Senatus consultum de colonia Aquincum deducenda (Nova Roma)

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I. The Nova Roman citizens in the area of the ancient city of Aquincum, today called Budapest (Hungary), within our Provincia Pannonia, with the leadership of their founder, Cn. Cornelius Lentulus who serves as the legatus pro praetore of the province, have requested from the Senate of Nova Roma to introduce a colona of Nova Roma into this land. According to the present decree of the Senate, they shall receive the grant of colonia status, and the following lex coloniae at Section III is authorized by this senatus consultum.

II. The senate instructs the legatus pro praetore Cn. Cornelius Lentulus also as pontifex, D. Septimius Ursus citizen living in the area and serving as an officer of the Aquincum Museum, and M. Aurelius Cotta Iovius, the first Roman reenactor who reintroduced living Romanitas into Aquincum, to found the colonia of Aquincum of Nova Roma, and to conduct the lustrum and the proper founding rituals of Aquincum as a Founding Commission, and it authorizes pontifex Cn. Cornelius Lentulus to assist the Founding Commission in taking the inaugural auspices as acting temporary augur of Aquincum for the day. Among them, D. Septimius and M. Cotta are the proposed duumviri iure dicundo of the colonia. This Founding Commission is hereby appointed by the Senate as tresviri coloniae deducendae, with their term of office ending after the completion of the founding of the colonia.

III. Lex colonialis Septimia de Colonia Cornelia Aquincensium

(Lex Coloniae Corneliae Aquincensis)

(section numbering restarts from here)

I. Name of the Colonia

In accordance with the lex Fabia de oppidis et municipiis, we the Nova Roman citizens in the city of Budapest, Hungary, in Provincia Pannonia of Nova Roma, establish Aquincum, the city level community of Nova Roma in Budapest within the Nova Roman Provincia Pannonia, and we enact this lex Coloniae Corneliae Aquincensium as the constitution of our colonia. The full administrative name of the colonia shall be Colonia Cornelia Aquincensium after the founder Cn. Cornelius Lentulus legatus pro praetore who has refounded this ancient colonia of the Roman people. The name in everyday use shall be Colonia Aquincum. For historical reasons when pointing out continuity with the old Aquincum is important, the ceremonial full name shall be Colonia Aelia Septimia Cornelia Aquincensium, remembering the founder of the municipium Imperator Caesar P. Aelius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus and the founder of the old colonia Imperator Caesar L. Septimius Severus Augustus.

II. Geographical Limits

Colonia Cornelia Aquincensium shall be based on the city of Budapest, Hungary, but citizens are admitted from the entire Pest County (Pest Vármegye).

III. Membership

A. Every Nova Roman citizen living in the area specified in Article II shall be a citizen of the colonia. Only Nova Roman citizens can be members-citizens of the colonia.

B. Loss of Nova Roman citizenship shall involve loss of membership in the colonia.

C. The rights of the coloni may be restricted as a disciplinary action by the duumviri, but the available disciplinary actions shall be regulated by a colonial lex before any restriction can be applied.

D. Honorary citizenship may be given by the comitia, or if it so authorizes, by the ordo decurionum, to other Nova Roman citizens living outside the area listed in Article II.

IV. Tabularium

The leges of the colonial comitia, the decreta decurionum of the colonial ordo decurionum, the edicta of the colonial magistrates and the dates, agenda and quorums of the sessions of the comitia and the ordo decurionum shall be recorded in the official Nova Roma website, and the collection of these records constitutes the colonial tabularium. Only the legal documents recorded there and translated to English have legal force and validity.

V. Institutions and Magistrates

A. Comitia coloniae: the general assembly of all the citizens of the colonia.

B. Ordo decurionum: the town council, a member of this is called decurio.

C. Magistratus coloniae:

1. Duumvir iure dicundo (the short term is just duumvir, the female variant is duumvira, the plural is duumviri - males or one male and one female together, duumvirae if two females; duovir and duoviri are alternate variants for duumvir and duumviri): two president magistrates or mayors of the colonia.

