex still does not warrant my
support and I will continue to oppose its passage in the Comitia.
The revisions to the proposed lex still do not fill all the
loopholes that Cordus pointed out in his previous communications to
the Consuls. Remember that this is Nova Roma and if there is a
loophole for a worst case scenario, one of our citizens will find
it. I particular find section IV. to be completely wrong. I
proposed some time ago to the Consuls that the sections of the Lex
Fabius de Censu dealing with the Socii be repealed by a new lex
because the Socii do nothing for Nova Roma but artificially inflate
our membership numbers. I believe that the proposed Lex Minucia
does not go far enough with citizens who resign. If there is no
Socius status for member who wants to resign to use as a safety net
then it will likely encourage those members to merely take a
sabbatical for a time rather than resign totally. Also, I believe
that if someone doesn't answer one census, they should be stricken
from the album civium rather than giving them two censorial
periods. Also, I don't think much of someone who resigns or fails
to answer a census (which only takes about three minutes) to be able
to regain their points or honors. The Socii should have a period of
one censorial period to get active again or they will be stricken
from the rolls with loss of all honors and century points. Someone
who has a legitimate reason for taking a sabbatical from Nova Roma
can notify the administration of the reason why and how long they
are going to be inactive. If the administration of Nova Roma is
genuinely interested in keeping members and magistrates from
quitting or resigning, they should formulate laws that encourage
participation (membership cards, more ML education, &
local/provinicial gatherings) and discourage resignations by not
creating this suspended citizenship/five year period--it is, in my
opinion, a complete load of male bovine-produced fertilizer.
> I want the Consuls to understand that if they continue with these
half-thought out leges that do not address the fundamental causes of
loss of interest & separation of members in Nova Roma, I will
actively oppose any and all leges that they propose.
>
> At present, I continue to encourage the Plebs and other orders of
Nova Roma to vote NO to the proposed Lex Minucia Moravia de Civitate
Eiuranda.
>
> Vadite in pace Cereris.
>
>
*********************************************************************
**************************
>
>
> Lex Minucia Moravia de Civitate Eiuranda
>
> Citizenship in Nova Roma may be voluntarily relinquished or
> involuntarily revoked as per the Constitution of Nova Roma,
> paragraph II.A.4, or may be temporarily suspended under the Lex
> Fabia de Censu, paragraph VI.
> http://www.novaroma.org/tabularium/leges/2003-05-31-i.html Further
> provision is made by this lex Minucia Moravia de Civitate Eiuranda
> by which citizenship in Nova Roma may be involuntarily terminated
at
> the discretion of the Censors when a Citizen fails to register in
> two consecutive censuses. Outlined in this lex are the procedures
> by which a Citizen may voluntarily relinquish his or her
citizenship
> by a process of resignation from Nova Roma, guidelines for
censorial
> termination of citizenship for non-compliance with the Lex Fabia
de
> Censu, and procedures to be followed when a person returns into
> citizenship following suspension of citizenship or relinquishment
of
> citizenship.
>
> I. The leges Cornelia et Maria De Civitate Eiuranda and Equitia de
> Civitate Eiuranda are hereby repealed.
>
> http://www.novaroma.org/tabularium/leges/2001-05-20-iii.html
> http://www.novaroma.org/tabularium/leges/2004-10-07-v.html
>
> II Resignation of Citizenship
>
> A: Citizenship from Nova Roma may be voluntarily relinquished by
> notification of the Censors. Submission to the Censors of an
> intention to resign citizenship should be made in writing with the
> intention clearly stated, and may be transmitted via any available
> means.
>
> B. For purposes of this lex an official forum shall include the
> NovaRoma-Announce List and/or the Nova-Roma Mainlist Forum. A
> resignation from citizenship takes effect immediately upon posting
> its announcement to an official forum.
>
> C. In keeping with Constitutional clause II.A.5, a parent or
> guardian may voluntarily rescind Nova Roma citizenship of
Impuberes
> (minors) as provided for above.
>
> III. If citizenship is resigned, any and all public offices held
by
> the Citizen are immediately vacated at the time that the Censors
> either receives a resignation or that the resignation is posted to
> an official forum, whichever is the earlier. No public offices,
> elected or appointed, shall carry over into a new citizenship
should
> a resigning citizen later reestablish citizenship.
>
> IV A Citizen whose citizenship is temporarily suspended under the
> Lex Fabia de Censu or by process of law is known as a Socius. A
> Citizen who voluntarily relinquishes citizenship by submitting a
> resignation from Nova Roma may also be regarded as a Socius. Any
> Socius who fails to register with two (2) consecutive censuses or
> who fails to otherwise reestablish citizenship within a period of
> five (5) years may, at the discretion of the Censors, have his or
> her status terminated, and thus be removed from the censorial
Album
> Civium.
>
> B. A Socius may request that he or she be removed from the Album
> Civium and thus all records of the Socius' former membership in
Nova
> Roma are to be deleted. The Censors must comply with such a
request
> if no exceptions are provided for under the law.
>
> V: A former Citizen or Socius may reapply for citizenship to the
> Censors under prevailing legal procedures.
>
> VI.A: After a period of ninety (90) days has passed from the date
> that citizenship is reestablished, a
> Socius, or a former Citizen who was in a Socius status, shall have
> restored any titles, honors and/or effects of past public offices
> (including century points) that he or she may have held at the
time
> that citizenship was either suspended or resigned. A former
> Citizen whose Socius status was legally terminated, and whose
> records were thus lawfully removed from the Album Civium, is not
> entitled to a restoration of any titles, honors and/or effects of
> past public offices (including century points).
>
> B. After ninety (90) days of being reinstated into citizenship, a
> returning Citizen may apply to the Collegium Pontificum for
> reappointment to any religious offices that he or she may have
> previously held. Only the Collegium Pontificum, or an otherwise
> designated religious body, is authorized to reappoint a returning
> Citizen to a religious office.
>
> C: Century points that are due to a returning Citizen for any and
> all public and/or religious offices that he or she may have
> previously held shall be restored at the end of ninety (90) days,
> provided that citizenship was reestablished while the former
Citizen
> was in a Socius status, as per VI.A.
>
> D. Senatorial status may be resumed by a returning Citizen at the
> discretion of the Censors collegially.
>
> VII. If a Citizen resigns his or her citizenship, is subsequently
> reinstated, and resigns a second time, the Censors may bar this
> former Citizen from reinstatement as a Citizen of Nova Roma. An
> exception to IV.B is hereby made such that the Censors may retain
> records in addition to the Album Civium on any person who has been
> barred from citizenship in Nova Roma for any reason.
>
> VIII.A: All rights and privileges of citizenship are restored in
> full to a returning Citizen, after a waiting period of ninety (90)
> days has passed from the time he or she applies anew, when
> citizenship is reestablished. This lex does not in itself
restrict
> a returning Citizen in any way from lawfully pursuing any
> entitlements or official positions (via election or appointment)
for
> which he or she would again become eligible.
>
> B. At the discretion of the Senate, the normal waiting period of
> ninety (90) days may be waived.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

