| Subject: |
Outreach expedition |
| From: |
"Diana" <a href="/--------/novaroma?--------ectID=029056091098194209036168000248021208071048" >mercurius@--------</a> |
| Date: |
Sat, 26 Feb 2000 11:04:10 +0100 |
|
Hi Merrullus,
Congratulations on your Outreach expedition. Wheter or not you succeeded in
your objectives doesn't
really matter--the initiative was there and just for that alone, you should
pat yourself on the back.
>My main objective was to gauge the interest of Classics Dept. faculty
> in hearing a presentation on Nova Roma,
>and/or someday achieving some sort of "recognition" of NR by
> the BU Classics Dept..
> In contrast, the professor from UMASS seemed to think that I was insane.
Yes, it is quite difficult to some up an organization in a few sentences
when the person that you are speaking to probably has 10 other people that
are waiting to speak to him. I have noticed that when people read the NR
website they think that our goal is to have a Roman nation so that everyone
will adopt Roman values, etc. . That is when they get nervous and think that
we are insane--They quickly assume that NR wants to start a revolution. And
if we introduce ourselves as a "Consul" etc, they will also think we are all
in fantasy land. My personal way of talking about NR is that we are a group
dedicated to the study of all things Roman and isn't it just so much fun
that within the group, everyone uses the ancient Roman titles of office
instead of the mundane words like secretary, webmaster, editor, etc. I know
that I use a very simplistic style of "propaganda" but I have found that it
works to get people to ask a few questions without them thinking that I am a
nut!
Just a few comments from the peanut gallery.
Diana
|
| Subject: |
The Aeneid |
| From: |
"Nicolaus Moravius" <a --------="/post/novaroma?protectID=091089014007127031215056228219114187071048139" >n_moravius@--------</a> |
| Date: |
Sat, 26 Feb 2000 09:54:01 PST |
|
Salvete!
Has anyone any thoughts on how the Aeneid was presented and consumed
in the Empire, especially in the time of Augustus himself?
Assuming a ten per cent literacy rate, was it simply an elite product?
Or was it designed (given its metrical structure) to be publicly performed?
Somebody asked this at a tutorial this morning and nobody had an answer.
Your opinions, Citizens, would be much appreciated.
Valete bene,
Vado.
______________________________________________________
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|
| Subject: |
Re: The Aeneid |
| From: |
|
| Date: |
Sat, 26 Feb 2000 13:29:23 EST |
|
Salvete!
I think the Aeneid was obviously written to be a moral lesson for the
entire public, so it was probably meant to be publicly performed. Along with
Livy, Vergil was trying to spread the mythical moral values of the early
Romans to his morally ravaged contemporaries. Also Vergil was trying to make
Augustus look good, even divine; remember the scene where Neptune comes out
of the sea and quells the rioters? I have a feeling that was meant to be
Augustus. Anyway, just my opinion.
For the Senate and the Roman People, Valete!
Drusus Cornelius Claudius
|
| Subject: |
Re: The Aeneid |
| From: |
|
| Date: |
Sat, 26 Feb 2000 15:37:21 EST |
|
Salve!
<< Has anyone any thoughts on how the Aeneid was presented and consumed
in the Empire, especially in the time of Augustus himself?
Assuming a ten per cent literacy rate, was it simply an elite product?
Or was it designed (given its metrical structure) to be publicly performed?
Somebody asked this at a tutorial this morning and nobody had an answer.
Your opinions, Citizens, would be much appreciated.>>
I've read in certain texts that Wealthy Romans had as many as 20 Greek Slaves
just to recite the Aeneid at social gatherings.
Vale!
Iulius Thompsonus
Faber est suae quisque fortunae.
|
| Subject: |
call it outreach |
| From: |
|
| Date: |
Sat, 26 Feb 2000 13:43:22 -0800 |
|
Salvete,
Last weekend, in San Francisco, California, there was a Pagan
convention
that is named Pantheacon. It has been an annual event for several
years.
I have only been to it once, several years ago, and that was only for
a few hours.
It is the usual assortment of the contemporary scene; Celtic, Nordic,
Wicca, African,
Stregheria, Dianic, etc. No Roman. When I got the flyer for it this
year I sounded
them out for a slot to do a Religio Romana presentation. I asked Gn.
