M. Moravius Piscinus cultoribus Deorum et omnibus salutem plurimam
dicit: Salvete, vosque bona Iuppiter auctet ope.

Hodie est Kalendae Septembres; haec dies fastus est: Iunonis Reginae
in Aventino feriae Iovi Liberi; Iovi Tonanti in Capitolio; calor.

AUC 361 / 392 BCE: Dedication of the Temple of Juno Regina on the
Aventine

After the Dictator had taken the auspices and issued orders for the
soldiers to arm for battle, he uttered this prayer: "Pythian Apollo,
guided and inspired by thy will I go forth to destroy the city of
Veii, and a tenth part of its spoils I devote to thee. Thee too,
Queen Juno, who now dwellest in Veii, I beseech, that thou wouldst
follow us, after our victory, to the City which is ours and which
will soon be shine, where a temple worthy of thy majesty will receive
thee." After this prayer, finding himself superior in numbers, he
attacked the city on all sides, to distract the enemies' attention
from the impending danger of the mine. The Veientines, all
unconscious that their doom had already been sealed by their own
prophets and by oracles in foreign lands, that some of the Gods had
already been invited to Their share in the spoils, whilst others,
called upon in prayer to leave their city, were looking to new abodes
in the temples of their foes.

When all that belonged to man had been carried away from Veii, they
began to remove from the temples the votive gifts that had been made
to the gods, and then the gods themselves; but this they did as
worshippers rather than as plunderers. The deportation of Queen Juno
to Rome was entrusted to a body of men selected from the whole army,
who after performing their ablutions and arraying themselves in white
vestments, reverently entered the temple and in a spirit of holy
dread placed their hands on the statue, for it was as a rule only the
priest of one particular house who, by Etruscan usage, touched it.
Then one of them, either under a sudden inspiration, or in a spirit
of youthful mirth, said, "Art thou willing, Juno, to go to Rome?" The
rest exclaimed that the goddess nodded assent. An addition to the
story was made to the effect that she was heard to say, "I am
willing." At all events we have it that she was moved from her place
by appliances of little power, and proved light and easy of
transport, as though she were following of her own accord. She was
brought without mishap to the Aventine, her everlasting seat, whither
the prayers of the Roman Dictator had called her, and where this same
Camillus afterwards dedicated the temple which he had vowed. ~ Titus
Livius 5.21 and 22


The many Junones

Just as every man has his genius, and every woman her juno, each God
has a Genius and every Goddess Her Juno. Thus, at one point,
Proserpina is called "the Juno of Hades" and Hercules, as the son of
Jupiter is also said to be the Genius of Jupiter. Each city had
their own protective Goddess. Rome kept the name of their Goddess
secret so that no enemy might evoke Her away as Rome was to do to
other cities. In the story told by Livy of the downfall of Veii,
Rome's victory is attributed to fulfilling a prophecy and to
successfully evoking the Etruscan Goddess Vei from Her city to Rome
where She was installed as Juno Regina of the Aventine. Other
Goddess were likewise install at Rome. Carthaginian Tanit, for
example, came to Rome as Juno Caelestis. On the Esquiline was a
shrine of Mefitis of the Samnites, who was at times referred to as a
Juno Regina, and another Juno Regina in the Forum Holitorium came
from elsewhere.

Under the Republic these various Junones remained distinct. In the
dialogue on the Gods by Cicero, he used these distinctions in an
argument against supposing anthropomorphic Gods.

"You never see (Juno Sospita) even in your dreams unless equipped
with goat-skin, spear, buckler and slippers turned up at the toes.
Yet that is not the same as the Argive Juno nor the Roman Juno." ~ M.
Tullius Cicero, De Natura Deorum 1.29 (82)

Under Augustus there began a syncretism that brought the various
Latin Junones together, to be seen as Juno Capitolina, while more
distant Junones remained distinct. Later still, however, in the
mystery religions of the Eastern provinces, syncretism moved towards
seeing various Goddesses as a single Goddess, and lesser goddesses as
Her daughters, and pushed the imperial religio Romana towards
henotheism. In Apuleius' "Metamorphosis" we see this syncretism at
work on two levels. Below, a prayer addressed to Juno combines many
different Junones as though They are all the same Goddess. Then
later in the story, upon meeting Isis, the Ass learns that all
Goddesses, under this Hellenistic mystery religion, were thought to
be manifestations of Isis.

"O spouse and sister of Mighty Jupiter, whether You are worshipped
and adored in the public rites of the temples of Samos, or whether
You are called upon singularly by women in their tearful moment of
giving birth, Your glory is nourished. You dwell in ancient temples,
whether at haughty Carthage, whose temples You frequently bless when
they celebrate Your journey from heaven on the back of a lion, or
whether in Your temple beside the riverbank of Inachus where You are
celebrated as the wife of thundering Jupiter Tonans and as Queen of
the Gods. Famous among the Argives whose walls You defend, You who
all the east venerates as Life-giving Zygia, who all the west names
Lucina, may You be an advocate for me against my utter downfall, Juno
Sospita, and endure until the end in all my weary labors, exhausted
as I am, deliver me from imminent peril and free me from my fears." ~
Lucius Apuleius of Madaura, Metamorphoses 6.

In the religio Romana the feast days of the various Junones retain
Their distinctions, fully recognizing that it is upon Their Junones
that They are invoked, but that each is a seperate and unique Goddess.


AUC 722 / 31 BCE: Restoration of the Temple of Jupiter Feretrius

The first templum at Rome was established by Romulus on the
Capitoline Hill.

"Romulus mounted to the Capitol with the spoils of his dead foe (the
Sabine King Akron of Caeninenses) borne before him on a frame
constructed for the purpose. He hung them there on an oak, which the
shepherds looked upon as a sacred tree, and at the same time marked
out the site for the temple of Jupiter, and addressing the god by a
new title, uttered the following invocation: 'Jupiter Feretrius!
these arms taken from a king, I, Romulus a king and conqueror, bring
to thee, and on this domain, whose bounds I have in will and purpose
traced, I dedicate a temple to receive the 'spolia opima' which
posterity following my example shall bear hither, taken from the
kings and generals of our foes slain in battle.' Such was the origin
of the first temple dedicated in Rome. And the Gods decreed that
though its founder did not utter idle words in declaring that
posterity would thither bear their spoils, still the splendour of
that offering should not be dimmed by the number of those who have
rivalled his achievement. For after so many years have elapsed and so
many wars been waged, only twice have the 'spolia opima' been
offered. So seldom has Fortune granted that glory to men." ~ Titus
Livius 1.10

The others who won the spoilia opima were A. Cornelius Cossus who
defeated Lar Tolumnius, the king of Veii, in 428 BCE (Livy 4.20;
Valerius Maximus 3.2.4), and C. Claudius Marcellus who, in 221 BCE,
defeated Viridomarus, the Isubrian king (Livy Ep. 20; Plutarch,
Marcellus 8). At the suggestion of Atticus, friend of Cicero,
Augustus restored the sacullum of Jupiter Feretrius near the
Capitolium in 31 BCE. It is the dedication of this restored sacullum
that is celebrated today. Afterward the Senate granted Augustus "the
right to offer spolia opima, as they are called, at the Temple of
Jupiter Feretrius, as if he had slain some hostile general with his
own hand, and to have lictors who always carried laurel, and after
the Feriae Latinae to ride from the Alban Mount into the city on
horseback (Dio Cassius 44.4.3)."


AUC 732 /22 BCE: Dedication of the Temple of Jupiter Tonans on the
Capitoline Hill

"I pray first to You, thunderous Jupiter Tonans, that now finally You
spare me in my old age and lift Your anger from me." ~Valerius
Flaccus, Argonautica 4.474-76

Augustus dedicated this temple after a vow in 26 BCE in thanks for
his miraculous escape from being struck by a lightning bolt in Spain
during his Cantabrian campaign. He erected it at the entrance to the
sacred precinct of the Capitolium.

"Concerning this temple two stories have been handed down, first,
that at that time claps of thunder occurred when the ritual was being
performed, and, second, that at a later time Augustus had a dream as
follows. The people, he thought, approached Jupiter who is called
Tonans and did reverence to him, partly because of the novelty of his
name and of the form of his statue, and partly because the statue had
been set up by Augustus, 3 but chiefly because it was the first they
encountered as they ascended the Capitol; and thereupon the Jupiter
in the Capitolium was angry because he was now reduced to second
place as compared with the other. At this, Augustus related, he said
to Jupiter Capitolinus, 'You have Tonans as your sentinel;' and when
it was day, he attached a bell to the statue as confirmation of the
vision. For those who guard communities at night carry a bell, in
order to be able to signal to the inhabitants whenever they need to
do so." ~ Dio Cassius 54.4

Augustus especially embellished this temple, making its walls of
marble and adorning it with famous pieces of art. In front were
statues of Castor and Pollux by Hegias. Leochares produced the
bronze statue of Jupiter Tonans for the temple [G. Plinius Secundus,
Historia Naturalis 34.19 (78 and 79)].


Today's thought is from Demophilus, Pythagorean Sentences 1.

"Request not of Divinity such things as, when obtained, you cannot
preserve; for no gift of Divinity can ever be taken away; and on this
account They do not confer that which you are unable to retain."

Fl. Galerius Aurelianus C.Petronio Dexter et al sal.

 

A very wise man once wrote that if you do not know exactly why something was done, you should ask someone who was involved or several people who were involved.  This might prevent you from looking foolish and you would learn more.

 

If anyone wants the details on why M. Cassius Iulianus was removed from office as Pontifex Maximus, one should ask.  If one wants to express one's opinion without asking, it is a freedome all citizens can do without hindrance as long as it is not libelous or slanderous.  I will say that Marcus Cassius was offered many opportunities to conform to the required duties of his office and many compromises were made to insure that he could keep his sacred office.

 

I do not know if Neptunus Pater is upset with the USA particularly since Hurricane Gustav also whomped the snot out of Cuba and several other Caribbean islands but for someone to attribute it to the removal of Marcus Cassius as PM makes as much sense as when an American religious person attributed Hurricane Katrina to the USA's tolerance of gays and gay marriage.

 

I am currently serving as interim Pontifex Maximus but every citizen should also realize that the position of Pontifex Maximus is not supposed to be the most important or powerful position in the Sacred Colleges.  That distinction is shared among the Vestalis, the Rex et Regina Sancrorum, and the Flamen Maiores.  In Nova Roma, the PM is something akin to chairman and first among equals among the pontifices but not greater than any other.  There are several other citizens who would make a far better Pontifex Maximus than myself and I have no intention of holding this office for very long.

 

If C. Petronius Dexter is disturbed that the Pax Deorum is not being kept, perhaps he should offer his services by applying to become a flamen minores and offering rites for the good of the Res Publica rather than just offering criticism; which lacks flavor and does nothing to increase Dii Immortales.  I would be very happy to present his application to the Sacred Colleges.

 

I do not want anyone who reads this missive to make the mistake that I am criticizing C. Petronius Dexter for expressing his opinion.  I only wanted to gently admonish him to consider that he could have chosen a wiser course of inquiry and that he can help Nova Roma by offering his services to the public good as I know he has done before.

 

Valete

 

In a message dated 8/30/2008 1:06:00 A.M. Central Daylight Time, jfarnoud94@... writes:

C. Petronius omnibus civibus s.p.d.,

If I understood the recent history of Nova Roma, one of the founders,
Cassius Julianus, is removed from his offices of Pontifex Maximus.

I quote that I found in Nova Roma site :
"prid. Kal. Mar. ‡, publication of Collegium Pontificum voting results
revealed that Pater Patriae M. Cassius Julianus had been removed from
the offices of Pontifex Maximus and Pontifex by a 6 to 1 vote.
Pontifices M. Cassius Iulianus and L. Equitius Cincinnatus were not
recorded as having voted, though both had been invited to the list a.d.
VII Kal. Mar. ‡.

Cassius was removed the day after the tenth anniversary of his founding
of Nova Roma, marring the anniversary celebrations. "

What gods are thinking about that? I understand now why heavens look so
angry above us and in America the approach of Gustav! If we want be in
peace with gods we must to create a new Pontifex Maximus and, doing
that, according to the rules.

The Collegium Pontificum put 3 candidates forward for the Maximus
Pontificatus, one of them, in my opinion, would be Cassius by respect,
and Comicia Tributa vote the Pontifex Maximus. It is impossible to have
rituals in peace with gods as long as we will be without a PM. Unless
Respublica think that the Pontifex Maximus is Benedictus XVI... but I
woud hear that.

Valete.

C. Petronius Dexter.

Most likely it is because his modern alter ego has been under treatment for problems relating to diabetes and depression these last three months.  However, to quote the American actor John Astin (aka "Buddy" from Night Court),

 

"I'm feeling much better now"

 

I will endeavor to fulfill the duties and obligations of the PM over the remaining period I am acting as the interim.  However, the duties of the PM are still being defined by the CP and Senate to prevent any future repetition of the problems experienced with Marcus Cassius.

 

Be well.

 

Fl. Galerius Aurelianus

 

 

In a message dated 8/30/2008 5:40:19 A.M. Central Daylight Time, philippe.cardon01@... writes:

IF Flavius Galerius Aurelianus is the Pm of NR i find curious he didn't post on the religio list to explain us the rituals th festivals and so on

 

Vale Varro

Aurelianus Varro sal.

 

This is NOVA Roma.  It is not always possible to follow the ancient way with utter fidelity.  Furthermore,  I am sure that Patricia Cassia would have been quite upset if her husband's hands were found nailed to the door of the Senate.  Sometimes the best we can do is improvise, adapt, and overcome; much like the Romans did during the First Punic War.

 

Vale.

 

In a message dated 8/30/2008 5:40:21 A.M. Central Daylight Time, philippe.cardon01@... writes:

if i understand well roman practices, nobody can be removed from the office of Pontifex maximus or quote me an example please

 

the way Augustus (which was not fair but cautious) did with Lepidus show that is not possible to remove a PM, you can put him apart not remove him

 

 

Varro

Not anymore, dear Varro.  I have no intention of holding this office for life.  I am just a simple country plebeian after all.

 

Fl. Galerius Aurelianus

 

In a message dated 8/30/2008 9:32:24 A.M. Central Daylight Time, philippe.cardon01@... writes:

dear marcella

 

It i spossible that a political ofie in NR take a secondary place in the life of the citizen, after all NR is only a benevolent community of free members not a job but for a true worshippers of the Gods to be PM can't be secondary or the words don't mean  what everybody ca n believe

 

PM that the rank that Caesar occupied! that is not  ajoke or a play!

 

and we are Roma or we rae not

members ofthe pontifical college must be elected and the PM is elected for life

 

Varro

That's the fact, Jack!  This is one of the reasons that I have never posted my picture on the main site.  I look like a biker or a bounty hunter.

 

Fl. Galerius Aurelianus

 

In a message dated 8/30/2008 12:20:57 P.M. Central Daylight Time, dianaaventina@... writes:

Wow! I have to say it since no one else will: most Nova Romans are freakin' ugly....

 

Aurelianus Varro sal.

 

You are beginning to annoy me a touch but that is something I am supposed to keep under control.

 

If any citizen wants the specifics of my support and participation of the Religio Romana, they can find it on the ML.  I have participated in or conducted over twenty public provinicial and/or Res Publica rituals since 2003 and conducted numerous classes at pagan events; likewise has Metellus, Modianus, Piscinus.  My province and family have constructed, purified, consecrated, and dedicated the only templum Neptuni in Nova Roma open to anyone who wishes to use it.

 

What have you done lately for the Pax Deorum, Varro?

 

Vale. 

 

In a message dated 8/30/2008 5:22:57 P.M. Central Daylight Time, philippe.cardon01@... writes:

To be honnest ii'm affraid that many "worshipper" of the Gods even among the priests make RPG and that's all!

 

VARRO

C. Petronius Dexter Fl. Galerio Aureliano s.p.d.,
 

>>>A very wise man once wrote that if you do not know exactly why something was done, you should ask someone who was involved or several people who were involved.  This might prevent you from looking foolish and you would learn more.<<<

Je suis plutôt considéré comme quelqu'un de sage et de mesuré. Mais quand j'utilise l'anglais, comme je suis beaucoup moins assuré dans l'emploi des mots, des nuances et des tournures de phrase, mes avis, mes remarques, de ce fait, sont tronqués, peu nuancés et fatalement paraissent un peu directs, un peu trop sans doute.  Au point que je puisse apparaître comme un idiot. J'aime beaucoup l'histoire, aussi je me suis intéressé à lire les annales de Nova Roma, plus sur le site web que dans la mailing list, je le reconnais, et je suis tombé sur une chose qui m'a parue sans précédent et devant être débattue. Du moins j'ai voulu en parler pour comprendre. Tant la chose m'avait semblée funeste et néfaste : de là mon "Pax deorum".
 
Dès le début de la discussion, le consul M. Piscinus m'a fait comprendre qu'il y avait un PM par interim et j'ai reconnu avoir été un peu vite. Je n'avais pas tout les tenants et les aboutissants. N'auriez-vous jamais entendu parler de la faconde Gauloise et de la "Furia Francese"? Nous sommes les "fils" des Trois Mousquetaires, prompts à réparer les injustices et à ouvrir notre gueule. Je ne me referai plus.

When I write in French, I suddenly am cleaver. It is my problem. You speak in your native language with all the nuances and the subtilities, I write with a poor French/English dictionary and you can say : "a very wise man once wrote... " I will be never a wise man in your language, but a sort of Indian of America. The Greek or the Roman would say a "Barbare", without pejorative idea, but because speaker of an unknown language. In French I can fill three pages to say one idea, with thesis, antithesis and synthesis, I cannot do that in English, so here, in the mailing list, I have to speak directly with English words I know. And when you read what I write without your nuances I can fell like a foolish telling bollocks. But now I am used with that and I am not annoyed, hurted or offended. I am too wise man to give a big importance at our difficult to communicate.
 

