Saturnalia Schedule

Friday 17 Dec:

12pm (Noon)- Ave Weekend Party
Start ROMA Saturnalia at the Pompeii Tavern for our "Ave Weekend" party. Dancing and merrymaking!
Location: Pompeii Tavern, ROMA sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/174/28/27

1pm Saturnalia Latin Lessons
After the "Ave Weekend", we will hold a holiday themed Latin class in the ROMA Basilica. Bring your brain and learn a host of holiday sayings, as well as other Latin information. All levels welcome!
Location: Basilica Maxentius, ROMA sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/41/131/45
(Sponsored by the Scholastica Antiqua group)


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Saturday 18th Dec. :

10am- Saturnalia Ritual & Tavern Celebration
Today's Saturnalia events begin with ritual to honour Saturn and Sol Invictus, followed by a party in the Tavern with dancing, music, and general merry-making. Saturnalia in ancient Rome was one of the most popular festivals of the year. It was marked by a license for mischief and high spirits (within limits) and reversal of social roles, in which slaves and masters switched places. So put on your pileus (freedmans cap), your most colourful clothes, and come party like a Patrician (Even if you're not)! Io Saturnalia!
Location: ROMA Plaza, ROMA sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/183/41/26

12pm (Noon)- Saturnalia Snowman Building Contest
Do you like playing in the snow? Do you like building snowmen? Then we have a contest for you! In order of the winter season, we are having a snowman building contest - limited only by your imagination! Some come build us a snowman, a snow angel, even a snow dog if you want! Winners will be chosen by a 3 judge panel, and will be rated in 3 categories: Creativity, Style, and Seasonality (how well your creation fits into the seasonal theme). Builders will have 1 hour to complete their creations, and prizes will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
Location: Subura Park, ROMA Subura sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Subura/149/128/24

1:30pm Subura Domus Deco Walking Tour & Feast
A walking tour through Subura to see all the decorated homes - come join in walking in a winter wonderland! The residents os Subura have decorated their homes for the season. After the walking tour, we will have a festive feast with dancing, drinks, good music, and much to explore!
Location: Begin in Julian Plaza, ROMA Subura sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Subura/21/46/24


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Sunday 19th Dec. :

11am- Saturnalia Ice Skating Party
Lake Trasimenus has frozen over and that can mean only one thing - skating time has returned to ROMA! We will skate, enjoy hot chocolate (or maybe something a little stronger!), and toss snowballs at each other! We have a Skoopf skate vendor as well as free skates availible. Just us for all the frosty frozen fun!
Location: Frozen Lake Trasimene, ROMA Transtiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/135/121/22

12pm (Noon)- Saturnalia Sleigh Races
We will race sleighs through the ROMA Transtiberim sim. Anyone can take part. These sleighs take damage if you bump into walls or obstacles, so just getting to the end of the course will be a challenge! Cash prize to the person with the best time around the whole sim (without wrecking).
Location: Begin at, and spectator viewing at Campfire Hill, ROMA tTranstiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/110/77/39

1pm- Saturnalia Legion Gladius Deathmatch
Want to try your hand with the famous Roman weapon? Come take part in the Legion Gladius Deathmatch. Everyone is invited to enter the cage and take a swing! Cash prize for the winners and bragging rights to the losers! Full instructions here: 􀀀
Location: Legion Fort, ROMA Transtiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/138/184/42
(Sponsired by the ROMA Legio XIII Gemina group)

4pm- Saturnalia Grand Feast
Io Saturnalia! Or Merry Xmas! Or Happy Hanukkah! Or whatever the season's holiday means for you! Our festival culminates in the Saturnalia Grand Feast. It's also our last chance to get together before the holidays - so come wish your fellow ROMAns Happy Holidays! The Grand Feast will include a Trivia Contest and Saturnalia Gift Exchange.
Location: Field of Mars, ROMA Transtiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/181/106/22

ROMA Participating in Project Skylight

In case you haven't heard, Linden Lab is testing a browser based SL client (meaning they hope to offer the option to log into SL using a website instead of a downloaded software based client). They have been testing this during most of the month of November and it seems to be quite successful.

In the test, people could log into SL via a web page and interact with the world. They could also IM and chat, although inventory-based actions were not supported. A small collection of pre-chosen sims were available for teleport and exploration under three categories: Destinations, Music, and Socializing.

In late October, ROMA was contacted about being one of the few sims chosen for the "Destinations" category. LL felt ROMA represented an attractive and welcoming stop for Skylight testers, often comprising of people who had never experienced SL before. Throughout November, ROMA has hosted many Skylight testers, all of who had a numerical first name and the surname "Guest".

ROMA has felt very privileged to partake in what looks to be a large step forward in the technology of SL and which will hopefully increase the player base.

The test is still ongoing. If you would like to check it out go to this web page. Allow the video to play and the system will check your internet connection to see if it is healthy enough to proceed. If it is, you will be given the option to input your email. Make sure your Flash software is the latest version and you'll be able to access SL in a browser for up to an hour. Under the destinations tab, you will find the teleport to ROMA. Come check out how it looks in a browser!

(After the test, you'll be emailed a questionnaire for comments by LL. Some nice words about ROMA would be very welcome!)

Winter Returns!

Winter has returned to ROMA! A heavy snowstorm has passed through and turned the estate white.

The emperor has determined that this is the perfect time to put up the winter holiday decorations. Come explore it!

(Tip: use the Windlight presets to set your browser to the Sky>Foggy setting for the best views of the winter wonderland).

Ice skating available on Lake Trasimene and you can sit in the Plaza and listen to holiday carols played on holiday bells. Stay tuned for the Saturnalia schedule coming soon!

ROMA Links

Ever misplace the url for one of the websites for ROMA? Bookmark http://romacitizens.com/links.html and you'll be able to find all of the sites associated with the ROMA Estate.

And also remember that if you use an RSS reader for your news, you can also subscribe to this blog and be kept up to date with each new post.