Tarquinius Caesar
to help me with the presentation. We worked out a (call it a) ritual,
an invocation in
Latin and English. Cobbled it together from various sources, like the
rituals on the
NR website. (During the discussion period one of the people present
asked if we
were "oath sworn" not to pass on the rituals. I said that one could
say that being
Romans we took a legal approach. The Nova Roma rituals on the site
were copyrighted.)
After the short ritual we talked about the Religio, took questions
from the room and
had a good discussion. We had a number of flyers for the interested
to take, I put the
remainder on the literature table in the lobby of the convention. One
man was
particularly interested in contacting Cassius, Caesar provided the
addy.
Basically the presentation went well. The people were receptive and
polite.
After a lunch together Caesar went on to work and I went home.
I had a friend take a photo of Caesar and I. He was wearing his toga,
I was
wearing the blue blazer and tan slacks with tie costume.
Unfortunately I have
since found out that the camera was not set correctly for the speed
film that
it was loaded with. We will see how that comes out.
Valete.
C. Aelius Ericius.
|
| Subject: |
Re: Outreach expedition |
| From: |
|
| Date: |
Sat, 26 Feb 2000 22:37:42 EST |
|
In a message dated 2/26/00 2:13:22 AM Pacific Standard Time,
<a href="/--------/novaroma?--------ectID=029056091098194209036168000248021208071048" >mercurius@--------</a> writes:
Diana:
>I have noticed that when people read the NR
website they think that our goal is to have a Roman nation so that everyone
will adopt Roman values, etc. . That is when they get nervous and think that
we are insane--They quickly assume that NR wants to start a revolution.
Cassius:
One of the downfalls of being a "Micronation" to be sure! Yet it has helped
us to both form a sense of community and give us a feeling of being a part of
a contiguous chain of historical events. Not to mention the fact that folks
who dismiss the concept as insane would be just as quick to ignore us as just
another small academic Latin or historical society. At least we're not
quickly forgotten! ;)
Diana:
>And
if we introduce ourselves as a "Consul" etc, they will also think we are all
in fantasy land. My personal way of talking about NR is that we are a group
dedicated to the study of all things Roman and isn't it just so much fun
that within the group, everyone uses the ancient Roman titles of office
instead of the mundane words like secretary, webmaster, editor, etc.
Cassius:
Whatever works! When describing NR I usually just say that we've adopted the
Roman style of organization since it's something we're all commonly familiar
with. What better way to bring Roman enthusiasts together worldwide than use
the one system which we all have interest in?
Diana:
> I know
that I use a very simplistic style of "propaganda" but I have found that it
works to get people to ask a few questions without them thinking that I am a
nut!
Cassius:
Good for you! Helping people see the thing from the point of view of a Roman
enthusiast has got to be helpful.
Valete,
Marcus Cassius Julianus
|
| Subject: |
Re: Outreach expedition (longish) |
| From: |
|
| Date: |
Sat, 26 Feb 2000 23:11:33 EST |
|
In a message dated 2/25/00 8:31:12 AM Pacific Standard Time,
<a href="/post/novaroma?prote--------=194232192180194153138149203043129208071" >rmerullo@--------</a> writes:
Merullus:
<< In an attempt to implement Consul Audens' Outreach Program, I attended
yesterday a study group "Myth, Cult and Poet: the performative context of
the Homeric Hymn to Hermes" sponsored by the Boston University Classics
Dept. My main objective was to gauge the interest of Classics Dept. faculty
in hearing a presentation on Nova Roma, with the thought of eventually
forming some kind of collaborative relationship between the BU Classics
Dept. and NR, and/or someday achieving some sort of "recognition" of NR by
the BU Classics Dept..
Cassius:
I'm impressed! Great to see someone focusing some effort outward as opposed
to waiting for people/organizations to approach us. This was a good thing to
do no matter what, and it's an inspiring attempt.
Merullus:
>My secondary objective was to learn something about
the subject material under study, which is of interest to me.
Cassius:
Did you learn anything you considered to be valuable? Anything you could post
or possibly even submit as a review for "The Eagle"? Palladius is always
looking for interesting material for publication and this sounds like a good
topic.
Merullus:
I am sorry to report that I outright failed to achieve the main objective.
Cassius:
You did NOT fail. Such things are almost never achieved on the first attempt,
or even the fifth. What you *succeeded* in doing was to introduce a new
concept for the first time to a few people. It might well take a few years
for Nova Roma to even be considered by such academic circles. The only way it
can be done is for the idea to be brought up repeatedly so that it doesn't
get ignored or forgotten.