>>>If anyone wants the details on why M. Cassius Iulianus was removed from office as Pontifex Maximus, one should ask.  If one wants to express one's opinion without asking, it is a freedome all citizens can do without hindrance as long as it is not libelous or slanderous.  I will say that Marcus Cassius was offered many opportunities to conform to the required duties of his office and many compromises were made to insure that he could keep his sacred office.<<<

Before I write my first message, I rode some pages of the annals of Nova Roma and this page who impressive me, "Purge of MMDCCLXI" with the pictures of six Nova Romans crossed in red like bandits or plague-stricken ! And among these the Pontifex Maximus ! Can you imagine my confusion? My blood made one turn and I wrote my message. After my message, the consul M. Piscinus said to me that the CP had chosen a PM by interim, one citizen in private say to me that the page "Purge of MMDCCLXI" was not official but a page edited by supporters of Cassius. Imagine in the site official of the French Republic a page edited by everyone? I could not imagine this impressive page edited by friends of Cassius, I believed it was a sort of "Table of proscriptions". In the example of Sulla. I was wrong but I learned with the time, the wise senator Gn. Marinus gave the best argument which me convinced that I did a mistake, because he said that Cassius created himself PM. Now, my mind and my heart are in peace.
 

>>>I do not know if Neptunus Pater is upset with the USA particularly since Hurricane Gustav also whomped the snot out of Cuba and several other Caribbean islands but for someone to attribute it to the removal of Marcus Cassius as PM makes as much sense as when an American religious person attributed Hurricane Katrina to the USA's tolerance of gays and gay marriage.<<<

Rather than Neptunus I wonder if it is not Eolus? But it was an "image" in French speech we use that, not in English? Can not you speak with allegories, metaphors and symbols?
 

>>>I am currently serving as interim Pontifex Maximus but every citizen should also realize that the position of Pontifex Maximus is not supposed to be the most important or powerful position in the Sacred Colleges.  That distinction is shared among the Vestalis, the Rex et Regina Sacrorum, and the Flamines Maiores.  In Nova Roma, the PM is something akin to chairman and first among equals among the pontifices but not greater than any other.  There are several other citizens who would make a far better Pontifex Maximus than myself and I have no intention of holding this office for very long.<<<

If I run like a bull in the forum to defend the honor of the PM Cassius like a foolish (I assume my mistake) I am not a judge to give an advice pro or contra your office of PM.

In sententiam senatoris Gn. Marini eo : "Beyond saying that, I think any serious discussion of how our PM gets chosen should take place first in the Collegium Pontificum since it is active -- finally!! -- again. If the CP is unable to come up with a plan for the PM, then the Senate can act as it did earlier this year and late last year to get the CP going."

I agree with this position.
 

>>>If C. Petronius Dexter is disturbed that the Pax Deorum is not being kept, perhaps he should offer his services by applying to become a flamen minores and offering rites for the good of the Res Publica rather than just offering criticism; which lacks flavor and does nothing to increase Dii Immortales.  I would be very happy to present his application to the Sacred Colleges.<<<

I do not know how I can offer my services to be a flamen minor.
 

>>>I do not want anyone who reads this missive to make the mistake that I am criticizing C. Petronius Dexter for expressing his opinion.  I only wanted to gently admonish him to consider that he could have chosen a wiser course of inquiry and that he can help Nova Roma by offering his services to the public good as I know he has done before.<<<

But the light came with the discussion. The consul M. Piscinus, and the senator Gn. Marinus have open my mind. Yes the public good in Nova Roma is important to me and the ancient virtuous.
 
Vale.

C. Petronius Dexter.

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Aurelianus Varro sal.

 

The primary reason Nova Roma was founded was the recreation and restoration of the Religio Romana.  A secondary development was originally to found a micronation with political freedoms and rights that are beyond the ability of our small, international group.  As such, we dropped the micronational status and are now functioning as a model republic.  Marcus Cassius also founded the Julian Society which is still an active organization but lacks the social and political framework based on the old Republic of Rome which has caused so much distraction from the primary reason of our founding.  He introduced the priesthood for life.

 

The reason why we are not using the model that you suggest is because of the Nova Roman Constitution which does not allow for a Pontfex Maximus to be elected by a select number of voting tribes or centuries.

I am interim Pontifex Maximus because Nova Roma is redefining the role and duties of the Pontifex Maximus.  Appointing a priesthood for life has not been very productive for our organization because the duties and responsibilities of the pontifices, augures, vestals, and flamen were never clearly defined when our organization was formed.  Many of those individuals who were appointed have left Nova Roma for a variety of different reasons.  Our organization has still not made a decision on whether women can fulfill the same duties as men even though Modianus Pontifex has offered some documentation that will help resolve many of these issues..

 

I have been a practicing pagan for almost twenty years yet I still feel comfortable with the faiths of my family--Methodism and Roman Catholicism--but I do not feel called to return to those faiths.  However, one cannot always predict the way that individuals will act and some of our pontifices and flamines have left the RR and returned to monotheistic religions.  For this reason, I personally do not feel that a priesthood for life is a wise choice for Nova Roma even though I consider myself a priest for my family even as my wife is the priestess for my family in the tradition of old Roman families and houses.

 

The flamen maiores have many restrictions placed on them by historical practice and the CP is still deciding which of these restrictions will be kept and which rejected.  The greatest restriction is that the flamen maiores must not be outside of the Urbs (Rome) for more than a brief time; which would limit those who could accept the office.  The Sacred Colleges have to resolve these issues before electing or appointing new flamen maiores.  It is very important that the Sacred Colleges of Nova Roma with the assistance of the Senate and the Tribunes solve these problems while we continue to move forward.

 

Now that I am more healthy, I will work toward the attainment of our primary reason for existence.

 

Thank you.

 

Vale. 

 

In a message dated 9/1/2008 11:53:43 A.M. Central Daylight Time, philippe.cardon01@... writes:

dear Fl Galerius Aurelianus

with al the respect i must show to you as PM I must say if you are only PM by interim an you couldn't assume the

fonction why didn't you leave off and the Collegium didn't choose another people?

 

as someone said the way to elect a Pm is very easy: th e collegium chooses 3 names and the people elects

 

why not  a PM for life?  nobody can sa y exactly why except nobody wants to take the office with such an engegement, liking to lurk in the religion today and elsewhere tomorrow

as it came for the author of Old stones new temples the founder of hellenion who returned to episcopalism soon after

 

i m a citizen from a long time but i follow NR since 2002 and how many times have we seen a citizen who resigns and comes again and re-resigns

 

it is good to have a Collegium but you ar the Chief of the erligion, show us the way please

 

and why have we not a Flamen Jovis a flamen Martis and a flamen of Quirinius

 

why flamnines minores and not majores?

 

who are the members of the collegium of the Vestales,

The salii? the Luperques? the XVviri sacris faciundis?

 

we don't know all albout theese oices, right but let's begiging and asking the Gods they lead us toward what will be better

 

Pontifex, head up, the Gods are calling

 

Varro

No.  I am speaking directly to you.  Would you care to explain why you mix Zeus and Iuppiter when they are different Gods?  Apollo Medicus was introduced to Rome by means of the Sibylline Oracles & approved by the Conscript Fathers but Apollo Far-shooter is not.  As cultores deorum, we offer prayers and sacrifice to Dii Immortales so that we may be mutually increased.  If you want the Gods to answer for you, I recommend a trip to Cumae or Delos.

 

Fl. Galerius Aurelianus

 

 

 

In a message dated 9/1/2008 1:11:52 P.M. Central Daylight Time, philippe.cardon01@... writes:

"What have you done lately for the Pax Deorum, Varro?"

 

dear Pontifex

i didn't speak especially for you

how (and why) can you take it so personnally?

 

as a man choosen by Jupiter/zeus in the thunder for His service and called by Apollon to know the future through the signs he gives me daily in the name of the father of Gods and men, i let the gods answer

 

Vale

Varro

Salve Lentule,

I've been saving this until I had time to answer it properly. Let's
see if I can do the matter justice now.

"Cn. Cornelius Lentulus" <cn_corn_lent@...> writes:

> Cn. Lentulus Cn. Marino Censorio s. p. d.
>
>
> As I promised, since I have returned to home I can now explain why I
> think that you misunderstood the meaning of the proposed NR legion
> and the meaning of true "reenactment". I try to explain why you
> don't have to find these proposals offensive, as they are not.
> Neither according to my intentions, nor in fact.

I've thought about what you're proposing, and it seems to me that you
want some sort of "service organization" within Nova Roma. You're
imagining it with the trappings of a Roman military organization, but
aside from providing the public with reenactors, I don't think it's
necessary to attach ourselves to the military model.

[...]

> This involes two questions: 1) is it a bad thing to require more
> money from our politically active members? 2) Does real modern
> national military service have something to do with "reenactment"
> and NR legions?
>
> My answer to both is no.

I don't agree with you in either case. Let's take each one in turn.

1. Requiring higher taxes from politically active citizens.

We already do this, in that we require the politically active to be
assidui. But we should not require our senators and magistrates to
pay more than any other assiduus. When the controversial question of
taxes was first addressed in the Senate, there were some who would
have required a greater tax from those in the first class and who
argued that it was thus in antiquity. But in antiquity class was
based on wealth, while in Nova Roma we've set up a system in which
class is based on merit as measured by century points.

2. A relationship between military service in a modern armed force and
reenactment.

The evidence is there to anyone who cares to look. The vast, *vast*
majority of Roman reenactors are either current or prior service
members of military organizations. Whatever it is that leads people
to become Roman reenactors, it seems to be very closely tied to
military service. Of the millions of people living in the
metropolitan area I inhabit, none without some sort of military
background have chosen to join Legio XX as legionaries, though we do
have a few civilian members without a military background.

> 1) Nova Roma asks very few money from its members compared to other
> similar organizations.

This is a separate matter. If you want to raise taxes on all assidui,
just say so and make the case for that. Let's not tie increasing
revenue to this idea of a Nova Roman Legion.

> it is perhaps worthy to consider that NR could ask more money from
> its members.

It is. Let's just address that matter separately. Should our taxes
be higher? Will higher taxes result in greater revenue? (They won't
necessarily do so, because people who pay now may decide it's not
worth it to them.)

Moving on to the second question...

> I gave definitions of "military reenactment" in my previous
> messages: it's promoting, honouring and preserving a military
> tradition, culture and symbolism. The word "reenactment" is totally
> deceptive and many seem to misunderstand what it means. My language
> uses an entirely different word to describe reenactment:
> "hagyományőrzés", in English it would be "preserving traditions", or
> "tradition-service".
>
> This is what we are talking about: preserving Roman military culture
> and traditions, equipment, formations, drill, clothes, flags,
> symbols. Military tradition and culture means first and foremost the
> flags, symbols and religios cult, then the uniforms, clothes,
> equipment, the Latin orders, the formations, the training, the
> everyday culture of the soldiers etc. This is military culture and
> tradition and even more. This is what a "reenactment" legion does
> preserve, promote and glorify.

Yes, it is.

> So you can see, preserving military traditions ("reenactment") has
> nothing to do with real armies, with war and defending the country.
> It is about symbols, ideas, military culture and tradition,
> honouring and glorifying ancestors and sacred Roman flags, not only
> through words and thoughts, but also through physical facts,
> appearance, flags, getting together, devoted participation, formal
> moving, clothing etc. The true "reenactment" is somewhat similar to
> a "ritual dance": wearing traditional clothes, making traditional
> formal movements, saying traditional words and all these in order to
> honour and symbolize something that we consider worthy and sacred.

You're correct, but let me explain why it is that Roman reenactment
organizations draw so heavily on the military population. Most modern
military organizations use drill and ceremonies that can be traced
back to the Roman Legions of Gaius Marius. The three month long "boot
camp" training program that so many armies use was originally
developed by Marius to train recruits for service in the Legions. So
just about any person who has served in a modern military organization
has developed some sense of attachment across the gulf of time to the
Romans who served in the Legions. They marched as we march. They
formed in ranks very much as we form in ranks. Their camps were much
like our camps. The reenactment legion appeals to the modern day
soldier because it represents a chance to go back, if not to the very
beginning, at least to a time when the customs that have developed
throughout all the military organizations of western civilization came
into being.

> Real military however, well, you know very well what it means, as
> our consul M. Piscinus writes in a recent post. In real armies there
> are sacred symbols, too, but modern armies are not concentrated so
> much on sacrality.

Oh, you should come to a military funeral some time.

> They are concentrated on war, on victory, on defending or attacking
> a country.

This is all true, though I can say with certainty that my own US
Marine Corps is deeply concerned with preserving its history,
traditions, customs, and courtesies.

[...]

> Many senators showed a positive attitude towards the idea of having
> a NR reenactment branch.

It'd be nice if even one of them would speak up. I have yet to see a
Senator endorse your idea.

> In the Sodalitas Militaris there were 3 or 4 members who openly
> opposed themselves to this idea.

I think most of us over there have been trying to give your idea a
fair hearing. You may have noticed that none of the officers of the
Sodalitas Militarium have come out in open opposition to your
proposal, even though your idea hasn't really gotten any positive
response from the membership of the Militarium.

[...]

> And in fact, Consul T. Iulius Sabinus said to me in Svishtov and in
> the Conventus that he wants to create Nova Roman legion in Dacia.

Of the sort we've discussed here? Or as a separate reenactment
legion? I consider Sabinus an exemplary person, and an officer of
unquestionable integrity. I'd like to know his thoughts on this matter.

> M. Moravius consul seems at least to tolerate the idea, but perhaps
> he can even be convinced if some changes added.

I think we'd do better to approach your idea as the creation of a
service organization. It could include ceremonial lictors who could
precede curule magistrates at official events, and it could also
include people who want to contribute to Nova Roma in meaningful ways
that would be outside traditional military activities.

[leaving this in for context]

>>>> But now I have to add that what you're proposing here is pretty
>>>> personally offensive to me. <<<
>
>
> Because of this I have already apologized. I hope in the end of my
> message you will see you should not have to see offence in it.

I do, and I am trying to address this in a spirit of friendship and
common cause. I know that you want nothing but good for Nova Roma,
and I trust that you know I feel the same way. The question really is
one of whether this idea is a good idea, and if so how best to
implement it.

[...]

> My justification for the NR legions is to make NR bigger and more
> popular, to open our doors for those military history oriented
> people, and also, to make the our reconstructed republic more
> complete, to increase the occasions of real life events, to open
> the doors of museums, schools etc who used to invite reenactors,
> to..., to..., to...

I have been told that there was a time when a number of our early
citizens wanted to do this with the Ordo Equester. I've seen a
proposal that was sent to the Senate back before I became a citizen
which would have done all the the things you're proposing here. The
Senate decided against that idea then. We still have Senators who
were in the Senate then, and we would have to convince them to turn
away from their earlier misgivings.

To recap, I think what you're proposing here is some sort of service
organization within Nova Roma. While that fits fairly naturally
within a military organizational model, I think there are strong
reasons from Nova Roma's history to avoid that military model. Let's
think carefully about the things you want this service organization to
be able to do, and then we can see about putting it together. In the
end it may be able to do all the things you've imagined, including
having people in local groups who appear as Roman soldiers in living
history displays. But let's take the history of our own organization
into account as we work this thing out, so as not to fall into
quagmires that have prevented other efforts from coming to fruition.

Vale,

CN-EQVIT-MARINVS

Albucius leg. pp. Galliae Gallis Varroni Dextro s.d.

Yes, it is not easy writing in a language we are not familiar with.
But it asks us more reflections on "have I well expressed myself? did
I hurt someone?".

This Forum is like the tongue in Esopus : the best and the worst
thing. It can be very exciting, specially for fresh citizens,
posting and entering debates. But at the same time, posting may bring
misunderstandings, because of languages, cultures, or just
because new citizens do not know as many things that elder ones. This
is normal and every one of us has been a fresh civis.

Frankly, amice Varro, I did not well understood your previous message
who let me believe that you had a special connection with Iuppiter
and Apollo, which could let our Pontifex maximus think that your
knowledge was far higher than his! ;-)

But the fact is that *he* is our Pontifex maximus, and just because
he has been designated normally according Nova Roma laws.
In addition, senator Aurelianus is a highly respectable magistrate
and man.

I think that this was what Dexter meant in his last message : that he
was wondering whether, before rushing
like a proud Gallicus horseman, we were not to "turn twice our tongue
in our mouth".

Naturally yes, but these episodes are instructive in themselves.
There are parts of our tiro time.

I am still, as governor Galliae, at your disposal to go on giving you
the informations you will need, Dexter and Varro mei, to
understand better how works Nova Roma and what is its history. As I
wrote it recently here, time, as the interest shown by incomers,
is also one element of our Via romana, and a part of the humble which
is learning.

Valete Galli,



P. Memmius Albucius
leg. pp. Galliae



--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, "philippe cardon"
<philippe.cardon01@...> wrote:

>
> like dexter, I ama little rude inEnglish becase it is not my

maternal la,guage and I make many faults

>
> sorry o those who were hunt
>
>
> Varro

--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, "philippe cardon"
<philippe.cardon01@...> wrote:

>
> like dexter, I ama little rude inEnglish becase it is not my

maternal la,guage and I make many faults

>
> sorry o those who were hunt
>
>
> Varro
>

__________________________________________________
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Maior Dextro sal;
mon ami, l'anglaise americane c'est une langue qui manque
ironie, cynisme, tous des symboles complexes. Les gens sont plutot
spartiate en langue...
I'm telling Dexter, american culture favours 'plain speech' and
doesn't have a history of the kind of gallic wit and irony that is
so delightful and justly famous.

