FAQ
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What does S.P.Q.R. mean?
Senatus Populusque Romanus - the Senate and Roman People; also usually quoted as "the Senate and People of Rome". The "que" suffix is "and"; "Romanus" is an adjective.
Do I have to be Pagan to join?
Absolutely not! Although most of our Citizens are currently pagans of one ilk or another, and the public "State" religion of Nova Roma is the Religio Romana, we in no shape, matter, or form require Citizens to practice Roman Paganism. The one exception to this is our magistrates; because they are not only civil servants but also have functions within the Religio Romana, we ask that they at least be willing to fulfill those religious functions. We have absolutely no interest in the private religious lives of any of our Citizens. All that's required is a love of all things Roman; you may wish to read A non-Pagan's perspective on the role of the Religio Romana
Do I have to be of Roman or Italian heritage to join?
As before, absolutely not! Just as persons of any race or nationality could become Roman Citizens, so too is the right of Nova Roman Citizenship open to all.
Ancient Roman society was rather patriarchical. How does Nova Roma deal with women?
While we are endeavoring to recreate most aspects of classical Roman culture, we are updating some of the more backwards views of our illustrious ancestors (slavery being the other big one — we wouldn't allow it even if it were legal). Women in Nova Roma are completely free to vote, hold office, become members of the Senate, and so forth. As far as the Religio Romana goes, there are some offices that are women-only, some that are men-only, and some that are open to both. While we recognize the differences between women and men, neither is held to be superior to the other.
Do I have to know Latin or Greek to join?
Not at all. While a cursory knowledge of Latin might be helpful in understanding some of the terms and phrases you'll see both on our web site and in some of our publications, it is in no way required. Several Latin courses are now taught online at Academia Thules.
Are you serious about the sovereignty thing?
Yes, we are completely serious about our declaration of sovereignty. However, we are also very realistic and do not expect to function as an actual sovereign nation with our own territory in the foreseeable future. We look at it in three ways; as a long-term goal towards which we can reach, as a very convenient way to organize the administration of Nova Roma (especially given our Roman orientation), and as necessary for the full and complete restoration of the Religio Romana (since many religious duties were inherently tied to the State).
Is this just some kind of role-playing game?
No. Although we've rather become a sort of Virtual Community in these early stages thanks to computer technology, we're far more than some "role- playing" game! The culture and knowledge left by Classical Rome still has a great amount of positive direction to contribute to the modern world. Nova Roma is a quite serious attempt to provide a place where those interested in the various aspects of the Classical world can begin to focus that culture as a living system once again.
With Fortune, Nova Roma will grow into something very "real" indeed. We are gaining Citizens at a steady (and increasing) rate, and more and more "local real world" meetings and events are becoming possible. Within a few years there may well be a few thousand Nova Romans... running real-world Classical-oriented businesses through the Ordo Equester, hosting public gatherings such as Roman Days, organizing Sodalitates (clubs) around Classical subjects concerning everything from Brewing to Philosophy, holding legal religious services, helping to fund serious archaeological digs, and even participating in real-world politics as an international "Culture and People."
Decades from now nobody is going to care that we as individuals were really superior store clerks, computer programmers, salespeople or whatever. But possibly, just possibly - we might have made a real difference by helping to preserve and rebuild the Classical foundations of Western culture.
Besides, at the VERY least, we'll have lead more interesting lives than most people ever bother to!
Can I be a patrician?
According to our Constitution, only the first thirty families to join Nova Roma are counted among the ranks of the patrician class. Vacancies have been filled by elevating plebeian families to the partician class. The family name is irrelevant to this; even if your family was historically patrician, it may be counted as plebeian in Nova Roma. Only if a patrician family becomes extinct can the Censors elevate a plebeian family to patrician status.
So what's the difference between patrician and plebeian?
Functionally, almost nothing at all. In fact, there are a few magistracies (such as the Tribuni Plebis) that can only be occupied by Citizens of the plebeian class. Patrician status was really included as a way to honor those families which came on-board at a very early stage of Nova Roma and were therefore instrumental in our early history.
What's a spelt cake (or far cake)?
A spelt cake is a traditional offering given agricultural deities such as Ceres or Tellus. Spelt (or far) is a species of grain in the same family as wheat.
I want to form a Collegium of (Wicca/Asatru/Islam/etc.). How do I go about this?
The simple answer is, you can't. Strictly speaking, the official Collegia are based on historical Roman models and are specifically involved in the practice of the revival of the historical Religio Romana. While the Senate can officially recognize religious institutions outside of the Religio Romana, they will only do so for historical reconstructionist groups that were actually present during the classical Roman era (such as the Mithraic Mysteries, the cult of Isis, the cult of Dionysus, etc.). Since Wicca, Asatru, Islam, Amerindian religion, etc. weren't known to the classical Romans, they really have no place in the public religious life of Nova Roma. This in no way says that Citizens cannot practice these faiths in their private religious life; this restriction is strictly applied to "official" public religious expression.