Merullus:
I talked with only two people at the end of the presentation: a professor
from the University of Massachusetts, and the visiting author who had
presented her paper. The only good thing that I can say is that the author
expressed interest in what I had to say, offered to send me some information
on her references for the upcoming paper on the Homeric hymn, and requested
not one but two NR flyers. The second one was for her fiance, who teaches
the study of Roman religion at Princeton.
Cassius:
Now that IS success. Even if they're totally turned off by the idea of NR,
they'll very likely mention it to one or two people. Those one or two might
well pass it on again...
Merullus:
In contrast, the professor from UMASS seemed to think that I was insane.
Cassius:
Again, same deal. Hopefully he thought it was *really* insane, so much so
that he's been telling everyone he knows about these new whackos on the
Classical interest scene... ;)
Merullus
>I did not manage to talk with anyone else, because while I was waiting for
the
author to sign my copy of her book "Restless Dead" (which I had bought and
mostly read in the three days or so leading up to the study group, based on
some misinformation that it was to be the subject of the study group - but I
also thought that it would provide a good vehicle to approach the author and
start a conversation, which it did), the faculty exited the room, shaking
the author's hand and congratulating her as they went.
Cassius:
At such an event it's amazing you got a word in to anybody! :)
Merullus:
> As for my secondary, more selfish objective, that was pretty successfully
achieved. Not only did I get some perspectives on Greek thoughts about
Hermes, but I also witnessed academic presentation and criticism of a
research paper, something to which I get no exposure regularly.
Cassius:
That in itself is interesting, now that you mention it.
Merullus:
The paper, which is apparently not yet finished, analyzes the Homeric hymn
to Hermes in terms of its performative context. The hymn is thought to be
odd and puzzling in and of itself, but has much more meaning once its
context is determined. The author asserts that the hymn was composed for
performance at the Hermaia festival in the city of Pellene. The Hermaia,
according to the author, would have consisted largely of athletic contests
among Greek boys approaching the age of manhood. Participation would have
been a part of a sort of initiation into manhood and earning approbation of
men. This approbation is reflected in Apollo's befriending Hermes at the
end of the hymn. The author also draws a parrallel between the athletic
contests of the Hermaia and early Indo-European cattle-raiding as a rite of
initiation into manhood. It fascinated me to listen to the presentation of
these ideas, each of which was supported by research, then listen to the
series of questions, coming from a couple of elderly faculty members who had
no notes to refer to or anything, that seemed to last almost as long as the
presentation itself and cast doubt on some of the paper's premises. I got
the impression that these gentlemen had probably read every book in the
library at least three times. The author answered all the questions, but I
am curious to see whether she'll maintain some of her assertions, including
the certainty of the geographic placement at Pellene and the parrallel with
the cattle raids, in the published version.
>>
Cassius:
If you hear more, please do post. I'm wondering about the subject myself now!
Anyway, your effort may have seemed modest at the time, but getting to hand
out two flyers was really quite a success for such an event. It's hard to get
anything in "edgewise" when the focus is on a speaker and a presentation. As
I said, your doing this was rather inspiring... I'll start keeping an eye
open for such events myself now!
Vale,
Marcus Cassius Julianus
|
| Subject: |
Re: Re: Outreach expedition (longish) |
| From: |
"Rick Brett" <a --------="/post/novaroma?protectID=189212253108160085015199190036129" >trog99@--------</a> |
| Date: |
Sat, 26 Feb 2000 21:33:58 PST |
|
Salvete, Assensus Merullus: I feel, along with Marcus Cassius Julianus
et.al, that you cannot call your efforts by any means a failure! At such a
busy event, you managed to connect with a couple of key people who seem
positive about NR. Don't forget...the vast majority of those in attendance
were probably quite focussed on the established agenda to boot, making it
difficult for their attention to be diverted to another subject, namely Nova
Roma. This is bound to happen. Without getting too metaphoric, I liken any
outreach program to starting a perrenial garden by seeds....you sow several,
but only a few "take". But the ones that do "take" grow into vigorous
"quality" plants, which through either division or reseeding, multiply!! It
is a slow process, but very worthwhile; with this line of thought in mind,
you must consider your efforts the other day to be very worthwhile.
"Nova Roma wasn't built in a day!"
