Vicus Fluminis Gilae (Nova Roma)

NEWS: WELCOME TO OUR NEW MAGISTRATES AND OFFICERS!

FOEDVS DE CONSTITVTIONE OPPIDVM FLVMINIS GILAE

I. Name of the Oppidum

In accordance with the Lex Fabia de oppidis et municipiis (“Lex Fabia”), we the citizens of Nova Roma in the southern counties of the State of Arizona establish Oppidum Fluminis Gilae by this foedus. This foedus is given to the Propraetrix of the Provinicia America Austroccidentalis, the Oppidum being a local subdivision of this province.

II. Geographical Limits

Oppidum Fluminis Gilae shall include the counties of Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Gila, Graham, and Greenlee in the State of Arizona in the United States of America.

III. Membership

A. Every citizen of Nova Roma living in the counties listed in Article II shall have the right to be a member of the Oppidum. (Lex Fabia 1.2)

B. Any citizen of Nova Roma who lives in the counties listed in Article II and wishes to become a member of the Oppidum shall register with the Aediles by sending a written request.

C. Every member of the Oppidum shall have the right to relinquish his or her membership in the Oppidum without losing any of his or her rights as a citizen of Nova Roma. (Lex Fabia 1.3)

D. Loss of Nova Roman citizenship shall involve loss of membership in the Oppidum. (Lex Fabia 1.4)

E. The process of re-admission to membership shall be determined by the Comitia Oppidana.

IV. Documents

A. The following public documents shall be instituted. The Aediles shall be responsible for maintaining these documents.

1. The Album Civium, listing the names of the citizens of Nova Roma who are also members of the Oppidum.

2. The Tabularium, recording the leges and actiones of the Comitia Oppidana and the edicta issued by the Aediles.

3. The Acta, recording the minutes of the meetings of the Comitia Oppidana.

B. These documents shall be maintained on paper or other permanent medium.

C. One copy of each document shall be held by each Aedile, and one copy of each document shall be held in the Aerarium.

V. Institutions and Magistrates

A. Comitia Oppidana, the general assembly of all the members of the Oppidum

B. Aediles, two magistrates elected once a year

C. Scribae, appointed by each Aedile, not to exceed one for each Aedile

D. Sacerdos Solis, a chaplain elected once a year to lead the religious ceremonies of the Oppidum

E. Other offices may be created by the Comitia Oppidana to perform specific duties.

VI. Comitia Oppidana

A. The Comitia Oppidana is composed of all the members of the Oppidum.

B. All members shall have the right to speak and vote in the Comitia. (Lex Fabia 4.5)

C. The Comitia shall elect all local magistrates and enact leges and actiones binding upon all the members of the Oppidum. (Lex Fabia 4.3)

D. The Comitia shall assemble four times a year on a dies comitales. (Lex Fabia 4.6) These quarterly meetings shall take place in March, June, September and December. Other meetings of the Comitia may be called by the Aediles.

E. One or both of the Aediles shall summon the Comitia by edictum issued at least two weeks before the assembly. (Lex Fabia 4.4)

F. The election of magistrates shall take place at the December meeting of the Comitia.

G. Voting in the Comitia requires the physical presence of the voter in the place where the Comitia is being held. (Lex Fabia 4.2)

H. Procedural matters regarding a quorum and related issues shall be determined by the Comitia.

I. Voting may be done by voice or by secret ballot. For weighty matters, such as the election of magistrates, the secret ballot is preferred.

J. For a voice vote, one of the Aediles is responsible for counting. For a secret ballot, the Sacerdos Solis is responsible for counting.

K. The Comitia passes:

1. Leges (sing., lex), which deal with weighty matters and procedures.

2. Actiones (sing., actio), which cover other matters.

3. The Comitia shall determine what constitutes a majority and what sort of majority is needed for each of these types of legislation.

VII. Aediles

A. There shall be two Aediles, who are collegial magistrates of equal power. They are the highest magistrates in the Oppidum. (Lex Fabia 6.2)

B. The Aediles shall be elected by the Comitia Oppidana at the quarterly meeting in December.

C. The term of office shall be a full calendar year.

D. A member cannot serve two successive terms as Aedile. Under extraordinary circumstances, the Comitia Oppidana may pass an actio to extend the term for up to one year.

