Saturnalia 07 !

The Saturnalia festival is now going on. You can check out some pictures from the events here (including some unexpected beefcake thanks to a few of our Senators!)

Full Schedule:
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Friday, 14th December

11am SLT - Candlelight Procession to the Temple of Jupiter, for the Ritual to Saturn, which starts off the festivities

12pm SLT/1200 hrs - Saturnalia Carnival in the Fort, with games to play and prizes to win.

(Both these events will be repeated later in the day at 5pm SLT/1700 hrs and 6pm SLT/1800 hrs, so you have two chances to attend.)

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Saturday, 15th December

Starting 8am SLT - The Senate will be passing out milk and cookies in the Curia all day. Here's a chance for our Citizens to meet our Senators face to face and get in a little chat wth them. And there are cookies, too!

12pm SLT/1200 hrs - Hot Times at the Baths of Caracalla! Come to the baths for a soak and a chat - it's chilly out there, come in and warm up!

2pm SLT/1400 hrs - A Live Music Event in the Arena in ROMA, with music by Noma Falta.

5pm SLT/1700 hrs - If you are a RL Classical Scholar, or just have a deep interest in ancient history and culture, come to the Odeon of Marcellus, where we'll chat about ancient cultures and how to use ROMA as an educational environment. All welcome.

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Sunday, 16th December

4pm SLT/1600 hrs - Saturnalia Grand Feast, in the Imperator's palace in ROMA. There will be a special TP set up in the Plaza outside the Tavern so Citizens may get to the Palace. There will be drinking, feasting, dancing, and a small gift for all attendees. The Feast will be reigned over by our elected Imperator and Imperatrix of Misrule, and their court, who have the right to ask the crowd to entertain with funny stories, jokes, and dances on a purely voluntary basis. Want an excuse to play the fool? Now's your chance!

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All Festival Long

Ice Skating - The Baths of Caracalla have frozen over! Come ice skate on the frozen pool! If the pool is too cozy for you, check out the frozen ice pond in the Fort, which will be there until Dec. 14th.

ROMA Scavenger Hunt - The Vestalis Maxima has a tear in her purse and has been dropping coins all over ROMA! Find them and click them, and you'll receive a small Saturnalia gift. Collect all 20! They are hidden around ROMA and Ostia in ROMA Transtiberim.

ROMA Saturnalia Gift Exchange - A secret gift exchange for the Citizens! Want to give gifts to your fellow Citizens this holiday season? Go to the holiday tree in the middle of the Forum in ROMA and find out how.

ROMA Charity Drive - ROMA is collecting donations for Relay For Life, an American Cancer Society campaign to raise money for those suffering with cancer. Please donate if you can during this festival.

ROMA Video!

Senator Princeps JT Vale is an accomplished film maker and has started a new website for those who wish to post movies you make in ROMA. It is http://romacitizens.blip.tv/. If you have a video that you would like to post, please let JT know. In the meantime enjoy his latest opus from the re-consecration ceremony in October:

The Most Fun and Bloody Game in the World?

Viva Caligula!

Dalek Invasion of ROMA

What is Latin for "exterminate"?

More photos can be found here.

ROMA Halloween Parties 07

The Friday night 'Ave Weekend' parties became 'Vale Halloween' parties this week. At 11am SL Time, party folk gathered in the Ludus Arena in the Subura for dancing. At 8pm SL time, others came to the Fort in ROMA where a spooky cornfield had sprung up. Dancing and merry-making were enjoyed by all, and the costumes were superb!

You can see photos from both parties on our Flickr page at this URL or see the slideshow here.

Senators Behaving Badly

Thanks to Princeps of the Senate JT Vale for uncovering this shocking footage:

ROMA @ I

The ROMA one year anniversary celebrations begin this weekend! It is hard to believe but ROMA has been in existence for a whole year now. The birthday festival will last all week long and involve many of the groups that call ROMA home. Everyone is welcome to attend!

Update: We've been mentioned on SL Insider!

Here is a full schedule of all of the events:

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WEEK LONG EVENTS

FLAG & BANNER DESIGN CONTEST
Citizens are invited to design their own ancient Roman themed flag or banner. You may submit either a finished flag or a texture to Torin Golding. Finished flags will be displayed in ROMA during the festival. Citizens will be able to vote for their favorite. The winner will get a cash prize of L$1000. Deadline for submissions is noon SL Time, 19 October.

