Gallia provincial report MMDCCLXI

REPORT 2761 a.u.c. by legatus pro praetore P. Memmius Albucius, gov. of provincia GALLIA.

Patres,

Year 2761 auc has been P. Memmius Albucius' second one as Gallia legatus pro praetore.

It was to be a year wherein the projects that have been launched in 2760 (cf. report 2760) would know their first phase of development. Unfortunately, and because a lack of means, it has been an intermediate exercise.

Developing Gallia's projects, including its citizenry, requires 4 previous or simultaneous steps:

- a regular daily working of the provincial institutions, guaranteed by thematic and territorial praefecti, who are the key relays of any province action in direction of regions and lower territorial levels of the organization set in 2760;

- a few citizens with a good Roman culture along with a strong motivation, and ready to be themselves relays in direction of local territories;

- the evolution of Nova Roma general frame, wherein the governors act, and which would allow them more responsibilities;

- the evolution of Nova Roma action itself.

Year 2761 auc was P. Memmius Albucius' aedilitas one. As the Patres already know it, Memmius' colleague, Hon. S. Lucilius Tutor, has resigned his aedilician seat in the first part of the year, considering that he was not able to fulfill correctly his charge.

The consuls have not deemed necessary, for the reminding year, to proceed to the replacement of this aedilis curulis office. This decision has been really a homage to senator Albucius for assuming the aedilitas alone, but has, on other hand, placed on his shoulders and those of his team, the heavy burden of Nova Roma 10th birthday year events.

In such a context, Gallia provincial government needed that regional and thematic praefecti maintain, at least, their efforts. These efforts could not unfortunately meet the governor's hopes, both praefecti and former governors having lived, in 2761, family difficulties that drove them to reduce widely their participation to the provincial government, and even to public life, provincial or national one.

Such a withdrawal could have been smoothed by the presence of elder or new citizens able to take in charge the continuity of provincial action. But last entries could not help yet balancing this praefectoral underinvolvment.

For gov. Memmius has faced the constant silence of some citizens when he tried to have them taking part to provincial life, or just exchange historical informations on territories, and even when he proposed to meet them, in their own civitates. The few ones who have then reacted have however seemed eager to avoid a direct physical meeting, and every participation to real actions. Among these citizens we can unfortunately find a few cives who have assumed, in the past, national offices.

This statement is more acute for regiones Belgica and Germania Inferior, particularly for its dutch-speaking parts. It seems that people living in these parts lived a more 'volatile' citizenship. More enthusiastic in a first time, and more comfortable with NR tools, like fora for which their better understanding of English is an advantage, they become also less active, around 3-4 months after they come in, and finally do not give any more news in the later curse of their 1st year. The distance between them and the central propraetorship cannot explain this reality, first because gov. Memmius is very mobile and visit every regio in Gallia at least three times a year, and is always available to Gauls' requests. But second also for this scheme has also be stated online.

One of the tracks, in order to explain such behaviors, is to consider that these cives do not really wish to have physical contacts with other Novi Romani, and that the internet is a convenient screen between them and the outside where they can involve themselves just as they wish, on short periods, and on rather segmented fields of romanitas. To go on with possible explanation tracks, it seems also that such people and cives rather live their romanitas in specific fields, and are particularly attracted by its religious side, but as a way to decline a more wide paganism. They use more often the adjective 'pagan' to define themselves.

This year, French Gallia regiones have fortunately welcome new citizens, who remained active or rather active. Every one of them have their personality, and the role of the governor, who is not asked to join to the citizen entry process, is to help them getting the best of what everyone can bring to Nova Roma, and giving back everyone what our republic can offer.

The fact that these citizens are still active is yet a satisfaction in itself. If this activity keeps steady, the provincial government will be able to receive 'fresh blood', even if a wider availability of praef. Rutilius and Apollonius could have helped enhancing sooner these contributions.

Last, in a context where citizenry local development has slowed down, the hopes placed in the contributions brought by the central government have been deceiving.

Leg. pp. Memmius has told again, as he did last year, his preoccupation on the fact that the Decuria Interpretum, which assistance and good working is essential for a province like Gallia, - which works with at least three languages, non mentioning Latin that all Novaroman institutions should be eager promoting – still does not work, at least since 18 months. But it seems that none of our central institutions has considered this question as an important one.

He has also reminded our Magister Aranearius, but with no success yet, his proposal to be organized, for example under MA's chairing, a reflection on how to conciliate our web site with its translation obligations. For it is odd going on promoting the development of our web site, specially by individual contributors, without asking the question of whether a new page will be able to be translated, by who and when, and thus understood by every of our cives.

Beyond, thus, the respect of provinces and of their specificity that is their wealth and Nova Roma's one, a sound central government action would then allow confirming that Nova Roma is really an international organization.

The evolution of the general frame of the relationship between central institutions and provinces would also be a clear signal. Just to pick an example, the fact that governors discover, without previous information by the censorate, citizens who have applied within their province, and generally once the tiro has spoken for her/his 1st time in the Forum, shows how far we have to go. I could also mention the fact that governors are not the recipients of the informations on the citizenry of their provinces at least once a year, for instance in September, when the current report is due. How can one ask governors to target excellence when such basic informations are not available?