Les fondatuers de Nova Roma Vedius et Cassius, sont au bas, comme
Romulus et Remus, légendaires - ils furent....Les deux ne savaient
pas latine, histoire romaine, le collegium pontificarum
ressemblaient au vatican médiévale sans pontiffs érudite ni aucun
désir à changer.

So we have to rebuild, and this is done on the basis of scholarship.
Pontiffs were experts in pontifical law and augurs in augural law.
We need religious officials who read latin and German and French and
Italian!
At the same time we need to inform the quirites about the cultus
deorum, keep the kalendar, observe the feriae, discuss prodigies..
So it is a big, big task.

Since you are knowledgable about history, read latin fluently, are a
cultor please apply here for a minor flaminate. We need educated
religious personnel!! 3 are vacant:
http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Priests_%28Nova_Roma%29

You'd have to do research about the cultus and supervise rituals. I
am happy to help by going to my library if you need any specialist
materials.

As for me, I do aspire to higher religious office. Except for the
sacrifice at the Ara Maxima (men only) there is no scholarly reason
why women should not be pontiffs or augurs. They were magistrates
and legal experts.

As for language and nuance;I empathize with you, when I lived in
Paris, it was extremely frustrating, je parlais français mais il me
manque une espièglerie. Mes paroles plates...c'était fort ennuyant!
vale in pacem deorum
Marca Hortensia Maior
sacerdos Mentis


in English? Can not you speak with

> allegories, metaphors and symbols?
>
>
> I do not know how I can offer my services to be a flamen minor.
>
>

Superbe! Amici si vous traduisez l'article de Venus en francais (
tous les recherches viennent de Robert Schilling) quelle ironie;-)
http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Venus
on peut faire aussi Venus Nova Roma) et inclousez ton poème si beau.
Maior

> C. Petronius P. Albucio spd,
>
> I wrote a poem about Paris' judgement.
>
> Qui devait-il choisir, le prince Priamide?
> A laquelle des trois déesses sans chlamyde
> Belles de nudité dans leurs contours parfaits
> Donner la noble palme et recherchant leur paix
> Récolter les fracas d'une guerre cruelle?
>
> Car à n'en pas douter désigner une belle
> Parmi ces trois beautés, ces trois divinités,
> Filles et soeurs de dieux aisément courroucés
> Allumerait les cieux en des haines solides
> Contre les fils de Troie aux brillantes cnémides.
>
> Jeune était le plus bel enfant d'un roi chenu,
> Pâris, le doux Pâris, arbitre retenu
> Pour une élection qui demandait sagesse.
>
> C'est son coeur qu'écouta ce prince de tendresse
> Car Hélène aux bras blancs que Vénus lui promit
> L'avait conquis et non cet empire qu'offrit
> Junon, la femme et soeur du maître du tonnerre,
> Ni la gloire aux combats que proposa l'austère
> Minerve aux yeux d'effraie. Allongé sur l'humus
> Il vit l'assentiment. Car l'oiseau de Vénus
> Semblait l'encourager dans ce choix difficile.
> Le cou de la colombe à tout instant mobile
> Brillait de mille feux. Pâris se releva
> Et tendit à Vénus, sans que sa main tremblât,
> Le prix si disputé par trois filles célestes
> Mais qui engendrera des guerres bien funestes.
>
> Pour le vers :
> "Le cou de la colombe à tout instant mobile
> Brillait de mille feux."
> Je devais traduire celui de Néron :
> "Colla Cytheriacae splendent agitata columbae."
>
> Valete.
>
> C. Petronius Dexter.
>

Aurelianus Aquila sal.

 

The Constitution of Nova Roma is a wonderful document and I support it but also recognize the reality that only we recognize ourselves as a sovereign state; just like the people in Sealand recognize they are a sovereign nation.  Oddly, Sealand doesn't recognize us and we don't recognize them.  We are a model republic in reality since we neither enjoy recognition or diplomatic relations with any macronation.

 

Vale.

 

In a message dated 9/1/2008 2:28:40 P.M. Central Daylight Time, titus.aquila@... writes:

Salve Pontifex Maximus ,

 

excuse me for jumping into this discussion.

 

The preamble of the constitution of our Republic clearly states:

 

Preamble

We, the Senate and People of Nova Roma, as an independent and sovereign nation, herewith set forth this Constitution as the foundation and structure of our governing institutions and common society. We hereby declare our Nation to stand as a beacon for those who would recreate the best of ancient Rome. As a nation, Nova Roma shall be the temporal homeland and worldly focus for the Religio Romana. The primary function of Nova Roma shall be to promote the study and practice of pagan Roman civilization, defined as the period from the founding of the City of Rome in 753 BCE to the removal of the altar of Victory from the Senate in 394 CE and encompassing such fields as religion, culture, politics, art, literature, language, and philosophy.

As the spiritual heir to the ancient Roman Republic and Empire, Nova Roma shall endeavor to exist, in all manners practical and acceptable, as the modern restoration of the ancient Roman Republic. The culture, religion, and society of Nova Roma shall be patterned upon those of ancient Rome.

 

Thus the Republic as an independent and sovereign nation and the Religio Romana clearly belong together, one can´t survive without the other, both are of equal importance.

 

Optime vale

Titus Flavius Aquila

Tribunus Plebis Nova Roma

 

 

 

----- Ursprüngliche Mail ----
Von: "PADRUIGTHEUNCLE@ aol.com" <PADRUIGTHEUNCLE@ aol.com>
An: Nova-Roma@yahoogrou ps.com
Gesendet: Montag, den 1. September 2008, 21:08:28 Uhr
Betreff: Re: [Nova-Roma] Re: Pax deorum.

Aurelianus Varro sal.

 

The primary reason Nova Roma was founded was the recreation and restoration of the Religio Romana.  A secondary development was originally to found a micronation with political freedoms and rights that are beyond the ability of our small, international group.  As such, we dropped the micronational status and are now functioning as a model republic.  Marcus Cassius also founded the Julian Society which is still an active organization but lacks the social and political framework based on the old Republic of Rome which has caused so much distraction from the primary reason of our founding.  He introduced the priesthood for life.

 

The reason why we are not using the model that you suggest is because of the Nova Roman Constitution which does not allow for a Pontfex Maximus to be elected by a select number of voting tribes or centuries.

I am interim Pontifex Maximus because Nova Roma is redefining the role and duties of the Pontifex Maximus.  Appointing a priesthood for life has not been very productive for our organization because the duties and responsibilities of the pontifices, augures, vestals, and flamen were never clearly defined when our organization was formed.  Many of those individuals who were appointed have left Nova Roma for a variety of different reasons.  Our organization has still not made a decision on whether women can fulfill the same duties as men even though Modianus Pontifex has offered some documentation that will help resolve many of these issues..

 

I have been a practicing pagan for almost twenty years yet I still feel comfortable with the faiths of my family--Methodism and Roman Catholicism- -but I do not feel called to return to those faiths.  However, one cannot always predict the way that individuals will act and some of our pontifices and flamines have left the RR and returned to monotheistic religions.  For this reason, I personally do not feel that a priesthood for life is a wise choice for Nova Roma even though I consider myself a priest for my family even as my wife is the priestess for my family in the tradition of old Roman families and houses.

 

The flamen maiores have many restrictions placed on them by historical practice and the CP is still deciding which of these restrictions will be kept and which rejected.  The greatest restriction is that the flamen maiores must not be outside of the Urbs (Rome) for more than a brief time; which would limit those who could accept the office.  The Sacred Colleges have to resolve these issues before electing or appointing new flamen maiores.  It is very important that the Sacred Colleges of Nova Roma with the assistance of the Senate and the Tribunes solve these problems while we continue to move forward.

 

Now that I am more healthy, I will work toward the attainment of our primary reason for existence.

 

Thank you.

 

Vale. 

 

In a message dated 9/1/2008 11:53:43 A.M. Central Daylight Time, philippe.cardon01@ orange.fr writes:

dear Fl Galerius Aurelianus

with al the respect i must show to you as PM I must say if you are only PM by interim an you couldn't assume the

fonction why didn't you leave off and the Collegium didn't choose another people?

 

as someone said the way to elect a Pm is very easy: th e collegium chooses 3 names and the people elects

 

why not  a PM for life?  nobody can sa y exactly why except nobody wants to take the office with such an engegement, liking to lurk in the religion today and elsewhere tomorrow

as it came for the author of Old stones new temples the founder of hellenion who returned to episcopalism soon after

 

i m a citizen from a long time but i follow NR since 2002 and how many times have we seen a citizen who resigns and comes again and re-resigns

 

it is good to have a Collegium but you ar the Chief of the erligion, show us the way please

 

and why have we not a Flamen Jovis a flamen Martis and a flamen of Quirinius

 

why flamnines minores and not majores?

 

who are the members of the collegium of the Vestales,

The salii? the Luperques? the XVviri sacris faciundis?

 

we don't know all albout theese oices, right but let's begiging and asking the Gods they lead us toward what will be better

 

Pontifex, head up, the Gods are calling

 

Varro

---

It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here.

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __
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EX OFFICIO PROPRAETORIS AMERICA AUSTROCCIDENTALIS:

EDICTUM PROPRAETORICUM DE OPPIDUM FLUMINIS GILAE.

Having received the foedus from the following citizens:

* Gaius Albius Trigeminus
* Gnaeus Caelius Ahenobarbus
* Gaius Iulius Iulianus
* Gaia Ovidia Lepida
* Marcus Valerius Potitus
* Gaia Aurelia Trigemina,

I, Arnamentia Moravia Aurelia, Legata Propraetore of the Provincia
America Austroccidentalis, approve their request to form an Oppidum in
the Southern counties of the State of Arizona in concordance with Lex
Fabia de Oppidis et Municipiis. For that:

* the official name of the oppidum will be Oppidum Fluminis Gilae.

* the geographical limits of the Oppidum Fluminis Gilae are
represented by the counties of Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Cochise, Santa
Cruz, Gila, Graham, and Greenlee in the State of Arizona (in the
United States of America.)

* every Nova Roman citizen from the designated area is citizen of
the nominated oppidum at the time he/she has Nova Roman citizenship.

* The Comitia Oppidana is represented by all oppidum citizens and
it has the rights and responsibilities described by the Lex Fabia de
Oppidis et Municipiis, point 4.

* The Comitia Oppidana will approve or reject local proposed laws
(leges oppidanae) in conformity with the legal precedence described by
Lex Fabia de Oppidis et Municipiis, point 5.

* The Comitia Oppidana will elect two aediles for a one-year term
and they will have the rights and duties described by Lex Fabia de
Oppidis et Municipiis, point 6.

I nominate G. Caelius Ahenobarbus and M. Valerius Potitus as
provisional aediles with the duty to handle the elections of oppidum's
first magistrates in concordance with Lex Fabia de Oppidis et
Municipiis, point 3.3.

This edict is effective immediately. Given under my hand this 31st day
of August 2761 ab Urbis
condita (CE 2008) in the consulships of M. Moravius and T. Iulius.

A. Moravia Aurelia
Legata Propretore, America Austroccidentalis

EX OFFICIO PROPRAETORIS AMERICA AUSTROCCIDENTALIS:

EDICTUM PROPRAETORICUM DE OPPIDUM FLUMINIS GILAE.

Having received the foedus from the following citizens:

* Gaius Albius Trigeminus
* Gnaeus Caelius Ahenobarbus
* Gaius Iulius Iulianus
* Gaia Ovidia Lepida
* Marcus Valerius Potitus
* Gaia Aurelia Trigemina,

I, Arnamentia Moravia Aurelia, Legata Propraetore of the Provincia
America Austroccidentalis, approve their request to form an Oppidum in
the Southern counties of the State of Arizona in concordance with Lex
Fabia de Oppidis et Municipiis.

.

"Every individual is the architect of his own fortune" - Appius Claudius

C. Petronius Maiori s.p.d.,

>At the same time we need to inform the quirites about the cultus

deorum, keep the kalendar, observe the feriae, discuss prodigies..
So it is a big, big task.<

Yes, in this forum I have yet give my knowledges about the bisextil day and the nundinal letter. I have an other opinion that the official one.

>Since you are knowledgable about history, read latin fluently, are a

cultor please apply here for a minor flaminate. We need educated
religious personnel!! 3 are vacant:
http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Priests_%28Nova_Roma%29<

I found 4 minor flaminates vacant. Flamen Furrinalis, flamen Portunalis, flamen Volcanalis and flamen Volturnalis. I like the god Portunus consacred on august 17th (a.d. XIV Kal. Septembres). It was the God of the passages, the harbors (Particularly Ostia) and his name looks like mine Petronius. ;o) His epithet is "pater". All well...

>You'd have to do research about the cultus and supervise rituals. I

am happy to help by going to my library if you need any specialist
materials.<

I am glad to can plunder your library and I have some French books and also American translated in French.

Vale.

C. Petronius Dexter.

A. Tullia Scholastica T. Iulio Sabino, Cn. Caelio Ahenobarbo, Arnamentiae Moraviae Aureliae quiritibus bonae voluntatis S.P.D.
 

SALVE ET SALVETE!
  
 
  
Congratulations to the oppidum citizens for their wonderful initiative!

    ATS:  And my hearty congratulations on this achievement!  I have had some background information on this, and know that a lot of work went into forming this oppidum, which apparently is the first on this side of the water.  

  
Success in all future activities!

    ATS:  Indeed, and we citizens may move on to bigger and better things one of these days...
  
 
  
The current list of NR oppidis is here:
  
http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Oppidum_%28Nova_Roma%29
  
 
  
VALETE,
  
IVL SABINVS

Vale, et valete!
  


Arnamentia Moravia Aurelia <arnamentia_aurelia@...> wrote:
  

 
  
EX OFFICIO PROPRAETORIS AMERICA AUSTROCCIDENTALIS:

EDICTUM PROPRAETORICUM DE OPPIDUM FLUMINIS GILAE.

Having received the foedus from the following citizens:

* Gaius Albius Trigeminus
* Gnaeus Caelius Ahenobarbus
* Gaius Iulius Iulianus
* Gaia Ovidia Lepida
* Marcus Valerius Potitus
* Gaia Aurelia Trigemina,

I, Arnamentia Moravia Aurelia, Legata Propraetore of the Provincia
America Austroccidentalis, approve their request to form an Oppidum in
the Southern counties of the State of Arizona in concordance with Lex
Fabia de Oppidis et Municipiis.
  
.
 
 

  
  
  
"Every individual is the architect of his own fortune" - Appius Claudius
  
 
      
   Messages in this topic           <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Nova-Roma/message/57441;

M. Moravius Piscinus cultoribus Deorum et omnibus salutem plurimam
dicit: Sapite animo; fruamini anima

Hodie est ante diem IIII Nonas Septembras; haec dies fastus aterque
est: feriae ex senatus consulto quod eo die Imperator Caesar divi
filius Augustus apud Actium vicit se et Titio consulibus; Piscis
austrinus desinit occidere, calor.

AUC 709 /44 BCE: Cicero delivers the First Philippic against Anthony
before the Senate

"What I am more afraid of is lest, being ignorant of the true path to
glory, you, should think it glorious for you to have more power by
yourself than all the rest of the people put together, and lest you
should prefer being feared by your fellow-citizens to being loved by
them. And if you do think so, you are ignorant of the road to glory."
~ M. Tullius Cicero, Philippic I.14 (34)

AUC 722 / 31 BCE: The Battle of Actium

"Then came the day of the great conflict, in which Caesar and Anthony
led out their fleets and fought, one for the safety, and the other
for ruin, of the world." ~ Vellius Paterculus, Historia 2.85-86

Out-numbered and caught on the leeward side of the bay, Marcus
Antonius built his ships up in height, reinforced their sides, and
loaded extra soldiers on them to combat the marines that Agrippa had
used so successfully in defeating Sextius Pompeius off the coast of
Sicily. His plan was to use oar-power to edge his fleet forward,
protecting his flanks by use of the bay's narrow opening, then split
his center where the winds prevailed and would allow Cleopatra and
the remainder of his fleet to escape under sail. His plan worked
effectively enough, considering the situation he was in. Cleopatra
escaped with the treasury and Antonius was able to disengage and
escape with roughly a third of his fleet. Later historians painted a
different picture. Of the two accounts presented here, Plutarch's
seems the more accurate. Dio Cassius embellished his account to make
it seem like a set piece naval engagement when really the Battle of
Actium was Anthony's attempt to break through a blockade in a running
battle.

"That day and the three following the sea was so rough they could not
engage. But on the fifth there was a calm, and they fought; Antony
commanding with Publicola the right, and Coelius the left squadron,
Marcus Octavius and Marcus Insteius the centre. Cæsar gave the charge
of the left to Agrippa, commanding in person on the right. As for the
land-forces, Canidius was general for Antony, Taurus for Cæsar; both
armies remaining drawn up in order along the shoreÂ…." ~ Plutarch,
Parallel Lives: Anthony 65


"And when they set sail at the sound of the trumpet, and with their
ships in dense array drew up their line a little outside the strait
and advanced no further, Caesar set out as if to engage with them, if
they stood their ground, or even to make them retire. But when they
neither came out against him on their side nor turned to retire, but
remained where they were, and not only that, but also vastly
increased the density of their line by their close formation, Caesar
checked his course, in doubt what to do. He then ordered his sailors
to let their oars rest in the water, and waited for a time; after
this he suddenly, at a given signal, led forward both his wings and
bent his line in the form of a crescent, hoping if possible to
surround the enemy, or otherwise to break their formation in any
case. Antony, accordingly, fearing this flanking and encircling
movement, advanced to meet it as best he could, and thus reluctantly
joined battle with Caesar.

