Class (Nova Roma)

Revision as of 11:01, 31 October 2012

There are 5 classes in Nova Roma into which all centuries are distributed with the citizens placed therein. The 1st class is the highest, containing the top citizens. The higher the class, the more centuries it contains, consequently, the more voting weight it has.

In ancient Rome, citizens were distributed into classes depending on their social status (wealth), and after having a citizen assigned to a class, he was placed in a century within that class. In Nova Roma, the censores first assign a citizen to a century based on his taxpayment and century points (merits, public service), and after having placed the citizen into a century, they distribute the centuries between the five classes. So, while in ancient Rome class determined placement in century, in Nova Roma century determines placement in class.

The current number of centuries is 51. Out of these 51 centuries, 50 is reserved for assiduus citizens, the elite of the citizenry, and 1 is reserved for the capite censi, the masses of inactive citizens. Centuries in Nova Roma are numbered, with the 1st century in the 1st class on the top, down to the 51st century in the 5th class for the capite censi. The more century points a citizen has, the higher century he is placed in. Citizens in higher centuries have more voting weight, as higher centuries have less citizens in them, therefore each citizen's vote carries greater weight.

The 50 small centuries of the assidui are distributed into the 5 classes, while the huge century of the capite censi is placed into the lowest (5th) class.

Distribution of centuries into the 5 classes

The censores may determine the number of centuries in each class by edict, as previously established by the Lex Iunia centuriata. If the censores choose not to do so, then the same proportions already in effect from the previous allocation is adhered to as closely as possible, in order to preserve the relative sizes of the classes. For purposes of this calculation, the century containing the capite censi is considered outside of any class.

The relative sizes of each class is currently (and was ever since the system had been established) set as follows:

• Class I: 29% of the assiduus centuries.
• Class II: 24% of the assiduus centuries.
• Class III: 20% of the assiduus centuries.
• Class IV: 16% of the assiduus centuries.
• Class V: 11% of the assiduus centuries, plus 1 century reserved for the capite censi only.