IN·MEMORIAM·L·EQVITI·CINCINNATI·AVGVRIS·PONTIFICIS·FLAMINIS·MARTIALIS·CENSORIS·CONSVLIS

L. EQUITIUS CINCINNATUS AUGUR
(Michael Cope),

FOUNDING CITIZEN, FORMER CENSOR, CONSUL, AUGUR AND PONTIFEX,
has passed.
He lived 65 years.

He will live with Nova Roma forever!

The people of Nova Roma mourns the loss of Lucius Equitius Cincinnatus Augur, our teacher and champion of classical studies.

Nova Roma and the Nova Romans extend their condolence to the family and friends of Cincinnatus. Nova Roma will pray for Lucius Equitius Cincinnatus Augur and her family in this difficult time, and ceremonies in her memory are being performed. The senate has also awarded a funus censorium, a censorial state funeral and three days of official State Mourning, memorial games called the Ludi Tullii, and a new series of coins minted, all these to be done in her memory. The Nova Roman censorial funeral takes place as a separate ceremony after the actual funeral on a.d. VII Id. Mai. ‡ M. Metello D. Aurelio cos. ‡ MMDCCLXXIX a.u.c.. The senate and people of Nova Roma have donated an amount towards the costs of the funeral. You can help and support these commemorative actions by donations as announced in our forum. You can learn more about her life and role in Nova Roma on her biography page.

THANK YOU for your contribution and dedication to Nova Roma, dear Scholastica! Thank you for being our fellow citizen for more than two decades!
Farewell our princeps senatus!

EPITAPHIUM



DIS MANIBUS
L. EQUITI CINCINNATI AUGURIS
PRINCIPI SENATUS
QUAE VIXIT ANNORUM LXXX.
* * *
LUCIUS EQUITIUS CINCINNATUS AUGUR,
CONSUL ET CENSOR, PONTIFEX ET AUGUR,
QUAESTRIX, VIGINTISEXVIRA, PRIMA INTERREGINA,
PRINCEPS SENATUS QUAE FUIT APUD VOS,
OPTIMA MAGISTRA LINGUAE LATINAE,
ROMANITATISQUE MAXIMA PRAECEPTRIX,
MATRONARUM GEMMA, VIRTUTUM EXEMPLUM,
SAPIENTISSIMA DOCTRIX ATQUE DOCTISSIMA:
HANC NOVAE ROMAE PLURIMI CONSENTIUNT
BONARUM OPTIMAM FUISSE VIRAGINUM.
HONORE VIRTUTE OMNES SUPERAVIT,
QUAM OB REM SENATUS AUGUSTAM APPELLAVIT.
+
SIT TIBI TERRA LEVIS!

CN. CORNELIUS LENTULUS
PRINCEPS IUVENTUTIS
SCRIPSIT


This poem, loosely following the form of versus Saturnius, the poetical format of Roman epitaph inscriptions, was written in memory and honor of L. Equitius Cincinnatus Augur, a founding citizen, by Cn. Cornelius Lentulus, pontifex. The epitaph of L. Equitius imitates the texts of the most famous versus Saturnius funerary inscription poems of Scipio Barbatus and that of Scipio Africanus Minor. The English translation of the epitaph is below:


To the Divine Departed Spirits
of L. Equitius Cincinnatus Augur,
who lived 65 years.
* * *
Lucius Equitius Cincinnatus Augur,
Consul and censor, pontifex and augur,
He was also your flamen Martialis,
A holy and sacred pious man of New Rome,
A true soldier, warrior with great pride,
A founder of our nation. Thank you and goodbye!

+
May the earth rest lightly upon you.

Cn. Cornelius Lentulus
pontifex
wrote it.

Obituary

Cincinnatus
Album Civium

L. EQUITIUS CINCINNATUS AUGUR (Michael Cope), L. Equitius Cincinnatus Augur, former consul and censor of Nova Roma has passed away.

We have been informed only now that one of our founding citizens, the former head of state of Nova Roma, consul and censor L. Equitius Cincinnatus Augur (Michael Cope), who got his agnomen for being the first prominent augur of Nova Roma, but who also served as our first flamen Martialis and pontifex, former censorial and consular senator, has passed away on 22 January, 2021.

L. Equitius Cincinnatus was the first flamen Martialis of Nova Roma, a pontifex and augur, and the founder of the Nova Roman patrician gens Equitia, re-founding it at the time of founding Nova Roma. L. Equitius was one of the most important leaders of the early Nova Roma, and a widely respected prominent citizen. In his macronational life, he was a US Navy war veteran, military diver for 17 years.

L. Equitius was also a reenactment legionary soldier as every Roman statesman has to serve in the army.

Cincinnatus was known as the first person to actually use the Nova Roman sestertius (the "Declaratio" coin) as real money in a business transaction with M. Cassius Iulianus at Roman Days in Maryland USA.

He was elected consul for the year L. Equitio Dec. Iunio coss. (1999), however, this election was later ruled invalid by dictator Fl. Vedius Germanicus.

After some turmoils around his person (the famous Cincinnatus-trial), he retired from Nova Roman public life, permanently. Later, Cincinnatus was restored to the Senate, but he never participated again, and was soon removed due to inactivity.

L. Equitius was affected by a serious disease in April C. Claudio T. Domitio (II) coss. (2018)., and was on rehabilitation for over two years, but he could never return to full health. He passed away in a.d. XI Kal. Feb. Q. Arrio (III) A. Tullia coss. (22 January, 2021), and he is buried in the Arlington National Cemetery.

The Senate will decide later about his state funeral ceremony, as a former censor and consul, he is qualified for a funus censorium.

D. M. L. EQUITI CINCINNATI AUGURIS