E. The election of new Aediles shall be certified to the provincial governor by the incumbent Aediles as soon as conveniently possible after the election.

F. The duties of the Aediles are:

1. To summon the Comitia Oppidana and preside over its meetings;

2. To maintain the local Album Civium, Tabularium, and Acta;

3. To issue edicta affecting the Oppidum;

4. To exercise intercessio against another local magistrate of equal or lesser authority. (Lex Fabia 6.4)

G. Each Aedile may appoint one scribe to assist with administrative and other tasks, as he or she shall see fit. (Lex Fabia 6.4)

H. The Aediles accomplish their functions by issuing Edicta.

1. When one Aedile issues an Edictum, his or her colleague will have nine days in which to exercise intercessio.

2. A vetoed Edictum may be brought before a meeting of the Comitia Oppidana, whether a regularly scheduled meeting or a special meeting duly summoned by either Aedile.

3. Edicta are subject to alteration by actio of the Comitia Oppidana.

I. The procedure for removing an Aedile from office shall be determined by the Comitia Oppidana.

J. Should an Aedile leave the Oppidum before the end of his or her term, the remaining Aedile shall notify the governor and hold elections for a new Aedile, who shall have the right to stand for election in the following year.

K. The provincial governor may, at his or her discretion, remove one or both of the Aediles by edictum. He or she will then make arrangements for new elections.

VIII. Intercessio and Legal Precedence

A. The magistrates of Nova Roma and the provincial governor shall have the power of intercessio over the Aediles and the Comitia Oppidana. (Lex Fabia 5.3)

B. Each Aedile shall have the power of intercessio over his or her colleague and over other minor magistrates of the Oppidum. (Lex Fabia 6.4.c)

C. The Constitution and laws of Nova Roma, the Senatus Consulta of the Senate of Nova Roma, the edicta of magistrates of Nova Roma (including the provincial governor), and the decreta of the pontifical and augural colleges of Nova Roma shall have precedence over leges and actiones of the Comitia Oppidana and edicta of the Aediles. (Lex Fabia 5.2)

D. Leges and actiones of the Comitia Oppidana shall have precedence over edicta of the Aediles and other local magistrates. (Lex Fabia 5.1)

E. The acts of the lesser magistrates are under the authority of leges and actiones of the Comitia Oppidana and of edicta of the Aediles.

IX. Religio

A. In keeping with the Constitution of Nova Roma (II.B.1), every member of the Oppidum has the right to his or her own religious beliefs, including non-belief.

B. Apart from its members’ individual beliefs, Oppidum Fluminis Gilae, as a local part of Nova Roma, supports the Religio Romana with public rites and ceremonies to the gods.

C. The patron deity of Oppidum Fluminis Gilae is the god Sol, known also as Sol Indiges, and known to the Greeks as Helios.

D. The leader of the Religio Romana in the Oppidum is the Sacerdos Solis. [Footnote: In Latin, sacerdos can be either masculine or feminine.]

E. The Sacerdos Solis shall be elected at the December meeting of the Comitia Oppidana.

F. The term of office shall be a full calendar year.

G. The Sacerdos Solis may not also be an Aedile at the same time.

H. The Sacerdos Solis may appoint one assistant to assure that the rites of the Oppidum are maintained.

I. The duties of the Sacerdos Solis are:

1. To offer worship to the gods at every meeting of the Comitia;

2. To lead the religious rites surrounding any Roman event sponsored by the Oppidum;

3. To invite the members to festivals of the gods;

4. To create and/or maintain a book of rituals and ceremonies to be used in the Oppidum;

5. To prepare and publish the calendar of the Oppidum for the year of his or her term. This calendar shall conform to the official calendar of Nova Roma, with appropriate local additions;

6. To faithfully count the secret ballots of the Comitia Oppidana.

J. Other priesthoods may be created, either by lex of the Comitia Oppidana or by edictum of the Aediles, as confirmed by actio of the Comitia.

X. Aerarium

A. The treasury of the Oppidum shall be known as the Aerarium.

B. One of the Aediles shall be responsible for the Aerarium.

C. The Comitia Oppidana may elect one or two members as Quaestors to take charge of the Aerarium, under the authority of the Aediles.