2. Duumvir aedilis (the short form is just aedilis, plural aediles): two vice-mayors and managers of the public assets and infrastructure, the culture and community life of the colonia.

3. Duumvir quinquennalis (the short form is just quinquennalis, plural quinquennales): two colonial censors, or secretaries of the colonia, membership directors. The quinquennales form part of the colonial government only during a census year.

4. Quaestor coloniae: two treasurers and chief assistants to the duoviri iure dicundo, responsible for ensuring proper and lawful management of the colonial treasury and the lawfulness of the colonial government.

D. Sacerdotium coloniae:

1. Flamen coloniae: Chief priest of the colonia for a given deity.

2. Pontifex coloniae: Chief administrative priest of the colonia.

3. Augur coloniae: Special priest of the colonia in charge of inaugurations and validations of public ceremonial acts in the colonia.

4. Sacerdos coloniae: Lower ranking priest of the colonia.

E. Various types of apparitores (including, but not limited to, lictores, accensi, scribae, viatores binos, librarii, praecones, haruspices, tibicines), assistant officers appointed by magistrates.

F. The duumviri by unanimous agreement may appoint a dictator coloniae for management of a crisis whose term shall be limited to six months, and who shall possess the powers of all magistrates of the colonia.

G. Other offices may be created by the comitia coloniae to perform specific duties.

H. All officers, magistrates, decuriones or apparitores must be citizens of the colonia, a person who doesn’t have citizenship in the colonia cannot be an officer of the colonia.

VI. Comitia Coloniae

A. The comitia coloniae is composed of all the citizens of the colonia and all members shall have the right to speak and vote in the comitia.

B. The comitia coloniae shall elect all local magistrates and enact leges binding upon all the members of the colonia. This and any other lex coloniae that serves as the constitution of the colonia may be modified by a lex approved by the comitia coloniae.

C. The comitia coloniae shall assemble at least once every three months within each calendar year for informational sessions. The comitia shall be called to order, and shall be presided, by a duumvir. The session is valid only if all the citizens of the colonia were informed about the meeting at least by a nundinum before the session, and the presiding magistrate (the duumvir who called the comitia to order, or the other duumvir, if so authorized by his colleague) and at least two other citizens of the colonia are present, thus the minimum quorum is three citizens. Those who are not present can authorize other colonial citizens to vote in their name.

D. From the date of publication of the call for the comitia coloniae to meet, at least one full nundinum shall elapse before the date of the meeting of the comitia coloniae, however, an accelerated procedure shall be possible for duoviri to hold an instant comitia if at least 10% of the coloni (or minimum 5) are present.

1. In case of a comitia with the accelerated procedure, the duumvir shall convene the comitia without any requirement of time before the start of the session (unwritten, spoken call to convene is also acceptable in this case), but the call to convene and the report of the session shall be published to all colonial citizens later.

2. Such an accelerated session shall be automatically invalidated if at least three coloni submit a written objection regarding the validity of the session to the duumviri within a nundinum after the publication of the decisions of the comitia coloniae. If the duumviri do not comply with such an objection, the citizens can turn to the provincial governor or to the central magistrates of the res publica of the Nova Roman people.

E. The comitia shall meet at a location within the area specified in Article II.

F. In the event that a person holding a colonial magistrate resigns, or is removed from that office, or, loses or resigns from Nova Roman citizenship, where the remaining term of office is greater than three months, one of the duoviri shall summon the comitia and conduct an election to select a replacement for that magistrate.

1. If the remaining term of office is less than three months, the position shall be left vacant.

2. If there are no duoviri or aediles functional in office (either due to absence or inactivity), the ordo decurionum shall be convened by the person who served the most terms as duumvir, or if there are decuriones with equal terms, the one who is the eldest person among these, and the ordo decurionum shall appoint a citizen as dictator coloniae comitiorum habendorum causa (colonial dictator for the purpose of holding an election). The dictator coloniae comitiorum habendorum causa has the sole duty to conduct the election (and to remove the inactive magistrates if that was the cause of dysfunctionality), and to administer the colonia until the new magistrates are elected. Once the new duoviri suffecti entered office, the dictator’s office expires.