"So they engaged and began the conflict, each side indulging in a
great deal of exhortation to its own men in order to call forth the
skill and zeal of the fighters, and also hearing many orders shouted
out to them from the men on shore. The struggle was not of a similar
nature on the two sides, but Caesar's followers, having smaller and
swifter ships, would dash forward and ram the enemy, being armored on
all sides to avoid receiving damage. If they sank a vessel, well and
good; if not, they would back water before coming to grips, and would
either ram the same vessels suddenly again, or would let those go and
turn their attention to others; and having done some damage to these
also, so far as they could in a brief time, they would proceed
against others and then against still others, in order that their
assault upon any vessel might be so far as possible unexpected. For
since they dreaded the long-range missiles of the enemy no less than
their fighting at close quarters, they wasted no time either in the
approach or in the encounter, but running up suddenly so as to reach
their object before the enemy's archers could get in their work, they
would inflict injuries or else cause just enough disturbance to
escape being held, and then would retire out of range. The enemy, on
the other hand, tried to hit the approaching ships with dense showers
of stones and arrows, and to cast iron grapnels upon their
assailants. And in case they could reach them they got the better of
it, but if they missed, their own boats would be pierced and would
sink, or else in their endeavour to avoid this calamity they would
waste time and lay themselves more open to attack by other ships; for
two or three ships would fall at one time upon the same ship, some
doing all the damage they could while the others took the brunt of
the injuries. On the one side the pilots and the rowers endured the
most hardship and fatigue, and on the other side the marines; and the
one side resembled cavalry, now making a charge and now retreating,
since it was in their power to attack and back off at will, and the
others were like heavy-armed troops guarding against the approach of
foes and trying their best to hold them. Consequently each gained
advantages over the other; the one party would run in upon the lines
of oars projecting from the ships and shatter the blades, and the
other party, fighting from the higher level, would sink them with
stones and engines. On the other hand, there were also disadvantages
on each side: the one party could do no damage to the enemy when it
approached, and the other party, if in any case it failed to sink a
vessel which it rammed, was hemmed in no longer fought an equal
contest." ~ Dio Cassius 31.4-32.8


"When they engaged, there was no charging or striking of one ship by
another, because Antony's, by reason of their great bulk, were
incapable of the rapidity required to make the stroke effectual, and
on the other side, Cæsar's durst not charge head to head on Antony's,
which were all armed with solid masses and spikes of brass; nor did
they like even to run in on their sides, which were so strongly built
with great squared pieces of timber, fastened together with iron
bolts, that their vessels' beaks would easily have been shattered
upon them. So that the engagement resembled a land fight, or, to
speak yet more properly, the attack and defence of a fortified place;
for there were always three or four vessels of Cæsar's about one of
Antony's, pressing them with spears, javelins, poles, and several
inventions of fire, which they flung among them, Antony's men using
catapults also, to pour down missiles from wooden towers. Agrippa
drawing out the squadron under his command to outflank the enemy,
Publicola was obliged to observe his motions, and gradually to break
off from the middle squadron, where some confusion and alarm ensued,
while Arruntius engaged them. But the fortune of the day was still
undecided, and the battle equal, when on a sudden Cleopatra's sixty
ships were seen hoisting sail and making out to sea in full flight,
right through the ships that were engaged. For they were placed
behind the great ships, which, in breaking through, they put into
disorder. The enemy was astonished to see them sailing off with a
fair wind towards Peloponnesus. Here it was that Antony showed to all
the world that he was no longer actuated by the thoughts and motives
of a commander or a man, or indeed by his own judgment at all, and
what was once said as a jest, that the soul of a lover lives in some
one else's body, he proved to be a serious truth. For, as if he had
been born part of her, and must move with her wheresoever she went,
as soon as he saw her ship sailing away, he abandoned all that were
fighting and spending their lives for him, and put himself aboard a
galley of five banks of oars, taking with him only Alexander of Syria
and Scellias, to follow her that had so well begun his ruin and would
hereafter accomplish it." ~ Plutarch, Parallel Lives: Anthony 66


As a side note of the battle, Gaius Sosius was a Pompeian during the
Civil War. Caesar pardoned him and after Caesar's assassination
Sosius joined with Antonius. As reward he was made governor of Syria
and Cilicia. Antonius ordered him to support Herod against Antigonus
the Hasmonean. Sosius then took Jerusalem in 37 BCE, and placed
Herod on the throne. Sosius gained a triumph for this exploit and
also became consul in 32. He again sided with Antonius when war
broke out with Octavius. At Actium he commanded a squadron in the
left wing of Marcus Antonius' fleet. He defeated and put to flight
an Octavian squadron led by Lucius Arruntius. When Agrippa
reinforced Arruntius, it was Sosius' turn to flee. He was eventually
discovered and captured but it was Arruntius who then begged Octavius
to spare the life of Sosius. Octavius granted pardon and even
appointed Sosius one of the quindecemviri sacris faciundis. He
appears along with Octavius, Agrippa, and Arruntius as the celebrants
of the Ludi Saeculares of 17 BCE.


Today's thought continues from Epictetus, Enchiridion 1:

"Work, therefore to be able to say to every harsh appearance, 'You
are but an appearance, and not absolutely the thing you appear to
be.' And then examine it by those rules which you have, and first,
and chiefly, by this: whether it concerns the things which are in our
control, or those which are not; and, if it concerns anything not in
our control, be prepared to say that it is nothing to you."

C. Petronius M. Piscino salutem plurimam dicit,

I see you write Latin and it is a very very good idea.

> Hodie est ante diem IIII Nonas Septembras; haec dies fastus aterque
> est: feriae ex senatus consulto quod eo die Imperator Caesar divi
> filius Augustus apud Actium vicit se et Titio consulibus; Piscis
> austrinus desinit occidere, calor.

I do not want to annoy you, I just show the good way. "septembres"
no "septembras", if you chose the masculine for dies, (dies can be
masculine and feminine) because you say "dies fastus et ater", in
this case you must write "hic dies" no "haec dies", "Caesaris divi
filius".

> As a side note of the battle, Gaius Sosius was a Pompeian during

the

> Civil War. Caesar pardoned him and after Caesar's assassination
> Sosius joined with Antonius. As reward he was made governor of

Syria

> and Cilicia. Antonius ordered him to support Herod against

Antigonus

> the Hasmonean. Sosius then took Jerusalem in 37 BCE, and placed
> Herod on the throne. Sosius gained a triumph for this exploit and
> also became consul in 32. He again sided with Antonius when war
> broke out with Octavius. At Actium he commanded a squadron in the
> left wing of Marcus Antonius' fleet. He defeated and put to flight
> an Octavian squadron led by Lucius Arruntius. When Agrippa
> reinforced Arruntius, it was Sosius' turn to flee. He was

eventually

> discovered and captured but it was Arruntius who then begged

Octavius

> to spare the life of Sosius. Octavius granted pardon and even
> appointed Sosius one of the quindecemviri sacris faciundis. He
> appears along with Octavius, Agrippa, and Arruntius as the

celebrants

> of the Ludi Saeculares of 17 BCE.

This same C. Sosius built a temple to Apollo (Apollo Sosianus) near
the place where after Augustus built the Theatre of Marcellus, in the
Regio IX, Campus Martus. At the beginning there was an altar named
Apollinar. In 443 bc Senatus voted at this same place the building of
a temple for Apollo, consacred in 431 bc. In the temple the statue
was Apollo of Cumae. Called Apollo Medicus. In 34 bc, C. Sosius at
this place built a new temple.

Vale.

C. Petronius Dexter.

Salvete omnes,

Ave Maior,

> We need educated
> religious personnel!! 3 are vacant:
> http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Priests_%28Nova_Roma%29

Twice I tried and twice it answers :

Erreur du serveur!
Le serveur a èté victime d'une erreur interne et n'a pas été capable
de faire aboutir votre requête.
Message d'erreur:
Premature end of script headers: submit
Si vous pensez qu'il s'agit d'une erreur du serveur, veuillez
contacter le gestionnaire du site.
Error 500
www.novaroma.org

Thence, I cannot propose my candidature at the flaminate of Portunus.

Vale.

C. Petronius Dexter.

Salve Saturnine,
it's all nice to ask for conventus photos, but it's less nice of you
to keep your photos of this year's conventus, which are the best ones,
only on your Facebook profile, while refusing to share them with Novi
Romani at large.
Everybody else who took photos put them up on a site where they can be
downloaded and shared the link with the conventus participants,
including consul Sabinus, who can then put them on the conventus page
if he so chooses. You are the only one who didn't.

Now, really, I don't see why anyone should give their photos to you
for a publication that will be sold, while you refuse to share yours
for everyone to see.

Optime vale,
L. Livia Plauta

--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, "C. Curius Saturninus" <c.curius@...

> wrote:
>
> Salvete omnes,
>
> The calendar for 2009 will be dedicated to NR Conventus. What I'm

now

> asking is that everyone who has photos of any NR Conventus, please
> pick couple of the best ones you have and send them to me with a
> short story or description what is in the photos. The best photos
> will be part of next year's calendar!
>
> Valete,
>
> C. Curius Saturninus
> (Mikko Sillanpää)
>
> Senator - Legatus Pro Praetore Provinciae Thules
> Rector Academia Thules ad Studia Romana Antiqua et Nova
>
> e-mail: c.curius@...
> www.academiathules.org
> thule.novaroma.org
>

Salve Aventina,
I was going to explain to you that Nova Roma has in fact a percentage
of attractive guys which is much better than that of the general
population (if you take into account personality and not looks alone),
but now that I know you go for bikers I have to tell you that the
Dacia conventus provided at least one participant that fits the
category. Montanus, from Dacia, is a passionate biker (no pot-belly
and long hair, though).
As it happens, though, Montanus exemplifies the basic problem with
Nova Roma guys, which isn't that they're unattractive, but that they
all seem to be very married.
Montanus' wife is also a biker, with a very warriorlike appearance, so
that when they're both in full gear they look like an amazon and a
centaur.

But well, if you find Novi Romani are ugly what's the solution?
Recruiting, recruiting, and recruiting!
If we do manage to form a Nova Roma legion I'm sure that will be the
means to recruit plenty of good-looking, macho, "bad boy" types (just
back from visiting Legio I Italica in Villadose: I know what I'm
talking about).

Optime vale,
Livia


--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, Diana Octavia Aventina
<dianaaventina@...> wrote:

>
> Salve Uncle,
>
> <I look like a biker
>
> Then yours is the picture that I want to see! I was a biker chic way

back when in the mid-80's. My boyfriend (at the time) was a prospect
for the Hell's Angels. And I'm dead serious when I say that I find
 tattooed pot-bellied long haired bikers attractive! I always
preferred bad boys to nice ones... Now that I've gotten a bit older, I
like the ones who just look bad but are actually very nice :-) 

>
> [Diana begins to hum Steppenwolff's "Born to be Wild"]
>
> Vale,
> Diana
>

Salve Marine,
first I want to thank you for providing me with some minutes of
hysterical laughter whith your previous post where you said the
founders decided that Nova Roma "would keep itself separate from the
reenactment legions" in order "to forestall the possibility that Nova
Roma would be treated as a hostile insurgency".

That was very refreshing to read after one day's driving from
Villadose (near Venice), where I spent two days admiring the
republican garb of Legio I Italica and meeting other Novi Romani.

As impressive as Legio I Italica was with their scuta and hastae, I
seriously doubt that they, or any other reenactor legion, will ever be
perceived by anyone as a military threat (unless they try to conquer
the indigenous people of the Andaman islands, but even in that case
the indian police would probaly intercept them first).

Really, I hoped Piscinus' post, at least, would be sufficient to
explain to all why there is no relationship whatsoever between real
military service and reenactment legions.

As to the number of army veterans in reenactment legions I suspect in
Europe you would find it follows a very simple law:
In countries where military service is compulsory ALL the male
reenactors have been in the army (big deal, isn't it?). In countries
where it isn't compulsory maybe one third of the reenactors are
ex-military. In countries where military service used to be compulsory
but no longer is (Italy, or Hungary, for example) the older guys have
been in the army, but the younger ones, interestingly enough, had
rather enter a reenactment unit that the real army.
Maybe THEY know the difference between "dying" in a reenactment battle
and dying for real?

I was favourable to having real military service count as a substitute
of NR legion service, exactly so that people who serve/served in a
real army don't feel offended by the paradoxon that a real service
counts less than make-believe.

To be frank I'm in favour of the NR legion, or "service organization",
as you call it, but I doubt that it can be made compulsory and I said
so to Lentulus from the beginning.

Such an organization needs financing, and that's why he proposed the
substitutive tax.
I, on the other hand, am rather favourable to raising the taxes for
everybody, because the current levels are ridiculous. But the tax
matter is part of a bigger picture that has to be discussed by the
finance committee, so I suspect It will take quite some time.

However I think the direction for the future is: more taxes, but also
a lot more real-life activities and advantages for citizens.

Optime vale,
L. Livia Plauta


--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, Gnaeus Equitius Marinus <gawne@...>
wrote:

>
> Salve Lentule,
>
> I've been saving this until I had time to answer it properly. Let's

> see if I can do the matter justice now.
>
> "Cn. Cornelius Lentulus" <cn_corn_lent@...> writes:
>
> > Cn. Lentulus Cn. Marino Censorio s. p. d.
> >
> >
> > As I promised, since I have returned to home I can now explain why

I

> > think that you misunderstood the meaning of the proposed NR

legion

> > and the meaning of true "reenactment". I try to explain why you
> > don't have to find these proposals offensive, as they are not.
> > Neither according to my intentions, nor in fact.
>
> I've thought about what you're proposing, and it seems to me that

you

> want some sort of "service organization" within Nova Roma. You're
> imagining it with the trappings of a Roman military organization,

but

> aside from providing the public with reenactors, I don't think it's
> necessary to attach ourselves to the military model.
>
> [...]
> > This involes two questions: 1) is it a bad thing to require more
> > money from our politically active members? 2) Does real modern
> > national military service have something to do with "reenactment"

> > and NR legions?
> >
> > My answer to both is no.
>
> I don't agree with you in either case. Let's take each one in turn.
>
> 1. Requiring higher taxes from politically active citizens.
>
> We already do this, in that we require the politically active to be
> assidui. But we should not require our senators and magistrates to
> pay more than any other assiduus. When the controversial question of

> taxes was first addressed in the Senate, there were some who would
> have required a greater tax from those in the first class and who
> argued that it was thus in antiquity. But in antiquity class was
> based on wealth, while in Nova Roma we've set up a system in which
> class is based on merit as measured by century points.
>
> 2. A relationship between military service in a modern armed force

and

> reenactment.
>
> The evidence is there to anyone who cares to look. The vast, *vast*

> majority of Roman reenactors are either current or prior service
> members of military organizations. Whatever it is that leads people

> to become Roman reenactors, it seems to be very closely tied to
> military service. Of the millions of people living in the
> metropolitan area I inhabit, none without some sort of military
> background have chosen to join Legio XX as legionaries, though we do

> have a few civilian members without a military background.
>
> > 1) Nova Roma asks very few money from its members compared to

other

> > similar organizations.
>
> This is a separate matter. If you want to raise taxes on all

assidui,

> just say so and make the case for that. Let's not tie increasing
> revenue to this idea of a Nova Roman Legion.
>
> > it is perhaps worthy to consider that NR could ask more money

from

> > its members.
>
> It is. Let's just address that matter separately. Should our taxes

> be higher? Will higher taxes result in greater revenue? (They

won't

> necessarily do so, because people who pay now may decide it's not
> worth it to them.)
>
> Moving on to the second question...
> > I gave definitions of "military reenactment" in my previous
> > messages: it's promoting, honouring and preserving a military
> > tradition, culture and symbolism. The word "reenactment" is

totally

> > deceptive and many seem to misunderstand what it means. My

language

> > uses an entirely different word to describe reenactment:
> > "hagyományÅ`rzés", in English it would be "preserving

traditions", or

> > "tradition-service".
> >
> > This is what we are talking about: preserving Roman military

culture

> > and traditions, equipment, formations, drill, clothes, flags,
> > symbols. Military tradition and culture means first and foremost

the

> > flags, symbols and religios cult, then the uniforms, clothes,
> > equipment, the Latin orders, the formations, the training, the
> > everyday culture of the soldiers etc. This is military culture and

> > tradition and even more. This is what a "reenactment" legion does

> > preserve, promote and glorify.
>
> Yes, it is.
>
> > So you can see, preserving military traditions ("reenactment") has

> > nothing to do with real armies, with war and defending the

country.

> > It is about symbols, ideas, military culture and tradition,
> > honouring and glorifying ancestors and sacred Roman flags, not

only

> > through words and thoughts, but also through physical facts,
> > appearance, flags, getting together, devoted participation, formal

> > moving, clothing etc. The true "reenactment" is somewhat similar

to

> > a "ritual dance": wearing traditional clothes, making traditional

> > formal movements, saying traditional words and all these in order

to

> > honour and symbolize something that we consider worthy and

sacred.

>
> You're correct, but let me explain why it is that Roman reenactment
> organizations draw so heavily on the military population. Most

modern

> military organizations use drill and ceremonies that can be traced
> back to the Roman Legions of Gaius Marius. The three month long

"boot

> camp" training program that so many armies use was originally
> developed by Marius to train recruits for service in the Legions.

