Ludi Plebeii Festival Schedule

21st November :

The Feast of Jupiter - 10am

The beginning of the Ludi Plebeii is Jupiter's Feast in the ROMA Forum. Beginning with a procession from the ROMA Plaza outside the Tavern, the Citizens will meet the Capitoline Triad in the Forum, where a ritual to ask for Their blessings will be performed. Immediately after the ritual, the feast will begin - with food, wine, and dancing in the company of the Gods.


ROMA Agitatores Chariot Races - 12pm (Noon)
In honour of Jupiter, Best and Greatest, Divine Mother Juno, and Wise Minerva, there will be chariot racing in the Subura! We invite all to come join in this spectacle, to cheer on the racers of our new Agitatores group as they navigate a tricky figure-8 loop through the narrow streets - hopefully without taking out anyone's domus (or themselves) in the process!


Palaestra Plebeii- 2pm

Summer is gone, and Autumn is nearly spent, but that's no excuse for not keeping in shape! Come join us at MajorMatt's Palaestra in Subura, where we will have wrestling games, discus throwing, and other athletic entertainments for you to enjoy. There will also be refreshments and massage tables availible for after your extreme workout.



22nd November :
Ludi Lectica Race - 10am

A Lectica Race through Subura! For those unfamiliar with what a lectica is: it is a roman carrying litter. This race will require 3 man teams - so ask around now to find partners! The race will traverse the length of Transtiberim - including a bridge across the lake, so be careful! (Falling into the lake disqualifies you!) Can you make it across the sim to be the first one past the finish line? The prize is $L1500 for the lucky team who can. (That's $L500 for each team member!)


Legion XIII Archery Contest - 12pm (Noon)

Legion XIII is hosting our Ludi Plebeii Archery Contest - and there will be prizes for the best archers! Are you a secret Robin Hood? Can you hit an apple off an avatar's head at 50 paces? Can you not even hit the broad side of a barn? Whatever your skill level, you're welcome to join the competition - it promises to be fun for all!


Thanksgiving Turkey Hunt - 2pm
In honour of the American and Canadian custom of Thanksgiving - we will be having a turkey hunt - but there's a catch - these turkeys are *TINY*. Barely the size of a large chihuahua, they are agile, speedy, and extremely difficult to tag - but if you can tag the most turkeys in 1 hour, you'll earn yourself $L1000 to have your own thanksgiving feast! (Or maybe just to buy that fancy new outfit you've had your eye on.) How many turkeys can you tag? Join the hunt and find out!


Jupiter's Grand Feast - 4pm
The Ludi Plebeii concludes with Jupiter's Grand Feast - and the theme of this feast is Gods & Goddesses! So dress up as your favourite deity - of any pantheon - and enter our Grand Feast Costume Contest. There will be two categories - Best God and Best Goddess, and the winners will each recieve $L1000 (or more, if the crowd adds to the pot). They will also win a ROMA Party Animal token that is worth 1 point on the ROMA Achievement Board! (But even if you don't win the contest, you can try to impress the Imperium members to give you a Party Animal token.) A night of feasting, dancing, and prizes not to be missed!

Announcing the ACTA ROMA

The ROMA Scribae group will now publish a bi-weekly newsletter notecard detailing the news from ROMA.

The "Acta ROMA" will contain stories about ROMA's community, useful information, group news, historical and cultural showcases, classifieds, and other content. It will help keep all ROMA info in one place.

Are you interested in helping to write for this newsletter? Contact editor *Spaciva Ivanova*. We need reporters for a third week of November inaugural issue.

Aristophanes' "Peace" at noon 17 October in ROMA

Introducing [RAS]!

We are proud to announce the new ROMA Achievement System [RAS]!

Now you can earn titles, rewards, and prizes through your involvement in ROMA. Currently, 35 different Achievements can be earned, and many more will be added at regular intervals in Group, Estate, Event, and Attraction categories. Each Achievement you earn in ROMA comes with four things:

• a special title
• achievement points
• a unique item
• a colorful badge displayed on a weekly updated leader board

See where you rank and earn those Achievements today!

Learn more about the [RAS] here!

Check out the Achievements Leader Board here!

Questions? Check out our [RAS] FAQ page here!

Special Notice on the inaugural [RAS] listings: Initial positions on the leader board were made with the memories of the ROMA Management team. If something is wrong, see the FAQ page for how to submit a correction.