November Festival- The Ludi Plebii

*** Saturday 20 November ***

12:00pm Jupiter Ritual and Dance
Join us for the consecration of our new temple to the Capitoline Triad in ROMA. Afterwards we will dance and socialize in the newly rebuilt Capitoline Museum, also in the Forum. This event begins the Ludi Plebi in ROMA.
Location: ROMA Forum, ROMA sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/28/203/79

1:00pm Basic Latin Lessons
Ever wanted to learn how to speak like a Roman? Zelda Walpole and Tonina Rodenberger will hold a beginner's Latin class in the newly rebuilt ROMA Basilica. Even advanced and intermediate Latinists are encouraged to attend what we hope will be a developing component of life in ROMA. This event is sponsored by the ROMA Scholastica Antiqua group.
Location: Capitoline Museum, ROMA sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/58/235/67



*** Sunday 21 November ***

12:00pm NOON Ludi Plebi Chariot Races
Come and race for the big L$2000 pot, or just watch in our viewing stands. The winner will be crowned Champion of the Ludi!
Location: Circus Maximus, ROMA sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Subura/4/136/36

1:00 pm Battle Recreation- The Battle of Pharsalus
The ROMA SPQR LEGIO XIII GEMINA will recreate the deciding battle of the Civil war between Pompey and Caesar this Sunday in ROMA. Come watch the two forces clash on the Field of Mars in the ROMA Transtiber sim. Primus Pilus Brodbiz Bigration will give a short historical introduction to the battle before the event. Spectators can watch from the walls of the Ostia Settlement.
Location: The walls of Ostia, ROMA Transtiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/183/131/32

3:30pm Jupiter Thanksgiving Feast
Dinner and dancing in the autumnal gardens of the Imperial Palace. Come let us know what you are thankful for. There will be a lucky drawing for $1000 for someone at the feast, which should give them a lot to be thankful for!
Location: Imperial Palace Gardens of Maecenas, ROMA sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/142/156/53

ROMA Halloween Weekend

Saturday 30 Oct

12pm Noon: ROMA Lemuralia & Ghost Stories
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.Our Lemuralia ritual will banish any malevolent spirits, both real & imagined, while welcoming the protective spirits of the Lares and beneficent ancestors. Followed by ghost stories in the ROMA tombs!
Location: ROMA Transtiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/60/33/45


Sunday 31 Oct

10:30am: ROMA Curiate Assembly
Please note this is in the new location in the new Curia building, ROMA Forum
Location: ROMA Curia, ROMA sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/115/215/83

12pm Noon: ROMA Hallow'een Party
Come in costume! Cash prize for best costumes.
Location: Field of Mars, ROMA Transtiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/144/82/303

1pm: Legion Training
The soldiers will be training in costume. Come watch and participate!
Location: Legion Fort, ROMA Transtiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/111/224/43

ROMA @ IV Anniversary Celebrations Schedule

In October MMX, ROMA celebrates its fourth anniversary in SL. A week-long series of events are planned. Come take part and join SL’s original and oldest Roman themed community!

**All Week Long**
ROMA @ IV SNAPSHOT CONTEST
This contest will run until Oct 16. Until then, wander around ROMA 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: 2,000 L$ in each category
= Second Prize: 1000 L$ in each category
= Third Prize: 500 L$ in each category

See the contest sign in the ROMA Plaza (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/172/59/26) for more details and rules.


**October 10th, Sunday**
12pm (noon) - ROMA @ IV Pool Party
Say goodbye to Summer with a last pool party in the newly refurbished Baths of Caracalla in ROMA. This is the opening event for the ROMA @ IV anniversary celebrations.

Location: Baths of Caracalla in the ROMA sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/143/48/27


**October 13th, Wednesday**
1pm - ROMA @ IV Special Roleplay Event
This week we celebrate the 4th year since the birth of our Roma SPQR! Roleplayers (and Citizens) are cordially invited to a RP- party in the Garden of the Gens Tiberia. We want to chat about Roma, drink upon her and celebrate her birthday. There will also a surprise waiting for you.
Location: Garden of the Gens Tiberia, ROMA Subura sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Subura/88/63/27


**October 15th, Friday**
1pm - Re-Consecration Ceremony & Dance
The ROMA Collegia will perform a short ritual at the ROMA Harbor, on the spot where Torin rezzed the first prims for ROMA four years ago. Then everyone will retire to the top of the new Markets of Trajan and celebrate with a dance. Come join in the fun!

Location: ROMA Harbor in the ROMA sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/215/25/23


**October 16th, Saturday**
1pm – ROMA Legion Soccer Match
The last “civilians vs. legionnaires” match was such a success, we decided to repeat it! Come kick the ball around, or just watch! Cash prize to the winning team, as well as bragging rights!

Location: Legion Fort in the ROMA Transtiberim sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/131/190/43


2pm - ROMA @ IV Autumn Celebration Feast
We will celebrate the season in the beautiful grounds of the College of Priests and Priestesses of ROMA.

Location: Collegia Religio Romana in the ROMA Transtiberim sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/203/232/32


**October 17th, Sunday**
12pm (noon) - ROMA October Horse Triathalon
The groups of ROMA will have the chance to compete in the October Horse Triathalon Event. Participants will first race chariots through the Subura, then jump into boats to race through the ROMA Maritima sim, and finally a footrace through ROMA Transtiberim. The group whose representative is the first to cross the finish line in the new ROMA Forum will get a cash prize as well as a special trophy they get to keep and display for a full year (until the ROMA @ V celebrations!). Any ROMA group can enter up to three contestants (as a tag team). Spectators will be able to watch from a special viewers’ platform on the day.

Starting Location: Julian Plaza, ROMA Subura sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Subura/21/42/24

1pm - Bellydance Show
ROMA Citizens will put on a special bellydance performance in celebration of ROMA’s fourth anniversary.

Location: Field of Mars, ROMA Transtiberim sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/181/106/22

1:30pm - ROMA @ IV Grand Feast w/ Live Music
This Grand Feast will bring an end to the ROMA fourth anniversary celebrations. Live music will be provided for dancing!

Location: Field of Mars, ROMA Transtiberim sim
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/181/106/22


And stay tuned for more ROMA events later in the month!

ROMA Lemuralia Festiva, 30 October
ROMA Curiate Assembly, 31 October
ROMA Hallow'een Party, 31 October

More details to follow!