So

> just about any person who has served in a modern military

organization

> has developed some sense of attachment across the gulf of time to

the

> Romans who served in the Legions. They marched as we march. They
> formed in ranks very much as we form in ranks. Their camps were

much

> like our camps. The reenactment legion appeals to the modern day
> soldier because it represents a chance to go back, if not to the

very

> beginning, at least to a time when the customs that have developed
> throughout all the military organizations of western civilization

came

> into being.
>
> > Real military however, well, you know very well what it means, as

> > our consul M. Piscinus writes in a recent post. In real armies

there

> > are sacred symbols, too, but modern armies are not concentrated

so

> > much on sacrality.
>
> Oh, you should come to a military funeral some time.
>
> > They are concentrated on war, on victory, on defending or

attacking

> > a country.
>
> This is all true, though I can say with certainty that my own US
> Marine Corps is deeply concerned with preserving its history,
> traditions, customs, and courtesies.
>
> [...]
> > Many senators showed a positive attitude towards the idea of

having

> > a NR reenactment branch.
>
> It'd be nice if even one of them would speak up. I have yet to see

a

> Senator endorse your idea.
>
> > In the Sodalitas Militaris there were 3 or 4 members who openly
> > opposed themselves to this idea.
>
> I think most of us over there have been trying to give your idea a
> fair hearing. You may have noticed that none of the officers of the

> Sodalitas Militarium have come out in open opposition to your
> proposal, even though your idea hasn't really gotten any positive
> response from the membership of the Militarium.
>
> [...]
> > And in fact, Consul T. Iulius Sabinus said to me in Svishtov and

in

> > the Conventus that he wants to create Nova Roman legion in Dacia.
>
> Of the sort we've discussed here? Or as a separate reenactment
> legion? I consider Sabinus an exemplary person, and an officer of
> unquestionable integrity. I'd like to know his thoughts on this

matter.

>
> > M. Moravius consul seems at least to tolerate the idea, but

perhaps

> > he can even be convinced if some changes added.
>
> I think we'd do better to approach your idea as the creation of a
> service organization. It could include ceremonial lictors who could

> precede curule magistrates at official events, and it could also
> include people who want to contribute to Nova Roma in meaningful

ways

> that would be outside traditional military activities.
>
> [leaving this in for context]
> >>>> But now I have to add that what you're proposing here is pretty

> >>>> personally offensive to me. <<<
> >
> >
> > Because of this I have already apologized. I hope in the end of my

> > message you will see you should not have to see offence in it.
>
> I do, and I am trying to address this in a spirit of friendship and
> common cause. I know that you want nothing but good for Nova Roma,
> and I trust that you know I feel the same way. The question really

is

> one of whether this idea is a good idea, and if so how best to
> implement it.
>
> [...]
> > My justification for the NR legions is to make NR bigger and more

> > popular, to open our doors for those military history oriented
> > people, and also, to make the our reconstructed republic more
> > complete, to increase the occasions of real life events, to open
> > the doors of museums, schools etc who used to invite reenactors,
> > to..., to..., to...
>
> I have been told that there was a time when a number of our early
> citizens wanted to do this with the Ordo Equester. I've seen a
> proposal that was sent to the Senate back before I became a citizen
> which would have done all the the things you're proposing here. The

> Senate decided against that idea then. We still have Senators who
> were in the Senate then, and we would have to convince them to turn
> away from their earlier misgivings.
>
> To recap, I think what you're proposing here is some sort of service

> organization within Nova Roma. While that fits fairly naturally
> within a military organizational model, I think there are strong
> reasons from Nova Roma's history to avoid that military model.

Let's

> think carefully about the things you want this service organization

to

> be able to do, and then we can see about putting it together. In

the

> end it may be able to do all the things you've imagined, including
> having people in local groups who appear as Roman soldiers in living

> history displays. But let's take the history of our own

organization

> into account as we work this thing out, so as not to fall into
> quagmires that have prevented other efforts from coming to fruition.
>
> Vale,
>
> CN-EQVIT-MARINVS
>

Salve Maior,
thanks for this little pearl of poetry and linguistics!
Vale,
Livia

>
> Flen Flyys:
> Flen, flyys, and freris populum domini male caedunt,
> Thystlis and breris crescentia gramina laedunt;
> Christe, nolens guerras, sed cuncta pace tueris;
> Destrue per terras breris, flen, flyèes, and freris.
> Flen, flyèes, and freris, foul falle hem thys fyften Eeris,
> For non that her ys lovit flen, flyèes, ne freris.
>
> Fratres Carmeli navigant in a bothe apud Eli,
> Non sunt in coeli, quia fvccant vvivys of heli,
> Omnes drencherunt, quia sterisman non habuerunt,
> Fratres cum knyvys goth about and suuiuyt mennis uuyuis,
>
> Ex Eli veniens praesenti sede locatur,
> Nec rex nec sapiens, Salomon tamen ille vocatur.
>
> Pediculus cum sex pedibus me mordet ubique,
> Si possum capere, tokl tobl debet ipse habere.
>
> Si tibi strok detur, wyth a round strok evacuetur;
> Et si revertetur, loke tu quod retribuetur.
>
> Est mea mens mota pro te, speciosa Magota.
>
> Verum dixit anus, quod piscis olet triduanus;
> Ejus de more simili foetet hospes odore.
>
> Est in quadrupede pes quintus, in aequore pulvis,
> In cirpo nodus, in muliere fides.
>
> Cum premo, re retrahit, stringit con, inque sigillat,
> Sub silet, ob spoliat, sed de gravat, ex manifestat.
>
> Thus, pix, cum sepo, sagmen, cum virgine cera,
> Ex hiis attractus bonus est ad vulnera factus.
>
> Vento quid levius? fulgur. Quid fulgure? flamma.
> Flamma quid? mulier. Quid muliere? nichil.
> Auro quid melius? jaspis. Quid jaspide? sensus.
> Sensu quid? ratio. Quid ratione? nichil.
>
> Frigore Frix frixit, quia Tros trux tubera traxit,
> Trosque truces Traces secuit necuitque minaces.
>
> Taurus in herba ludit, et optat tangere limpham.
> Rumbo murena extat Thamesia plena.
>
> optime vale
> Maior
>
>

C. Petronius Dexter C. Valeriano Germanico s.p.d.,

SVBEEV.

> Salve! I recently applied for a priesthood (an augurate) and ran into

the

> same problem. I e-mailed the webmaster about this problem already - he

said

> it would take some time to fix. In the meantime, he suggested that I

simply

> e-mail the pontifices, which I did. My application was received, so

you

> might wish to do the same thing.

God Portunus, as a god of passages, inspired me to write at the
pontifices and I did. I hope that my messages ship reached at the
pontifices harbour.

Thank you very much.

Cura ut valeas.

C. Petronius Dexter

--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, "philippe cardon"
<philippe.cardon01@...> wrote:

> d'autre part peut-on m'aider à créer un compte sur NRwiki? je n'y

arrive pas

>
> Varro
>

Salve!

Svp lu ici:
http://www.novaroma.org/nr/NovaRoma:Portail_de_la_Communaut%C3%A9

optime vale!

Agricola

M. Moravius Piscinus cultoribus Deorum et omnibus salutem plurimam
dicit: Di vos salvam et servatam volunt

Hodie est ante diem III Nonas Septembras; haec dies comitialis est:
feriae et supplicationes apud omnia pulvinaria quod eo die Caesar
divi filius vicit in Sicilia Censorino et Calvisio consulibus.

"Go, prepare the sacred vessels, fetch sacrificial offerings and
priests to prepare them, that I may give thanks to Jove." ~ T.
Maccius Plautus, Pseudolus 326-27


The Flamen Dialis

Much of the month of September being devoted to the Ludi Romani in
honor of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, we shall be looking at the chief
priest of Jupiter, the flamen Dialis. The Flamen Dialis was an ex
officio member of the Senate, given the privileges of wearing a toga
praetexta, having a sella curulis in the Senate, and the services of
a lictor. He was chosen by the Pontifex Maximus to hold his office
for life. The qualifications were that he had to be of the patrician
order, a son of a marriage consecrated in the special rite of
confarreatio, and be married by the same rite. One duty of the
Flamen Dialis and his wife was to preside over rites of
confarreatio. Every day involved a religious ceremony for him to
perform. As such, there were several taboos placed upon him so that
he remained in ritual purity at all times. It is some of these
taboos that we shall examine throughout this month.

"He does not lay off his inner tunic except under cover, in order
that he may not be naked in the open air, as it were under the eyes
of Jupiter." ~ Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticae 10.15.20

Plutarch Roman Questions 40: "Why is it not allowed the priest of
Jupiter (Flamen Dialis) to anoint himself in the open air?

"Is it because it used not to be proper or decent for sons to strip
in their father's sight, nor a son-in law in the presence of his
father-in law, nor in ancient days did they bathe together? Now
Jupiter is our father, and whatever is in the open air is in some way
thought to be particularly in his sight.

"Or, just as it is against divine ordinance to strip oneself in a
shrine or a temple, so also did they scrupulously avoid the open air
and the space beneath the heavens, since it was full of Gods and
spirits? Wherefore also we perform many necessary acts under a roof,
hidden and concealed by our houses from the view of Divine powers.
Or are some regulations prescribed for the priest alone, while others
are prescribed for all by the law through the priest? Wherefore also,
in my country, to wear a garland, to wear the hair long, not to have
any iron on one's person, and not to set foot within the boundaries
of Phocis, are the special functions of an archon; but not to taste
fruit before the autumnal equinox nor to prune a vine before the
vernal equinox are prohibitions disclosed to practically all alike
through the archon; for those are the proper seasons for each of
these acts.

"In the same way, then, it is apparently a special obligation of the
Roman priest also not to use a horse nor to be absent from the city
more than three nights nor to lay aside the cap from which he derives
the name of flamen. But many other regulations are revealed to all
through the priest, and one of them is the prohibition not to anoint
oneself in the open air. For the Romans used to be very suspicious of
rubbing down with oil, and even to day they believe that nothing has
been so much to blame for the enslavement and effeminacy of the
Greeks as their gymnasia and wrestling-schools, which engender much
listless idleness and waste of time in their cities, as well as
paederasty and the ruin of the bodies of the young men with regulated
sleeping, walking, rhythmical movements, and strict diet; by these
practices they have unconsciously lapsed from the practice of arms,
and have become content to be termed nimble athletes and handsome
wrestlers rather than excellent men-at arms and horsemen. It is hard
work, at any rate, when men strip in the open air, to escape these
consequences; but those who anoint themselves and care for their
bodies in their own houses commit no offence."


AUC 666 to 742 / 87 to 11 BCE: Office of Flamen Dialis Remained
Vacant for Seventy-Five Years

"Sevius Maluginensis, the flamen Dialis, demanded to have Asia
allotted to him. 'It was, he asserted, `a popular error that it was
not lawful for the flamines Dialis to leave Italy; in fact, his own
legal position did not differ from that of the flamen Martialis and
of the flamen Quirinalis. If these latter had provinces allotted to
them, why was it forbidden to the flamen Dialis? There were no
resolutions of the people or anything to be found in the books of
ceremonies on the subject. Pontiffs had often performed the rites of
Jupiter when his priest was hindered by illness or by public duty.
For seventy-five years after the suicide of Cornelius Merula no
successor to his office had been appointed; yet religious rites had
not ceased. If during so many years it was possible for there to be
no appointment without any prejudice to religion, with what
comparative ease might he be absent for one year's proconsulate?
That these priests in former days were prohibited by the pontiffs
from going into the provinces was the result of private feuds. Now,
thank the Gods, the Pontifex Maximus was also the princeps and was
influence by no rivalry, hatred, or personal feelings.'" ~ P.
Cornelius Tacitus, Annales 3.58

There has always been a question as to why such an important
priesthood should have remained vacant for so long. The way it began
is quite clear.

"In that stormy time of the republic L. Conelius Merula too,
Consularius and flamen Dialis, not wishing to expose himself to the
mockery of the insolent victors, severed his veins in the sanctuary
of Jupiter, thus escaping the insults of life through death. The
most ancient altar (of Jupiter) was thus drenched with the blood of
His own priest." ~ Valerius Maximus 9.12.5

In 87 BCE the elected Consul Cornelius Cinna regained control of Rome
from the usurpation of Sulla. Soon after Cinna was joined by the
ever popular Marius. Merula supported Sulla. In spite of this Cinna
and Marius did not act against Merula, because he was the flamen
Dialis. Due to his office, he was unable to leave Rome, which left
him in the City of his enemies and open to ridicule from the public.
Rather than continue in his situation, as he was unable to leave the
City, Merula chose suicide. But how he did it proved to be a major
sacrilege because he threw himself onto the altar of Jupiter, thereby
making his suicide into a human sacrifice. The temple precinct had
to be purified and a new flamen Dialis selected. Cinna and Marius
chose a young patrician for the office – Gaius Julius Caesar. Marius
was married to Caesar's aunt. Caesar himself was married to Cinna's
daughter. Caesar's connections to the Consuls Cinna and Marius may
explain his selection on political grounds, but it does not explain
the role of the pontifex maximus as would have been normal. In any
event Sulla returned before Caesar was consecrated into the office.
Sulla overturned all other appointments made by his enemies and
slaughtered much of the Senate. Between the purges of Sulla and
those made by Cinna and Marius there were not many patricians left to
fill the priestly offices that were traditionally prerogatives of
their order. Sulla did not nullify Caesar's appointment. Instead he
demanded that Caesar divorce Cinna's daughter before he would allow
Caesar to be consecrated. Caesar refused. Sulla did not eliminate
Caesar, he also did not allow Caesar to be consecrated into office.
Never the less Caesar was the designated flamen Dialis and nothing,
it would seem, could alter his position.

This situation poses a problem for modern historians. It would seem
that just as Marius refrained from killing Merula, Sulla was unable,
or unwilling, to kill Caesar because, although not consecrated,
Caesar was in some way thought to be the flamen Dialis. We know that
as long as he lived, no one was appointed flamen Dialis. When Caesar
was elected pontifex maximus, and thus he could have appointed
someone to the office, he never did. Just before his assassination
Caesar was criticized for adopting the wearing of the purple robes of
a king, but we should recall that as pontifex maximus, and more so as
the flamen Dialis, Caesar would have worn purple. It would seem that
he was beginning to combine his political and religious offices in a
manner that Augustus would later exhibit to enhance his position.

When Caesar died Lepidus was chosen to replace him as pontifex
maximus. Even after Lepidus revolted, Augustus did not remove him
from office or execute him, just as Marius and Sulla had been
reluctant to remove priests from their offices. Why Lepidus did not
appoint another to replace Caesar as the designated flamen Dialis is
unclear. After Lepidus died and Augustus replaced him as pontifex
maximus, Augustus then appointed a flamen Dialis as part of his
Restoration of the religio Romana. No doubt he painted this as the
restoration of an office that had been neglected, but there would
seem to have something else involved for those seventy-five years,
and, as Tacitus relates, even though the office was not officially
filled, the rites of Jupiter were continued uninterrupted.


Our thought for today comes from Epicurus, Vatican Saying 39

"Neither he who is always seeking material aid from his friends nor
he who never considers such aid is a true friend; for one engages in
petty trade, taking a favor instead of gratitude, and the other
deprives himself of hope for the future."

Reminder from:		Nova-Roma Yahoo! Group
Title:		A group dedicated to new or prospective citizens
Date:		Wednesday September 3, 2008
Time:		12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Repeats:		This event repeats every month.
Notes:		NewRoman http://groups.yahoo.com/group/newroman/ is a group where new and prospective citizens can meet and ask questions of some experienced citizens in a safe, moderated and low-traffic environment.
Get reminders on your mobile, Yahoo! Messenger, and email. Edit reminder options

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Avitus NRomanis optimis suís S·P·D

Following a sound tradition we started at the Faculty of Letters of the Academia Thules at
the end of the academic year 2004-2005 and which we have now therfore performed
there for the fourth time, after our fourth, ever more successful, year of activities, but
which I don't think we had yet carried out here, I am hereby writing in my capacity as
acting Dean of the Faculty of Letters
http://www.academiathules.org/studyguide/facultaslitterarum/
to report on our activities during the academic year 2007-2008, which I would qualify as
extremely prosperous.


PROVISION OF COURSES

In 2004-2005 we started with the first edition of the living Latin course we would
thereafter know as Sermo Latinus, based on the 101-lesson Assimil method by Clément
Desessard "Lingua Latina sine molestiá" (including textbook and audio recordings). The
method was covered in one academic year, at a pace of one lesson every two days.

In 2005-2006 we split that course into two academic years, offered at a pace of one
lesson every three days: Sermo Latinus I, covering lessons 1-56, and Sermo Latinus II,
covering lessons 57-101; although students still had the chance to take the fast-track
combination of both courses, known as Sermo Latinus I&II, in one academic year. The two
halves came to be considered by the Faculty as two independently accredited courses.
Both Sermo Latinus I and the combined Sermo Latinus I&II ran that year, the separate
Sermo Latinus II not yet having eligible students who had completed Sermo Latinus I
separately in advance.

To those courses we added a more traditional, grammar oriented Latin course we would
thereafter know as Grammatica Latina, based on the 40-lesson method by Frederic M.
Wheelock known as "Wheelock's Latin". This was also divided into two halves; and it was
the first one, Grammatica Latina I, covering lessons 1-22, that ran that year.

One further course, henceforth called Sermo Latinus III, was also offered that year for
students having completed Sermo Latinus I&II the year before; but it had to be
discontinued as the teacher couldn't cope with so many courses.

