Ceremonial Opening of the Ludi Cereales

The Cerealia were opened by a religious ritual and sacrifice to Ceres by pontifex, quaestor, praefectus rei publicae Cn. Cornelius Lentulus, followed by a ceremonial opening speech by the aedilis plebis M. Caecilius Metellus Tocaiensis which you can read below:

Aedilician Opening Speech

M. Metellus Tocaiensis aedilis plebis populo et plebi s. p. d.

M. Metellus Tocaiensis aedilis plebis to the people and to the plebs sends greetings.

In my and my colleague M. Aurelius Cotta Jovius' name, I salute you, citizens, from the occasion of this Ludi Cereleas, or otherwise called, the Cerealia, to celebrate Ceres, goddess of corn, wheat and cereals. She was the main goddess of plebeians, and we, the plebeian aediles are responsible to honor her with sacrifice and festival.

My colleague and I will present various games to Ceres and to you. The whole people is invited, not only the plebeians, but during the Cerealia, the plebeians rule!

We honor Ceres first with betting game in a real Horse Race in America. This is a new idea, and we will test it the first time. Please help Nova Roma to experiment this new kind of game. This program is hosted by my colleague's quaestor C. Sempronius Scepsis Agricola.

We will hold a Chess Tournament, organized by C. Claudius Quadratus, assisting from the consular office as praefectus cultui culturae administrandae promovendae.

We will offer Live Gladiatorial Betting Game again, by my colleague M. Aurelius Cotta Jovius aedilis.

My colleague will present you a Quiz Contest, and I will also hold a Quiz Contest.

In these moments, pontifex Cn. Cornelius Lentulus will offer the plebeian aedilician opening sacrifice to Ceres.

May Ceres be satisfied! Let the games BEGIN!

M. Caecilius Metellus Tocaiensis

AEDILIS PLEBIS

Programs of the Cerealia

Live Horse Race Betting Game: Watching a Race Together

Hosted by C. Sempronius Scepsis Agricola, quaestor

On behalf of aedilis plebis M. Aurelius Cotta Iovius, we are offering to the People of Nova Roma this opportunity to participate in the age-old Roman pastime of horse racing. In honor of the goddess Ceres, we celebrate the Ludi Cereales, and we will bet on a real-life horse race from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. You are welcomed to bet on Parx Racing Race # 9, on Monday 19 April at 10:30 PM Rome Time CEST (4:30PM NAEDT – North American Eastern Daylight Time). With an entrant called “Sizzling Roma”, we are taking this as an omen, and so this race has been chosen.

WHERE TO WATCH THE HORSE RACE

The race will be visible at:

• https://www.parxracing.com/parxracingreplays.php

How to play?

Honor the Goddess Ceres, participate, MAKE YOUR BETS, and win Census Points in Nova Roma as a prize! Tell us which horse will come win this race and which will come 2nd and 3rd? Here is the link to the race 9 and the entrants at time of this posting:

• https://entries.horseracingnation.com/entries-results/parx-racing/2021-04-19#race-9

ALL BETS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY MONDAY 19 APRIL 10:00PM ROME TIME (CEST) 4:00PM NAEDT

Write your bets in the comment to the game post any any of the forums of Nova Roma.

The persons who correctly pick the winning horse, 2nd place and 3rd place be awarded 3 Census Points to the winner, 2 CP for the second best, and 1 CP for the third best. If there are more players who pick the horse for each place, then one of them from each place will be chosen by lot and receive the prize.

Nova Roman Online Chess Tournament with Roman Coin Prize

Hosted by C. Claudius Quadratus

Under the auspices of aedilis plebis M. Caecilius Metellus Tocaiensis, senator C. Claudius Quadratus is hosting a new type of game – a Nova Roman Online Chess Tournament on Chess.com. The format of the tournament (double round-robin, round-robin, or Swiss system) shall depend upon the number of participants. You may register for this event by either responding to this announcement or by contacting senator C. Claudius Quadratus (Charles Aronowitz) directly at:

c.claudius.quadratus@gmail.com

Registrations are accepted until 20 April, midnight, Rome Time.'

PARTICIPATION

Follow the announcements in our forum and Facebook group here:

• Nova Roman Cerealia Chess Tournament announcements on the Forum
• Nova Roman Cerealia Chess Tournament announcements on our Facebook Page

THE PRIZE FOR THE WINNER

A 3rd-century ancient Roman coin issued by the emperor Probus to the winner, plus census points for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME

This event is open to all persons associated with Nova Roma, regardless of citizenship status. Ideally, the games will be played on a Facebook Chess Application, using their time limit of 15 minutes for all moves per player (with an increment of 10 seconds for every move made) so that individual games should not last more than 30 – 45 minutes. The players may arrange between themselves convenient times for their assigned games. If Facebook is inconvenient, players have the option of using other platforms such as Discord, email for their games, or even over-the board, with provisos that games be played to completion without interruption and last no more than one hour. The games will be scored as follows: 1 point to the winner, 1/2 point to each player in case of a draw.

Senator C. Claudius Quadratus will serve as tournament director. The senator has serious experience – namely certification by both the United States and Canadian chess federations as a tournament director (senior level in the U.S.) and in addition he taught chess at an elementary school in Montreal from 2003 to 2010. Senator C. Claudius' students traveled widely to participate in tournaments and won many titles, including 6th grade champion of Vermont, and best Canadian team at the U.S. Amateur Team Championship East (2008), held in New Jersey.

