Very recently Marcus Cassius Julianus, Nova Roma's Pontifex Maximus, referred to me as a "Politics Addicted Snake." I was amused by this comment.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Politics Addicted Snake
Very recently Marcus Cassius Julianus, Nova Roma's Pontifex Maximus, referred to me as a "Politics Addicted Snake." I was amused by this comment.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Evolution of names...
When I joined Nova Roma back in 2002 I joined as Gaius Cassius Athanasius and joined because of my interest in the Religio Romana. I selected gens Cassia because Marcus Cassius Julianus was a founder of Nova Roma, and the Pontifex Maximus and I thought I could learn from him. I quickly realized that Marcus Cassius had very little to offer, only disappointment, so I left the Patrician order and gens Cassia and with the permission of censor Lucius Equitius Cincinnatus I created Plebeian gens Modia and became Gaius Modius Athanasius. It was as Gaius Modius Athanasius that I was more well known. I had become Flamen Pomonalis towards the end of 2002 and had my name change right before the announcement of my appointment as Flamen. Therefore, very people even realize that I was originally a Patrician in Nova Roma and a Cassia.
In 2002 I ran for tribune but was not elected. I ran again in 2003 and was elected and ran for consul in 2004 but was not elected. I took 2005 off from most political activity in Nova Roma, and by this time I was both a pontifex and an augur. However, in 2005 I felt a desire to become Rex Sacrorum. My wife, Gaia Octavia Oceana, had joined Nova Roma and was one of the last citizens to become a Patrician upon joining. Being a Plebeian I needed to become a Patrician. It wasn't likely that I could get gens Modia as a Patrician gens because the name Modia is an ahistorical gens name. What I did was contact Caeso Fabius Buteo Quintilianus and asked him to adopt me into his familia. Caeso Buteo and I have had a very interesting history. When I was tribune I vetoed one of his edicts, and I disagreed with him from time to time. However, he was always very kind to me and his kindness and respect for me did not go unnoticed. I could think of no other citizen in Nova Roma I would want to adopt me. Since my biological father passed away in 2004 it seems like an honorable thing for me to do. Therefore, in 2005 I became Gaius Fabius Buteo Modianus. We had talked about my praenomen being Caeso, Numerius, or Lucius. I had decided to use Numerius but because of some legalities and difficulty with a legalistic interpretation of our laws I remained Gaius.
Just recently I contacted Caeso Fabius Buteo Quintilianus, my pater, and he agreed to my request to share his praenomen. It is better naming conventions to have the praenomen, nomen, and cognomen of your pater (biological or adopted). I feel much better being Caeso Fabius Buteo Modianus than I did as Gaius Fabius Buteo Modianus. I still have deep respect for the name Modius and I do miss the name Athanasius; I am content with Caeso Fabius Buteo Modianus. It is a good name, linked to a good Nova Roma familia.
In 2002 I ran for tribune but was not elected. I ran again in 2003 and was elected and ran for consul in 2004 but was not elected. I took 2005 off from most political activity in Nova Roma, and by this time I was both a pontifex and an augur. However, in 2005 I felt a desire to become Rex Sacrorum. My wife, Gaia Octavia Oceana, had joined Nova Roma and was one of the last citizens to become a Patrician upon joining. Being a Plebeian I needed to become a Patrician. It wasn't likely that I could get gens Modia as a Patrician gens because the name Modia is an ahistorical gens name. What I did was contact Caeso Fabius Buteo Quintilianus and asked him to adopt me into his familia. Caeso Buteo and I have had a very interesting history. When I was tribune I vetoed one of his edicts, and I disagreed with him from time to time. However, he was always very kind to me and his kindness and respect for me did not go unnoticed. I could think of no other citizen in Nova Roma I would want to adopt me. Since my biological father passed away in 2004 it seems like an honorable thing for me to do. Therefore, in 2005 I became Gaius Fabius Buteo Modianus. We had talked about my praenomen being Caeso, Numerius, or Lucius. I had decided to use Numerius but because of some legalities and difficulty with a legalistic interpretation of our laws I remained Gaius.
Just recently I contacted Caeso Fabius Buteo Quintilianus, my pater, and he agreed to my request to share his praenomen. It is better naming conventions to have the praenomen, nomen, and cognomen of your pater (biological or adopted). I feel much better being Caeso Fabius Buteo Modianus than I did as Gaius Fabius Buteo Modianus. I still have deep respect for the name Modius and I do miss the name Athanasius; I am content with Caeso Fabius Buteo Modianus. It is a good name, linked to a good Nova Roma familia.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Lex Galeria de privatis rebus -- Just because?
