November/December 2758 auc

Nobilitas: defined as "Nobility" Noble action within the public sphere.

In my humble view this public virtue refers not to the Family nobility as in the Nobles surrounding the Emperor, but rather in their behavior before the public. Particularly if these individuals are serving the citizens of Nova Roma. I have been severely lectured in the past that my views of this micronation is the view not of the 1st and 2nd century B.C. but rather of the 18th century where people are both polite in society and to one another. I have considered this castigation in my studies of the Roman world, and I find that this accusation simply does not hold up well with the idea that the Romans developed and held up as a standard both the private and public virtues like the one under present discussion.

To me a person can be "noble" in his or her approach to those with who there is a disagreement. It is not necessary and often quite
counterproductive to descend into harsh accusative language and name -calling.
I see nothing at all noble in that. Yet, there are those in Nova Roma who persist in just such speech and antics. in clear violation of the Public Virtues which were used as a standard for the behavior of those who serve the nation, as well as every man and woman to pursue in both a private and public way.

I am quite aware of the beliefs of the Roman culture, and the idea that the Romans were strong -minded and abhorred weakness. How polite
disagreement ca be just as effective as impolite disagreement and in many cases much more so. Someone who dismisses my views by name-calling and harsh impolite language is not likely to get my careful consideration of his points, whereby one who is polite in his / her argument is very likely to get my serious consideration of his views as opposed to my own.
In this I do not feel that I am so very different from most people. I have never encountered anyone who have seriously considered the opposing points of one who has treated him wrongly., it is simply very
unlikely.

I am amused at those who join Nova Roma and wonder almost immediately why we are not building a city to rival Rome. when the cost of such a
project would run into, at the very least, millions of dollars. However, very often those same people do not give a second thought to their behavior on-line, and their verbal association with other citizens and those who may become citizens. This when the Virtues are now and were then a measure by which a person great or small should conduct oneself.

I am well aware that I have a long way to go in all the virtues and in my lifespan will probably never fully succeed in any of them. However, I believe that I am somewhere on the line to my goal which is to be the kind of person that people will wish to associate with. I am pleased to review the Virtues periodically, write about them, and measure my
advancement in them (if there is any to measure) or more likely any ground I have lost. To me the Virtues mean what I believe they meant in
ancient Rome, that they were held up as goals for those Roman citizens to strive for. If such is not so, as some have indicated, then I wonder why the Virtues are there, and why they are so well known in antiquity.