FOOD & RECIPE CONTEST
Citizens are invited to design their own ancient Roman prim food creations. Ideally they should include scripts to pass out samples. So if you are a builder, submit your best ancient Roman prim food to Torin Golding before noon SL Time, 19 October. Citizens will vote for the best and the winner will get L$1000 and the option to sell their creation in the Bread and Circuses Bakery in ROMA.

Do you have an ancient Roman recipe that you can make in RL? We are collecting them into several themed cookbooks. The cookbooks will attach to your HUD where you can use them to create your own concoctions in your kitchen. A free version will be available during the festival. Future volumes will be sold in the Market to help with sim upkeep. If you have recipes, put them on a notecard and drop them on Mattaio Rossini as soon as possible.

FREEBIE GIVEAWAY AND THE CLOUD LOUNGE
In the elevated garden behind the Baths there is a magic chair. You can use it to reach a new temporary build that will only be up for the festival- the Cloud Lounge. It is a nice place to hang out away from the hubbub of the world. In the lounge’s courtyard is a collection of free items generously offered by the merchants of the Roman Market and the Macellum here in ROMA and ROMA Subura. So pop up and grab yourself a copy of all of the freebies.

ROMA FLEA MARKET (14-16 October)
Citizens may sign up with Torin Golding to offer no-copy items for sale in the fort in ROMA at a special three day flea market. Only *no copy* items may be offered. This is a perfect time to get rid of inventory you do not want any longer. To participate, send a message to Torin and he’ll help you set out your items.


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SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER

ROMA FLEA MARKET (Day One)
In the Fort Legio VII Augusta

ROMA RE-CONSECRATION CEREMONY
12:00 pm (SL Time) in the ROMA Harbor
The Collegia will perform an ancient Roman ritual to re-consecrate the Customs House. Members of ROMA’s groups and prestigious families will attend. Everyone is invited!

SENATE MEETING
12:30 pm (SL Time) in the Curia
Immediately following the re-consecration ceremony, the ROMA Senate will meet in the Curia in the Forum. The public are invited to attend and watch the meeting (but requested to sit behind the gate furthest from the throne).

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MONDAY 15 OCTOBER: EQUIRRIA (OCTOBER HORSE FESTIVAL)

ROMA FLEA MARKET (Day Two)
In the Fort Legio VII Augusta

CHARIOT RACES IN HONOR OF MARS
12:00 pm (SL Time) in the Circus Maximus
Everyone is invited to take part in racing a chariot around the Circus Maximus track. The person who takes first place will get a special trophy and L$1000 cash. Second place will get L$500 and third L$250.

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TUESDAY 16 OCTOBER

ROMA FLEA MARKET (Day Three)
In the Fort Legio VII Augusta

ROMA ENTERTAINMENT SHOWCASE
1:00 pm and 8:00 pm (SL Time) in the Pompeii Tavern
The ROMA Entertainers group will offer two shows worth of entertainment in the Pompeii Tavern. There will be dancing, musical performances, and storytelling.

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WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER

GLADIATOR CONTEST
1:00 pm (SL Time) in the ROMA Arena
The Ludus Dacicus Gladiatorii group will sponsor and hold a gladiator contest in the ROMA arena. Come and cheer on the fighters!

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THURSDAY 18 OCTOBER

ROLEPLAY SOCIAL
12:30 pm (SL Time) (Location to be announced)
The Theatrum Romanum roleplay group invite you to a roleplay social. Come learn about roleplay in ROMA. No previous experience needed!

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FRIDAY 19 OCTOBER: ARMILUSTRIUM (FESTIVAL OF MARS)

FESTIVAL OF MARS PURIFICATION RITE
(Time to be announced) In the Subura Fort
There will be a purification rite for the weapons of the Legion XIII, Legio, and Praetorians. All are invited to attend.

AVE WEEKEND PARTY
11:00 am and 8:00 pm (SL Time) in the Subura Comitium
This is a special version of the weekly Ave Weekend party. Prizes and free giveaways!