A. Tullia Scholastica quiritibus, sociis, peregrinisque omnibus bonae
uoluntatis S.P.D.

To continue our story...


Now that all of the quarter final races are over and some of the
chariots out of contention, there's a longer intermission so that the
spectators can refresh themselves, stretching a bit and getting something
more substantial to eat, even venturing to the public latrines...

The contenders for the first missus of the semifinals make their last
minute preparations, checking and rechecking the harnesses, the horses, the
chariots...the trumpet sounds, and the first group comes into the brilliant
sunlight, blinking as their eyes adjust to the intense light. This race
will pit the formidable Velociraptor, Praesina, with two Albata
representatives, Ars Longa and the Love Chariot. Well, Russata and Veneta
partisans can get some extra snacks; their turn will come in the next race,
when two Reds, Mercurius Visucius and Aprilis, meet a Blue, Windchaser,
while Albata and Praesina relax.

The chariots jog their way to the carceres as the magistrates signal the
soldiers to 'encourage' the crowd to take their places in the cavea. It's
taking an unduly long time to get the spectators in order; the redheaded
trumpeter (can his name really be 'Randy?') blows some quick blasts; Consul
Modianus waves the mappa most vigorously. The crowd starts to quiet down,
but the drivers have guided their steeds into the allotted carceres before
quiet is restored.