Ludi Romani Festival Schedule

Saturday September 25

11:00am Ludi Romani Jupiter Ritual and God Feast
This month's festival begins with a ritual for Jupiter in the Forum Temple, honouring Him as King of the Gods and spiritual father of the Roman Pantheon. Our ritual will then be followed by a special feast with dancing and activities in the nearby Basilica. Since at the ancient feast, statues of the gods attended, at our feast you are asked to come in costume as an ancient deity. A prize of L$1000 will be given to the best male and the best female deity costume as decided by vote.

Location: Jupiter Temple and Basilica, ROMA Forum, ROMA Sim
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/65/199/71


1:00pm Legion Harpastum Event
Harpastum, also known as Harpustum, was a form of ball game played in the Roman Empire
We know little about the exact rules of the game, but it appears to bear a remarkable resemblance to American Football and Rugby. Harpastum was a team game that probably had a variable number of players. It was played on a demarked rectangular field, probably about the size used in field hockey. The ROMA Legion will put on a dispay of Harpastum. Come and take part or just watch!

Location: Legion Fort, ROMA Transtiberim sim
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/115/232/42



Sunday September 26

10:00 am Ludi Romani Chariot Races
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! This event will be sponsored by the LVDI ROMANI group.

Location: Circus Maximus, ROMA Subura sim
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Subura/4/136/36


11:00 am 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 recieve 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! This event will be sponsored by the LVDI ROMANI group.
Location: Ludi Arena, ROMA Transtiberim sim
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/172/152/32


12:00 pm ROMA Curiate Assembly Meeting
Come meet your fellow ROMA Citizens and hear all the latest news in ROMA. Open to the public.
Location: ROMA Curia, ROMA sim
SLUrl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/19/156/45

July Festivals Schedule

Saturday 24th July:

10am - Ludi Apollinares Ritual + Play (The Founding of Rome - A Tale of Romulus and Remus)
Our festivals this month begin with the celebration of Ludi Apollinares - honouring the God Apollo. Since part of the traditional Ludi were plays and other theatrical productions, our ritual to honour Apollo will be immediately followed by a play by our very own Zelda Walpole! The play tells the story of Rome's great founders, Romulus and Remus - it's a thrilling tale you won't want to miss!
Location: Theater of Dionysus, ROMA Sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/215/25/22

1pm - Ludi Chariot Races
As Apollo races His sun chariot across across the sky, so our Agitatores will race their chariots in the Hippodrome! Come spend an exciting day at the races, and maybe even get to race yourself!
Location: Hippodrome, ROMA sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/202/106/26

3pm - Apollo's Poetry Contest
As a patron of the Arts, Apollo is also the God of Poetry - and to honour Him, we will be having a poetry contest! Each contestant will read a work of his/her own composition and you will get to vote for your favourite! There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners, and we will all have a cool and relaxing day of poetry in the gardens!
Location: The Gardens of Maecenas, ROMA sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/160/137/52


Sunday 25th July:

10am Neptunalia Ritual
Our second day of festivals kicks off the Neptunalia, the festival in honour of the great God Neptune. We will be holding a ritual to honour Him in His temple in Maritima and all are welcome to attend!
Location: Neptune Temple, ROMA Maritima sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Maritima/158/128/2

10:30am til 3pm - Binchester Day (Various Events and Locations)
A special series of events to celebrate the opening of ROMA's newest sims: ROMA Vinovium and ROMA Vicus! Since these events will be somewhat fluid, please keep an eye on the notices from the ROMA Citizens group to let you know when each event is about to start. Come join us in this most distant outpost of the ROMA "empire"!

10:30 - Guided Tour of Binchester Roman Fort
Builder and Prefect Torin Golding will take interested citizens around on a guided tour of the new ROMA Vinovium sim, which is a recreation of the fort currently being excavated by a team from Stanford University and Durham University. He will explain how the build fits in with the archaeology being done on the site, and why the project is using Second Life to reconstruct this Roman ruin.
Location: Binchester Roman Fort, ROMA Vinovium sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Vinovium/243/144/46

11:30 - Talk with the Archaeologists of the Binchester Fort Project
Archaeologists from the project that is currently in the field will be present in avatar form to chat with Citizens about the project and what they have found this season, and how their work can communicate with Second Life. It will be held inside the reconstructed Headquarters Building of the Binchester fort.
Location: Headquarters Building, ROMA Vinovium sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Vinovium/172/133/47

1:00- Binchester Dance Party Social
Come relax and celebrate the new sims with a spot of dancing.
Location: Binchester Fort, ROMA Vinovium sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Vinovium/153/138/47

4pm - The Sun and Sea Grand Feast
Our final festival event of the weekend, the Sun and Sea Grand Feast! Come join us for music, dancing, and camaraderie as we bid farewell to the Gods Apollo and Neptune and conclude another wonderful festival!
Location: Field of Mars, ROMA Transtiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/175/122/22

June Festival Schedule

ROMA Vestalia & Bellonalia Schedule

Saturday 19th June

10am - Vestalia Ritual
The time has come again to honour Vesta, Goddess of Hearth and Home! Please join us in honouring Her with a ritual, that she might shed Her warmth and light on ROMA for another year!
Location: ROMA Sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/215/25/22

12pm - Vestalia RFL Scavenger Hunt
Can you find the precious treasure before it's too late? The Vestalia Scavenger Hunt this year will be raising funds for Relay For Life - two teams are going to split the monies evenly, ROMA Pro Vita and the Justice League Unlimited, who are providing the Grand Prize package. Each one of the 16 clue items to be found will cost either L$30 or L$60, depending if it has a gift in it or not. These are your RFL donations for this event, and we thank the generous contributors who donated all the prizes, especially our co-sponsor, the Justice League Unlimited who provided the Grand Prize package.
Location: Plaza, ROMA Sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/184/42/26

3pm - Vestalia Tavern Party
After such a long and exhausting day hunting, the victors retire to the Pompeii Tavern for drinking, dancing, and wagering. Come join them as we bask in the afterglow of an exciting day!
Location: Pompeii Tavern, ROMA Sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/184/42/26

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Sunday 20th June

10am - Bellona Ritual
Our festivals begin with a ritual for Bellona, the Roman Goddess of War - sister of Mars, and Spiritual Mother of ROMA's Amazons. Little is known of Bellona's rites in Ancient times, save that they were held in Her temple on the Campus Martius - but we have our own ritual to honour Her on ROMA's Campus Martius.
Location: ROMA Transtiberim Sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/144/82/303