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SATURDAY 20 OCTOBER

FINAL FEAST
12:00 pm (SL Time) in the Fort Legio VII Augusta
A final celebration to end the festival. Dancing, feasting, contests, and the display of all entries in the prim food contest.

Praetorian Imperial Guard

The Emperor himself attended a special ceremony to mark the establishment of the Praetorian Imperial Guard group in ROMA. Chief Vestal Angelia Rees officiated at a ceremony to bless the Guard, and the soldiers offered the Emperor the gift of a golden suit of armor.

After the ceremony, everyone retired to the Legion XIII fort in the Subura and celebrated.

Stanford University Visits ROMA

On Monday, undergraduate students from the Introduction to the Humanities Class "Human and the Machine" explored SL for the first time. After undergoing a short scavenger hunt, they ended up in ROMA where Torin threw them a small party in the Fort. There was dancing and, of course, fun with the catapults.

ROMA Roleplay Plot

The Theatrum Romanum roleplay group is starting a new plot involving the Getae (until recently the Legion's deadly enemies, now friends by truce). From a notecard circulated amongst the group:

The year is 100 AD. The new emperor of Roma is well received by his people - undoing many injustices perpetrated under Domitian, and working hard to ensure the goodwill of his people. However the emperor is away from the city, and there remain political intrigues and corruption in high places.

Piracy still causes shipments to be lost at sea, and adds to the danger of sea voyages. On land, there are still bandits operating where they can, and the fact that they still exist hints at some degree of organisation, avoiding the efforts of the Roman military to irradicate them.

Meanwhile, a shortage of gold supply and a general ambition to extend the empire has caused tensions between the Getae of Dacia (with their gold mines) and the Roman elite. The queen of the Getae is herself present in Roma as part of an embassy.

Whilst the embassy may well fail, there are those who believe that an alliance between their people and the Getae might prove advantageous, and the king of the Goths has reputedly sent an envoy with a shipment of gifts to the Queen of the Getae at Roma. Unfortunately, this envoy is now overdue - having been overtaken by a letter from the king of the Goths to the Queen of the Getae asking if the shipment has been received.

You can join them in their roleplaying by joining the Theatrum Romanum group and by contacting Gwion Merlin and Jethel Raymaker in world.

To find out more about the group's roleplay conventions see this post on the ROMA messageboard.

Groundbreaker Maali

This past weekend, ROMA inducted its first female senator. Maali Beck became the latest member of that august body.

She was inducted by the Emperor in the ROMA throne room. A full senate meeting followed in the Curia. The Praetorian Imperial Guard provided security for both events.

More pictures from the event can be found here.

Ludi Romani

Today was the festival of the Ludi Romani. The festival began with a ritual for Jupiter in his temple up on the Capitoline Hill. The King of the Gods showed his favor by giving all those in attendance a special item.

Afterwards, everyone went to the Circus Maximus to watch the chariot races. Franck Gazov of the Legion and the Praetorians came in first place and took home the purse. Achille Back came in second.

You can find photos of the festival here in our Flickr page.

Getae Bid Farewell to their Chieftan

Recently, members of the Getae tribe held a funeral for their old chieftan who disappeared back in June. The ritual was held at the Getae camp in Storm Cove.

Afterwards, a coronation party was held at the Getae Embassy in ROMA Subura to celebrate the new Getae cheiftan Milamber Dagger.

A few more pictures from the funeral and party can be found here on our ROMA Citizens Flickr page.

ROMA Plastico

The lobby of the Capitoline Museum up in the Forum now holds a scale model of both ROMA and ROMA Subura. It uses the awesome technology of Anjin & Elzbiet Meili's sculptie mapper to create a realistic representation of the landscape of the two sims.

To see the plastico model, go to the lobby of the Capitoline Museum and press the special rezzing button.

Ave Tibullus!

Lucretia's brother Tibullus now has a job in ROMA as well. He is the new Imperial Newsreader. It is his job to stand at the top of the Harbor stairs in ROMA and provide visitors and Citizens with the latest ROMA news and information.

The news and information will rotate regularly, so check in with Tibullus each time you come to the sim.

Like his sister Lucretia, Tibullus is quite active. Rumor has it that apart from his news stories, Tibullus keeps a list of his favorite games. If he's in the mood, he might play one with you (standing around in the Harbor can get boring after all).