3. If the ordo decurionum is not functional, the provincial governor, or the consul or praetor of Nova Roma, shall appoint a praefectus iure dicundo from among the colonial citizens (oneself included, if the governor is a colonus) to hold the elections (and, if that is the case, to remove the inactive magistrates), whose duties and term of office are the same as those of the dictator coloniae comitiorum habendorum causa.

VII. Ordo Decurionum

A. The ordo decurionum is composed of decuriones who are all the current and former magistrates of the colonia, who have automatic membership in the ordo decurionum, except the quaestores who lose their membership automatically after their term of office. Other decuriones may be appointed, and any decuriones may be removed from their position by a joint edictum of the quinquennales except sitting magistrates. All decuriones shall have the right to speak and vote in the ordo.

B. The ordo decurionum shall enact decreta decurionum (decrees of the decuriones) to determine the general policies and financial questions of the colonia. The ordo decurionum shall have the power to legislate by decrees on all issues that are not otherwise regulated under the authority of leges coloniales.

C. The ordo decurionum shall assemble at least two times every year, once within the first six months, and once within the last six months of the year, and in the first session, it shall enact a decree with the plans for the year, and at the second session it shall evaluate the results and accomplishment of the year’s plan. The ordo decurionum shall be called to order, and shall be presided, by a duumvir, or with permission by the duoviri or in case of unavailability, by an aedilis. The session is valid only if all the decuriones of the colonia were informed about the meeting at least by a nundinum before the session, and the presiding magistrate (the duumvir who called the ordo decurionum to order, or the other duumvir, if so authorized by his colleague) and at least one other decurio of the colonia are present, thus the minimum quorum is two citizens.

D. From the date of publication of the call for the ordo decurionum to meet, at least one full nundinum shall elapse before the date of the meeting of the ordo, however, an accelerated procedure shall be possible for duoviri to hold an instant ordo session if at least 50% of the decuriones (or minimum 2 decuriones) are present.

1. In case of an ordo session with the accelerated procedure, the duumvir shall convene the ordo decurionum without any requirement of time before the start of the session (unwritten, spoken call to convene is also acceptable in this case), but the call to convene and the report of the session shall be published to all colonial citizens later.

2. Such an accelerated session shall be automatically invalidated if at least three coloni submit a written objection according to the rules specified at VI.D.2.

E. The ordo decurionum shall meet at a location within the area specified in Article II.

F. Voting in the ordo decurionum requires the physical presence of the decurio in the place where the session is being held.

VIII. Magistratus

A. Duoviri iure dicundo

There shall be two duumviri or duoviri, collegial magistrates of equal power who are the highest ranking magistrates, the presidents or mayors of the colonia.

1. The insignia of the duumviri shall be the toga praetexta, the sella curulis and two fasces.

2. The duoviri shall be elected by the comitia coloniae for a full calendar year, from the Kalends to January (Jan. 1) to pridie Kal. Ian (Dec. 31).

3. The duties of the duoviri are:

a. To govern and administer the city community, its projects and activities, according to the mission of Nova Roma;

b. To exercise iurisdictio, the ius coercitionis, the ius intercessionis, the ius edicendi within the municipality;

c. To administer justice and conduct judicial procedures between members of the city community;

d. To issue those edicta necessary to carry out those tasks which they are mandated by the law to engage;

e. To maintain the colonial tabularium;

f. To call the comitia coloniae and the ordo decurionum and preside over their meetings;

g. To pronounce intercessio against another local magistrate of equal or lesser authority;

h. To appoint two lictores and other apparitores to assist with administrative and other tasks, as they shall see fit.

B. Aediles

There shall be two aediles, who are collegial magistrates of equal power who are the vice-presidents or vice-mayors and managers of the public assets, infrastructure, the culture and community life of the colonia. In absence of the quinquennales, they serve as deputy secretaries of the colonia.