In the absence of such accounts, we have thus been obliged to renounce evoking the objective state of Gallia citizenry on Kal. Nov. 2761.

Gallia needs also that Nova Roma moves to a more visible action, besides the traditional State working or fora fields. This year consuls seem having understood this need and wished opening a new door. But the very last months of 2761 and next year 2762 will need to confirm this trend for offering our citizens activities, online and in daily life, and involving Nova Roma in real projects, with real outside partners.

Once this trend assessed, it will be easier for governors to implement provincial projects, specially citizenry increasing.

As other 'historical' provinces, Gallia keeps, in its daily life culture, even if it is less important than it was for previous generations, a link with its past, specially with Gallo-Roman heritage. Rome is much in every day language or institutions vocabulary, even if people are not conscious of it. One archaeological site, here also even if people do not visit them, is generally available in a 1 hour drive maximum.

On the contrary of other parts in the world, Rome is less lived as a way of life or a piece of an never lived, thus more wishable, history, but as a part of local history: in its name itself, modern Utrecht is the old Traiectus, Besançon Vesontio, or Lyons Lugdunum, etc.. Even if they often forget it, people can go and walk on, or close to them, the places Civilis revolted, where Aetius repelled the Huns of Gaul, or on every spot of Gallic wars.

The importance of a contribution brought by an international organization is thus, often unconsciously, lived as less urgent. Probably at a lower level than in Italia and like Hispania or Britannia ones, Gaul people probably consider that they are themselves, for a smaller or bigger mixed part, the 'natural', if not genetic, heirs of (Gallo-)Romans.

So, except belonging to a same worldwide community, whose common values must be well re-assessed, we would probably need, as Novaromans, thinking on what we could propose to our members/citizens, specially that no other current organization and particularly local one proposes.

To end this report, Gov. Albucius has not wished underlining some details in the activity deployed by the gov. Galliae in 2761, like these 2,000 kms traveled to meet possible partners or/and attend reconstitution events or conferences, or like these governmental meetings which have required around 1,800 kms between Gov. Memmius civitas and Paris. Besides these travel oil expenses, there have been, also, food and accommodation fees, mainly supported by gov. Memmius, and in a minor part by praefecti L. Rutilius Minervalis and Sex. Apollonius Scipio.

Gallia is also, with the opportunity of Nova Roma Conventus 2761 which took place in Romania (Dacia) this summer, the only one province in our republic that has been, represented by current governor Memmius, present in every of last three conventus, in Italia, Britannia and Dacia.

Thanks for your attention, Patres.

Ended on Kal. Nov. 2761 auc, scr. Cadomago, civ. Viducassium, reg. Celtica, Gallia.

P. Memmius Albucius

leg. pp.

Attached :

• Gallia general territorial organization map:

• Gallia 2761 provisional budget, Feb. 20, 2008 (a.d. Kal. Mart. 2761)

DEPENSES	.	.	Montant monétaire	RECETTES	Montant monétaire
Salaires	.	.	-	-	-
Réunions	.	.	-	-	-
.	temps internet + edf (1)	.	-	-	-
.	frais d'organisation	.	100	-	-
.	déplacements	.	340	-	-
.	autres frais	.	50	-	-
Gestion quotidienne – relation avec les cives	.	.	-	-	-
.	Poste et t°	.	20,8	-	-
.	Prorata messagerie	.	-	-	-
.	Animation de la liste Yahoo!	.	-	-	-
Communication et partenariat	.	.	-	-	-
.	Quirites	.	-	-	-
.	.	réunions légales	113	-	-
.	.	promotion	50	-	-
.	.	web	30	-	-
.	.	activités	50	-	-
.	.	autres	25	-	-
.	Conventus Daciae	déplacements	2350	-	-
.	.	participation	60	-	-
.	.	frais divers	100	-	-
.	Reconstitution	.	-	-	-
.	.	déplacements	2200	Apport personnel supplémentaire P. Memmius Albucius	5242
.	.	autres	100	Apport personnel supplémentaire L. Rutilius Minervalis	382
Achat de matériel	.	.	100	Apport personnel supplémentaire S. Apollonius Scipio	382
Assurances	.	.	150	-	-
Achats de produits	.	.	200	-	-
.	.	.	-	Cotisations 2761 supposées versées au gouverneur	83
Cotisations à reverser au Trésor central	.	.	41	Subvention du Trésor central (édit consulaire 1er fév.)	41
TOTAL PREVU	-	-	6130	TOTAL PREVU	6130

- en euros courants 2008 è.c. - fait le 20 février 2008 PMA, leg. pp.

- n.b. : ce budget ne comporte que les dépenses monétaires envisagées, et ne prend pas en compte les apports en temps faits par le gouvernement de Gallia.

• I have the honor requesting our Senate the prorogation of my current term of governor Galliae for next year 2762 a.u.c.