1pm - Bellona RFL Chariot Races
Watch the mighty agitatores (chariot racers) of Roma contest against each other in feats of skill and daring as they race around the Circus Maximus Hippodrome in Roma to your enthusiastic cheers! 'Bet' on your favourite charioteer by donating to his or her RFL kiosk and win a prize if your charioteer wins the day!
Location: Circus Maximus, ROMA Sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/202/106/26

3:30pm - The Bellona & Vesta Grand Feast
Our Festivals culminate with the Bellona & Vesta Grand Feast - our wind-down party from the hectic Bellonalia Chariot Races! Come dance with us to some relaxing tunes and pleasant conversation! (We'll also be having a trivia contest with ROMA's own trivia master, Mickey James!)
Location: Field of Mars, ROMA Transtiberim Sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/181/106/22

May Festival Schedule

Saturday 15th May

10 am - Bona Dea Ritual & Furry Donation Dance

Our festivals begin with a ritual for Bona Dea, "The Good Goddess" - Also known as Fauna, She is the daughter of Faunus, and a goddess of virginity, fertility, and healing. Bona Dea's rites included only women - even paintings or drawings of men or male animals were forbidden - but in our ROMA, the menfolk are welcome to Her rites. After the rite, we will have a dance and party to celebrate the goddess, where you can donate to get a dance with the exotic furred or feathered person of your choice! Didn't you ever wonder what it would be like to waltz with a leopard?

Location: ROMA Community Garden Plot 29, ROMA Subura Sim.
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Subura/132/160/24


12pm - Fishing Contest

Break out your poles and put on your fishing togas - it's time for another ROMA Fishing event, as we thank Fauna for the bounty she gives us. Using the 7Seas Fishing system, we will be having a fishing contest, with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners receiving cash prizes.

Location: ROMA Fishing Platform, ROMA Transtiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/115/147/22


3pm - Drinking Challenge

Round-robin jollity as we try to drink each other under the table! Using Torin's drinking game, we'll have successive rounds until only the true heir of Bacchus is left standing! Or... wobbling. That person will weave away from the Taberna with the Grand Prize!

Location: Pompeii Tavern, ROMA Sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/178/16/2


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Sunday 16th May

11am - Mercuralia Ritual
11:30 - Fashion Show

Mercury isn't just the herald of the Gods - He's also the patron of merchants and commerce! So this Mercuralia, we will be honouring Him with a ritual in the Mercury Temple at the Macellum.

After the ritual, there will be a fabulous fashion show in the Macellum put on by our merchants to honour Mercury and entertain the populace. Come see the latest in Roman fashion!

Location: Julian Plaza, ROMA Subura sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Subura/18/59/24


1pm - Legio XIII Triathlon

Only the swiftest and strongest of all ROMAns will be able to succeed at the challenge put forth by our own Legio XIII Gemina. Starting at the head of the Transtiberian path, contestants will ride, run and climb for the glory of Victory, the honour of Rome and the grand prize!

Location: Transtiberim Path, ROMA Transtiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/60/35/45


4pm - The Mercury & Fauna Grand Feast

Our Festivals culminate with the Mercury & Fauna Grand Feast - come celebrate the return of Spring with us! Dancing, good conversation, traditional ROMAn music and an amazing amount of food.

Location: ROMA Transtiberim sim
Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/59/141/31

Binchester Update: Call for Exhibits

The construction and design of the Binchester build is underway. It is being designed by archaeologists involved in the excavations, but there is also a way ROMA Citizens can get involved in the design stage.

Throughout the two sims there will be several ‘stations’ dedicated to relevant aspects of Roman culture and the history of the archaeological site. Established ROMA Content Creators (active and well-known Citizens only please) can apply to create an exhibit in one of these stations. Exhibits will range from a few signs to an entire gallery. All creators will have their name and photo displayed at the station to advertise their work.

A creator will work with Torin to design an exhibit based on the following topics: (this list will be updated as projects are assigned to individuals)

[Scroll down because for some reason this stupid blog setup is casting the table clear down the page]

Topic (with necessary sub topics)	Estimated size	Assigned to
The Roman Conquest of Britain Caesar Claudius Boudicca Agricola	Gallery
Material Culture of Roman Britain Altars Small Finds Coins Etc.	Gallery
The Celtic World of Britain Brigantes Queen Cartamandua Celtic Religion Celtic Art	Gallery
The Hadrianic Frontier Hadrian's Wall Forts Stanegate Vallum Etc.	Gallery
Roman & Celtic Death & Burial Cemeteries & Tombs Funerals	Small Exhibit
Industry in the Province Mines Pottery Agriculture Etc.	Gallery
Binchester History Troops History Excavations Etc.	Gallery	Torin
Daily Life in the Fort	Gallery
Slavery in Roman World	Small Exhibit
Roman Siege Warfare	Small Exhibit or Installation	Brodbiz
The Roman Legion	Small Exhibit	Nina and Legion
The Vicus Population Purpose Etc.	Gallery
Romanization?	Small Exhibit
The End of Roman Britain	Gallery

Size Definitions:
Gallery: 8-10 signs plus some possible extras
Small Exhibit: 2-5 signs
Installation: single item

Most Gallery spaces will be indoors.

To apply to work on an installation, contact Torin directly about the topic/s you are interested in. Then work up a proposal on a notecard with the following information:

1. Summarize each sign in your proposed installation. What kind of info will it contain? Please note that there should not be too much text. People will not stand and read a great deal of text in SL.
2. Will there be anything else besides signs in your installation? Please note that prims are limited!
3. Is there anything interactive in your installation?
4. Do a mock up of a sample sign texture and include it in the notecard.

Introducing ROMA Vinovium and ROMA Vicus!

Two new sims have been added to the ROMA estate! They represent an exciting, new partnership between ROMA and RL educational institutions and academics.

The Binchester Roman Excavations is an archaeological project that, starting this summer, will be excavating the ancient Roman fort of Binchester (ancient Vinovium) and its civilian settlement (vicus). Located in the UK, this important military garrison and town guarded the supply route (Deere Street) that ran north to Hadrian’s Wall during the Roman occupation of Britain. The fort was founded around 79 CE as part of the legions’ march north into native Brigantes territory, and was occupied for around four centuries, attracting a sizable settlement outside the fort walls. The archaeological project represents an important collaboration between Stanford University in the US and Durham University in the UK, and works with the archaeological unit of Durham County Council as well as the local community. Some of their archaeologists have an interest in virtual reconstructions of the ancient world and are already in SL. ROMA will be working with them in the near future to bring an exciting new feature to ROMA.