Torin's Rez-Day!

Today, Sept 9 is Torin's rez-day. He is two years old. Two years ago today I stumbled into SL. Within a day or two I had my first land and had made my first Roman themed house. Yes, I was hooked from the beginning.

Many thanks to all who have made the last two years great fun!

-Torin

Full of Flickr

Several new categories have been added to the ROMA Citizens Flickr page, including separate sets for individual ROMA Citizens that have provided photos. If you have donated pictures and your name is not there, let Torin know (he made this list purely from memory, and we all know how that is!).

If you would like to see all the various collections of ROMA Citizens photos, you can go here.

A list of all of the sets can be found here.

If you have jpg images you would like to donate to our growing collection, you can email them to romacitizens [at] yahoo [dot] com. Please make sure to include your SL name so we can attribute them.

If you have your own Flickr album, send the link to the above address or to Torin and he'll provide a link.

(Please remember that all of the images are still the property of their original creators so no copying or hotlinking. Many thanks!)

Ave Lucretia!

There is a new landlady in ROMA!

Stop by the Pompeii Tavern and introduce yourself to Lucretia. She is there to serve you a range of delicious food and beverages for your enjoyment.

Lucretia is a "living statue". I built her to operate with random movement, as well as special scripted movements as each person orders. Just click on her to start the show, or just watch her as she goes through her random motions. She will be updated with more movements and sayings in the coming weeks.

Also, all refreshments in the Pompeii Tavern are now completely free. So stop by and see what Lucretia can get for you.

(She gets really happy when you tip her too- giving you one of four different special messages for generous Citizens.)

New Group: ROMA Entertainers

Announcing a New ROMA Group!

Are you a musician, dancer, storyteller, or actor? Would you like to take part in regular ROMA events like live music performances, social events, story nights, and dramatic recitals? Then consider signing up to the new ROMA Entertainers group.

Creative people are wanted to help entertain ROMA citizens during special events. This group will also give you the opportunity to share your creativity with others. Your skills do not have to be limited to the ancient Roman world (for example, all kinds of musicians are welcome).

Are you a good organizer? We’re also looking for ‘Editors’ to help organize events in locales around ROMA and the Subura with members of the ROMA Entertainers group.

To sign up, join the group and drop a notecard on Torin telling him what role(s) you would like to have in the group: musician, dancer, storyteller or actor/actress. You can join as many roles as you like. More roles may be added in the future.

Once we get a pool of entertainers, we'll be inviting you to take part in ROMA events (and even organize some of your own).

SPQR

Roman Reenactments in SL and RL

Last month there were Roman reenactments in both SL and RL involving ROMA Citizens.

In SL, Legion XIII and Legio members, including the Amazons, recreated a Roman fort in the Paris 1900 sim. It welcomed visitors who learned the structure of ancient roman forts and the kinds of activities that went on within them. Franck Gazov donated some pictures of the event to our Flickr site which can be found here. Citizen Melanippe of Themiscyra also has some images posted on her Flickr page as well.

Augusta Raurica was a roman settlement in Switzerland founded in the first century BCE. Today it houses a very nice archaeological park that annually holds a Roman reenactment fair (Römerfest). This summer, RL members of the Legion and Legio put on their best togas and armor and joined in. You can find some pictures of our very photogenic citizens here. (Permission given to post these RL images)

Latest ROMA Videos (Updated)

On a whim, I typed "ROMA Second Life" into the YouTube search engine and came up with two great videos made my Citizens I formerly had no idea about. The first is by a YouTube user called brotofwar (SL name unknown):

Update: brotofwar has declared himself! It is legionary Franck Gazov!



The second is by citizen Ryann Taov:



See these blog entries for other videos by ROMA Flaminia Amalthea McMahon and by Rik Riel.

A new attraction has opened in ROMA.

A potter has set up a workshop under the colonnade of the Baths of Caracalla, right by the Pompeii Tavern. While he sets up his wares, you can take a turn at his potter’s wheel. If you work long enough, you can make your own vase.

There are 12 designs available, including rare special painted Corinthian ware. Come and get your hands stuck into the wet clay!