Valete, Pompeia Cornelia Strabo
>From: <--------ef="/post/nov----------------otectID=219166066112082162090021200165114253071048139" >c--------us622@--------</--------;
>Reply-To: <a href="mailto:novaroma@--------" >novaroma@--------</a>
>To: <a href="mailto:novaroma@--------" >novaroma@--------</a>
>Subject: [novaroma] Re: Outreach expedition (longish)
>Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 23:11:33 EST
>
>From: <--------ef="/post/nov----------------otectID=219166066112082162090021200165114253071048139" >c--------us622@--------</--------;
>
>In a message dated 2/25/00 8:31:12 AM Pacific Standard Time,
><a href="/post/novaroma?prote--------=194232192180194153138149203043129208071" >rmerullo@--------</a> writes:
>
>Merullus:
><< In an attempt to implement Consul Audens' Outreach Program, I attended
> yesterday a study group "Myth, Cult and Poet: the performative context
>of
> the Homeric Hymn to Hermes" sponsored by the Boston University Classics
> Dept. My main objective was to gauge the interest of Classics Dept.
>faculty
> in hearing a presentation on Nova Roma, with the thought of eventually
> forming some kind of collaborative relationship between the BU Classics
> Dept. and NR, and/or someday achieving some sort of "recognition" of NR
>by
> the BU Classics Dept..
>
>Cassius:
>I'm impressed! Great to see someone focusing some effort outward as opposed
>to waiting for people/organizations to approach us. This was a good thing
>to
>do no matter what, and it's an inspiring attempt.
>
>Merullus:
> >My secondary objective was to learn something about
> the subject material under study, which is of interest to me.
>
>Cassius:
>Did you learn anything you considered to be valuable? Anything you could
>post
>or possibly even submit as a review for "The Eagle"? Palladius is always
>looking for interesting material for publication and this sounds like a
>good
>topic.
>
> Merullus:
> I am sorry to report that I outright failed to achieve the main
>objective.
>
>Cassius:
>You did NOT fail. Such things are almost never achieved on the first
>attempt,
>or even the fifth. What you *succeeded* in doing was to introduce a new
>concept for the first time to a few people. It might well take a few years
>for Nova Roma to even be considered by such academic circles. The only way
>it
>can be done is for the idea to be brought up repeatedly so that it doesn't
>get ignored or forgotten.
>
>Merullus:
> I talked with only two people at the end of the presentation: a
>professor
> from the University of Massachusetts, and the visiting author who had
> presented her paper. The only good thing that I can say is that the
>author
> expressed interest in what I had to say, offered to send me some
>information
> on her references for the upcoming paper on the Homeric hymn, and
>requested
> not one but two NR flyers. The second one was for her fiance, who
>teaches
> the study of Roman religion at Princeton.
>
>Cassius:
>Now that IS success. Even if they're totally turned off by the idea of NR,
>they'll very likely mention it to one or two people. Those one or two might
>well pass it on again...
>
>Merullus:
> In contrast, the professor from UMASS seemed to think that I was insane.
>
>Cassius:
>Again, same deal. Hopefully he thought it was *really* insane, so much so
>that he's been telling everyone he knows about these new whackos on the
>Classical interest scene... ;)
>
>Merullus
> >I did not manage to talk with anyone else, because while I was waiting
>for
>the
> author to sign my copy of her book "Restless Dead" (which I had bought
>and
> mostly read in the three days or so leading up to the study group, based
>on
> some misinformation that it was to be the subject of the study group -
>but I
> also thought that it would provide a good vehicle to approach the author
>and
> start a conversation, which it did), the faculty exited the room, shaking
> the author's hand and congratulating her as they went.
>
>Cassius:
>At such an event it's amazing you got a word in to anybody! :)
>
>Merullus:
> > As for my secondary, more selfish objective, that was pretty
>successfully
> achieved. Not only did I get some perspectives on Greek thoughts about
> Hermes, but I also witnessed academic presentation and criticism of a
> research paper, something to which I get no exposure regularly.
>
>Cassius:
>That in itself is interesting, now that you mention it.