The two new sims, ROMA Vinovium and ROMA Vicus, have joined the estate north of the ROMA Transtiberim sim. They will house a full scale reconstruction of the Roman fort at Binchester and its adjacent civilian settlement. In addition, both sims will contain interactive installations explaining the history of the site, the Roman invasion of Britain, native culture, and many other aspects, including daily updates on the progress of the excavations during the summer season. It will therefore be possible to visit these stimulating excavations virtually from anywhere in the world. There will also be areas for social and educational events, and ROMA Citizens will be encouraged to become involved in all aspects of the virtual representation of this bit of Roman archaeological heritage. The ROMA estate and its Citizenry will be a key link in forging connections between online worlds and an ongoing archaeological project.

The sims are being sponsored and paid for by Vinovium.org, the Stanford University component of the excavations. ROMA will receive no financial support from this partnership, and continue to rely solely upon its Citizenry, land rentals, and donations to keep the rest of the estate open and flourishing.

Torin Golding will be building the Binchester reconstructions for the archaeological team, although there will be an opportunity for ROMA content creators to contribute and engage with this project as well. More details will follow soon. ROMA management and several ROMA groups will be able to partner with the archaeologists of the Binchester project. For now, the sims will be closed to the public to allow Torin to build. However, you can keep informed about the developments on this blog (http://romacitizens.blogspot.com), our official Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/romacitizens), or from the following vantage points in the ROMA Transtiberim sim: the Collegium compound, the Legion XIII fort, the ROMA Hot Springs, and the Sibyl’s cave atop Mount Parnassus.

April Festivals Schedule

Saturday 17th April :

9am - Cerealia Ritual & Harvest Maze
The Cerealia is the Roman festival honouring the Goddess Ceres - she who holds sway over the fruitfulness of the Earth entire, and without whom Flora's efforts would be in vain. In keeping with this ancient tradition, we will be having a ritual in Ceres' honour, followed by a challenging Harvest Maze. The first, second, and third to find their way through the maze from the entrance to the exit will win prizes - but you must find and greet Ceres Herself before you can exit! Can you beat the Labyrinth in time? Come find out!
Location: ROMA Transtiberim sim: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/144/82/303

11am - Fox and Bunny Hunt
Part of ancient Cerealia's celebration was to let loose wild foxes to run free through the Circus Maximus. ROMA has our own fox tradition, the Cerealia Fox Hunt! We've updated this ritual this year to include the Floralia - with foxes symbolising Ceres and Bunnies symbolising Flora. The Hunter who tags the most animals wins a $L1000 prize! (There is also a prize for the fox or rabbit tagged least!)
Location: ROMA Transtiberim sim: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/58/32/45

1pm - Floralia Ritual & Spring Costume Contest
Come celebrate the Roman version of Easter with us! The Floralia is the festival of the Goddess Flora, patron of flowers and spring fertility. In Flora's honour, we will have a ritual, followed by our Floralia Costume Contest and Party. Dress in any springtime or floral related garb you choose, and dance in the springtime flowers with us - the contest winner will recieve a $L1000 prize!
Location: ROMA Transtiberim sim: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/185/113/22

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Sunday 18th April :

9am - Veneralia Ritual & Ask Cupid
Our festivals continue with a ritual for Venus Verticordia, "The Changer of Hearts" - to petition Venus for support and aid in one's lovelife. After the rite, you'll get a chance to ask all your love questions of Venus' son, Cupid - the God of Romantic Love. Our Winged Youth is flirtatious and coy, but He will guide you down the path to True Love (or at least an amusing side-trail)!
Location: ROMA Sim: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/215/25/22

11am - Venus' Bath
Venus is holding court again in ROMA! Come sport with Her in the subterranean caves beneath our fair city! But bring your swimsuits and swim HUDs, because this is a pool party! Dancing, swimming, and lunch on the beach is the order of the day at our Grand Feast pre-party - and with Venus there, it promises to be a wild time!
Location: ROMA Sim: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/33/166/22

1pm - Fortuna Oracle
The Veneralia is also the festival to honour Fortuna Virilis (who is somehow, but unclearly, connected with Venus). In general, the wealthier classes honoured Venus and the less so honoured Fortuna Virilis, but this was by no means a hard and fast rule. Today, ROMA praises Fortuna as well with a Oracle in Her honour. Do you want to know your fortune? Want to ask the Goddess a question about your life? Fortuna knows all, And Her priest will interpret Her answer to you! Do you dare to look into the future? (All oracles are given in fun, and ROMA is not responsible for their failure to manifest - or worse, if they do manifest!)
Location: ROMA Sim: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/132/176/53

4pm - Festum Veris Grand Feast
Our Spring Festival culminate with the Festum Veris (Spring Festival) Grand Feast - come dance under the springtime stars with us! We will also have live music by MarcusAurelius Merlin - to get a sneak peek of Marcus' music, go to: http://www.threepiecesuit.com and click the "Samples" link. We promise cool tunes, wild dancing, and all around good fun - so come let your hair down in true ROMA fashion!
Location: ROMA sim: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/215/25/22

Introducing the ROMA twitter box!

We now have a ROMA twitter feed dedicated to Citizen voices from the ROMA Plaza! Anyone can come to the plaza in ROMA, touch the new ROMA twitter box and post a tweet to the feed!

If you have a twitter account, you can follow the new feed at http://twitter.com/ROMA_VOX

To find the new ROMA twitter box, go to the ROMA Plaza and look right in front of the Procurators' Office.

And don't forget to follow our official feed for all the official news about ROMA: http://twitter.com/ROMACitizens. If you tweet about ROMA, be sure to use our hash-tag, #ROMASL.

(Abusers of the system will be banned)

Introducing the ROMA Subura Community Garden Project

Attention creative ROMAns with a green thumb. Announcing the opening of the ROMA Subura Community Garden Project.