The Cracked Potsherd Pottery Workshop SLurl

ROMA Videos Gadget

The Theater of Dionysus now has an interactive video gadget. Come to the theater, have a seat, and touch the gadget. You'll be able to choose from a range of ancient Roman themed short videos. A few may take a couple minutes to load (if they're not automatic streaming videos).

If anyone has a URL of a video we could include, drop it on a notecard and drop it on Torin.

Circus Maximus Redux

The ROMA Circus Maximus has gotten a much needed makeover!

The scripted gadget that makes the chariots race and counts the laps is now much more easier to use (and should be easier on sim resources). Everything now, including the rezzing of the chariots, is controlled via an integrated menu system.

New Features:
Horses! I've tweaked Nomasha Syaka's freebie sculptie horse to allow Citizens to race horses around the track, as well as chariots. In the future, other 'vehicles' may find their way onto the Hippodrome racetrack.

The ROMA Race Broadcaster! Given the expanse of the Circus Maximus, it's impossible for spectators to hear all of the developments 'spoken' by the racing gadget (who is racing, who is through the gate, who has won, etc). So pick up your free copy of the ROMA Race Broadcaster. It is a HUD gadget that will inform you of all the race developments as long as you are in the ROMA sim. So attach it, sit back on the grassy slopes of the Hippodrome, and realx at the races.

Shhhhhh.....

ROMA Listed

ROMA was approached by the members of the Second Life Parks and Recreation Service (SLPRS) for inclusion on their list. You can find our new entry on the SLPRS website: http://www.gabrielguyer.com/ slparksandrec/

You can find the ROMA listing by doing a search by region. A SLPRS kiosk can now be found in the sim.

I ♥ Sculpties

Citizens may have noticed that many of the one prim sculptures around ROMA have been updated with sculpted prim sculptures. This began with the Colossus in the Harbor. To date, the statue of Jupiter in the Forum temple, the Trajan above his column, the theater Dionysus, and the biga atop the Arch of Titus have all been replaced with prim versions. Additionally, prim statues of horses have been put atop the Hippodrome entrance, a prim Apollo and a prim Diana mark the hours on the plaza sundial, and many Linden trees in the Gardens have been replaced with prettier sculpted prim trees.

There will be more sculptie improvements coming to ROMA in the future, as prim limits allow.

Menander Gets Primmage

The Insula of the Menander is the apartment community in ROMA Subura. It is where for $1US a week you can rent a fully furnished space in the sim. It is a way to join the Subura community if there are otherwise no open full plots.

Now that rental fee includes the right to rez 10 prims within your room! This means you can include an entertainment system, poseballs, or pictures of your friends on the wall.

To get your own room (conclave), come to the Menander structure in the northwest corner of the sim and touch the rental prims inside the Insula lobby to get a copy of the rental rules. Make sure to read these before renting!

Soliciting Feedback on Roleplay Gadget

We're just about to take the Roleplay gadget off of its BETA release and replace it with a full version. Before we do that, we would like to solicit comments and suggestions from users of the gadget. If you'd had a chance to play with the gadget, post some comments and suggestions to this thread.

WHAT THE GADGET IS: A way to meet people in ROMA and roleplay by accomplishing various random tasks the gadget broadcasts about 2-3 times an hour. You wear the gadget, and you hear when a task is broadcast. Proceed to where the task is, where you should meet others also interesting in doing the task. You can then roleplay to your heart's content.

More info about the gadget here at this blog post: http://romacitizens.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-roma-roleplay-gadget-goes-beta.html

There is also still time to get your own BETA version of the gadget and play with it. (Note that when the full version goes live, the BETA versions will no longer function in ROMA).

Deadline for comments is 24 Aug 2007

Vinalia, Vulcanalia, Nemoralia = Trifecta

Saturday ROMA hosted a triple play of Festivals.

First up was the Vinalia, dedicated to the wine harvest. Attendees helped stomp grapes for the upcoming vintage and then enjoyed a picnic in the Garden of Maecenas near the ROMA Vinyard. Flickr images here.

In the afternoon, Vulcan was honored with a special ritual before his altar near the volcano that is active at the western end of the Garden. Vulcan responded favorably to the ritual with a massive volcanic eruption. Then came the dancing on the edge of the volcano with some festival-goers lounging around special campfires. Flickr images here.

