A DECEMBER MOMENT

December was the tenth month of the year
in ancient Roman times, the year's last month.
And as the baby hides within the womb
for nine full months, but sees the light of day
within the tenth, so also everything
will be reborn beneath December's Sun.

A Winter Solstice Ritual by
Apollonius Sophistes

http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/Saturnalia.html

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A WORD FROM OUR EMPEROR

by Julian Augustus

Your ROMA family wishes you a very happy and healthy holiday season! Stay safe and, of course, IO SATURNALIA!

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ROMA ACHIEVEMENT SYSTEM REPORT

by Torin Golding

December 4th: Congratulations to Alekso Minotaur who joins the ranks of the First Citizens this week! And at the top of the board, Tonina Rodenberger and Achille Back keep trading the highest spot between themselves, with Achille taking firm control of it this week. Congratulations Achille! Check out the full board at http://romacitizens.com/achievementboard.html and look for special holiday badges coming this month!

December 12th: Congratulations to Monty Llewellyn who moved up to join the Equites rank. Well done Monty!

December 18th: Congratulations to Revo Morales who moves up to the rank of Patrician, Laura Rodas, and Montgomery Shelman who move up to the rank of Equites, and very busy Fusia Blaisdale who enters the board this week as an Eques! Congratulations to all!

Find the latest Achievement Board at http://romacitizens.com/achievementboard.html

Look for chances to win special badges this holiday season.

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THINGS TO DO IN ROMA

~~2009 ROMA SATURNALIA GIFT EXCHANGE INSTRUCTIONS~~


I. Come to the holiday tree in the middle of the Forum in ROMA.

II. Buy the gift box under the tree for L$0.

III. Buy the ROMA packing crate under the tree for L$0.

IV. Place a gift into the gift box.

V. Put the full giftbox into the packing crate.

VI. Inscribe your name in the *Description field of the packing crate.

VII. Drop the filled crate back on the Emperor Julian Augustus.


GIFT GUIDELINES:

* If purchased, please make it at least L$ 100 in value (more is appreciated).

* Self-made one of a kinds are also welcome!

* If it is clothes, please make them gender neutral.

* No copy items are best (so it's not just a cast-off from your inventory).

* No freebies.

* Keep the gift box modifyable so the recepient can unpack it. *IMPORTANT*

* Keep everything transferrable so the Emperor can pass it on. *IMPORTANT*

* The gift will be given anonymously, but the emperor will need to add your name to the recipient list so you get a gift in return.

* Also so you don't get your own gift back!


On the Divalia, the Roman winter solstice, which comes right after our Saturnalia festival, you will get a special gift in your inventory. This corresponds to 21 December. On the same date, the Emperor will also give a Torin Golding designed special gift to all participants in the gift exchange.

Julian Augustus
SPQR

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DECEMBER FESTIVAL NEWS

by the Vestalis Maxima

Our December festival is the Saturnalia - the original Saturnalia was the winter solstice festival in Rome. It involved the conventional sacrifices, a couch set out in front of the temple of Saturn and the untying of the ropes that bound the statue of Saturn during the rest of the year. Besides the public rites there were a series of holidays and customs celebrated privately. A Saturnalicius princeps was elected master of ceremonies for the proceedings.

The celebrations included the making and giving of small presents and a special market. Many of the decorations involved greenery - swathes, garlands, wreaths, etc - being hung over doorways and windows, and ornamenting stairs. Ornaments in the trees included sun symbols, stars, and faces of the God Janus (who looked toward both the past and the future, having two faces). Trees were not brought indoors (the Germans started that tradition), but decorated where they grew.

People were just as likely to be ornamented as the trees. Wearing greenery and jewelry of a sacred nature was common. Gambling was allowed for all, even slaves (however, although it was officially condoned only during this period, one should not assume that it was rare or much remarked on during the rest of the year). It was a time to eat, drink, and be merry. The toga was not worn, but rather colorful, informal "dinner clothes", and the pileus (freedman's hat) was worn by everyone. Slaves were exempt from punishment, and treated their masters with disrespect. The slaves celebrated a banquet: before, with, or served by the masters.