1. The insignia of the aediles shall be the toga praetexta and the sella curulis.

2. The aediles shall be elected by the comitia coloniae for a full calendar year, from the Kalends to January (Jan. 1) to pridie Kal. Ian (Dec. 31).

3. The duties of the aediles coloniales are:

a. To manage and administer the public assets and infrastructure of the city community, the festivals and cultural programs and activities, and any tasks and projects assigned to them by the duumviri iure dicundo, the ordo decurionum or by the comitia coloniae;

b. To exercise a lower degree of iurisdictio, ius coercitionis, ius intercessionis and ius edicendi within the colonia in the areas of their responsibility;

c. To ensure public order, to regulate public space and the market, to see to the maintenance of public facilities, conduct of public games, festivals and gatherings, and to administer the law and justice within these areas of responsibility, and to conduct judicial procedures between coloni, as a first court of first instance;

d. To issue those edicta necessary to carry out those tasks which they are mandated by the law to engage;

e. To call the comitia coloniae and the ordo decurionum and preside over their meetings with permission from the duoviri iure dicundo or in case the duoviri iure dicundo are unavailable;

f. To pronounce intercessio against another local magistrate of equal or lesser authority;

g. To appoint apparitores to assist with administrative and other tasks, as they shall see fit.

C. Quinquennales

There shall be two quinquennales, collegial magistrates of equal power who serve as colonial censors, secretaries of the colonia or membership directors. All decisions of the quinquennales shall be made with unanimous collegial decision. The quinquennales are immune from under any veto of the colonial magistrates.

1. The insignia of the quinquennales shall be the toga praetexta and the sella curulis.

2. The quinquennales shall be elected only for the census years of Nova Roma by the comitia coloniae for the full calendar year of a census year, from the Kalends to January (Jan. 1) to pridie Kal. Ian (Dec. 31).

3. The duties of the quinquennales are:

a. To review the album civium of the colonia, the album decurionum of the ordo, and to praise and award, or chastise and punish coloni, and to add or remove decuriones from the ordo, based on their merits;

b. To set the direction of the financial policy of the colonia until the next census;

c. To exercise a lower degree of ius coercitionis and the ius edicendi within the colonia in the areas of their responsibility;

d. To issue those edicta necessary to carry out those tasks which they are mandated by the law to engage;

e. To appoint apparitores to assist with administrative and other tasks, as they shall see fit.

D. Quaestores

There shall be two quaestores coloniae, collegial magistrates of equal power who serve as treasurers of the colonia and chief assistants to the duoviri iure dicundo.

1. The quaestores coloniae shall be elected by the comitia coloniae for a full calendar year, from the Kalends to January (Jan. 1) to pridie Kal. Ian (Dec. 31).

2. The duties of the quaestors are:

a. To serve as the deputy and chief assistants to the duoviri iure dicundo;

b. To manage and oversee the colonial treasury, ensuring lawful and proper administration of finances;

c. To guard the lawfulness of the colonial government;

d. To manage and administer any tasks and projects assigned to them by the higher magistrates, the ordo decurionum or by the comitia coloniae;

e. To exercise a lower degree of ius coercitionis within the colonia in the areas of their responsibility;

IX. Priesthood of the colonia

A. The duties and powers of the priests and priestly colleges of the colonia shall be described by a decree of the collegium pontificum coloniale, subject to revision by the Collegium Pontificum of Nova Roma.

B. There shall be a collegium pontificum coloniae, composed of the pontifices (one pontifex is enough to make it functional) which governs and administers the religious institutions and the sacra publica of the colonia and appoints all priests; and a collegium augurum that is in charge of the supervision of auspices and the ars auguria within the sacra publica of the colonia.

C. The first members of the priesthood may be elected by the founding comitia of the colonia. Those priests who were not elected by the founding comitia, thus any new priest of the colonia, shall be appointed by the colonial collegium pontificum. If no priest was elected in the founding comitia, the first priests shall be elected by any subsequent comitia, and additional priests shall be appointed later by the collegium pontificum. When the number of augures reaches three, they can coopt their own members.