Finally that evening it was time for the Nemoralia Festival, in honor of Diana. Starting with a torchlight procession from the ROMA fountain plaza, the torch bearers were lead by the Collegia priestesses to the pond in the Gardens for a ritual followed by dancing. Senator Mickey James then ran a fun Roman Trivia Contest for the revellers. Flickr images here.

Another successful month of festivals in ROMA!

Return of the Prefect

On the Ides of August, the Prefect of ROMA, Torin Golding, made his return to the sim after an extended time away. A great party was thrown in his honor by Maali Beck on her plot in the Subura. There was much dancing and merrymaking (and manspanking).

The Prefect would like to extend his eternal thanks to Chief Vestal Angelia Rees, and everyone else who kept ROMA afloat while he was gone for the summer! There are big plans for ROMA in the fall- stay tuned to the blog!

New ROMA Roleplay Gadget Goes Beta

Citizens are invited to test drive a new roleplay gadget this summer in ROMA. Roleplay in ROMA will always remain a mainly player-driven pasttime. That means that the Citizens are expected and encouraged to conduct their own roleplaying. ROMA is full of attractions and amenities to facilitate roleplaying as ancient Romans, and the monthly festivals and events will also continue to be held.

Torin has scripted a gadget that can help roleplayers identify and find each other in ROMA's two sims, and provide 'events' for players to participate in if they wish.

HOW THE GADGET WORKS:
Attach it. The gadget will give you a prim laurel wreath above your head. This will allow you to identify yourself as someone wishing to roleplay. (You can also turn the gadget off, or just turn off the wreath signal if you want to lurk or want to take a break from roleplaying, but we encourage that if you want to roleplay, turn the wreath on so others can see. See the gadget instructions for how to do this.)

Around every 20-40 minutes (it is random), a 'broadcaster' (shaped like an Omphalos up in the Forum) will broadcast a roleplay event. This will be a general event that will ask you usually to go somewhere in the sim and do something. Right now for the beta test the events will be very general, but in the future some will also be associated with specific items in the sim and even 'live' events, all controlled through the Omphalos.

Here are a few of the 45+ events in the beta test:

• Time for the baths! Round up some people and try all the pools in the Baths of Caracalla. Towels only!
  
  
• The cook at the Pompeii Tavern needs apples to make some apple pies. Can you help him by gathering some apples from one of the trees in ROMA?
  
  
• The current crop of gladiators is hopeless. The Emperor would like the Citizens to show them how real Romans fight! Come to the arena!
  
  
• Meet in the Plaza for hide and seek! Pick a person who is "it". They must turn off their Mini-Map. They then wait 3 minutes while everyone else goes and hides. Anywhere in ROMA is fair game. The game ends when the next roleplay event is announced.
  

If your gadget is attached and turned on, it will pick up the broadcast and relay the 'event call' to you. You can then choose to take part. If you wish, go to the place it mentions and do the action it asks. Hopefully, others will join you as well, which will give you a chance to begin roleplaying with them. The rest is up to you, which means you'll need to be proactive. It is your opportunity to meet new people, expand your character profile, and participate in some roleplay in ROMA.

The gadget will work whether you are in ROMA or the Subura. It will not work in any other sim.

TRIGGERING AN EVENT
If you do not want to wait for an event, you also can trigger an event yourself. Go to the Omphalos in the Forum (it is right near the Lacus Curtius). From one to four stars (*) will be displayed above it. The Omphalos counts up to the time to the next event. If you see one star (*), it could be anywhere from 20-40 minutes before the next event. Three red stars (***) means an event will happen within the next ten minutes. Four stars (****) triggers an event.

To trigger an event yourself, right click the Omphalos and pay it L$100. This will trigger one of its 45+ events randomly and reset the stars back to one (*). It will then be 20-40 minutes before the Omphalos triggers another event automatically.

HOW TO GET YOUR GADGET
ROMA Roleplay Gadgets are available free of charge in the Tablinum in ROMA (look on the wall of ROMA Essentials). It does not cost anything to participate in the roleplay via the gadget. It costs L$100 each time if you want to trigger the events yourself.

PLEASE NOTE that this is still in the testing mode (BETA). We will be testing this gadget through the summer. In August we will solicit responses and suggestions to improve the gadget, and release a fully functioning official gadget.