In 2006-2007 not only did all previously established courses continue to run successfully:
Sermo Latinus I, Sermo Latinus I&II and Grammatica Latina I; but we now had students also
for Sermo Latinus II and Grammatica Latina II, the latter covering lessons 23-40 of
"Wheelock's Latin".

Later in the year the first edition of the course Litteræ Classicæ, an introduction to
classical literature, was also run; but all students defected before completion.

We were not able to offer Sermo Latinus III that year either, and we decided it would no
longer be offered until further notice.

In 2007-2008 we have continued to run successfully our now well established courses:
Grammatica Latina I, Grammatica Latina II, Sermo Latinus I, Sermo Latinus II, and Sermo
Latinus I&II.

Further than that we have created a new preliminary course called Rudimenta Latina,
based on the book by Tore Janson, "A Natural History of Latin" (translated and adapted into
English by Merethe Damsgård Sørensen and Nigel Vincent), which serves as a general
introduction to the Latin language and its enduring history. We have been able to run
three increasingly successful editions of this short course within this year.

At least one other attempt to run the course Litteræ Classicæ has been made this year too,
and it seems that one student may have completed it this time around. Unfortunately, we
have not many details about this course as the teacher does not report to the faculty.


STUDENT NUMBERS

In 2004-2005 as many as 10 individuals started the course Sermo Latinus I&II. Out of
those 10, a total of 9 took the first formal exam, and a total of 6 took the second formal
exam, thus completing Sermo Latinus I. Only one student decided to drop out after that,
and a total of 5 students went on to take the third and fourth formal exams, thus
completing also Sermo Latinus II.

In 2005-2006 as many as 25 individuals started the Sermo Latinus courses (15 having
enroled for the new separate Sermo Latinus I, and a further 10 attempting the fast-track,
combined Sermo Latinus I&II), a few of whom were returning students who hadn't
completed the course the previous year. Out of those 25, a total of 11 took the first and
the second formal exams (9 at SL I but only 2 through SLI&II), thus completing Sermo
Latinus I. The 9 students who completed SL I became eligible to move on to SL II in 2006-
2007; whereas the 2 students who completed the first half of SL I&II continued to the
second half of the one-academic-year, fast-track course and the 2 of them took the third
and fourth formal exams, thus completing also Sermo Latinus II.

We had confirmation that the larger proportion of dropouts that year was to a great extent
due to the fact that those students had been relying on an English translation of the
French/Italian textbook which was being provided by a couple of volunteers who then
unexpectedly defected, leaving most non-French/Italian-speaking students unable to
continue.

The same Sermo Latinus courses were offered for the first time in 2005-2006 through
another website in parallel, the Schola Latina Universalis, which was also quite successful
recruiting students. As many as 19 individuals started the Sermo Latinus courses there (7
having enroled for the separate Sermo Latinus I, and a further 12 attempting the fast-
track, combined Sermo Latinus I&II). Out of those 19, a total of 9 took the first and the
second formal exams (4 at SL I and 5 through SLI&II), thus completing Sermo Latinus I. The
4 students who completed SL I became eligible to move on to SL II in 2006-2007; whereas
the 5 students who completed the first half of SL I&II continued to the second half of the
one-academic-year, fast-track course and 4 of them took the third and fourth formal
exams, thus completing also Sermo Latinus II.

As many as 52 individuals were enroled for the course Grammatica Latina I, including 12
out of 18 from a previous, similar version of that Latin course which had been deserted by
its teacher before the Faculty of Letters was set up and before the course was taken over
by Scholastica. A total of 5 students completed it, and there were also 11 auditors allowed
to stay on the course. All completing students became eligible to move on to Grammatica
Latina II in 2006-2007.

Several students enroled also for the course Sermo Latinus III; but, as has been explained
above, this course was discontinued.

In 2006-2007 only 11 individuals started the Sermo Latinus courses (6 having enroled for
the new separate Sermo Latinus I, and a further 5 attempting the fast-track, combined
Sermo Latinus I&II), a few of them being returning students who had previously not
completed. Out of those 11, only 4 took the first and the second formal exams (2 at SL I
and 2 through SL I&II), thus completing Sermo Latinus I. The 2 students who completed SL
I became eligible to move on to SL II in 2007-2008; whereas the 2 students who
completed the first half of SL I&II continued to the second half of the one-academic-year,
fast-track course and the 2 of them took the third and fourth formal exams, thus
completing also Sermo Latinus II. Further than that, out of the 9 individuals who had
completed SL I the year before, as many as 5 decided to move on to Sermo Latinus II that
year; out of those 5, a total of 3 took the first and the second formal exams, thus
completing Sermo Latinus II on top of the other 2 just mentioned.

We were highly disheartened by the low number of students recruited by the Academia
Thules for the Sermo Latinus courses that year. We were able to provide not only an
English, but also a Spanish, translation of the French/Italian textbook; but this was
prepared as we went, throughout the year, and couldn't be advertised as ready from the
start, so this may have contributed to make non French/Italian speakers hesitate.
Moreover, that year we started to use the new CMS to deliver our teaching; but this was
also not ready until the last minute, and, once again, advertising of the courses was
delayed and not undertaken in any systematic way.

The Schola Latina Universalis was much more successful recruiting students for the Sermo
Latinus courses that year. As many as 32 individuals started the Sermo Latinus courses
there (20 having enroled for the separate Sermo Latinus I, and a further 12 attempting the
fast-track, combined Sermo Latinus I&II), a few of them being returning students who had
previously not completed. Out of those 32, only a total of 14 took the first and the second
formal exams (7 at SL I and 7 through SLI&II), thus completing Sermo Latinus I. The 7
students who completed SL I became eligible to move on to SL II in 2007-2008; whereas 6
out of the 7 students who completed the first half of SL I&II continued to the second half
of the one-academic-year, fast-track course, but only 2 went on to take the third and
fourth formal exams, thus completing also Sermo Latinus II. Further than that, all 4
individuals who had completed SL I the year before decided to move on to Sermo Latinus II
that year, and were joined by a drop down from the previous year's SL I&II; out of those 5,
a total of 3 took the first and the second formal exams, thus completing Sermo Latinus II
on top of the other 2 just mentioned.

The students recruited through the Schola Latina Universalis that year, which had been
using Yahoo! Groups for instruction, were soon tranferred to the Academia Thules, where
they became completely integrated, benefiting from the much better Moodle CMS for
instruction; from that point, the Schola Latina Universalis became just a parallel gate to
recruit further students for the Academia Thules through their interest in the Sermo
Latinus courses. If we thus count all students together, the figures are as follows: in
2004-2005, a total of 5 students completed Sermo Latinus I&II (all 5 at the AT); in 2005-
2006, a total of 20 students completed Sermo Latinus I (11 at the AT and 9 at the SLU),
and a total of 6 students completed Sermo Latinus I&II (2 at the AT and 4 at the SLU); in
2006-2007, a total of 18 students completed Sermo Latinus I (only 4 from the AT and 14
from the SLU), and a total of 4 students completed Sermo Latinus I&II (2 from the AT and 2
from the SLU), with a further 6 completing Sermo Latinus II separately (3 from the AT and
3 from the SLU).

As many as 21 individuals started the course Grammatica Latina I that year. Only a total of
2 students completed it, and there were also 5 auditors allowed to stay on the course. All
completing students became eligible to move on to Grammatica Latina II in 2007-2008,
and in fact they both joined that course.

As many as 7 individuals started the course Grammatica Latina II that year: all five having
completed the course Grammatica Latina I the year before, and two others who had
completed Sermo Latinus I and had Grammatica Latina I waived because of that. Out of
those 7, only 5 remained for most of the first half of the course; but one preferred to
become an auditor and another had to drop out. A total of 3 students therefore completed
the course. They were both expected to proceed with different Sermo Latinus courses.

As many as 11 individuals enroled for the new course Litteræ Classicæ, but 7 of them
never handed in even the first weekly assignment. Out of the remaining 4 students, only
one followed the course to the end, but chose not to take the final exam and so did not
complete it either.

In 2007-2008 as many as 16 individuals started the Sermo Latinus courses through the AT
(6 having enroled for the new separate Sermo Latinus I, and a further 10 attempting the
fast-track, combined Sermo Latinus I&II), a few of them being returning students who had
previously not completed. Out of those 16, a total of 8 took the first and the second
formal exams (3 at SL I and 5 through SL I&II), thus completing Sermo Latinus I. The 3
students who completed SL I became eligible to move on to SL II in 2008-2009; whereas
the 5 students who completed the first half of SL I&II continued to the second half of the
one-academic-year, fast-track course and the 5 of them took the third and fourth formal
exams, thus completing also Sermo Latinus II. Unfortunately, neither of the 2 individuals
recruited through the AT who had completed SL I the year before decided to move on to
Sermo Latinus II this year, and 1 who had done it the year before that and tried Sermo
Latinus II this year could not complete it.

The Schola Latina Universalis was once again very successful recruiting students for the
Sermo Latinus courses and ultimately for the Academia Thules to which they were soon
transferred. As many as 19 individuals accessed the Sermo Latinus courses through the
Schola Latina Universalis (9 having enroled for the separate Sermo Latinus I, and a further
10 attempting the fast-track, combined Sermo Latinus I&II), a few of them being returning
students who had previously not completed. Out of those 19, a total of 8 took the first
and the second formal exams (3 at SL I and 5 through SL I&II), thus completing Sermo
Latinus I. The 3 students who completed SL I became eligible to move on to SL II in 2008-
2009; whereas only 2 out of the 5 students who completed the first half of SL I&II
continued to the second half of the one-academic-year, fast-track course, and the 2 of
them took the third and fourth formal exams, thus completing also Sermo Latinus II.
Further than that, all 7 individuals recruited through the SLU who had completed SL I the
year before decided to move on to Sermo Latinus II this year; out of those 7, a total of 4
took the first and the second formal exams, thus completing Sermo Latinus II on top of
the other 2 just mentioned.

If we thus count all students together, in 2007-2008, a total of 16 students completed
Sermo Latinus I (8 from the AT and 8 from the SLU), and a total of 7 students completed
Sermo Latinus I&II (5 from the AT and 2 from the SLU), with a further 4 completing Sermo
Latinus II separately (0 from the AT and 4 from the SLU).

As many as 16 individuals started the course Grammatica Latina I this year, one of them
being an auditor retained at her request from the previous year. A total of 5 students took
the first and the second formal exams thus completing the course, and there were also 2
auditors still registered by the end of the it. All completing students have become eligible
to move on to Grammatica Latina II in 2008-2009. One has opted to remain as an auditor
in Grammatica Latina I for another year, and as many as 3 out of the remaing 4 are now
enroled for that course already.

Only 2 individuals started the course Grammatica Latina II this year: the two ones who
completed the course Grammatica Latina I the year before. Both 2 students took the first
and the second formal exams thus completing the course successfully. They are both
expected to proceed with different Sermo Latinus courses.

As many as 21 individuals enroled for the first edition of the new course Rudimenta
Latina, but only 10 of them remained after the first third of the course. Out of those 10, a
total of 7 persevered through the second and third thirds of the course. Only 3 took the
final exam though. All 3 passed.

Many individuals (number not recorded) enroled for the second edition of the new course
Rudimenta Latina, but only 8 of them remained after the first third of the course. Out of
those 8, a total of 5 persevered through the second third, and a total of 4 did so through
the third third of the course. Only 3 took the final exam though. All 3 passed.

As many as 24 individuals enroled for the third edition of the new course Rudimenta
Latina, and as many as 18 of them remained after the first third of the course. Out of those
18, a total of 15 persevered through the second third, and a total of 10 did so through the
third third of the course. As many as 9 took the final exam. As many as 8 passed.

As many as 7 individuals enroled for the course Litteræ Classicæ, but at least 3 of them
never visited the CMS again. Out of the remaining 4 students, it seems that a couple may
have followed the course more or less to the end. One of them could have even taken the
final exam and completed the course. Unfortunately, we can not report much more than
that as the teacher does not report to the faculty.


RESULTS

I will now report on the results of the courses that were operational this year. For grading
purposes, the Faculty of Letters follows the system proposed by the Academia on its web
pages, with one extra category:

Licentia Maximá cum Laude (not yet on the Academia system): A**
Licentia Magná cum Laude: A*
Licentia cum Laude: A

Licentia Primi Ordinis: B
Licentia Secundi Ordinis: C
Licentia Terti Ordinis: D

Improbatur: F


Rudimenta Latina
A. Gratius Avitus (1st and 2nd editions) & A. Tullia Scholastica (3rd edition)

As a book course, students are just required to peruse and assimilate the information
conveyed in the textbook and accompanying comments provided. To ascertain that they
do so within the set time framework, they are required to post to the class forum at least
once within each of the three three-week periods allocated. Those who fail to post during
the assigned periods are removed from the class list after each one. Those who remain at
the end can then opt to take the single final examination which constitutes the assignment
for the course.

The teachers use the following equivalences for marking:

A** = 98-100%
A* = 94-97%
A = 90-93%

B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%

F = 0-59%


2007-2008 (autumn edition)

Jano Mladonicky 82,50% (A*)
M. Martianus Lupus 70% (A)
Tiffany Bertol 66,50% (B)

2007-2008 (winter edition)

K. Aurelius Fridericus 76,50% (A)
Sex. Vitruvius Cornutus 75% (A)
T. Julius Calvus 72% (A)

2007-2008 (spring edition)

Cn. Cornelius Lentulus 90.50% (A**)
T. Norrisus 84% (A*)
C. Marius Lupus 83% (A*)
C. Tullius Structus 76.50% (A)
M. Vibius Hortulanus 73% (A)
Violentilla Galeria Saltatrix 63% (B)
L. Julia Aquila 57% (C)
Q. Cornelia Quadrata 50.50% (C)
M/. Galeria Corvina 37.50% (F)


Litteræ Classicæ
C. Curius Saturninus

[[Assessment description pending for two years now]]

The teacher uses the following equivalences for marking [[our guess]]:

A** = [6]
A* = 5
A = 4

B = 3
C = 2
D = 1

F = 0


2007-2008

[[We understand the course concluded around the 17th of August; we would have liked to
be able to publicise the results, but the teacher doesn't report to the faculty. As far as we
can tell, there appears to be only one student having completed the course, if at all.]]

L. Julia Aquila [[perhaps]] [[result not provided]]

2006-2007

No completing students


Grammatica Latina I
A. Tullia Scholastica

There is a piece of homework set for each of the twenty-two lessons from Wheelock's text
covered in this course. These assignments are not awarded a mark, although completing
and returning each one of them is a necessary requisite to complete the course. On top of
that, there are two review assignments, which can be taken under test conditions at the
student's option; these are offered after lessons 5 and 15 respectively and graded, but not
counted toward the final mark. Finally, there are two major mandatory examinations: a
midterm after lesson 10 and a comprehensive final examination after lesson 22. The final
grade for the course is determined by some average of these two assessments. The results
are given below.

The teacher uses the following equivalences for marking:

A** = 98-100%
A* = 94-97%
A = 90-93%

B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%

F = 0-59%


2007-2008

Armandus M. Zenarola 95.96% (A*)
Diana Poskrop 94.20% (A*)
M. Martianius Lupus 92.51% (A)
John Joosten 74.60% (C)
Q. Cornelia Quadrata 69.33% (D)

2006-2007

Jano Mladonicky 96.12% (A*)
A. Horatius Severus 91.97% (A)

2005-2006

C. Aurelia Falco Silvana 97.16% (A*)
Decius Aquilius Januarius 91.23% (A)
Anthony Martin 88. 13% (B)
T. Licinius Neuraleanus 87.30% (B)
Q. Suetonius Paulinus 82.14% (B)


Grammatica Latina II
A. Tullia Scholastica

There is a piece of homework set for each of the eighteen lessons from Wheelock's text
covered in this course, as well as further reading and listening assignments in conjunction
with the former. These assignments are not awarded a mark, although completing and
returning each one of them is a necessary requisite to complete the course. On top of that,
there are two examinations: a midterm after lesson 31 and a comprehensive final
examination after lesson 40. The final grade for the course is determined by some average
of these two assessments. The results are given below as for Grammatica Latina I.

2007-2008

Jano Mladonicky 92.26% (A)
A. Horatius Severus 82.66% (B)

2006-2007

C. Sentius Leoninus 95.70% (A*)
C. Aurelia Falco Silvana 95.20% (A*)
T. Licinius Neuraleanus 89.47% (B)
Decius Aquilius Januarius IC (=incompletum)


Sermo Latinus I (taken either separately or as part of Sermo Latinus I&II)
A. Gratius Avitus

There are six pieces of homework set during the course, which are not awarded a mark,
although completing and returning in time each one of them is a necessary requisite to
remain on the course; on top of that, there is one written test at the end of lesson 28, and
one final written examination after the last lesson; the final grade for the course is
determined by a weighed average of these two assessments (the former counting for 40%
of the total final mark, and the latter for 60%, according to the formula 40x+60y=z/100,
where x is the mark they obtained in their first exam covering lessons 1-28, y is the mark
of the second exam covering lessons 29-56, and z is the final mark for Lingua Latina I).
The results are given below with an indication of the name of the student, the specific
track followed, and the marks in the format "(x & y) > z (grade)".