D. The magistrate who maintains the Aerarium shall report the finances of the Oppidum at each meeting of the Comitia Oppidana.

E. The financial books of the Oppidum shall be made available for all members to examine if they request.

XI. Praesidium

A. The Comitia Oppidana shall establish a praesidium, composed of volunteer citizens.

B. The Comitia shall elect a citizen to serve as the leader of the praesidium at its meeting in December.

C. The term of office for this leader shall be for a full calendar year.

D. The leader of the praesidium may also be an Aedile or the Sacerdos Solis.

E. The duties of the members of the praesidium shall be:

1. To preserve the honor of Nova Roma and Oppidum Fluminis Gilae;

2. To protect the citizens of the Oppidum and its magistrates;

3. To serve as an honor guard for the magistrates.

XII. Modifications to this Foedus

A. This foedus may be modified by a lex approved by the Comitia Oppidana.

B. Once the lex has passed, the Aediles will jointly submit the revised foedus to the governor for approval.

QVOD BONVM FAVSTVM FELIXQUE SIT. This foedus is herewith approved by the citizens of Oppidum Fluminis Gilae, a.d. IV Id. Sex. ‡ M. Moravio T. Iulio cos. ‡ MMDCCLXI a.u.c.

Citizens (arranged by nomen)

• Gaius Albius Trigeminus, Tucson
• Gnaeus Caelius Ahenobarbus, Tucson
• Gaius Iulius Iulianus, Tucson
• Gaia Ovidia Lepida, Tucson
• Marcus Valerius Potitus, Phoenix

Provisional Citizens

• Gaia Aurelia Trigemina, Tucson

Tucson, Arizona, US, a.d. IV Id. Sext. ‡ M. Moravio T. Iulio cos. ‡ MMDCCLXI a.u.c.

EX OFFICIO PROPRAETORIS AMERICA AUSTROCCIDENTALIS:

EDICTUM PROPRAETORICUM DE OPPIDUM FLUMINIS GĪLAE.

Having received the foedus from the following citizens:

• Gaius Albius Trigeminus
• Gnaeus Caelius Ahenobarbus
• Gaius Iulius Iulianus
• Gaia Ovidia Lepida
• Marcus Valerius Potitus
• Gaia Aurelia Trigemina,

I, Arnamentia Moravia Aurelia, Legata Propraetore of the Provincia America Austroccidentalis, approve their request to form an Oppidum in the Southern counties of the State of Arizona in concordance with Lex Fabia de Oppidis et Municipiis. For that:

• the official name of the oppidum will be Oppidum Fluminis Gīlae.
• the geographical limits of the Oppidum Fluminis Gīlae are represented by the counties of Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Gila, Graham, and Greenlee in the State of Arizona (in the United States of America.)
• every Nova Roman citizen from the designated area is citizen of the nominated oppidum at the time he/she has Nova Roman citizenship.
• The Comitia Oppidana is represented by all oppidum citizens and it has the rights and responsibilities described by the Lex Fabia de Oppidis et Municipiis, point 4.
• The Comitia Oppidana will approve or reject local proposed laws (leges oppidanae) in conformity with the legal precedence described by Lex Fabia de Oppidis et Municipiis, point 5.
• The Comitia Oppidana will elect two aediles for a one-year term and they will have the rights and duties described by Lex Fabia de Oppidis et Municipiis, point 6.

I nominate G. Caelius Ahenobarbus and M. Valerius Potitus as provisional aediles with the duty to handle the elections of oppidum's first magistrates in concordance with Lex Fabia de Oppidis et Municipiis, point 3.3.

This edict is effective immediately. Given under my hand this 31st day of August 2761 ab Urbis condita (CE 2008) in the consulships of M. Moravius and T. Iulius.

A. Moravia Aurelia Legata Propretore, America Austroccidentalis

    Cn. Caelius Ahenobarbus Omnibus S.P.D.

    I, Gnaeus Caelius Ahenobarbus, hereby declare my candidacy for the position of Aedilis in Oppidum Fluminis Gilae.