The Passion of Enamabala

Enamabala Towradgi was one of the first 'regulars' in ROMA. In fact, he rented the first stall in the Roman Market to sell his armor, which has been a very popular sale item with and inspiration for visitors to the sim. Senator Towradgi has been a staunch supporter of our sim from the beginning.

For the last few months, Enamabala has been chasing down individuals who have apparently been trying to replicate his armor the only way to do so to a no-copy item, replicating it piece by piece. This is unfortunately not a rare occurrence in SL, which also means that the person whose design is being ripped off is often unable to stop it except by getting the word out. You can read about Enamabala's long uphill climb to try and get the copying to stop in his post on the ROMA Messageboard.

You can also check out these screenshots of the initial copying:


Enamabala's Original



Copy's Shoulder



Copy's Back

The wonders of Google...

Just found... an article on ROMA in the French blog, SecondLife Observer from this past January:

Rome l’impériale

It has some particularly nice photos associated with it by Yoald Penokea:

Yoald's Album

This includes perhaps the best photo of Torin that has ever been taken! :) Thanks for making me photogenic Yoald!

Juno Moneta Festival and the Vestalia

On Saturday the 16th, the Citizens of ROMA celebrated the festival to Juno Moneta. Rituals on the Capitoline Hill were followed with play around the new Tarpeian Rock, a picnic in the Gardens of Maecenas, and a tour of the new ROMA Winery. (Flicker pictures can be found here.)

The next day, the 17th, the Vestalia was celebrated with a torchlight procession through the Subura, rituals at the Collegia temple to Vesta, and late night dancing on the Collegia's grounds. (Flickr pictures can be found here.)

Many thanks to all who organized the festivals and attended!

Bellona Festival in ROMA

Today was the Festival of Bellona in ROMA. The festivities began with a calvary parade by the Legion XIII. Then legionares and the Amazons treated the crowd to a combat demonstration in the Arena. Afterwards, everyone transferred to the Circus where three races were run. Despite the lag, (SL had record levels of people online today) everyone had a good time. The after-festival party in the Tavern went on for a while as the revellers danced in the Pompeii Tavern.

Flickr snapshots can be found here.

The June festivals continue the rest of the weekend, with the festival of Juno on Saturday and of Vesta on Sunday. See the schedule of events in the Tablinum Citizen Center in ROMA.

New Attraction: The Tarpeian Rock

ROMA has always had a Tarpeian Rock, but few people knew about it. So the Emperor recently told his engineers to turn it into a mini-attraction. The Rock has now been roped off and warning signs posted around it.

In antiquity, the Tarpeian Rock was a place of execution for traitors and murderers. They were dragged to the top of the peak and pitched headlong off it. It was named after the treasonous daughter of the commander of the Capitoline citadel, Tarpeia, who showed the Sabines this secret path onto the hill which was located below this large rock. They stormed the citadel and killed Tarpeia in the process. The Romans pushed the Sabines back out, but forever after Romans would remember the name of the woman who would betray her people.

In ROMA, our Tarpeian Rock has been outfitted with a gadget that will allow you to throw yourself off the rock (you need not be a murderer or traitor) and also to do some pretty nifty aerial acrobatics on your way down to the crashing rocks below.

The Tarpeian Rock is located next to the large Temple to Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill in the Forum, on the same platform as the Temple of Vesta.

Announcing the ROMA Winery Vineyard!

The northern slope of the Gardens of Maecenas have been planted with dark, jucy grapes in order to make some official ROMA wine. They will ripen through the summer and we'll pick them in the fall.

Some of the early harvest is already being pressed. Come to the vineyard (next to the Cave of the Sibyl to take advantage of the fertile soil there) and you can help stomp the grapes. Climb into the vat and touch the nearby amphora for instructions how to stomp correctly. You'll even get purple feet!

In order to test the early harvest, touch the large barrel below the vat's spout.

Io Bacchus!

May Festivals A Success!

Over the last three days, citizens of ROMA celebrated four different festivals- those to Fortuna, Mercury, Lemuria, and the Bona Dea. Images from all eight of the special events can be found on our Flickr page.

Many thanks to the members of the Collegia who organized all of the events!