Saturnalia became one of the most popular Roman festivals which led to more role-reversal, marked chiefly by having masters and slaves ostensibly switch places (only symbolically - slaves weren't really free to make a freedman's decisions and anything they did or decreed would reverse at the end of Saturnalia). It was license within careful boundaries - it reversed the social order without subverting it. The customary greeting for the occasion is "Io, Saturnalia!" "Io" being a Latin interjection related to "ho" (as in "Ho, praise to Saturn").

***Festival Schedule***

19th Dec. :

Saturnalia Ritual & Tavern Celebration - 10am
Saturnalia Skating & Snowball Fights - 12pm (Noon)
Saturnalia Snowman Building Contest- 2pm

20th Dec. :

Subura Domus Deco Walking Tour - 10am
Saturn's Treasure Hunt - 12pm (Noon)
Saturnalia Scavenger Hunt - 2pm
Saturnalia Grand Feast - 4pm

(For more detailed info on events - see the schedule posted in the Tabularium)

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SUBURA IN THE NEWS

by Petrus Silvanus

Undoubtedly, the party for the promotion of Revus Cornelius Patavius took place amongst one of the most elegant and important events in Subura. His paterfamilias, Petrus C. Silvanus, had intended to host a "simple" ceremony in the Basilica Cornelia, dedicated to their ancestor Sulla.

There he revealed the relic of the "corona graminea" won by Sulla during the siege of Nola (89 BC). (The "corona graminea," otherwise known as the "grass crown," was given to a general who saved his entire army from a besieging enemy and is the most glorious military honor bestowed by the legion.) Such relics are commonly carried in a procession during the funeral of a member of the family, but this time he wanted to use it as a presage of glory for his cousin.

Starting from the basilica, the informal but spectacular walk of the officers of the XIII legio in full dress, together with the other guests, led to the domus of Revus Cornelius, where a sumptuous banquet was prepared and musicians played the most modern dances.

Rumour has it that the matronas had bribed the servants of Patavius in order obtain the secret recipes of Domina Tiberia, who's epicurian was employed to prepare the courses.

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NEW HOPES FOR THE POPULAR ENTERTAINMENTS IN ROMA

From the notices of our beloved Praefectus, we report the following announcement:

A new citizen-run group has been founded in ROMA. The LUDI ROMANI group will incorporate both the previous Charioteers (Agitatores) and Gladiators (LUDUS DACICUS GLADIATORII) groups in ROMA. They have a brand-new gladiator arena in Ostia and are ready to welcome active members of the previous groups, and new members! Want to try your hand at racing or sparring with weapons?

Contact Alekso Minotaur or peter Woody to join... and welcome LUDI ROMANI to ROMA! "The incorporation solves and simplifies a management problem", says Alexius Sejanus Minotauri to our journalist. "Now the two most popular games ofthe empire are organized by the same staff, granting more fun for all!" To the question if citizens can look forward for some surprises, he answers: "Sure, one of the most amazing features of the games is the novelty: we are projecting two new forms of entertainment: the sleigh races and the naumachia, the fight among boats." Look for more developments in future editions of the Acta Roma.

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LATIN WORD of the DAY

by Tonina Rodenberger

PEACE ON EARTH

ET IN TERRA PAX HOMINIBUS = AND ON EARTH PEACE TO MEN

That is what we all wish each other for Christmas…and probably not only then. The longing for peace is as old as mankind itself but as long as mankind exists there has always been also the desire for power and might, which is an obstacle for the peace we need.

I want to wish you all a peaceful Christmas and of course a very happy Saturnalia!