Munera Gladiatoria: Live Gladiatorial Games With Betting For The Winner

Hosted by M. Aurelius Cotta Iovius, aedilis plebis

Have you ever seen a praetor fighting against his quaestor? Although the footage is archive, and they weren't magistrates in that year, one of our current praetors, C. Cornelius Barosus and his assigned quaestor A. Fabricius Pardalas, happen to be gladiators in our affiliated gladiatorial group, the FAMILIA GLADIATORIA PANNONICA (Hungary), and they had a gladiatorial fight a few years ago, which is now offered in honor of Ceres. This is a rare moment to see a praetor against his quaestor in the arena! Watch the spectacle! Honor Ceres, and participate, make your bets, and win Census Points in Nova Roma as a prize!

Aedilis plebis M. Aurelius Cotta Iovius presents you for these current Ludi Cereales, a LIVE GLADIATORIAL GAME, held in fact some years ago, however, made from footage that has never been published previously, but for the current Ludi Cereales only! The aedilis M. Cotta is the lanista of the Familia Gladiatoria Pannonica, the aedilis offers you the fight of Barosus and Pardalas, who happen to be in the current year praetor (vice-president) and quaestor of Nova Roma! Our vice-president in the arena! Reminds us of the times of Commodus, doesn't it?

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE LIVE GLADIATOR GAME VIDEO:

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/novaroma.org/permalink/10158419860099585

What is special in these gladiatorial games, that the ENDING IS MISSING from the fight. The result is still open, and YOU ARE INVITED TO MAKE YOUR BETS! Aedilis M. Cotta offers you one fight for the current Cerealia, and you can bet who was the winner in that. The person who makes the most accurate bets, or if there are more players who make equally accurate bets, one of them chosen by lot, will receive the prize: 3 Census Points for the bet winner, 2 CP for the second best, and 1 CP for the third best.

HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?

Watch this munera gladiatoria video of the Familia Gladiatoria Pannonica in which praetor BAROSUS, the laquearius (half-naked with a rope or lasso) and quaestor PARDALAS, the secutor (in helmet and blue subligar) will fight in honor of the current Ludi Cereales. After watching it, make your bets on the following TWO THINGS:

• (1) Who will win the fight, BAROSUS or PARDALAS?
• (2) What will be the fate of the loser, "life" or "death"?

Write your bets in comment to the Facebook post or in the mailing forum of Nova Roma.

"Know Ceres" Contest

Hosted by M. Aurelius Cotta Iovius, aedilis plebis

Aedilis plebis M. Aurelius Cotta Iovius continues the series of quiz questions in honor of the Cerealia, taking over where his colleague M. Caecilius Metellus Tocaiensis aedilis plebis finished his "The Imperial Era" Quick Replies History Quiz. This quiz is about getting to know Ceres, our celebrated goddess, better. The rules are the same as for the previous quiz, "The Imperial Era" Quick Replies History Quiz. This little educational quiz, "Know Ceres", will last until the end of the Nova Roman Cerealia, 30 April. Aedilis M. Metellus Tocaiensis started with the easier quiz, now you are warmed up. Aedilis M. Cotta Iovius continues with the more difficult quiz. In this quiz you don't select between choices, but you have to figure the answers out and send to the aedilis' email at: cottajovius@gmail.com

Questions of the "Know Ceres" Contest

The questions can be accessed in our forum here:

• "Know Ceres" Contest questions on the Forum
• "Know Ceres" Contest questions on our Facebook Page

How to play: rules and prize

Quick reply is key to victory but in this game you will also have to think or research a little but for the correct answer. The first 3 places will receive Census Points (winner gets 3, second gets 2, third gets 1).

RULES

- Each day for 5 days there will be two questions and you will have to answer them.

- Select the correct answer and send the the letter mark of the correct answer to my email address: cottajovius@gmail.com

- Each correct answer will get 1 point.

- The first person to send the correct answers to both questions will receive 2 extra points for the day.

- Those who send the correct answer before the posting of the next question will receive 1 extra point for the day.

- The winner will be who has the most points, in case of ties, the newer citizen will be judged to win the tie. This is for encouraging newer citizens to participate.

"The Imperial Era" Quick Replies History Quiz

Hosted by M. Caecilius Metellus Tocaiensis, aedilis plebis

In honor of Ceres, please participate in the now starting "The Imperial Era": Quick Replies History Quiz. As you know from the previous ludi, if you participate, this counts as a sacrifice to Ceres and you can ask something from Ceres. This is a simple quiz and its purpose is that you, the citizen who read this message, have an easy and quick way to be involved, and to pay a tribute to Ceres and Roman tradition. So don't think much about participating or not, just do it, any by doing so, you will learn.

Questions of "The Imperial Era" Quick Replies History Quiz

The questions can be accessed in our forum here:

• "The Imperial Era" Quick Replies History Quiz questions on the Forum
• "The Imperial Era" Quick Replies History Quiz questions on our Facebook Page.

How to play: rules and prize

This contest is very easy, and quick reply is the key to victory. The first 3 places will receive Census Points (winner gets 3, second gets 2, third gets 1).

RULES

- Each day for 5 days there will be two questions with A-B-C answers.

- Select the correct answer and send the the letter mark of the correct answer to my email address: tocaiensis@gmail.com

- Each correct answer will get 1 point.

- The first person to send the correct answers to both questions will receive 2 extra points for the day.

- Those who send the correct answer before the posting of the next question will receive 1 extra point for the day.

- The winner will be who has the most points, in case of ties, the newer citizen will be judged to win the tie. This is for encouraging newer citizens to participate.