Senatus consultum ultimum de municipiis populi Novi Romani (Nova Roma)

SENATUS CONSULTUM ULTIMUM DE MUNICIPIIS POPULI NOVI ROMANI

Enacted on: a.d. XI Kal. Oct. Q. Arrio P. Annaeo cos. ‡ XXII ANRC et MMDCCLXXII AUC (In the year of the consulship of Q. Arrius and P. Annaeus, 21st September, 22 ANRC / 2772 AUC / 2019 AD)

I. The term oppidum is hereby suspended and the term vicus is to be used for city based local communities of Nova Roma, because oppidum is not a Roman legal term: the vicus was the smallest unit of Roman local communities. The appellation of the aedilis of these city communities shall be magister vici. Past aediles shall be retroactively retitled “magister vici aedilis”.

II. The term municipium may be used, by a grant from the senate, if a Nova Roman city community has a population of at least 15 citizens.

III. The Nova Roman citizens of Sofia in Provincia Thracia, shall receive an exceptional grant of municipium status, and the following lex municipalis at Section V is authorized by this senatus consultum ultimum, and if any of its points is in conflict with the lex Fabia de oppidis et municipiis, this senatus consultum ultimum validates it and overrides said lex Fabia.

IV. The senate instructs consul Q. Arrius Nauta, his quaestor Cn. Cornelius Lentulus also as pontifex, and A. Vitellius Celsus legatus pro praetore of Thracia and citizen in Sofia, the elected duumviri to found the municipium Ulpia Serdica Nova Romana, and to conduct the lustrum and the proper founding rituals of Ulpia Serdica as a Founding Commission, and it authorizes Ti. Claudius Drusus to assist the Founding Commission in taking the inaugural auspices as acting temporary augur of Ulpia Serdica for the day.

V. Lex municipalis Vitellia de foedere municipii Ulpiae Serdicae

(section numbering restarts from here)

I. Name of the Municipium

In accordance with the lex Fabia de oppidis et municipiis, we the Nova Roman citizens in the city of Sofia, Bulgaria, in Provincia Thracia of Nova Roma, establish Ulpia Serdica, the city level community of Nova Roma in Sofia within the Nova Roman Provincia Thracia, and we enact this Foedus as the constitution of our municipium.

II. Geographical Limits

Municipium Ulpia Serdica shall be based on the city of Sofia, Bulgaria, but citizens are admitted from the entire Sofia City Oblast (Област София-град).

III. Membership

A. Every Nova Roman citizen living in the area specified in Article II shall be a citizen of the municipium. Only Nova Roman citizens can be members-citizens of the municipium B. Loss of Nova Roman citizenship shall involve loss of membership in the municipium. C. The rights of the municipal citizens may be restricted as a disciplinary action by the duumviri, but the available disciplinary actions shall be regulated by a municipal 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 municipal comitia, the decreta decurionum of the municipal ordo decurionum, the edicta of the municipal 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 municipal tabularium. Only the legal documents recorded there and translated to English have legal force and validity.

V. Institutions and Magistrates

A. Comitia municipalia: the general assembly of all the citizens of the municipium. B. Ordo decurionum: the town council, a member of this is called decurio. C. Duumvir iure dicundo (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 elected once a year. D. Various types of apparitores (including, but not limited to, scribae, praecones, lictores), assistant officers appointed by each duumvir. E. Other offices may be created by the comitia municipalia to perform specific duties. F. All officers, magistrates, decuriones or apparitores must be citizens of the municipium, a person who doesn’t have citizenship in the municipium cannot be an officer of the municipium.

VI. Comitia Municipalia

A. The comitia municipalia is composed of all the citizens of the municipium and all members shall have the right to speak and vote in the comitia. B. The comitia municipalia shall elect all local magistrates and enact leges binding upon all the members of the municipium. C. The comitia municipalia 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 municipium 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 municipium are present, thus the minimum quorum is three citizens. Those who are not present can authorize other municipal citizens to vote in their name. D. From the date of publication of the call for the comitia municipalia to meet, at least one full nundinum shall elapse before the date of the meeting of the comitia municipalia. E. The comitia shall meet at a location within the area specified in Article II. F. F. In the event that a person holding a municipal magistracy resigns, or is removed from that office, or, losses 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 in office, 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 municii comitiorum habendorum causa (municipal dictator for the purpose of holding an election). The dictator municipii comitiorum habendorum causa has the sole duty to conduct the election, and has no power to do any other action that is not related to the conducting of the election. Once the new duoviri suffecti entered office, the dictator’s office expires. 3. If there is no functioning ordo decurionum, the provincial governor shall conduct the election, or if he is unable, he shall appoint a praefectus municipii from among the municipal citizens to hold the elections, whose duties and term of office are the same as those of the dictator municipii comitiorum habendorum causa.

VII. Ordo Decurionum

A. The ordo decurionum is composed of decuriones who are all the current and former magistrates of the municipium, who have automatic membership in the ordo decurionum. Other decuriones may be appointed, and any decuriones may be removed from their position by a joint edictum of the duoviri 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 municipium. The ordo decurionum shall have the power to legislate by decrees on all issues that are not otherwise regulated under the authority of municipal leges. 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. The session is valid only if all the decuriones of the municipium 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 municipium 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. E. The ordo decurionum shall meet at a location within the area specified in Article II. F. F. Voting in the ordo decurionum requires the physical presence of the decurio in the place where the session is being held.

VIII. Duoviri

A. There shall be two duumviri or duoviri, who are collegial magistrates of equal power. They are the highest ranking magistrates, the presidents or mayors of the municipium. B. The duoviri shall be elected by the comitia municipalia and their term of office shall be a full calendar year. C. The duties of the duoviri are:

1. To summon the comitia municipalia and the ordo decurionum and preside over their meetings 2. To maintain the local Album Civium and Tabularium. 3. To issue edicta affecting the municipium. 4. To exercise intercessio against another local magistrate of equal or lesser authority.

IX. Modifications to this Foedus

This foedus may be modified by a lex approved by the comitia municipalia.

X. Founding citizens (patricians of the municipium) and starting Album Civium

With this lex, the legatus pro praetore of the province A. Vitellius Celsus and the consul of the republic, Q. Arrius Nauta, and consular quaestor Cn. Cornelius Lentulus are recognized as co-founders of the Nova Roman municipium of Ulpia Serdica, to the latter two of whom honorary citizenship is granted for their help in the establishment of the municipium.

1. Appia Ulpia Nero 2. Aulus Vitellius Celsus 3. Decimus Claudius Avitus 4. Decimus Iulius Priscus 5. Gaia Iunia Domitiana 6. Gaius Decius Crassus 7. Gaius Ulpius Iustinianus 8. Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus (honorary) 9. Lucia Aurelia Cotta 10. Mania Ulpia Nigra 11. Marcus Livius Taurus 12. Quintus Arrius Nauta (honorary) 13. Quintus Aurelius Caninus 14. Tiberia Claudia Lepida 15. Tiberius Cassius Geminus 16. Tiberius Pompeius Lepidus