X. First coloni and the initial Album Civium

A. This lex has been enacted by the tresviri coloniae deducendae: the founder and legatus pro praetore of the province Cn. Cornelius Lentulus, aedilis curulis of the res publica, the founder of Roman reenactment in Aquincum, M. Aurelius Cotta Iovius, aedilis curulis of the res publica, and the officer of the Aquincum Museum, D. Septimius Ursus, who are hereby granted patricius status in Aquincum.

B. Among the founding citizens, the patriciatus of Aquincum is bestowed upon those who were present at the founding ceremony, which shall be clarified by an edictum of the first duumvir, added as an attachment at X.E.9. Patrician status is also specially awarded, besides Cn. Cornelius Lentulus, M. Aurelius Cotta Iovius and D. Septimius Ursus, to M. Flavius Memnon, C. Villius Macro Carbo and T. Abonia Calida for their many years of dedication and service to Roman revival in the Aquincum area regardless their presence in the founding ceremonies. The patriciatus of Aquincum is inherited through the male line and extends to all living relatives of the same stirps of the gens, and it is recognized with 1 Census Point.

C. Honorary citizenship with patrician status in the colonia is granted to C. Petronius Stephanus Turpilianus and Sp. Porcius Gemma for their help in the establishment of the colonia.

D. The founding citizens are:

1. Tita Abonia Calida

2. Lucia Aelia Fidelis

3. Tita Aelia Pancratia

4. Gaia Aelia Saturnina

5. Tiberius Aelius Pannonicus

6. Gaius Amatius Structus

7. Gaia Antonia Susanna

8. Gaius Antonius Cattus

9. Titus Aquillius Severus Aper

10. Quintus Arrius Nauta

11. Servius Asinius Pilatus

12. Publius Atilius Severus

13. Spuria Aurelia Rosa

14. Marcus Aurelius Cotta Iovius

15. Titus Barbatius Naso

16. Lucia Bellia Mariana

17. Tiberia Caecilia Sabina

18. Decimus Castricius Ursus

19. Appia Claudia Alba

20. Lucia Claudia Marcella

21. Lucia Claudia Tumbata

22. Lucia Claudia Vibiana

23. Marcus Claudius Marcellus

24. Gnaeus Claudius Velox

25. Appius Clavius Arcturus

26. Lucia Cornelia Lentula

27. Lucia Cornelia Liliana

28. Marca Cornelia Paulla

29. Decima Cornelia Sophia

30. Gaius Cornelius Barosus

31. Gaius Cornelius Hadrianus

32. Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus

33. Spurius Cornelius Ralla

34. Gaia Fabia Niobe

35. Gaia Fabricia Flora

36. Aulus Fabricius Luscinus Andreas

37. Aulus Fabricius Pardalas

38. Marcus Flavius Memnon

39. Gaius Florius Otho

40. Lucius Horatius Celer

41. Lucia Hortensia Theodora

42. Lucia Iulia Serena

43. Lucius Iulius Caesar Lupus

44. Gaius Iulius Magnus

45. Sexta Lania Murena

46. Marcus Licinius Savariensis

47. Lucia Lucretia Capillata

48. Decimus Matius Romanus

49. Marcus Messius Laniator

50. Spuria Minia Paulla

51. Tiberia Naevia Amica

52. Gaia Nautia Saltatrix

53. Marcus Nautius Balla

54. Lucia Neratia Aurora

55. Gaia Octavia Archilla

56. Gaius Octavius Delphinus

57. Gnaea Ovidia Eva

58. Decimus Petreius Iohannes

59. Gaius Petronius Stephanus Turpilianus (honorary)

60. Appia Pinaria Quercea

61. Appia Pompeia Messalina

62. Sextus Pompeius Maximus

63. Aulus Pompeius Metellus Thrax

64. Titus Pompeius Viridis

65. Tita Popillia Laenas

66. Marcus Popillius Laenas

67. Spurius Porcius Gemma (honorary)

68. Aulus Rabirius Colociensis

69. Decimus Septimius Ursus

70. Gaia Sergia Blatta

71. Servia Sulpicia Bonosa

72. Quintus Terentius Garrulus

73. Tita Valeria Rubra

74. Gaia Valeria Terra

75. Marcus Valerius Maximus

76. Publius Valerius Paternus

77. Sextus Valerius Paternus

78. Tiberia Verginia Bestia

79. Gaius Villius Macro Carbo

80. Gaius Villius Vulso

81. Quinta Equitia Clara (added later, citizenship obtained during the session)

82. Tita Vergilia Luminosa (added later, citizenship obtained during the session)

E. List of patricii coloniae:

1. Cn. Cornelius Lentulus

2. M. Aurelius Cotta Iovius

3. D. Septimius Ursus

4. M. Flavius Memnon

5. C. Villius Macro Carbo

6. T. Abonia Calida

7. Sp. Porcius Gemma (honorary)

8. C. Petronius Stephanus Turpilianus (honorary)

9 etc.: (added by edict)

APPENDIX TO THE LEX COLONIAE: ACTION PLAN OF THE NEW COLONIA CORNELIA AQUINCENSIUM

The following shall serve as the required Action Plan for the founding of the colonia according to the lex Fabia de oppidis et municipiis modified by the lex Arria de castris et coloniis. We outline the list of annual programs and the list of focuses and projects that the colonia wish to uphold in the foreseeable future:

I. Annual programs

Since most of the activities of Provincia Pannonia were conducted in the region what is going to be officially chartered as Colonia Aquincum, there is no shortage of the various activities, festivals, celebrations and community programs that will be held even from the first year of existence of this new colonia. The following year, regular schedule of activities is planned to be maintained in long term:

1. January 1: Celebration of new year and the entering of office of the annual magistrates of the colonia

2. March 1: Celebration of the Concordialia

3. March 1-15: Public events (e.g. gladiatorial games) for the Ludi Novi Romani

4. April (variable date): Participation of the reenactment market held in the archaeological park

5. May (variable date): Grand celebration of the Floralia festival, main event

6. June 20-25 (around these days usually): Night of the Museums, participation in the archaeological park

7. July (mid month): Váci Vigalom Festival, in Vác, within the territorium of the colonia

8. July-August (period): Roman camp for children in the archaeological park

9. September (around 10): Ludi Romani, usually held in the Aquincum amphitheater, under the marketing name AmfiFeszt

10. September (mid month): Quadriburgium Games in Visegrád, within the territorium of the colonia

11. October (around 10): Barbarian days in the Aquincum Museum

12. October 15: October Horse celebration

13. December (period): Saturnalia celebration

14. December 31: New Year's Eve gathering

II. Focuses and projects

A. The colonia wishes to serve as a meeting point and bridge between the various local Roman groups, including period related Barbarian traditionalists (Celts, Sarmatians, Germans etc).

B. The colonia will provide resources and support, primarily for the Nova Roman legions, gladiatorial groups and other communities, secondarily to all Roman traditionalists and reenactors in the territory of the colonia: help in reconstruction work, potentially financial or administrative support, contact with museums and other authorities, and contact with the central administration of our international res publica.

C. The colonia wishes to organize international meeting possibilities for citizens of Nova Roma from all provinces, and nurture the culture of personal, face-to-face living Romanitas, not only within the province, but in the entire res publica and imperium of Nova Roma.

D. The colonia intends to provide a model for other Nova Roman local communities about how to charter and function authentically as a Roman municipality in our modern circumstances, and to advise, held and assist other Nova Roman local groups in this process, worldwide.

III. Conclusion

Colonia Cornelia Aquincensium has a very solid basis to build on, and has an ambitious plan to grow and inspire other local groups of Nova Roma to grow, as well. We humbly ask the Senate to accept our Action Plan together with our lex coloniae, and give us trust and support to spread the good name of Nova Roma in Pannonia and, through our international partnerships and collaborations, globally.

Signed:

Cn. Cornelius Lentulus
CONDITOR (Founder)
The People of Aquincum

END OF ACTION PLAN DOCUMENT