Velociraptor's Spandex has drawn Scorpio again, while Ars Longa has
Libra (much more appropriate...) and the Love Chariot has drawn Cancer.
They're in the gate; Consul Modianus drops the mappa, et missi sunt!
They're off! Ars Longa is maintaining a steady pace while the Love Chariot
is quicker down the straightaway. Velociraptor is also taking this section
of the course at an even clip as they approach the first turn. The dolphin
is turned; they're on the second lap. Gnipho in Ars Longa and Maximus in
Velociraptor continue to maintain an even, unhurried pace, while Latina in
the Love Chariot speeds up on the stretches, but pulls back on the turns.
Meanwhile, Censor Marinus has found a spare mappa to wipe his dripping brow,
while the two plebeian women's chariots round the spina again and again as
the pace quickens with each lap. In the less elegant plebeian sections,
hopes are pinned on the blond giant, Spandex, or the crafty Latina Harmonia,
recalling that her owner had once been one of them.

Now the chariots are heading into the middle of the race, and the pace
picks up; the stakes are even higher now, so risks must be taken.
Velociraptor crowds the Love Chariot on the turn, but Latina pulls away none
the worse for the encounter; they continue down the stretch with Ars Longa
in close pursuit. Around the spina again, heading into the fifth
lap...Velociraptor drops a little behind, letting the Love Chariot and Ars
Longa move on ahead. It looks as though Spandex' horses are tiring at last;
he's a big guy, and the reinforced chariot is extra heavy--but is it a
trick? Does Spandex have something in mind? Hmmmm...Now they're coming
into the far turn again, about to round the spina. The Love Chariot leads,
followed closely by Ars Longa. Petronius Gnipho edges close to the spina;
his head is turned to gauge his distance; the roar of the crowd is
deafening--and he doesn't notice that Velociraptor is aiming its arrowhead
point at an angle meant to intercept Ars Longa. Oh, NO! Velociraptor has
rammed Ars Longa into the spina! Consul Po gasps in horror; the color
drains from Censor Marinus' face...looks like there'll have to be yet
another Ars Longa in his future, even if his charioteer and horses survived
the collision...Velociraptor pulls clear of the wreckage at a furious pace,
and closes with the Love Chariot. Meanwhile, the shaken Gnipho cuts the
reins and extricates himself from the wreckage. He calms the horses and
leads them off, hurrying to escape getting run over in the remaining laps.
Luckily, he's just a bit bruised and shaken up; Consul Po, who has risen
from her seat, will tend to him once he gets the horses off the track.
They, too, are shaken, but only the crucial left funalis, or trace horse,
seems to have been injured, and that, too, none too seriously as they were
almost past the spina when they were rammed; the chariot, however, doesn't
look as though it will race again; it took the brunt of the collision.

The two remaining chariots pour it on; they are well into the sixth lap.
Velociraptor comes to the site of the crash...the debris is all over the
track, for the attendants haven't been able to remove it yet...and, Di Boni!
Those Sarmatians are jumping over the wrecked chariot! Incredible! One
would never have thought that an extra-heavy chariot and driver would have
dreamed of such a maneuver, much less survived it--and gone on into the
lead, yet! Latina thanks her lucky stars that she was able to escape this
devious tactic, and steers the Love Chariot around the mess as best she can;
she has fallen behind, but that matters less than survival. Round the last
turn they gallop at breakneck speed, coming up on the last lap. The track
attendants rush to get some of the debris out of the way; the dolphin is
turned; they're in the seventh and final lap. Hooves pounding, wheels
whirling as they churn up the dust they come down the homestretch. Latina
would have preferred a better finish, but on this occasion is content to
finish second, letting Spandex, the Sarmatian stallions, and Velociraptor
win by a good seven lengths.

The crowd buzzes with excitement at the astonishing events of this
race--imagine jumping over a wrecked chariot! And not only living to tell
about it, but going on to win! Still, it was hardly fair to force another
chariot into the spina...In the pulvinar, the mood is somber, relieved only
by the knowledge that Petronius Gnipho and Ars Longa's horses will race
again, even though the chariot is unlikely to do so. It's a lot easier to
replace a chariot than an experienced, skillful driver and a set of fine
horses. Consul Po hurries to Gnipho's side and brings him into the pulvinar
where she can minister to his injuries, however minor...Censor Marinus
comforts him, knowing that things could have been much worse, though a new
chariot might strain his finances.