Plot 29 in the Subura (right next to the park with the swan in it) has been divided into four quarter plots, ready for planting. ROMAns can rent a quarter for just $1 a week to build their own garden-themed installation. This can be any outdoor space or scene. The goal is to build something cool, exciting, and garden themed using the prims for only a quarter plot (60 total). Are you up to the challenge?

All installations will stay up only a week, and the best garden will be voted on by ROMA Citizens. The winner each week receives a special non cash prize and a unique [RAS] Achievement Badge worth 15 ponts! Not to mention the bragging rights.

Every Sunday, the quarter plots become available to rent for just $1. Builders can then get busy creating their masterpiece. If you wish to get on the wait list for a plot, contact Zelda Walpole and she will make sure you get one as soon as the next Sunday rolls around.

Citizens will be encouraged and reminded to check out the gardens and vote via a special voting board that has been set up. There will be new, dynamic builds every week!

Any current Subura renter or ROMA Citizen older than 3 months can rent a quarter plot and build a garden. The building rules are simple:

• All 12 Tables and Subura covenant rules apply
• No offensive builds and all must respect the non-Adult content rating for the Subura.
• No actual buildings. The build should be an open air garden theme with at least some plants or trees, although some things like furniture are allowed
• No deliberate blocking of paths or other people's builds
• No temp-rezzers or laggy scripts,
• No deliberately modern builds, although other ancient cultures besides Roman isallowed. Some flexibility for anachronism is allowed, but the build should be neutral or specifically ancient in design.

Rental boxes in the Community Garden are now open! Stop by today and claim your quarter, or if all are rented, see Zelda Walpole to get yours next Sunday.

March Festival Schedule

Saturday 20th March

9am- Rekindling The Vestal Flame
Our festivals begin this month with the Rekindling of the Flame in the Temple of Vesta in ROMA. After the ritual, there will be a procession to the Hippodrome for the Equirria Chariot Races!
Location: Temple of Vesta, ROMA Sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/215/25/22)

10:30am- Equirria Chariot Races
In honour of Mars and Equirria, we are having chariot races in the Hippodrome! ROMA's very own Agitatores will be racing for the prize! The races will be done as 3 three lap races. There will be a prize purse for the winner of each race, as well as a trophy to display in their domus!
Location: Circus Maximus Hippodrome, ROMA sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/202/106/26)

2pm- Quinquatria Ritual and Legion XIII Quinquatria Event
At Fort Legio Augusta in ROMA, we will be having a ritual honouring Mars & Minerva - the two paramount Gods of the Quinquatria. Minerva is the balancing force of just & honourable battle against the passionate and wild war symbolised by Mars. Our ritual today honours Her wisdom and justice, and Mars' passion and strength. After the ritual, the Legion XIII & the Ludi Romani will present a lecture about gladiatores, followed by a demonstration last-man-standing fight!
Location 1: ROMA Fort Bridge, ROMA sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/93/57/29)
Location 2: Lvdi Romani Arena, ROMA Transtiberim sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/169/152/32)


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Sunday 21st March

10am- Matronalia Ritual
Matronalia is the Roman equivalent of our Mother's Day, and this year, to honour the mothers and potential mothers of ROMA, we will be having a ritual to Juno - followed by a Garden Party. Though Matronalia is a women's celebration, men are welcome to attend - but there is a catch! All gentlemen must either dress as women, or as serving boys, in honour of this Women's Day! How you attire yourself is up to you, and while we won't ask the serving boys to be real slaves, you might want to carry some wine at least to appease the ladies. ;)
Location: Senator Maali Beck's Garden, ROMA Subura sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Subura/46/246/24)

12pm (Noon) - Bacchanalia Nymph & Satyr Hunt
Bacchus' Maenad nymphs and wild satyrs have over-run Transtiberim! The Emperor has called out all Hunters in ROMA to catch them before their drunken revelry becomes destructive! How many nymphs and satyrs can you tag? The Hunter who tags the most wins $L1000, and the nymph/satyr with the fewest tags does too!
Location: Head of the Path, ROMA Transtiberim sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/58/32/45)

3pm- Bacchanalia Grand Feast (This event is clothing optional)
Come join us for the Grand Feast of the Bacchanalia! We will elect a Bacchus and Chief Maenad to preside over the feast, and a Bacchanal Trivia game, presented by Melanippe Karas (standing in for trivia-master Mickey James). So come dressed in your wild man/wild woman best (or nothing at all) and party with us!
Location: Field of Mars, ROMA Transtiberim sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/160/101/22)

New ROMA Article

Online newspaper http://www.sl-newspaper.com has published an article on our Lupercalia festival. It quotes Torin and Melanippe. You can read the whole thing here: http://15timez.blogspot.com/2010/03/lupercalia-festival-at-roma.html

New Agitatores Video

By Alekso Minotaur

Introducing the ROMA Annales

As most of you know, the ROMA Scribae group has been busy over the last year documenting the history of ROMA and publishing the bi-weekly ACTA ROMA newsletter. Not many people know about the Scribae wiki which represents not only a growing repository of historical data about ROMA, but also a unique document regarding a venerable (in virtual terms) online community. You can access all of the pages on the Scribae wiki here: http://lingweenie.org/roma-scribae/index.php/Main_Page. The group and the wiki are managed by Citizen William Gide, and Citizen Spaciva Ivanova edits the ACTA. They are always looking for historians and reporters, so feel free to contact them in world about joining the group.

I would like to use this blog post to draw attention to a very important and very interesting feature of the Scribae wiki, the ROMA Annales. We have been focusing our attention on this aspect of the wiki for the last few months. The Annales are a listing of significant events in the life of ROMA and her community organized by year, month, and date. Often this also includes additional content such as the text from notices, links to photo albums, and notecard records. As well as this catalog, every festival day for the last four years has its own page where schedules, text, and photos are collected together to document what is probably one of the oldest, continual social celebrations in Second Life.