ROMA @ III Festival Schedule

All Festival Long Displays and Rides:

ROMA Photo Contest
Contest Rules

ROMA Film Contest
Contest Rules

Special ROMA @ III Museum Exhibit - A History of ROMA
Location: Capitoline Museum, ROMA

ROMA Gallery Exhibit - Festival Sun and Snow globes
Location: Baths of Caracalla Gallery, ROMA

Bumper Litters Attraction
Location: Fort Augusta, ROMA

Freebies from ROMA Merchants
Location; Julian Plaza, ROMA Subura


Sunday 11th October
11:30am ROMA @ III Blessing Ritual
12pm ROMA @ III Grand Ball event

It is the 3rd anniversary of ROMA's construction! Please join us for the start of a week long celebration - with the kickoff event of a general blessing of all of ROMA by the Collegia Religio Romana, to ensure the Gods favour of our City for another year. This will be immediately followed by the ROMA @ III Grand Ball, welcoming our regular Citizens and new visitors to another year of wonderful events and camaraderie!
Location: The Gardens of Maecenas, ROMA


Monday 12th October
2pm ROMA @ III Scholastica Antiqua Lecture by William Gide

Attention all scholars and history buffs! ROMA and the Scholastica Antiqua is proud to present a lecture by William Gide, official ROMA Chief Scribe - "The Indo-European Heritage in Greek and Latin Poetry." Just as linguists are able to discover relationships between languages and show that, for example, Sanskrit and Welsh are actually distant relatives, we can also investigate the common poetic relationships in the literatures of these languages. In this talk we'll look at some of the common themes and techniques that join the poetry of the classical world to everything from the Vedas in India to versified legal documents in old Ireland.
Location: Odeon of Marcellus, ROMA


Tuesday 13th October
10am ROMA @ III Ludus event
12pm ROMA @ III Agitatores event

A ROMA @ III day of Bread & Circuses! Today's first event will be a rousing gladiator fight presented by the Ludus Dacicus Gladiatorii, followed by a chariot race by ROMA's own Agitatores (Charioteers Group) around our newly rebuilt Circus Maximus Hippodrome! Prize purses will be given to the top winning gladiator, and for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the races. (If you are interested in arena fighting or chariot racing - please consider joining the groups mentioned above.)
Ludus Location: Ludus Dacicus Gladiatorii, ROMA Transtiberim
Agitatores Location: Circus Maximus Hippodrome, ROMA


Wednesday 14th October
12pm ROMA @ III Theatrum RP event

Are you interested in Role Playing in ROMA? The Theatrum Romanum (ROMA RP group) has created a roleplay event especially for ROMA @ III - A lavish Roman dinner banquet! What intrigues will unfold? What gossip will be revealed? And what political power machinations can you devise to rise higher in the Patrician heirarchy? To find out, put on your RP tags and your best dinner party attire and take part in this roleplay event! (If you are new to ROMA RP, please review the ROMA Roleplay Rules)
Location: Plot 12, ROMA Subura


Thursday 15th October
1pm ROMA @ III Scholastica Antiqua Lecture by Angelia Rees

The second lecture in our Scholastica Antiqua ROMA @ III series - Vestalis Maxima (Chief Vestal), Angelia Rees, will be presenting "Roman Religion and Practice", a lecture on the basic structure and practices of the ancient Roman faith. The lecture will cover the Roman concept of "numina", and household worship, as well as the more familiar Olympian Gods.
Location: Odeon of Marcellus, ROMA


Friday 16th October
12pm ROMA @ III Ave Weekend Senate event
1pm ROMA @ III Legion event (The Battle of Zama)
Summer is over and the Ave Weekend events have started again! The Senate is graciously hosting this Ave Weekend party, so we can TGIF in the best ROMAn style! And *right after* that, the Legion has prepared for us a demonstration of the Battle of Zama (the final major battle of the Second Punic War) - showing the formations and tactics between Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus and Hannibal's armies - join us for this entertaining and educational recreation!
Ave Weekend Location: Venus' Magical Garden, ROMA Subura
Legion Event Location: Field of Mars, ROMA Transtiberim


Saturday 17th October
12pm ROMA @ III Theatrical event (Aristophanes' "Peace")
1:30pm ROMA LGBT & Amici Party