Consul Tiberius Galerius Paulinus has presented a lex to be voted on to the comitia, Lex Galeria de privatis rebus. This lex would make it easy for consules and praetores to have access to Nova Roma citizen records. There are existing laws that already provide a means for magistrates to get citizen information, but it doesn't make it a right of magistrates. Consul Paulinus would have consules and praetores access to the database simply "because." He provides no substantial reason other than, "The need had been there all along and I am proposing a lex to give the Consuls and Praetors what they should always have had." The consul further added, "No president of a company is deprived of the names of his companies customers nor would the President of the Roman History society of Xy&Z not have a copy to the membership list. It is just not done."
This is a preposterous claim since the citizens of Nova Roma are not the customers of Nova Roma, and they are definitely not the customers of the consules. A more appropriate term is stakeholder, since every citizen of Nova Roma has a stake in the success of our organization. Additionally, Nova Roma is not some college history club with a few dozen members. It is an international organization with over 10,000 citizen records in our database (which includes former citizens, current citizens, rejected applications, et al.).
Having served as a consul I see no reason why the consules, or other magistrates, should have direct access to the database. The more people with access to the database the more potential problems could arise in Nova Roma. The database includes tribe and century assignments as well as voter code information. With so many people having access, who do not need access, the possibility of voter fraud becomes more likely. I would like to think that I could trust every magistrate elected to Nova Roma, but you don't know. We have had some poor excuses for magistrates in the history of our organization, and it only takes one truly dishonest person to cause a maelstrom of problems. I would hope that by the time someone is able to run for censor that their integrity would be well known.
Something that consul Paulinus wrote that I was completely surprised by is this, "It is not reasonable that a Censorial scribe has access to information that is not give to a Consul of Nova Roma." My response on the main list was that it is absolutely reasonable. Scribae are extensions of the magistrate they serve. By his logic shouldn't a censor, or senator, have foreknowledge to proposed legislation before it is made public? His assistants were probably aware of his pending legislation before I was aware of it, is this reasonable using his form of logic? My assistants assist me in my constitutionally mandated tasks, just like an accensus of a consul will assist in consular duties. Just like all assistants to magistrates, they are typically aware of "behind the scenes" information that other magistrates and assistants are not. This is simply the NATURE of our system. It IS reasonable, and what is unreasonable is for a consul or praetor to have regular access to our database.
This is a preposterous claim since the citizens of Nova Roma are not the customers of Nova Roma, and they are definitely not the customers of the consules. A more appropriate term is stakeholder, since every citizen of Nova Roma has a stake in the success of our organization. Additionally, Nova Roma is not some college history club with a few dozen members. It is an international organization with over 10,000 citizen records in our database (which includes former citizens, current citizens, rejected applications, et al.).
Having served as a consul I see no reason why the consules, or other magistrates, should have direct access to the database. The more people with access to the database the more potential problems could arise in Nova Roma. The database includes tribe and century assignments as well as voter code information. With so many people having access, who do not need access, the possibility of voter fraud becomes more likely. I would like to think that I could trust every magistrate elected to Nova Roma, but you don't know. We have had some poor excuses for magistrates in the history of our organization, and it only takes one truly dishonest person to cause a maelstrom of problems. I would hope that by the time someone is able to run for censor that their integrity would be well known.
Something that consul Paulinus wrote that I was completely surprised by is this, "It is not reasonable that a Censorial scribe has access to information that is not give to a Consul of Nova Roma." My response on the main list was that it is absolutely reasonable. Scribae are extensions of the magistrate they serve. By his logic shouldn't a censor, or senator, have foreknowledge to proposed legislation before it is made public? His assistants were probably aware of his pending legislation before I was aware of it, is this reasonable using his form of logic? My assistants assist me in my constitutionally mandated tasks, just like an accensus of a consul will assist in consular duties. Just like all assistants to magistrates, they are typically aware of "behind the scenes" information that other magistrates and assistants are not. This is simply the NATURE of our system. It IS reasonable, and what is unreasonable is for a consul or praetor to have regular access to our database.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
I am baffled by the incompetence!
Lucius Arminius Faustus, consul of Nova Roma, just announced on the forum (main list) a call for candidates for upcoming elections. When I saw this I was stunned with a brief sense of confusion. Was it really November or was I in a time loop and back in October? Tiberius Galerius Paulinus had already called for candidates for election and that call expired on October 31st. He then asked me to conduct the necessary auguries so he could convene the necessary comitia to hold elections. Then here comes Faustus, oblivious I'm sure of his colleagues actions, and he tries to call for candidates. What he needs to do is hold his head in shame, admit his failure as a consul and try to redeem himself somehow. I don't know how he can effectively redeem himself as a magistrate, he has proven most ineffective. Ironically, Faustus is a likable fellow. He certainly had potential, but he didn't like listening to anyone and he wouldn't take the advice of those who have been in the curule chair before. He had all the answers and as a result he makes a fool of himself in the forum.