• Do you remember when ROMA opened to the public as its own estate? (15 October 2006)
  
• Do you remember when ROMA got chariots? (6 April 2008)
  
• Do you remember when Angelia first became estate manager? (18 January 2007)
  
• Do you remember when Achille updated the free togas in the Customs House? (10 March 2009)

The Annales contains a tremendous amount of information that should rekindle the memories of old timers and show newbies the long history and development of ROMA. You can start exploring the database here: http://lingweenie.org/roma-scribae/index.php/Annales

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Do you see something missing from the Annales, such as the date your Citizen-Run Group was founded? Just IM Torin Golding the information in world and he'll add it to the Annales. If you have a Flickr account, annotate festival images with your memories from the past events. If you are interested in helping to gather more data about the history of ROMA, including interviews with longtime Citizens and research into the vaults of the estate, contact William Gide or Spaciva Ivanova in world to be given an assignment.

Valete!

Lupercalia Festival Schedule

Saturday February 20th:

10am - Lupercalia Ritual and The Running of the Luperci
In celebration of this most ancient of festivals we will be performing a Roman ritual for Faunus Lupercus, the God of Wild Things and Lupa, the shewolf who nourished the founding fathers Romulus and Remus. After the rite, we will have the Running of The Luperci - half-naked youths who bless the young ladies of the city. The women will run ahead of the Luperci, who will lightly flog them with the goatskin floggers in hopes of fertility (both of mind and body). Following the ritual, we will have our traditional Lupercalia Feast - and clothing is optional!
Location: Lupercal Cave, ROMA Transtiberim sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/68/202/55)

12pm - Lupercalia Wolf Hunt
Time for another Hunt - ROMA's own version of hide and seek+tag with prizes! For Lupercalia, we will have cunning wolves for you to chase - how many can you tag in 1 hour? The Hunt begins in Transtiberim and will cover all sims except Maritima & Insula. A $L1000 Prize will be awarded to the one who has tagged the most wolves.
Location: Transtiberim Path, ROMA Transtiberim sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/58/32/45)

2pm - Love Poetry & Prose hosted by Venus
Our lovely Goddess, Venus, will host for us a literary gathering where we will tell short stories and poetry with a romantic theme. Bring your favourite poetry and prose to share with your fellow ROMA Citizens, or just come and enjoy the storytelling and poetry reading in the romantic atmosphere!
Location: Field of Mars, ROMA Transtiberim sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/160/101/21)

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Sunday February 21st:

9:30am - Equirria Legion Blessing Ritual & Venus Honour Guard
The Legio, in a time honored military display, will present arms and come to be blessed for the new year. This presentation will be attended by the lovely Goddess Venus, who will offer Her own blessing as well. After the blessing, She will be escorted by a Legion Honour Guard to the baths where citizens may consult Her. Don't miss your chance to see our beautiful Goddess and our proud Legion!
Location: Fort, ROMA sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/75/57/26)

10am-ish - Ask Venus
Our lovely Goddess Venus will hold court in the Baths of Caracalla for those who seek council about matters of love and romance! Please join us with your questions, or just to hang out and hear what others wish to know. No question is too personal or trivial - Venus will answer them all!
Location: The Baths of Caracalla, ROMA sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/154/48/27)

1pm - Cupid Archery Tournament hosted by Legion XIII
As Venus is the Goddess of Erotic Love, Her son Cupid is the God of Romantic Love - and in His honour, ROMA and the Legion are hosting an archery contest - prizes will be given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners - based on total accumulated points in each of our 3 contests. Can you hit the mark as well as Cupid? Come prove it!
Location: Legion Archery Range, ROMA Transtiberim sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/125/233/404)

4pm - Lupercalia Grand Feast
To top off this festival weekend, we have The Grand Feast of Lupercalia! Join us for an evening of feasting, dancing, and good company, as well as our Lupercalia Costume Contest! Our costume theme this time around is Historical or Fictional Lovers. So come as Romeo & Juliet, Tarzan & Jane, Cleopatra & Antony - whatever takes your fancy! We will vote for best male and female costume - the winners will recieve $L1000! (You don't have to have a partner to enter the contest - you can enter as one half of a couple.)
Location: Throne Room, ROMA sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/180/183/53)

The Aqua Traiana UPDATED

Many thanks to Citizen Rachel Corleone who spotted this great short video about a new discovery outside of Rome- the possible source of the Aqua Traiana. Check it out!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8486518.stm?ls

UPDATE:
The Rogue Classicism blog has a lot more details:

http://rogueclassicism.com/2010/02/01/still-more-on-the-aqua-traiana/

Paganalia Festival 2010 Schedule

Saturday January 23th:

10am - Roman Paganalia Ritual
In celebration of Paganalia, the Roman festival of sowing, we will be performing a ritual to honour Ceres (the goddess of agriculture) and Tellus (Mother Earth), followed by a light social gathering with dancing. Come join us in celebrating the beginning of the Paganalia!
Location: ROMA Transtiberim http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/60/30/45

12pm - Paganalia Fishing Contest
Break out your poles and put on your fishing togas - it's time for another ROMA Fishing event! Using the 7Seas Fishing system, we will be having a fishing contest, with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners recieving cash prizes.
Location: ROMA Transtiberim http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/123/154/29

2pm - Greek Paganalia Ritual
As ROMA's Paganalia is a celebration of all cultural pagan rites and ceremonies, this year we will be showing you the flip side of Graeco-Roman religion, with a Greek ritual for the Paganalia, honouring Poseidon - followed by a floating boat party in front of the temple.
Location: ROMA Maritima http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Maritima/206/128/2

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Sunday January 24th:

10am - Egyptian Horus Ritual
A re-created Egyptian Ritual to honour Horus and Osiris in honour of the ROMA Paganalia using texts from the Temple of Dendera and known elements of Egyptian worship. Please join us for this exhibit of what worship in ancient Kemet (Egypt) may have been like!
Location: ROMA Transtiberim http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/177/108/22

12pm - Cloaca Croc Race
You may have explored ROMA's Cloaca Maxima before, but have you ever raced through it on the back of a crocodile? Well now you can! Our Cloaca Croc Race will be a timed race, with the 3 best times winning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Can you navigate your croc through to victory before the competition? Join the race and find out!
Location: ROMA Transtiberim http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/177/108/22

2pm - Native American Powwow Presentation
Our guest speakers from Virtual Native Lands will give us a slideshow presentation on Native American Powow etiquette. The presentation is in voice and text, and explains music styles and powwow dance - if you crave a true understanding of American Native culture and traditions, please join us for this unique opportunity of education and fun!
Location: ROMA Subura http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Subura/141/127/87

4pm - Paganalia Grand Feast
The conclusion of ROMA's Paganalia Festival - join us for an evening of feasting, dancing, and good company, as well as our Paganalia Costume Contest! Come as your favourite god, mythological creature, or sacred beast. This theme encompasses all religions, so it doesn't need to be Roman. We will vote for best male and female costume - the winners will recieve $L1000!
Location: ROMA http://slurl.com/secondlife/ROMA/160/137/52

Announcing the new ROMA CURIATE ASSEMBLY

THE SHORT STORY:
ROMA will now have an assembly that will meet once a month. We are going to be replacing the ROMA Senate meeting with a larger gathering involving senators, citizens and group officers. The first meeting will be 11am Sunday 31 January.