>
>Merullus:
> The paper, which is apparently not yet finished, analyzes the Homeric
>hymn
> to Hermes in terms of its performative context. The hymn is thought to
>be
> odd and puzzling in and of itself, but has much more meaning once its
> context is determined. The author asserts that the hymn was composed for
> performance at the Hermaia festival in the city of Pellene. The Hermaia,
> according to the author, would have consisted largely of athletic
>contests
> among Greek boys approaching the age of manhood. Participation would
>have
> been a part of a sort of initiation into manhood and earning approbation
>of
> men. This approbation is reflected in Apollo's befriending Hermes at the
> end of the hymn. The author also draws a parrallel between the athletic
> contests of the Hermaia and early Indo-European cattle-raiding as a rite
>of
> initiation into manhood. It fascinated me to listen to the presentation
>of
> these ideas, each of which was supported by research, then listen to the
> series of questions, coming from a couple of elderly faculty members who
>had
> no notes to refer to or anything, that seemed to last almost as long as
>the
> presentation itself and cast doubt on some of the paper's premises. I
>got
> the impression that these gentlemen had probably read every book in the
> library at least three times. The author answered all the questions, but
>I
> am curious to see whether she'll maintain some of her assertions,
>including
> the certainty of the geographic placement at Pellene and the parrallel
>with
> the cattle raids, in the published version.
> >>
>
>Cassius:
>If you hear more, please do post. I'm wondering about the subject myself
>now!
>Anyway, your effort may have seemed modest at the time, but getting to hand
>out two flyers was really quite a success for such an event. It's hard to
>get
>anything in "edgewise" when the focus is on a speaker and a presentation.
>As
>I said, your doing this was rather inspiring... I'll start keeping an eye
>open for such events myself now!
>
>Vale,
>
>Marcus Cassius Julianus
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
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>
>
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|
| Subject: |
Re: call it outreach |
| From: |
"Rick Brett" <a --------="/post/novaroma?protectID=189212253108160085015199190036129" >trog99@--------</a> |
| Date: |
Sat, 26 Feb 2000 21:54:47 PST |
|
Salvete, Pontiff Aleius Ericius: I would certainly call that "outreach"!!
Sounds like everything went exactly as you guys had planned; regarding the
photographs...if they turn out (and I hope they do) are they maybe destined
for the website or perhaps The Eagle?
Buona Fortuna Always,
Pompeia Cornelia Strabo
<a hr--------/post/novaroma?prot--------D=194166216056078116169218163036129208" >raz--------@--------</a>
>Reply-To: <a href="mailto:novaroma@--------" >novaroma@--------</a>
>To: Nova Roma <a href="mailto:novaroma@--------" >novaroma@--------</a>, Collegium Pontificum
><a href="mailto:CollegiumPontifa@--------" >CollegiumPontifa@--------</a>, Religio list <a href="mailto:religio@--------" >religio@--------</a>
>Subject: [novaroma] call it outreach
>Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 13:43:22 -0800
>
>From: Raz-------- <a hr--------/post/novaroma?prot--------D=194166216056078116169218163036129208" >raz--------@--------</a>
>
>Salvete,
>
>Last weekend, in San Francisco, California, there was a Pagan
>convention
>that is named Pantheacon. It has been an annual event for several
>years.
>I have only been to it once, several years ago, and that was only for
>a few hours.
>It is the usual assortment of the contemporary scene; Celtic, Nordic,
>Wicca, African,
>Stregheria, Dianic, etc. No Roman. When I got the flyer for it this
>year I sounded
>them out for a slot to do a Religio Romana presentation. I asked Gn.
>Tarquinius Caesar
>to help me with the presentation. We worked out a (call it a) ritual,
>an invocation in
>Latin and English. Cobbled it together from various sources, like the
>rituals on the
>NR website. (During the discussion period one of the people present
>asked if we
>were "oath sworn" not to pass on the rituals. I said that one could
>say that being
>Romans we took a legal approach. The Nova Roma rituals on the site
>were copyrighted.)
>After the short ritual we talked about the Religio, took questions
>from the room and
>had a good discussion. We had a number of flyers for the interested
>to take, I put the
>remainder on the literature table in the lobby of the convention. One
>man was
>particularly interested in contacting Cassius, Caesar provided the
>addy.
>Basically the presentation went well. The people were receptive and
>polite.
>After a lunch together Caesar went on to work and I went home.
>
>I had a friend take a photo of Caesar and I. He was wearing his toga,
>I was
>wearing the blue blazer and tan slacks with tie costume.
>Unfortunately I have
>since found out that the camera was not set correctly for the speed
>film that
>it was loaded with. We will see how that comes out.
>
>Valete.
>C. Aelius Ericius.
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Show your style! Choose from 6 great card designs when you
>apply for Capital One's 9.9% Fixed APR Visa Platinum.
><a href="http://click.egroups.com/1/1894/3/_/61050/_/951601457/" target="_top" >http://click.egroups.com/1/1894/3/_/61050/_/951601457/</a>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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|