And they wear their Toga Candida...
This is the time of year when Nova Roma holds it's annual elections, and it is always a very interesting time in our organization. Nova Roma has been uneventful, for the most part, this year and that is frustrating. This year there doesn't seem to be too much controversy within the elections, most offices do not have enough people running and only one important office is contested; the office of censor. Censor is an important office because the censores approve new citizenship applications, select new senatores, conduct the census, and are tasked with the public morality. There are two individuals running, one male and one female. The man running is Tiberius Galerius Paulinus and the woman is Marca Hortensia Maior.
I have had very nerve wracking dealings with both of these individuals, but long ago I buried the animosity between myself and Marca Hortensia Maior. I cannot, effectively, say the same about Tiberius Galerius Paulinus. He and I are certainly on speaking terms, and we spoke recently. However, I cannot forget the frustration he caused me when I was consul in 2006. We and I would talk frequently on the telephone and I would gain his confidence and trust on a matter being voted on in the senate, only to have him turn on me at the last minute and vote differently than was discussed -- without further dialogue on the matter. Additionally, he and his consular colleague Lucius Arminius Faustus don't get along, but this is a moot point since Faustus seems to have disappeared. With these two people running, Galerius vs. Hortensia, I am placing my support firmly with Marca Hortensia Maior. She and I battled on the forum (main list) and in private throughout 2004 and most of 2005, but we came to an accord and that has shown me that she is willing to compromise and that she can work with others. This is important because if I am going to have a colleague I would like to be able to trust them, and work well together. I believe I can with Marca Hortensia Maior, and I am not so confident with Tiberius Galerius Paulinus.
Paulinus, however, did write something that I fully sympathize with and understand. He wrote in his candidate statement, "I also admit that I was not as successful in reaching my goals as I would have liked but I did learn a great deal." I fully understand how he feels, because I experienced the same thing when I was consul last year. It is difficult being a magistrate in Nova Roma. I know people like Gnaeus Iulius Caesar have been very critical of me in the past, but let him run for a curule office in Nova Roma and see if criticism doesn't rain upon him too!
Next year Nova Roma should see Marcus Moravius Piscinus Horatianus and Titus Iulius Sabinus as consules, and Marcus Curiatius Complutensis and Marcus Iulius Severus as praetores. These four men will, I believe, do an excellent job of serving Nova Roma and I hope, and I pray, that they help bring a renaissance to Nova Roma! This organization needs a good year!
I have had very nerve wracking dealings with both of these individuals, but long ago I buried the animosity between myself and Marca Hortensia Maior. I cannot, effectively, say the same about Tiberius Galerius Paulinus. He and I are certainly on speaking terms, and we spoke recently. However, I cannot forget the frustration he caused me when I was consul in 2006. We and I would talk frequently on the telephone and I would gain his confidence and trust on a matter being voted on in the senate, only to have him turn on me at the last minute and vote differently than was discussed -- without further dialogue on the matter. Additionally, he and his consular colleague Lucius Arminius Faustus don't get along, but this is a moot point since Faustus seems to have disappeared. With these two people running, Galerius vs. Hortensia, I am placing my support firmly with Marca Hortensia Maior. She and I battled on the forum (main list) and in private throughout 2004 and most of 2005, but we came to an accord and that has shown me that she is willing to compromise and that she can work with others. This is important because if I am going to have a colleague I would like to be able to trust them, and work well together. I believe I can with Marca Hortensia Maior, and I am not so confident with Tiberius Galerius Paulinus.
Paulinus, however, did write something that I fully sympathize with and understand. He wrote in his candidate statement, "I also admit that I was not as successful in reaching my goals as I would have liked but I did learn a great deal." I fully understand how he feels, because I experienced the same thing when I was consul last year. It is difficult being a magistrate in Nova Roma. I know people like Gnaeus Iulius Caesar have been very critical of me in the past, but let him run for a curule office in Nova Roma and see if criticism doesn't rain upon him too!
Next year Nova Roma should see Marcus Moravius Piscinus Horatianus and Titus Iulius Sabinus as consules, and Marcus Curiatius Complutensis and Marcus Iulius Severus as praetores. These four men will, I believe, do an excellent job of serving Nova Roma and I hope, and I pray, that they help bring a renaissance to Nova Roma! This organization needs a good year!
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