Here are the competitors and winners of the Fortuna Chariot Races:

First Race:

SirTimothy Chevalier (Winner)

Vespasian Cortes

LauraXXXXXX6of7 Demina

Second Race:

Enamabala Towradgi (Winner)

LauraXXXXXX6of7 Demina

Charlemagne Allen

Third Race:

Enamabala Towradgi

SirTimothy Chevalier (Winner)

Vespasian Cortes

Final Race:

SirTimothy Chevalier (Winner)

Jo Soler

Vespasian Cortes

Congratulations!

May Festivals Start Tomorrow! (Thursday)

ROMA will be celebrating the Festivals of Fortuna, Mercury, Lemuria, and the Bona Dea over the next three days. We're going to have a theater performance, chariot races, combat demonstrations, games, carnival, ceremonies, picnic, market, ghost stories, dancing, and a grand feast! Join us in celebrating the May Festivals in ROMA.

Here is the full schedule:
(Note that all times are in SL/Pacific time)

Festival of Fortuna (Thursday 17th May)

9 AM - 'The Bacchae' Performance
The Festival of Fortuna was often celebrated with dramatic performances. There will be a group viewing of the Bacchae in the Theatre of Dionysus in ROMA to open the festival. Come and have a seat then we will start the automated performance. It lasts about a half hour.

12 PM (Noon) - Chariot Races
Come take part in chariot races in the ROMA Circus. A sign-up board will allow you to throw your hat into the ring.

3 PM - Combat Demonstration
The Amazons of Legion XIII will be fighting for your amusement in the ROMA Arena.

6 PM - Games in Fort Legio Augusta
The ROMA Fort will be opened and turned into a carnival with many games. This will including a special competative contest with a prize.

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Festival of Mercurius (Friday 18th May)

1 PM - Blessing of Trajan's Market and the Macellum
This blessing of the Markets in Mercury's name will be performed by the ROMA Collegia of Priests & Priestesses. The ceremony will be led by Flaminia Sugar Zurah. This will be a roleplaying event and all are welcome.

2 PM Subura Picnic & Open Market
There will be an informal feast/picnic in Subura's public gardens (the one with the lake). All welcome! A Pan-ROMA Market Stall will also be set up in Julian Plaza (the first square over the sim border in the Subura).

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Festival of the Bona Dea & Lemuria (Saturday 19th May)

4PM - Lemuria Ghost Stories
The Lemuria placated the spirits of the dead. Bring your favorite spooky tale or poem to the ROMA Odeon to share with the group!

6 PM - Grand Feast of the Bona Dea
This will be held in Subura's public gardens, right outside the Collegia. Dancing!

Collegia Members Graduate

On 8 May, Yvonne Gastel & Kobas Torok took their robes as full members of the Collegia. Amalthea McMahon also was appointed Domina Dea of the Vestals. Congrats to all!

Images from the ceremony and the partying afterward can be found on our Flickr page.

Snapshot Contest Winners!

The contest was judged by ROMA Officers of the Collegia and the Senate, and the Prefect. All entries were evaluated in an anonymous state. Each judge ranked their top 5 choices in each category. Each choice got from 1 to 5 points based on where they fell on each judge's ranking. Total points were tallied for each entry and the 3 entries with the highest scores were named the winners in each category. One judge entered one of the categories and they were ineligible for voting within that category.

Congratulations to the winners! Many thanks to the judges and everyone who took the time to enter! We have some talented (and photographic!) Citizens in ROMA!

First place winners got L$1000, second place L$500, third place L$250. Category 2 had a tie for first place, so each of them got their own L$1000.

Category 1 Winners (Portrait):

Fac ut vivas (Get a life)- Lef Leven


Alexandria Library Wall Fresco- FigBash Snook


Wireframe Abstract- Enamabala Towradgi


Category 2 Winners (Landmark):



Jupiter- WaterFall Semyorka / Basilica- Cristalle Karami (Tie)


Statue of Dionysus- Meliora Lilliehook


Flying Over rome- Veronica2vixen Devoix




Category 3 Winners (History and Culture):


At the Slavemarket - Rich Ladies Looking For A New Toy - Remus Lupino


Entry 3- Angelia Rees


IdesofMarch- WaterFall Semyorka