The teacher uses the following equivalences for marking:

A** = 90-100%
A* = 80-89%
A = 70-79%

B = 60-69%
C = 50-59%
D = 40-49%

F = 0-39%


2007-2008

Cn. Cornelius Lentulus [AT I&II] (100 & 88) > 92,80% (A**)
K. Aurelius Fridericus [AT I&II] (98 & 82,67) > 88,80% (A*)
C. Cordius Symmachus [AT I&II] (96 & 80) > 86,40% (A*)
Fridericus G. Schneiderus [SLU I&II] (94 & 78,67) > 84,80% (A*)
Franciscus Majorpaludis [SLU I&II] (92 & 78,67) > 84% (A*)
Uvius Springmannus [SLU I&II] (86 & 81,33) > 83,20% (A*)
Bernardus Perignanus [SLU I&II] (90 & 65,33) > 75,20% (A)
Franciscus Ceretanus [SLU I&II] (90 & 65,33) > 75,20% (A)
T. Licinius Neuraleanus [AT I] (78 & 70,67) > 73,60% (A)
Petrus Nicksonus [AT I] (80 & 66,67) > 72% (A)
Paulus Covæ Subias [SLU I] (66 & 74,67) > 71,20% (A)
M. Curiatius Complutensis [AT I&II] (83 & 58,67) > 68,40% (B)
Sergius Galva Russeæ [SLU I] (86 & 56) > 68% (B)
Michael Friedus [SLU I] (56 & 74,67) > 67,20% (B)
C. Moravius Laureatus [AT I] (84 & 52) > 64,80% (B)
Alexander [AT I&II] (56 & 42,67) > 48% (D)
Antonius Fortis [SLU I&II] (90 & IC) > IC (=incompletum)
Cruz Ignacio Romero Jiménez [SLU I] (70 & IC) > IC
Luis Alejandro González Soria [SLU I] (?? & IC) > IC
Michael Clanton [AT I&II > I] (?? & IC) > IC

2006-2007

Armandus M. Zenarola [SLU I&II] (89 & 90,67) > 90% (A**)
Iason Crupperus [AT I&II] (96 & 82,67) > 88% (A*)
Richard Simon [SLU I&II] (88 & 86,67) > 87,20% (A*)
Carolus Thómás [SLU I] (96 & 78,67) > 85,60% (A*)
Miles Lallemant [SLU I&II] (86 & 82,67) > 84% (A*)
Q. Rufius Salinator [SLU I&II] (81 & 80) > 80,40% (A*)
C. Minicius Paulus [AT I&II] (77 & 81,33) > 79,60% (A)
Emmanuel Hurtado Trigo [SLU I] (88 & 73,33) > 79,20% (A)
Eric Lanoë [SLU I&II] (86 & 72) > 77,60% (A)
Franciscus Gumius Rodericius [AT I] (90 & 68) > 76,80% (A)
Paulus Sadlerus [SLU I] (83 & 66,67) > 73,20% (A)
Lotharingia Uribea Bracchium [SLU I] (64 & 73,33) > 69,60% (B)
Ti. Salvius Talaius Florianus [SLU I] (72 & 66,67) > 68,80% (B)
Georgius Semenovus [SLU I&II] (82 & 56) > 66,40% (B)
Emilia Curia Finnica [AT I] (68 & 60) > 63,20% (B)
Larissa Vlas [SLU I&II] (62 & 52) > 56% (C)
Mireille Meyer [SLU I] (60 & 52) > 55,20% (C)
Federico de Ceballos [SLU I] (48 & 45,33) > 46,40% (D)
M. Minicius Petrus [AT I&II] (90 & IC) > IC (=incompletum)
Joshua Myers [SLU I&II > I] (35 & IC) > IC

2005-2006

Johannes Patruus [AT I&II] (100 & 94,67) > 96,80% (A**)
Francisca Parva [AT I&II > I] (100 & 90,67) > 94,40% (A**)
C. Sentius Leoninus [AT I] (90 & 88) > 88,80% (A*)
Cn. Tullius Grandis [AT I&II] (96 & 84) > 88,80% (A*)
Gualterius Petri [AT I] (92 & 76) > 82,40% (A*)
A. Horatius Severus [AT I] (90 & 76) > 81,60% (A*)
C. Æmilius Papinianus [AT I] (86 & 74,67) > 79,20% (A)
C. Aurelia Falco Silvana [AT I] (76 & 70,67) > 72,80% (A)
Andrea Amodeo [AT I&II > I] (88 & 62,67) > 72,80% (A)
T. Amatius Paulus [AT I] (68 & 56) > 60,80% (B)
M. Hortensia Major [AT I] (74 & 50,67) > 60% (B)
Iason Crupperus [AT I&II] (96 & IC) > IC (=incompletum)
L. Rutilius Minervalis [AT I] (84 & IC) > IC
Paulus [AT I&II] (82 & IC) > IC
C. Cassius Peregrinus [AT I] (76 & IC) > IC
Catharina Smith [AT I&II > I] (74 & IC) > IC

Xaverius Zabaltza [SLU I&II] (94 & 90,67) > 92% (A**)
Antonius X. Forticius Canus [SLU I&II] (90 & 88) > 88,80% (A*)
Ernestus Sjogrenus [SLU I] (78 & 74,67) > 76% (A)
Sanctus SanctusMartinus [SLU I&II] (84 & 61,33) > 70,40% (A)
Jacobus Splettstoserus [SLU I] (80 & 62,67) > 69,60% (B)
Petrus Mauricius [SLU I] (80 & 62,67) > 69,60% (B)
Lucas Aujeungus [SLU I&II] (68 & 64) > 65,60% (B)
Nicolaa Parrota [SLU I] (76 & 58,67) > 65,60% (B)
Johannes Martinus [SLU I&II] (52 & 69,33) > 62,40% (B)
Carolus Thómás [SLU I&II > I] (96 & IC) > IC (=incompletum)
Patricius Twomey [SLU I&II] (90 & IC) > IC
Anna Chabault [SLU I&II] (82 & IC) > IC
Delphina Gapina [SLU I&II > I] (76 & IC) > IC
Petrus Beaudry [SLU I&II] (74 & IC) > IC
Wesley Mangus [SLU I] (74 & IC) > IC
Philippus Evansus [SLU I] (26 & IC) > IC

2004-2005

A. Tullia Scholastica [AT I&II] (90 & 92) > 91,20% (A**)
Livia Cornelia Serena [AT I&II] (96 & 81,33) > 87,20% (A*)
P. Adrianus Augustus [AT I&II] (87 & 70,67) > 77,20% (A)
A. Apollonius Cordus [AT I&II] (87 & 66,67) > 74,80% (A)
Cn. Salvius Astur [AT I&II] (77 & 72) > 74,00% (A)
C. Fabia Livia [AT I&II] (64 & 57,33) > 60,00% (B)
L. Rutilius Minervalis [AT I&II] (92 & IC) > IC (=incompletum)
M/. Constantinus Serapio [AT I&II] (75 & IC) > IC
M. Hortensia Major Fabiana [AT I&II] (58 & IC) > IC


Sermo Latinus II (taken either separately or as part of SL I&II)
A. Gratius Avitus

There are five pieces of homework set during the course, which are not awarded a mark,
although completing and returning in time each one of them is a necessary requisite to
remain on the course; on top of that, there is one written test at the end of lesson 84, and
one final written examination after the last lesson; the final grade for the course is
determined by a weighed average of these two assessments, as for Sermo Latinus I, and
the results are given below as for Sermo Latinus I.

2007-2008

Cn. Cornelius Lentulus [AT I&II] (90,67 & 86,67) > 88,27% (A*)
Uvius Springmannus [SLU I&II] (85,33 & 68) > 74,93% (A)
C. Cordius Symmachus [AT I&II] (74,67 & 74,67) > 74,67% (A)
Emmanuel Hurtado Trigo [SLU II] (72 & 66,67) > 68,80% (B)
Armandus M. Zenarola [SLU II] (69,33 & 66,67) > 67,73% (B)
Bernardus Perignanus [SLU I&II] (68 & 64) > 65,60% (B)
Ti. Salvius Talaius Florianus [SLU II] (69,33 & 61,33) > 64,53% (B)
K. Aurelius Fridericus [AT I&II] (64 & 50,67) > 56% (C)
Lotharingia Uribea Bracchium [SLU II] (66,67 & 46,67) > 54,67% (C)
M. Curiatius Complutensis [AT I&II] (52 & 50,67) > 51,20% (C)
Alexander [AT I&II] (50,67 & 34,67) > 41,07% (D)
Paulus Sadlerus [SLU II] (46,67 & IC) > IC (=incompletum)

2006-2007

Iason Crupperus [AT I&II] (86,67 & 84) > 85,06% (A*)
Ernestus Sjogrenus [SLU II] (73,33 & 80) > 77,33% (A)
F. Tarquitia Parva Francisca [AT II] (77,33 & 73,33) > 74,93% (A)
C. Aurelia Falco Silvana [AT II] (78,67 & 66,67) > 71,46% (A)
Q. Rufius Salinator [SLU I&II] (68 & 72) > 70,40% (A)
Georgius Semenovus [SLU I&II] (69,33 & 69,33) > 69,33% (B)
C. Minicius Paulus [AT I&II] (65,33 & 66,67) > 66,13% (B)
T. Amatius Paulus [AT II] (65,33 & 48) > 54,93% (C)
Jacobus Splettstoserus Minor [SLU II] (69,33 & 40) > 51,73% (C)
Sanctus SanctusMartinus [SLU II] (48 & 74,67) > 51,20% (C)
Petrus Mauricius [SLU II] (49,33 & IC) > IC (=incompletum)

2005-2006

Johannes Patruus [AT I&II] (89,33 & 80) > 83,73% (A*)
Cn. Tullius Grandis [AT I&II] (85,33 & 77,33) > 80,53% (A*)

Xaverius Zabaltza [SLU I&II] (85,33 & 74,67) > 78,93% (A)
Antonius X. Forticius Canus [SLU I&II] (84 & 73,33) > 77,60% (A)
Johannes Martinus [SLU I&II] (68 & 42,67) > 52,80% (C)
Lucas Aujeungus [SLU I&II] (53,33 & 50,67) > 51,73% (C)

2004-2005

A. Tullia Scholastica [AT I&II] (89,33 & 89,33) > 89,33% (A*)
Livia Cornelia Serena [AT I&II] (89,33 & 76) > 81,33% (A*)
A. Apollonius Cordus [AT I&II] (81,33 & 80) > 80,53% (A*)
Cn. Salvius Astur [AT I&II] (61,33 & 68) > 65,33% (B)
P. Adrianus Augustus [AT I&II] (73,33 & 48) > 58,13% (C)


FURTHER ACTIVITY OF THE FACULTY

We have this year completed the final revision of the translation of the materials for the
Sermo Latinus courses (which were originally available only in French and in Italian) as
produced the year before both into English and into Spanish by different volunteers
recruited through the mailing lists of the Sodalitas Latina of Nova Roma (for English)
http://www.novaroma.org/wiki/Sodalitates_(Nova_Roma)#Sodalitas_Latinitatis
and of the subsequently decimated Provincia Hispania of Nova Roma (for Spanish)
http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Provincia_Hispania_%28Nova_Roma%29
We are persuaded that the effect of these efforts has made itself noticed in many different
ways, from the very satisfactory amount of students once again taking and completing
these courses (in sharp contrast to most other courses offered by the Academia Thules,
whose completing students are still unfortunately less numerous), to the variety of their
origins (in sharp contrast to most other courses offered by the Academia Thules, whose
applicants seem to come in their overwhelming majority all from just one country alone in
the real world).

One thing that occupied a great part of the academic year and required a lot of effort in
terms of liaison between different members of staff was the handing over of the course
Rudimenta Latina from Avitus, its original designer, who ran its first two editions, to
Scholastica, who ran a most successful third edition of the same (see above for
completing student numbers). This was an excellent rehearsal of a procedure that is
bound to become more and more necessary in the future. As more sophisticated course
designers, and those better qualified to teach higher level courses, move on to get
involved in the furthering of the course provision, simpler and already established courses
will have to be handed over to less senior members of staff. Indeed, Scholastica herself is
in turn looking forward to hand over this course to some newer member of staff as soon
as she has run her own couple of editions. This process is essential to ensure the
academic health and future of the faculty.

In such circumstances, staff recruitment becomes an ever more imperative necessity. We
have been year after year insisting on this in different forums, but our efforts have so far
been in vain. Our position is really desperate. You have to realise that there are only three
active teaching fellows at the Faculty of Letters (and, as far as we can tell, only one single
active teaching fellow in all of the rest of the faculties of the Academia Thules). If we fail to
attract more teaching staff immediately, the faculty and the academia itself is bound to
perish in no time. The present situation has become untenable. Please, if you value the
spread of Roman culture and want to see Romanity flourish, come forward and give us a
hand.


CONCLUSION

I hereby declare the academic year 2007-2008 at the Faculty of Letters completed. I hope
the deans of the other operating faculties of the Academia Thules will take the time to
inform you all as well in a similar manner about their achievements during the academic
year. In any case, I want to thank the Academia Thules inasmuch as it has supported us, as
this support is absolutely essential for our continuous success. I'm looking forward to
another great academic year of Letters, without which civilisation, culture and education,
and to wit Roman civilisation, culture and education, can surely not stand.

Please be aware nevertheless that, without more help from committed Romans like you all,
our efforts may soon come to a sad halt. Please, if you love Roman culture, help us. The
Academia Thules cannot survive on the shoulders of only 3 people. We are 1228 here!

Curate ut valeatis omnes!

Avitus NRomanis optimis suís S·P·D

I am hereby writing in my capacity as acting Dean of the Faculty of Letters
http://www.academiathules.org/studyguide/facultaslitterarum/
to declare the academic year 2008-2009 at the Faculty of Letters retrospectively open
from the 1st of September.


THE ACADEMIA THULES WEBSITE
http://www.academiathules.org/

As we all know, the Academia Thules boasted from the beginning of the academic year
2006-2007 a newly refurbished, rather impressive website. It was a huge job for many of
us, in particular for Saturninus and Finnica, but also for the team at the Faculty of Letters,
who were pioneers in providing a full programme of studies for the website, both in
English and in Spanish. We also volunteered the Spanish version of the home page, as well
as the Latin one; plus the Spanish version of the student admission form.

In two years the BoD of the Academia Thules seem to have failed to find someone who
would translate one single further page. Most poignantly, the students admissions page
itself is only available in English. This means that even though we are fully prepared to
teach Latin to many people who are eager to learn our immortal Roman language albeit
having little or no command of English at all (and why should they have any if it is not
their mother tongue and their main interest is on things Roman not on things English?) —
and there have thankfully been some considerable amount of such students already
flocking to our courses—, the fact is that the Academia Thules website is not really making
it any easier for those prospective students to access these courses we so painstakingly
created for them.

We need volunteers who can produce at least the Spanish translation of the students
admissions page, and then any others they may find time to produce. Please give us a
hand.


PROVISION OF COURSES

The Faculty of Letters is of course going to continue to offer all the courses that ran last
year. The course Rudimenta Latina will now be taught by Scholastica until one of you
comes forward and help us teach that most elementary introductory course. Litteræ
Classicæ we hope will continue to be taught by Saturninus, although he has never reported
to the faculty regarding the progress of this course or his intentions, so we are in no way
sure. The courses Grammatica Latina I and Grammatica Latina II will still be taught by their
designer, Scholastica.

The successful courses Sermo Latinus I and Sermo Latinus II (and perhaps the combination
Sermo Latinus I&II), the crown jewel of the Faculty of Letters, which were designed and had
so far been taught by Avitus, will this year be handed over also to Scholastica. We had a
pilot experience of carefully monitored handing over of the Rudimenta Latina course from
Avitus to Scholastica during the spring term of last academic year and we are confident
that an equally smooth transfer will be able to take place this year regarding these courses
too.

Avitus will thus be liberated to proceed to the furthering of the course provision for the
increasingly large number of students who have now successfully completed the ones
above. Let it be remembered than many more students have completed the Facultas
Litterarum courses than even enrol for any of the other faculties. Yet, these students
cannot yet be granted even the simplest Baccalaureus' degree because the currently
existing courses are not enough for them to accrue to the required number of credits.
Avitus will over the current academic year work to enlarge the course provision, and will
do so as detailed below.

First of all, we will finally set up the two courses Latinitas Viva and Auctores Latini which
require some amendments we couldn't complete last year. These are two field courses
with several individuals in a position to be awarded the corresponding credits but who
cannot obtain them due to a mere formality beyond their control which needs to be eased
out. Hopefully we will be able to report our first completing students by the end of this
academic year.

The original French version of Desessard's "Lingua Latina sine molestiá", the textbook we
use for the Sermo Latinus courses, went out of print last year, and although its Italian
counterpart is likely to be available for a while still, there will soon come a time when the
Sermo Latinus courses are no longer possible for lack of the material. Avitus is going to
anticipate the catastrophe by creating an alternative course based on Ørberg's "Lingua
Latina per se illustrata", the second best method available to acquire active fluency in the
use of our eternal language. This method has also the advantage that it is fully in Latin
from the start and can be used with learners of any native tongue whatsoever, so not only
speakers of English or Spanish or French or Italian will be able to learn Latin with us as so
far, but absolutely anyone with any mother tongue from anywhere in the world.

Although it may still be impossible to offer the long awaited course Sermo Latinus III,
based on Terentius's "Eunuchus", we could find it easier to prepare the first edition of the
course Latinitas Rustica, based on Cato's "De re rusticá". Also, Avitus may work in
coordination with Scholastica to help her set up an interesting course recently proposed by
her and based on one of Cæsar's works.


ADVERTISING OF THE COURSES

Some of these courses have already been advertised. We are nevertheless still looking
forward to many more applicants taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to
enhance your knowledge of the glorious language of Rome. Student numbers two years
ago were disappointingly low, and although they improved again last year, we would like
to make sure that we continue to grow, as our growth is the only measure of our success
in spreading the Roman language and culture.