Join us in the completely refurbished Theatre of Dionysus for a special ROMA @ III production of "Peace" by Aristophanes (translated and updated by Torin Golding). An anti-war play, Aristophanes wrote "Peace" to be a comedic, witty, and scathing theatrical assault on Athens' (by this time) 10 year Peloponnesian War against the Spartans. The main plotline of the play is the intense desire of the citizens for relief from the miseries of war and the lengths one man goes to to achieve it. The play will immediately be followed by the ROMA LGBT & Amici party to celebrate beginning their second year in ROMA - with dancing, music, and good company all around!
Location: Theater of Dionysus, ROMA


Sunday 18th October
12pm ROMA Lemuralia
2pm ROMA Hallow'een Grand Feast

In Roman religion, the Lemuralia or Lemuria was a feast during which the ancient Romans performed rites to exorcise the malevolent and fearful ghosts of the dead from their homes. Though traditionally held in May, ROMA has moved this festival to coincide with the more modern celebration of Hallow'een, another day of ghouls and ghastlies. Our Lemuralia ritual will banish any malevolent spirits, both real & imagined, while welcoming the protective spirits of the Lares and beneficent ancestors. Our second event and the final ending to our ROMA @ III celebration is the ROMA Hallow'een Grand Feast - so break out your scariest or most fanciful costumes and come prepared for a spooky good time! We'll have a contest for best costumes and Hallow'een trivia by Mickey James, both of which can earn you cash prizes!
Lemuralia Location: Street of Tombs, ROMA Transtiberim
Grand Feast Location: Field of Mars, ROMA Transtiberim

ROMA @ III Amateur Film Contest

Please help celebrate ROMA´s third anniversary by making your own tribute film. If you currently make your own videos or needed an excuse to learn how, the Emperor now calls you to pay homage to the glory of the Empire. Help create memories of this wonderful achievement and entertain the citizens as well.

For the contest, you will have several options:

1) Record you own movie in Second Life

2) Combine still images from Second Life

3) Take a source movie and edit it to make your film.

4) Some combination of the above

The finished movie must be no longer than 3 minutes. The theme must be ROMA-related and fall below or within the limits of an R (restricted) rated movie (See http://www.mpaa.org/FlmRat_Ratings.asp for descriptions of the various ratings). The final movie should be in youtube-ready format. *Your movie should be ready by November 1, 2009. The movies will be listed on the ROMA Citizens blog and included in a special screening event held in November.*

A possible source movie is The Invincible Gladiator from 1962. Here is a creative commons version that allows for remix: http://www.archive.org/details/AteneaFilmsPublicDomainTheInvincibleGladiator. Please make sure that you have the rights to any footage you use. ROMA will not be responsible for your copyright infringement.

Please direct your interest, questions or comments to JT Vale or the ROMA Entertainers Group.

ROMA @ III SNAPSHOT CONTEST

This contest will run until October 17, 2009. Until then, wander around the ROMA sims and find your favorite spot to take a snapshot. Stage a snapshot with friends. Show the world how you experience ROMA.

There are 3 categories for the contest:

= Best Avatar Portrait or Self-Portrait
= Best Shot of a ROMA Landmark
= Best Illustration of Roman History and/or Culture

Each category will have 3 winners. The prizes are:

= First Prize: 1,000 L$ in each category
= Second Prize: 500 L$ in each category
= Third Prize: 250 L$ in each category

The contest will be judged by the Prefect, and the officers of the Collegia and the Senate (Torin, Angelia, Maali, Amalthea, JT, Mickey).

All entries will be displayed in a special exhibit in the Capitoline Museum in ROMA. The winners will also be added to the ROMA Flickr page and blog.

To enter the contest, read the rules below.


RULES:
The maximum time each person can enter the contest is once per category. You do not need to provide a snapshot for each category, but can only enter one snapshot per category.

Snapshots must be taken in one of the public areas of the ROMA sims (ROMA Insula is permitted, but private rental plots in the Subura are not eligible as settings).

If any of the judges enter a snapshot in a category, they are inelligible to judge that category.

Modifying the image, such as in Photoshop or some other editing software program, is allowed.

Next to the Bakery in ROMA three jars have been set up in a stall, one for each category. Title your snapshot whatever you wish, but make sure it is full permissions (mod/copy/transfer). Put your entry into the corresponding category jar. The person labeled as "Creator" of the snapshot on the Properties window will be the entrant.

Winners will be announced soon after 17 October.