    I am 37 years old and live in the locality of Tucson. I am a yoga teacher and a student. I joined Nova Roma in Aprilis of 2761 a.u.c. (2008 CE) after deciding to pursue a long-standing latent interest in Rome, Roman history, and Roman culture and language. As I have learned more about Roma antiqua, I have also learned that I should be an active part of Nova Roma. I am currently studying the early history of western civilization and the Latin language at a local community college; these courses are leading to a degree in Linguistics, possibly with a minor in Latin.

    Oppidum Fluminis Gilae is the first oppidum in the Americas. There is much to be done here in the oppidum, but we will also be observed closely by others. We need to set an excellent example. I believe we have already begun to do so.

    In the office of aedilis oppidi, I will help the oppidum to grow by advertising our existence. I will help the oppidum to be beneficial to its members in many ways, through regular meetings, group projects, and public events. I will work closely with my colleague, and I will do whatever I can to support the other officers of the oppidum.

    If you wish for me to serve as aedilis oppidi for the remainder of 2761 a.u.c., I ask that you vote for me.

    May Sol, Iupiter, and all the gods bless our efforts! Maximas gratias tibi ago!

    M. Valerius Potitus omnibus SPD.

    Salvete, omnes.

    In the name of Iuppiter and of Sol, I, Marcus Valerius Potitus, residing in the city of Phoenix, Arizona, declare and announce my intention to stand for election to the office of Aedilis of Oppidum Fluminis Gilae.

    By profession, I am an accountant; by education, I am a historian (specializing in Medieval European history) and a musician (organ). I joined Nova Roma in order to meet other people who are drawn to learning about and living as Romans. I believe firmly in the need for face-to-face interactions, and I couldn't be more excited about the new friends I have found in Nova Roma. As the newest oppidum in the Republic, and the first in the USA, we have a wonderful opportunity to make history and encourage the spread of local chapters here in Arizona and elsewhere.

    I look forward to working with all of my fellow citizens in Arizona to build a real-life, enduring community.

    May the Gods look favorably on our Oppidum and our Republic.

    Valete, omnes.

    Tuta erit vobis Velia. --Livy, II.7.11

    Salvete!

    I, Gaius Iulius Iulianus, wish to announce my candidacy statement for Sacerdos solis! I am a citizen of Nova Roma and the Flamen Floralis. I am also recognized as a Sacerdos Nationis by the M.T.R. in Italia and as the Senior Paterfamilias of my Gens Iulia. I have been a practicing Romanus of the Religio Romana since Augustus of 1991 and consider myself a pious and upholder of the traditional Roman Mos Maiorum and Cultus Deorum! I live here in Tucson, Arizona, and am 55 years of age. My passion is for the traditional cultus of the Religio Romana and if elected I vow to present myself as a Sacerdos Solis and to carry out my sacerdotal duties as such!

    For Roma and the Religio I remain faithfully yours! Dii vos semper ament! Valete!

    Frater, Gaius Iulius Iulianus

    C. Albius Trigeminus Omnibus S.P.D.

    I, Gaius Albius Trigeminus, hereby declare my candidacy for the position of Praefectus Praesidii—the captain of the honor guard in the Oppidum Fluminis Gilae, America Austroccidentalis, N.R.

    I am 45 years old and live here in Tucson. I am a Warehouse manager and a proud father of two boys and a beautiful little girl. I am also a soldier in Legio IX Hispana of the centuria I Hibernici. I've been interested in Roman military history and Roman culture since the age of five and joined Nova Roma in Junius of 2761 a.u.c. (2008 CE) to share this interest. I served honorably in the U.S. Navy for 14 years and have been to many places throughout the world. From this experience, I learned courage, leadership, strength of character, responsibility and—most importantly—service beyond one's self.

    If elected to this position I will serve the oppidum and the Senate and people of Nova Roma with distinction and set an example for the soldiers in my charge and promote an interest in Nova Roma whether it be civilian or military in nature. I will look to Roman virtues as inspiration in all activies and duties I may be asked to perform, and I will strive to live by the virtues in the service of others. It is with great humility and a sense of duty to my fellow citizens that I ask for your vote.

    May Sol, Iupiter bless each of us and all of our works for the good of all!

    Maximus gratias!