THE DETAILS:
The ROMA CURIATE ASSEMBLY is the monthly meeting of ROMA Senators, officers, and Citizens. It meets in the ROMA Curia and replaces the former ROMA Senate meetings. The Assembly is a large body that consists of three parts, or “chambers”, each with their role to play in managing and maintaining ROMA. It is also a “think-tank” for proposing new ideas and discussing all aspects of the estate. The Assembly meets the last Sunday of every month.

Each part ("chamber") sits in its own designated area inside the Curia in order to make clear who is a voting member.

CHAMBER 1: The Senators (the Optimates)
The Senators have two main roles in ROMA: A) to serve as a direct advisory body to the Emperor, Estate Managers and owner of ROMA, and B) to serve as “point people” and organizers of many ROMA events and tasks. This latter role allows them to act as “patrons”, helping other Citizens in ROMA accomplish their goals and ideas for the estate. Senators are often also called upon to be the “public face of ROMA”, wearing their Senator title with pride amongst both their fellow Citizens and new visitors. All Citizens may approach ROMA Senators with issues and they will endeavor to find solutions.

• The Senate has an executive officer (Princeps Senatus) and two Censors. All three are positions elected by active Senate members.
  
• Senators have a lifetime appointment (unless they resign or are removed).
  
• They are elected by their peers (following a period of training and mentoring).
  
• Each Senator gets one vote in the Assembly on voting matters.
  
• Senators can propose motions on which the whole Assembly can vote. The Princeps steers all motions, discussions, and voting.
  
• Senators should offer to be the main point people and organizers of events and issues brought before the Senate if they are able.
  
• Senators take their responsibly seriously as part of the public face of ROMA
  
• Senate officers manage a "Task Board" like in the Collegium where they can keep tabs on the duties taken on by the Senators.
  
• Senate “on call” buttons in the Tabularium facilitate contact between the Senators and the Citizenry.
  
• Further Senate regulations and details are laid out in the Tabellae which will be updated shortly.

CHAMBER 2: The Group Officers (the Populares)
The second chamber of the Assembly is comprised of group officers from the various active groups in ROMA. The Senate officers and Prefect will keep a current list of active groups. Each group is able to appoint up to two representatives to sit in this chamber during meetings. They are called "Novi Homines / Novae Feminae" and speak with the authority of the group. They are present in the Assembly to A) facilitate communication between the various groups in ROMA, B) to brainstorm event ideas and solicit assistance from the Senators in organizing events and ideas, and C) to bring any public issues to discussion within the Assembly.

• Each Official and recognized Citizen-Run Group can appoint up to two "Novi Homines / Novae Feminae" to attend the Senate meetings in official capacity.
  
• Family groups themselves are not eligible for a "Novi Homines / Novae Feminae" slot because they are considered sub-groups within the Theatrum group (and sit on the Theatrum council), but the Theatrum group may appoint a Family member to represent the Theatrum in the chamber as one of their "Novi Homines / Novae Feminae".
  
• Each group decides how long each representative serves.
  
• Each Novi Homines or Novae Feminae gets one vote in Senate voting matters.
  
• Each Novi Homines or Novae Feminae can propose motions on which the whole Assembly votes. The Princeps Senatus steers all motions, discussions, and voting, including those proposed from within the Populares.
  
• Groups must have a minimum membership number and must be active to participate in the Assembly.
  
• SPECIAL NOTE ON THE COLLEGIUM: When the Assembly turns to Populares business in the agenda, the Collegium group goes first in order to discuss upcoming festival plans. This part of the meeting is steered by the Vestalis Maxima (if present) or a Collegium representative in order to discuss what is needed from the Assembly members and Groups for the next festival. The Vestalis Maxima (or Senatus Princeps is she is absent) can call for motions, discussions, and voting if necessary during this section of the meeting, but presumably that will not be necessary most of the time. This clause is to facilitate festival planning and the dissemination of information to the groups who will be participating in the festival.

CHAMBER 3: The Public Council
The Citizenry of ROMA is invited to participate in the Assembly. A special seating area in the Curia will allow spectators to join in the moderated discussions.

• The Princeps will call upon people to speak during discussions. Those wishing to speak should IM the Princeps or signify in chat text that they wish to speak.
  
• The Public council has no vote on voting matters, and may not make motions, but they can present ideas and take part in the debate.

A NOTE ON CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP: Someone can theoretically be a member of all three chambers, but they can only 'sit' in one area of the Curia. For example, the Collegium would probably not want to appoint MajorMatt to be their "Novus Homo" since he is already a sitting Senator, but if they did, he would have to make a decision where to sit when he got to the Curia. He would then be bound by the regulations of the chamber he was sitting in that day (i.e. if he was in the Public Council, he would not be able to make a motion).


A NOTE ON VOTING: Voting during an Assembly meeting will most often be used to ratify a "We would like to do this" motion or a "Can we do something about this" motion after discussion. It will be by declamation (“Yes” or “No” in chat), but the Princeps can defer any vote to the Messageboard if more discussion is needed or more input is desired. Secret ballots, though probably unnecessary, are also allowed.

Once the Assembly votes on a proposal, it technically goes to the Emperor for ratification. Most of the time, Torin will be able to ratify it immediately (“rubber stamp it”) during the meeting in his role as Prefect. Action, such as planning, then can immediately commence. On some matters, particularly those needing more discussion amongst the Estate Managers, Torin will defer immediate ratification and instead refer the proposal to a committee or to the Imperium management group. It may even be sent back to the Assembly at a future time for more discussion and another vote.