We expect that you continue to attend our courses in ever increasing numbers. Please put
your Roman virtues to work and join one (or more) of them. The eternal language of Rome
surely deserves it.

Remember that our Sermo Latinus courses, which previously required a working
knowledge of English+French or English+Italian, can now fully be followed with a
knowledge of only English or only Spanish.


STAFF RECRUITMENT

Obviously, with a growing provision of courses, the need progressively to hand over some
of them to junior members of staff, and hopes for a steady increase in student numbers,
the issue of new staff recruitment becomes more and more pressing.

Our present staff are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the amount of correcting
and marking that our courses require, and we are now reduced to putting all our hopes in
some further staff recruitment:
http://www.academiathules.org/openpositions/index.html

All previous attempts to recruit correctors/examiners have failed. A greater effort and
some generosity on the part of our fellow Romans here is necessary to sustain even the
current provision of courses.

Of course, it is also our desire to recruit other teachers, who could be able to volunteer
new courses on Greek language, Latin composition or the like, with which to enlarge our
provision even further; but correctors/examiners are our real priority at the moment.

If no progress is made with at least one new member of staff this year, the Faculty of
Letters and the Academia Thules itself is likely to implode to death in front of our eyes
before we know it. This would be a disaster. Please help. We should all be part of this.


FURTHER ACTIVITY OF THE FACULTY

We will of course continue during this year the discussion of different other matters like
student retention strategies, and proceed with the constant revision and improvement of
our courses as usual.


CONCLUSION

I would like to invite everyone here to give their support and understand our plight and
desperate situation, in the hope that this and future years be even more successful than
the ones before. It is up to us all! The best existing institution of teaching and learning
specialised on Roman issues cannot be supported by only 3 teaching fellows when there
are 1228 Romans here! As teachers or as learners, please come and join us!


Curate ut valeatis omnes!

P. Memmius Albucius Avito Mag. s.d.

I have read with great interest your two posts.

I have understood that you think that the Academia Thules is,
specially in its Latin courses, at a crossword.

As governor, I would suggest that you send an additional copy of both
messages to Princeps Quintilianus, the Academia's founder, and to
Nova Roma's consuls. For I think that, beyond the personal
involvement of every interested civis, here is a question on how Nova
Roma and its provinces may give assistance, in such circumstances, to
the Academia, which Hon. Quintilianus has always wished being a
separate institution, though close to Nova Roma.

If Quintilianus and the consuls bring their support to such a move,
you could then, for example, ask in a second time all Novaroman
governors for assistance. There are, imho, the appropriate people to
relay your action. As far as I am concerned, I would be honored to
see how I and Gallia provincia can help you and the Academia.

Vale,


P. Memmius Albucius
leg. pp. Galliae


--- In Nova-Roma@yahoogroups.com, "A. Gratius Avitus"
<aggfvavitus@...> wrote:

>
> Avitus NRomanis optimis suís S·P·D
>
> I am hereby writing in my capacity as acting Dean of the Faculty of

Letters

> http://www.academiathules.org/studyguide/facultaslitterarum/
> to declare the academic year 2008-2009 at the Faculty of Letters

retrospectively open

> from the 1st of September.
>
>
> THE ACADEMIA THULES WEBSITE
> http://www.academiathules.org/
>
> As we all know, the Academia Thules boasted from the beginning of

the academic year

> 2006-2007 a newly refurbished, rather impressive website. It was a

huge job for many of

> us, in particular for Saturninus and Finnica, but also for the team

at the Faculty of Letters,

> who were pioneers in providing a full programme of studies for the

website, both in

> English and in Spanish. We also volunteered the Spanish version of

the home page, as well

> as the Latin one; plus the Spanish version of the student admission

form.

>
> In two years the BoD of the Academia Thules seem to have failed to

find someone who

> would translate one single further page. Most poignantly, the

students admissions page

> itself is only available in English. This means that even though we

are fully prepared to

> teach Latin to many people who are eager to learn our immortal

Roman language albeit

> having little or no command of English at all (and why should they

have any if it is not

> their mother tongue and their main interest is on things Roman not

on things English?) —

> and there have thankfully been some considerable amount of such

students already

> flocking to our courses—, the fact is that the Academia Thules

website is not really making

> it any easier for those prospective students to access these

courses we so painstakingly

> created for them.
>
> We need volunteers who can produce at least the Spanish translation

of the students

> admissions page, and then any others they may find time to produce.

Please give us a

> hand.
>
>
> PROVISION OF COURSES
>
> The Faculty of Letters is of course going to continue to offer all

the courses that ran last

> year. The course Rudimenta Latina will now be taught by Scholastica

until one of you

> comes forward and help us teach that most elementary introductory

course. Litteræ

> Classicæ we hope will continue to be taught by Saturninus, although

he has never reported

> to the faculty regarding the progress of this course or his

intentions, so we are in no way

> sure. The courses Grammatica Latina I and Grammatica Latina II will

still be taught by their

> designer, Scholastica.
>
> The successful courses Sermo Latinus I and Sermo Latinus II (and

perhaps the combination

> Sermo Latinus I&II), the crown jewel of the Faculty of Letters,

which were designed and had

> so far been taught by Avitus, will this year be handed over also to

Scholastica. We had a

> pilot experience of carefully monitored handing over of the

Rudimenta Latina course from

> Avitus to Scholastica during the spring term of last academic year

and we are confident

> that an equally smooth transfer will be able to take place this

year regarding these courses

> too.
>
> Avitus will thus be liberated to proceed to the furthering of the

course provision for the

> increasingly large number of students who have now successfully

completed the ones

> above. Let it be remembered than many more students have completed

the Facultas

> Litterarum courses than even enrol for any of the other faculties.

Yet, these students

> cannot yet be granted even the simplest Baccalaureus' degree

because the currently

> existing courses are not enough for them to accrue to the required

number of credits.

> Avitus will over the current academic year work to enlarge the

course provision, and will

> do so as detailed below.
>
> First of all, we will finally set up the two courses Latinitas Viva

and Auctores Latini which

> require some amendments we couldn't complete last year. These are

two field courses

> with several individuals in a position to be awarded the

corresponding credits but who

> cannot obtain them due to a mere formality beyond their control

which needs to be eased

> out. Hopefully we will be able to report our first completing

students by the end of this

> academic year.
>
> The original French version of Desessard's "Lingua Latina sine

molestiá", the textbook we

> use for the Sermo Latinus courses, went out of print last year, and

although its Italian

> counterpart is likely to be available for a while still, there will

soon come a time when the

> Sermo Latinus courses are no longer possible for lack of the

material. Avitus is going to

> anticipate the catastrophe by creating an alternative course based

on Ørberg's "Lingua

> Latina per se illustrata", the second best method available to

acquire active fluency in the

> use of our eternal language. This method has also the advantage

that it is fully in Latin

> from the start and can be used with learners of any native tongue

whatsoever, so not only

> speakers of English or Spanish or French or Italian will be able to

learn Latin with us as so

> far, but absolutely anyone with any mother tongue from anywhere in

the world.

>
> Although it may still be impossible to offer the long awaited

course Sermo Latinus III,

> based on Terentius's "Eunuchus", we could find it easier to prepare

the first edition of the

> course Latinitas Rustica, based on Cato's "De re rusticá". Also,

Avitus may work in

> coordination with Scholastica to help her set up an interesting

course recently proposed by

> her and based on one of Cæsar's works.
>
>
> ADVERTISING OF THE COURSES
>
> Some of these courses have already been advertised. We are

nevertheless still looking

> forward to many more applicants taking advantage of this wonderful

opportunity to

> enhance your knowledge of the glorious language of Rome. Student

numbers two years

> ago were disappointingly low, and although they improved again last

year, we would like

> to make sure that we continue to grow, as our growth is the only

measure of our success

> in spreading the Roman language and culture.
>
> We expect that you continue to attend our courses in ever

increasing numbers. Please put

> your Roman virtues to work and join one (or more) of them. The

eternal language of Rome

> surely deserves it.
>
> Remember that our Sermo Latinus courses, which previously required

a working

> knowledge of English+French or English+Italian, can now fully be

followed with a

> knowledge of only English or only Spanish.
>
>
> STAFF RECRUITMENT
>
> Obviously, with a growing provision of courses, the need

progressively to hand over some

> of them to junior members of staff, and hopes for a steady increase

in student numbers,

> the issue of new staff recruitment becomes more and more pressing.
>
> Our present staff are finding it increasingly difficult to cope

with the amount of correcting

> and marking that our courses require, and we are now reduced to

putting all our hopes in

> some further staff recruitment:
> http://www.academiathules.org/openpositions/index.html
>
> All previous attempts to recruit correctors/examiners have failed.

A greater effort and

> some generosity on the part of our fellow Romans here is necessary

to sustain even the

> current provision of courses.
>
> Of course, it is also our desire to recruit other teachers, who

could be able to volunteer

> new courses on Greek language, Latin composition or the like, with

which to enlarge our

> provision even further; but correctors/examiners are our real

priority at the moment.

>
> If no progress is made with at least one new member of staff this

year, the Faculty of

> Letters and the Academia Thules itself is likely to implode to

death in front of our eyes

> before we know it. This would be a disaster. Please help. We should

all be part of this.

>
>
> FURTHER ACTIVITY OF THE FACULTY
>
> We will of course continue during this year the discussion of

different other matters like

> student retention strategies, and proceed with the constant

revision and improvement of

> our courses as usual.
>
>
> CONCLUSION
>
> I would like to invite everyone here to give their support and

understand our plight and

> desperate situation, in the hope that this and future years be even

more successful than

> the ones before. It is up to us all! The best existing institution

of teaching and learning

> specialised on Roman issues cannot be supported by only 3 teaching

fellows when there

> are 1228 Romans here! As teachers or as learners, please come and

join us!

>
>
> Curate ut valeatis omnes!
>

EX OFFICIO CONSUALRIS:

M. Moravius Piscinus Horatianus Consul: T. Iulio Sabino Consuli
collegae, Praetoribus, Tribunibus Plebis, Senatoribus Patribus
Mátribusque Conscriptís, et Novae Romanae, Quiritibus: salutem
plurimam dicit:

Consul edicit ut comitia centuriata frequens adsit a. d. pristine
Non. Sept. M. Moravio Piscino T. Iulio Sabino consulibus, anno AUC
MMDCCLXI


After some delay I am now able to present some material on Nova
Roma's finances. After presenting the information I shall take some
questions and some of your suggestions as we begin the process by
which the Consules and Senate shall set a budget for next year.


Today being dies comitialis, I hereby give twenty-four hour notice
that the Citizens of Nova Roma are called to assemble in the Comitia
Centuriata (on the Yahoo Groups NovaRomaComitiaCenturiata list) for a
contio, beginning on dies comitialis Pridie Nonas Sept. (tomorrow,
Thurs. 4 Sept.).

All Nova Roma Citizens who are not yet subscribed to the
NovaRomaComitiaCenturiata list at Yahoo Groups and who are interested
in learning more about Nova Roma, its finances, and its future should
now subscribe.


Valete optime et bonam habete Fortunam

Salvete Omnes!

I will be absent for more or less two weeks, while I usually is very
busy with the huge historical project for which I am one of the
leaders, I will probably be unable to take part in any discussions or
activities Nova Roma for this whole period.

My absense could have come at a better time. Especially as some
important questions have been risen about Academia Thules of which I
am the chairman. I need go to sleep now, but at this stage I can only
say that it is sad to see such a prominent teacher as A. Gratius
Avitus leaving Academai Thules. But I also must say that the situation
at the Academia is more complicated than one might belive and that one
man's truth may be the other man's lie.

The leadrship of the Academia has since long recognized that the
Academai is at a cross-road and has since long time back planned a RL
meeting i Regio Suecica in October. It may be possible that some isues
might be clarified before that, but I with humility appeal to all
friends, supporters, teachers and former students of Academia Thules,
who understand and love the basic idea on which the Academia is
founded, to wait for the result of this meeting, before deciding what
to think about the present situation.

The Main List of Nova Roma usually isn't the proper place to disuss
the inner workings of the Academia, but I acknowledge that many of the
citizens the Res Publica has an interest in the development of the
Academia and promise to come back to the populus of the Res Publica to
clarify things as soon as possible after I have consulted in RL with
the leadership of the Academia. Please be patient and then we might
hope to see a better then hoped for result. Still it is for sure that
one of these rather unproductive screaming sessions of Nova Roma will
not help a bit.

I ask You to have patience with my poor English, as it isn't my native
language I make many misstakes, especially when dealing with such
delicate situations as this one, that really require that one has a
better skill in the language that one tries to use as precise and wise
as possible.

Please pray for the Academia and the wonderful idea upon which it is
founded, as I will do!

*****************
Vale

Caeso Fabius Buteo Quintilianus

Princeps Senatus et Flamen Palatualis
Praeses, Triumvir et Praescriptor Academia Thules ad S.R.A. et N.
Civis Romanus sum
http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Main_Page
************************************************
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam
"I'll either find a way or make one"
************************************************
Dignitas, Iustitia, Fidelitas et Pietas
Dignity, Justice, Loyalty and Dutifulness
************************************************
Mons Palatinus, Clivus Victoriae
Palatine Hill, Incline of Victoriae

Salvete,

will the Castra Romana event happen this weekend, even though hurricane
hanna is headed our way, expecting to hit or come in the Charlotte, NC
region friday evening or saturday? Im really mad at the hurricane for
many reasons, not only about the potential damage, but also because it
will probably affect that and the coin show also in Charlotte this
weekend...Ive been looking forward to those 2 events for months. :-(

Valete,
D. Claudius Aquilius

Cn. Caelius Ahenobarbus Omnibus S.P.D.

According to the Foedus de Constitutione Oppium Fluminis Gilae, the
Edictum Propraetoricum de Oppidum Fluminis Gilae, and the Lex Fabia de
oppidis et municipiis, Marcus Valerius Potitus and I, Gnaeus Caelius
Ahenobarbus, have been assigned as temporary aediles for the
newly-created oppidum. Our sole duty is to schedule, hold, and certify
an election of all officers of the oppidum.

This is the OFFICIAL CALL FOR CANDIDATES for Oppidum Fluminis
Gilae. THE ELECTION WILL BE HELD AT OUR REGULAR SEPTEMBER MEETING,
SEPTEMBER 14, AT FRONIMO'S GREEK RESTAURANT, TUCSON. The term of the offices
is from the election itself on September 14 to December 31, 2761 a.u.c.
(2008 C.E.). At the December meeting, elections will be held for these
same offices, but the terms will consist of the the entire year of 2762
a.u.c. In effect, this first election is similar to suffect elections
in that the positions are short-term.

There are four offices for which elections will be held:

Aediles (2 positions) - These are the two co-magistrates of the
oppidum. They are the executive officers. The duties of the Aediles
are: 1. To summon the Comitia Oppidana and preside over its meetings;
2. To maintain the local Album Civium, Tabularium, and Acta; 3. To
issue edicta affecting the Oppidum; 4. To exercise intercessio against
another local magistrate of equal or lesser authority. (Lex Fabia 6.4)

Praefectus Praesidii - The captain of the honor guard. The duties
of the members of the praesidium shall be: 1. To preserve the honor of
Nova Roma and Oppidum Fluminis Gilae; 2. To protect the citizens of the
Oppidum and its magistrates; 3. To serve as an honor guard for the
magistrates; 4. To protect visiting magistrates of Provincia America
Austroccidentalis and/or Nova Roma.

Sacerdos Solis - The chief priest of the oppidum. The duties of the
Sacerdos Solis are: 1. To offer worship to the gods at every meeting of
the Comitia; 2. To lead the religious rites surrounding any Roman event
sponsored by the Oppidum; 3. To invite the members to festivals of the
gods; 4. To create and/or maintain a book of rituals and ceremonies to
be used in the Oppidum; 5. To prepare and publish the calendar of the
Oppidum for the
year of his or her term. This calendar shall conform to the official
calendar of Nova Roma, with appropriate local additions; 6. To
faithfully count the secret ballots of the Comitia Oppidana.

The rules concerning running for office are as follows: candidates
should be assiduus citizens of Nova Roma and members of the oppidum;
one may not be both an Aedilis and Sacerdos Solis at the same time; one
may only run for one office at each election.

The rules concerning voting are as follows: when voting, each voter
can vote for one person for each office, and a simple majority of votes
decides the election for each office; if no candidates for an office
receive any votes, no one is elected and a new election will be held
for that office. YOU MUST BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT AT THE MEETING TO CAST
YOUR VOTE. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE TO THIS RULE, AND NO PROXIES ARE
ALLOWED.

If you would like to run for office, e-mail Gnaeus Caelius
Ahenobarbus at cn.caelius@... BY 11:59PM, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8,
and include the following two items: 1. Your full Nova Roman name; 2.
Your city or town of residence within the oppidum; 3. A Candidate
Statement. This can be from 3-4 sentences to a few paragraphs in
length. Introduce yourself, tell about your experience, and suggest
reasons for someone to vote for you. This statement will be posted by
the temporary aediles in the Tabularium, and will be sent to the
Nova-Roma, NovaRoma-Announce, and NR_Am_Austroccidentalis lists.

If you have ANY questions concerning running for office, voting, or
membership in the Oppidum Fluminis Gilae or Nova Roma, please contact
Gnaeus Caelius Ahenobarbus ( cn.caelius@... ) or Marcus Valerius
Potitus ( valerius.potitus@... ) immediately.

May our oppidum prosper! Di vos incolumes custodiant!

--
Gnaeus Caelius Ahenobarbus
Tucson, Oppidum Fluminis Gilae, America Austroccidentalis
http://becomingnewthroughtheold.blogspot.com