The crowd is still marveling at these events when the trumpet sounds
once again; the chariots for the second and last missus of the semifinal
races take the track: Windchaser, the Vestal Messallina's Blue chariot,
under the command of Maximus; Mercurius Visucius, the flower of Gallia, a
Russata owned by Sex. Apollonius Scipio and driven by Ambiorix; and Aprilis,
another Russata entry owned and driven by the youthful T. Iulius Sabinus
Crassus. They lope to the carceres, and the drivers draw their lots:
Aprilis selects Aries, Windchaser again gets Virgo, and Mercurius Visucius
draws Capricorn. They're in the gate; Consul Modianus stands and waves the
mappa. A hush falls over the crowd once again...he drops it, and they're
off!

Aprilis is on the inside, Mercurius Visucius the middle, and Windchaser
on the outside as they take the first lap at a moderate clip. The dolphin
is turned, and they begin the second lap, still maintaining a comparatively
easy pace. Windchaser is trying to get inside toward the spina, and is
making some headway, for Maximus has overtaken both of his rivals, though
Aprilis and its slender driver are too close for him to risk getting as near
the spina as he would like. At least he's now in the middle, and Mercurius
Visucius is outside; that suits Maximus much better. They're approaching
mid-race now, and the pace has picked up. Mercurius Visucius is rushing on
the straightaways, but more cautious on the turns; Aprilis is keeping a
steady, albeit faster, pace. Windchaser sees an opening, and pulls ahead of
the slender youth's Aprilis. Now Maximus is where he wants to be as they
round the spina; he's so close to it that he almost scrapes his wheel as he
turns. The dolphin drops; the whips come out. It's already been a long day
for the horses, and they are tiring. Crassus flicks the lash over his
horses' backs, and they respond with a burst of speed and move Aprilis into
second place. Mercurius Visucius lays on the lash, too, but only in the
stretches; Ambiorix doesn't like that towering spina, so unlike anything in
his native Gallia, and shuns it. Windchaser, on the other hand, has no such
problems; its charioteer, Maximus, is Roman born and bred, a race fan since
childhood. He has no trouble skimming those curves...and is comfortably in
first place as he heads into the seventh and final lap. The chariots pound
down the dusty track, Windchaser ahead by a length; Mercurius Visucius is
behind, for Ambiorix' dislike for the spina has cost him dearly; as they
reach the finish line, Windchaser is first, and Aprilis (again relying on
his weight advantage) is second by a length, while Mercurius Visucius is
another length behind, and finishes third.

Soon the final race will be run; once again all four factions are
represented...



Valete,

A. Tullia Scholastica

Salvete, Omnes:

I have looked for this sodalitas, and I only find on
http://www.novaroma.org/sodalitates/ the following sodalitates:


Sodalitas Coqueror et Cerevisiae Coctorum - Cooks and Brewers
Sodalitas Egressus - Nova Roma Outreach
Sodalitas Latinitas - Latin
Sodalitas Militarium - Roman Military and Reenactments
Sodalitas Munerum - Gladiatorial Games
Sodalitas Musarum - Arts and Literature

I have read here about a Sodalitas Virtutis and other sodalitates not
listed.

Is there any place for a full list of the sodalitates of Nova Roma? Hoa
can I enter in Sodalitas Virtutis, what is one of my main interests?

Yours:

Lucius Cornelius Malacitanus

Salve Luci Corneli,

So far as I am aware, the Sodalitas Virtutis has not been officially
chartered by the Senate. It's more an informal sodalitas. I could be
wrong, though.

Vale,

Q. Caecilius Metellus

L. Cassius Pontonius F. Galerio Aureliano salve

I was just curious about any general activities within Nova Roma. Thank you
for the information though.

Vale!

Lucius Cassius Pontonius

----- Original Message -----
From: <PADRUIGTHEUNCLE@...>
To: <Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 10:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Nova-Roma] Cerialia question


> F. Galerius Aurelianus fl Cer L. Cassio Pontonio salve.
>
> What site are you looking at, amice? I am holding private games for Ceres
> Mater and Dea Flora at the Pagan Unity Festival in Burns, Tennessee on
> April 28-30, 2006. The website for this event is paganunityfestival.org.
> If you have any specific questions, please contact me at
> padruigtheuncle@... or brotherpaganus@.... I will check with
> the site administrator for PUF to see if the list of events have been
> published yet & get back to you.
> There are no events planned within Nova Roma for the ludi Cerealia on
> April 12-18 unless the Plebeian Aediles choose to sponsor some on their
> own initiative. I will be conducting the ritus Cerealia at the shrine of
> Ceres at my home on April 19 and publishing the text of the ritual on the
> NR ML and NR RR websites.
>
> Vadite in pace Cereris
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Ponte <superponte@...>
> To: Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 23:15:29 -0400
> Subject: [Nova-Roma] Cerialia question
>
>
> Salvete,
>
> I was looking on the website listed on the calendar for the Cerialia to
> see what
> events are planned so that I can get involved. The link there seems to be
> faulty. Is there a correct link for the event?
>
> Valete,
>
> Lucius Cassius Pontonius
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

C. Equitius Cato M. Moravio Piscino F. Galerio Aureliano quiritibusque
S.P.D.

Salvete omnes.