The contest is open to everyone, though you may want to make sure you are a member of the ROMA Citizens group to receive the notice about who has won.

Remodel inside the Baths of Caracalla

The interior staircase of the Baths of Caracalla has been rebuilt by the Prefect.

Now, a grand double curved staircase rises to the upper floor, decorated with a massive fountain and a marble naked statue of Venus.

Check it out today!

ROMA September Festival Schedule

Saturday 19th September

9am - Ludi Romani Jupiter Ritual and Feast @ Basilica
This month's festival begins with a ritual for Jupiter, honouring Him as King of the Gods and spiritual father of the Roman Pantheon. Our ritual will be followed by a very special feast in honour of a very special ROMAn - so you won't want to miss it!
Location: ROMA Basilica of Maxentius
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/215/25/22

11am - Ludi Romani Chariot Races @ Hippodrome
Come race round the spina in ROMA's Circus Maximus Hippodrome! Our chariot races, in honour of Jupiter, will be four 3-lap races - the winners of the first three races will compete in the final race to determine the final winners. There will be cash purses for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. But beware! Chariot racing is a dangerous sport - these chariots can wreck and put you out of the race! Are you skilled enough to beat the odds? Come race and find out!
Location: The ROMA Circus Maximus Hippodrome
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/215/25/22

1pm - Ludi Romani Gladiator Fight @ Ostia Ludus
Witness our brave gladiators fight for the honour of Jupiter and the glory of ROMA in several bouts to the "death"! The gladiator with the most bouts won will receive a cash purse and be granted a laurel wreath of victory by the Prefect himself! Come watch the bloody battles and cheer your favourite on to glory!
Location: Gladiator Arena in ROMA Transtiberim
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/156/152/32

3pm - Ludi Romani Cart Race thru Transtiberim
For those of you for whom the idea of a chariot race is too risky, we offer this rustic alternative - a handcart race! The race will make one loop around Transtiberim, with the first cart across the finish line as the winner! The race is run in pairs - one riding the cart, the other pushing it as fast as they can toward victory! Each member of the pair will receive a prize if their cart wins. Can you make it through Transtiberim's rugged terrain as the leader of the pack?
Location: Head of the Transtiberim Path in ROMA Transtiberim
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/58/32/45

****************************************************
Sunday 20th September

9am - Ludi Romani Art Exposition @ Gallery in Transtiberim
View the beautiful creations of some of ROMA's best artists! At our Art Expo, you'll see beautiful photos, paintings, sculpture, and more - and maybe even get a chance to buy them from the artists themselves! Not all the works are Roman in nature, but all of them are beautiful!
Location: Field of Mars, ROMA Transtiberim
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/160/101/22

11am - Ludi Romani Poetry Reading @ Mt. Olympus in Transtiberim
For those of you with an intellectual bent, Jupiter has opened up the gates of Mount Olympus for a relaxing hour of poetry! The theme for this reading is "Poems which mention the Muses" and "Poems relating to Art, Music, and Poetry". You can read your favourite poems by other authors or share one of your own compositions.
Location: Mt Olympus in ROMA Transtiberim
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/68/192/134

1pm - "The Muses" Mini-play @ Theatre of Dionysus
You may have heard of The Muses, but do you really know who they are? Our mini-play will attempt to enlighten you! Come meet the Nine Divine Sisters who have been the inspiration of poets, musicians, and artists since ancient times!
Location: Theater of Dionysus, ROMA
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/227/167/46

3:30pm - Ludi Romani Grand Feast @ ROMA Forum
Our festivals wind down with the Grand Feast in honour of Jupiter - come dance with us in the ROMA forum to the smooth tunes of JazzMan Correia! In addition to live music & dancing, there will be trivia by our very own Trivia Master, Mickey James (with monetary prizes for the winners)!
Location: ROMA Forum
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/57/152/45

Something New Coming Soon!

The ROMA Management Team is working on a brand new feature for ROMA and its Citizens. We can't tell you much about it yet, but we predict:

1. It will bring a great new dimension to your time in ROMA.
2. It will be both fun and social.
3. It will give you a lot to brag about.
4. It will reward those most active in the estate.
5. It will make even more things to see and do in ROMA.
   
6. It will be a great way to make new friends.
7. Other ancient sims will eventually shamelessly copy it from us (as always) ;)

So watch this space for big news soon!

-Torin