Terra,ae, f. = earth

Pax, pacis, f. = peace

Homo, hominis, m. = human being

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REAL HISTORY IN ANCIENT ROME

by Spaciva Ivanova

The Roman God Saturnus

His name Sator, the sower, signifies abundance of the harvest. Saturn was a working god and a vine-grower. Under the name Sterculius he saw to the manuring of fields and taught the people how to cultivate the ground. His wife Ops was the personification of the earth's riches. Saturn was the King of Italy during its Golden Age.

He was driven from the heavens by Jupiter and hid in the countryside of a land called Latium - the site of the future Roma. Eventually, he became King of Latium, and ruled there with his wife Ops. As king, he brought peace, prosperity and abundance to the kingdom and was honored by having a festival day named for him. Saturnalia later became a week long event at midwinter starting on Dec. 17.

This is the time of year that the Romans decorated their homes with greenery and exchanged presents. Children were given toys and little clay figures called 'sigillaria '. Men would gather, drink wine and reflect on the 'good old days' when the kind Saturnus ruled a world of peace, plenty and placitude.

A big part of Saturnalia was the role reversals. (Not true ones, only symbolic ones - slaves weren't really free to make a freedman's decisions and anything they did or decreed would reverse at the end of Saturnalia.) Recreational gambling in the streets was also temporarily permitted.
During the festival of Saturnalia the red wool ropes that bound his feet for the rest of the year were untied. Saturn's statue was kept tied up in order to prevent him, and the prosperity and abundance he represented, from leaving Rome.

The Romans knew of seven bright objects in the sky, the sun, the moon and five brightest planets. They named them after their most important gods. Saturnus was also the Roman god of time and this is perhaps why the slowest (in orbit around the sun) of the five bright planets was named after him.

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IUVENES INQUIETESQUE

or, as it will be known in about 2000 years; THE JUVENILE AND THE DISQUIET, or maybe... THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS .....
 
by Popea Heron

Last time, we left our now sober revellers with quite a problem on their hands. After spying the priestess being ejected from the temple, they followed a closed litter suspecting she was inside. Upon arrival to a location near the Campus Sceleratus, the two litter carriers began digging a grave. Fearful of their plans to bury the priestess alive, the observors decided they would rescue her. But how to save her without being discovered and how to keep the carriers from noticing her disappearance?

We continue our story........

Standing quietly near a tomb watching the litter carriers digging the grave, our heroes hear whispering. Investigating further, they discovered it was an old hag called Locusta who collected bones and rubbish to create evil potions.

Thinking quickly the drunks pulled the surprised priestess out of the litter and pushed the old hag in her place and covered her demonic face with the priestess' veil. The priestess was safe. She no longer keeps the fire burning of the Vesta Temple, now she tends the tavern ovens.

Regarding the Vesta temple fire, it's still a mystery.

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BIRTHDAYS IN THE NEWS

Birth(Rez)days: Jo Soler and Spaciva Ivanova

Twin daughters of the patrician family Camillus. Shortly after they were born, Jo and Spaciva were separated by tragedy. Their father, Marcus Furius, was killed at the battle of Nuceria. Their Mother, Betty Hyde, after fruitlessly searching for her lost little girl Spaciva, finally returned home to Roma with her precious remaining daughter, Jo. As the years went by, she would wonder what had happened to her little girl child, Spaciva.

Meanwhile, after the death of their father, Spaciva was adopted by his trusted friend, Drusus Metellus who, unfortunately was also killed. Finally, she was raised amongst the legionairies by Scooter Timeless. She formed her own unit- the Legio XIII Amazon aux. While serving with the legio, Spaciva found herself back in Roma, after all these years.

Recently reunited with her mother Betty Hyde and twin sister Jo Soler, Spaciva is still finding extended family in the city. Cousin Rothenius Streeterus Metellus (a nephew of Drusus) and Uncle Vectus, the Praefectus Castrorum of the Legion- How lucky can a girl be !

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