Every five years, each male Roman citizen had to register in Rome for
the census. In this he had to declare his family, wife, children,
slaves and property. Registration meant freedom. A master wishing to
free his slave needed only to enter him in the censor's list as a
citizen (manumissio censu).

Throughout the entire republican era, registration in the census was
the only way that a Roman could ensure that his identity and status as
a citizen were recognized. Fathers registered their sons, employers
their freedmen.

Primarily the census served to count the number of citizens and to
assess the potential military strength and future tax revenue. Most
important, the census transformed the city into a political and
military community. But the census also performed a highly symbolic
function. To the Romans the census made them more than a mere crowd or
barbarian rabble. It made them a populus, a people, capable of
collective action. To the Roman the census was one of the foundation
stones of civilization.

Piscinus, again I understand the rationale behind what you're
proposing; it just isn't Roman, and it's making a complex matter even
more complex. Why cannot we simply say "either you're a citizen or
you're not"? It wasn't the responsibility of the State to go looking
for people; if someone didn't register, they were considered gone.

If we have a census, it is announced well in advance, and doesn't take
place in the course of a day. It can take two months, even three:
surely enough time to allow anyone access to the internet in order to
register. It is not a matter of punishing anyone. It is reasonable
to think that if the censors announce in Decembris that a census will
be taking place from the Kalends of Martias to the Kalends of Iunius,
the Republic is giving its citizens ample warning.

The censors' office should be used to organize the information they
have received, not spend time running around searching for people.

Once again, I argue that we should say that if someone registers in
the census, they are a citizen. If they do not, they are not. No
quasi-citizenship, not ghostly existence, no complex arrangements.
Yes or no.

Valete bene,

Cato

Then I guess you just want to keep encouraging magistrates to take their
duties lightly without any consequence for not serving out their terms of office
to the best of their abilities. That would kind of put you in that category
of magistrates who want to see leges created just for the fun of helping add
another useless and toothless on to the long list of useless, toothless, and
short sighted leges we already have. Way to go there, Tribune of the Plebs.

Aurelianus


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Piscino,

And it would encourage them to stay active rather than resign in a fit of
temper. It would likely encourage them to take a sabbatical or leave of
absence and designate someone to help run their office while they review the final
reports & projects. Personally, I believe it is a safety net for those who
choose to resign citizenship or a magistracy for all the wrong reasons rather
than trying to work out their problems within the organization and with
others.
I believe that Hadrianus had a very good reason for resigning his Magistracy
and I consider him an honorable man but he is still the exception rather
than the rule for resigning magistrates. I still prefer that we only pass leges
that would improve a number of situations than just putting a coat of paint
on a crack or just passing it for some vague "feel good" measure.

Socius or suspended citizenship--both represent a load of bovine-produced
fertilizing agents to me. You can talk your reasons for having them all you
want but you are wasting your letters with me. I WANT THEM BOTH ELIMINATED BY
LAW. I do not want to continue encouraging members of Nova Roma to drop out
over some petty little spat or other reason until they cool down enough to
come back. I want to encourage our members to stay by giving them reasons to
remain members of Nova Roma and neither of the two proposed leges are worth a
bucket of watered down posca. I oppose both of them as they stand and I will
continue to oppose them as long as they remain useless, toothless, and of no
good service to the Republic.

Travel in the peace of Ceres.

Aurelianus


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Excuse me. This post should have been addressed to Piscinius.

Then I guess you just want to keep encouraging magistrates to take their
duties lightly without any consequence for not serving out their terms of
office
to the best of their abilities. That would kind of put you in that
category
of magistrates who want to see leges created just for the fun of helping
add
another useless and toothless on to the long list of useless, toothless,
and
short sighted leges we already have. Way to go there, Tribune of the
Plebs.

Aurelianus



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]