Vicendum Spotlight: Rome

Summary

Overview
History
Government
Government Officials
Law
Economy
Economic Overview
Society
Names
Army

“The Romans have always believed that there are two ‘worlds’ on this planet- their own and everyone else. They don’t necessarily despise ‘the other world’ and will accommodate its ideas should it benefit the state, but ask any Roman what world they’d like to live in and 9 times out of 10 they will say their own.”- Rudolph Percy, British historian.

Section 1: Overview

Rome in Vicendum is meant to be a rough microcosm of the West. It’s not a complete one because I don’t believe that Rome would have evolved completely like the West is today but since Rome laid many of the foundations for Western thought it shouldn’t be surprising that Rome and the West are similar. While the ancient version is not the same as the modern version (because a society never remains static) the core values of the ancient world continue to the present, in different forms. The Romans are still a society that’s based highly on honour, fairness and equality (values the ancient Roman writers wrote frequently about), but, unlike their more conservative-minded ancient brethren, Rome is now one of the most liberal societies in the world. This may seem like a stark contrast to what the ancients believed in, but today, the concepts of honour, fairness and equality usually mean things like civil rights, democracy and extensive political freedoms. Plus, even in ancient times the Romans were a highly tolerant people, which today is normally considered the backbone for any liberal society.

The Roman system of government is officially that of a republic, but they won’t call it that. All positions are elected, even that of the Emperor, in a unicameral system. The Senate itself is maintained, but it now serves the purpose of what we’d call a cabinet- the overall legislative assembly is that of the Tribune of the Plebs. Also, today “plebeian” and “patrician” are no longer official legal or social terms, but the terms have still survived to the present to denote the commoners and the wealthy respectively, with the two terms sometimes being referred to in negative terms. The language of the Empire is still Latin, but in some parts of the Empire English is spoken. Administratively, Latin is the language of choice, but officials tend to make a point of learning the local language when administering their provinces.

Roman territory is also different than the ancient version. Today, Rome holds territory all over the world, with its only European territory being Italy, Dalmatia, the southern French coast, the Pyrenees Mountains and Catalonia. Most of the other territory has been lost since the 5^th Century, but most Romans today do not pine for that lost territory, because of a modern view that the old Empire crumbled because it over-extended itself- plus, the Romans have not held that territory for over one thousand years, so they are used to their situation. There is also an ongoing political rivalry with the Byzantine Empire, the “Eastern Roman Empire”, and while there have been attempts to bridge the gap between Rome and Constantinople, the ideological divide between the liberal Romans and the rightist Byzantines (who were not nearly as tolerant as the Romans were) remains too wide of a gulf to bridge completely.

The Romans view their ancient past in two lights, one obviously positive and the other negative. The positive side sees the foundations for many of the core values and ideals that make up the Empire today, such as emphasis on honour and equality, while the negative side sees the ancient Romans also as a model of arrogance, a time where the excesses of the Empire got the better of it. Romans often use the ancient past as a “lesson” to current Romans how dangerous arrogance can be, with this lesson continuing to this day. This may seem like a strange development, but I personally think it would sell short the Romans if I made the ancient version “the Golden Age” considering the accomplishments they made in that era, and given the 1500 years since, there is an extreme amount of potentially great history that the Romans could create. Also, the ancients themselves never seemed to write glowingly of their own Empire, often blasting it for being “excessive” and “immoral”, and while most of the writers were patricians probably jealous that they’re not in power, the cynicism is telling for its broad acknowledgement. The ancients probably didn’t have an optimistic view of the Empire and neither, probably, would later Romans, especially after the Collapse of the 5^th Century (what I call the 5^th Century).

Section 2: A Brief History of Rome to Today

(For more information on the History of Rome, see: Chronology of the Emperors)

This is the brief history of Rome from 475 to the Present:

In 475, the Western Roman Empire was a mess. Ruled in name by the Romans but ruled in practice by the Germans, there was a growing perception at the time that it wouldn’t be a matter of “if” the West would fall but “when”. The last Emperor who could genuinely claim the title of “Emperor” was Anthemius, and he ruled until 472. From there until 476 was a parade of “puppet” Emperors put in place by the Germanic tribes to further their own interests. Julius Nepos was one of those puppets, put in power after a political coup led by the Eastern Empire took out the incumbent Emperor Glycerius. Nepos proved himself quite capable of ruling the Empire, showing a diplomatic flair that restored Provence to Roman rule and ended hostilities with the Visigoths. However, not all his decisions were bright ones, including the decision to install Glycerius as “Bishop of Mediolanum” that would eventually lead to a Glycerius-orchestrated coup led by Orestes that took Nepos out of the Imperial office and installed Romulus Augustus (or “Augustulus”) as Emperor. Augustulus’ reign was short-lived, as Odoacer, his Germanic “Master of Soldiers”, led a coup that gave him unquestioned control of Italy and the title of “King of Italy”. His move was designed to make the rule of the Germans over their kingdoms recognized in more than just in practice, but the Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno refused to acknowledge Odoacer’s rule unless he recognized Nepos- who the East recognized as Emperor since he came to power in 475- as Western Emperor. Odoacer did so, but he was determined to get rid of Nepos to further his own rule. Nepos made his own preparations to counter Odoacer’s, leading to the Battle of Ravenna in 479. Nepos’ resounding victory over Odoacer restored the Western Empire unquestionably to Nepos, and a number of treaties signed in 480 officially set the boundaries of the Western Empire and officially recognized the Germanic kingdoms as independent.

Nepos, once regaining control of Rome, would reform Rome again and lay the foundations for the state to today. His first actions would be to legalize pagan culture and end its persecution in much the same way that Constantine ended Christian persecution, convinced that the suppression of pagan culture led to the degradation of the Roman State (plus many of the pagan-minded people, especially in the Senate, were still around at the time). This wouldn’t mean that Christianity would become illegal- it would just mean that it would now have to operate side-by-side with the pagans. It wouldn’t be easy, but eventually Christians and pagans could learn to co-exist (in fact, under this thought a truly “Roman” version of Christianity would emerge, with a religion that’s more mindful and considerate of other ways of thinking and would ultimately be more tolerant). Thus, Rome would become the first state with freedom of religion actually entrenched in law, but it would probably take hundreds of years before attitudes actually shifted in that direction. The Romans would also give the Senate more powers, although the Emperor still had the final say on all potential laws.

The Roman State that Nepos inherited would include just Provence and Italy, but after Nepos reasserted Roman control, it would again become a strong state, and would pick up allies in the Vandals and Visigoths (done to maintain the Empire’s security). This would not go unnoticed: when Justinian I became Eastern Roman Emperor (hereafter the Empire will be called “Constantinopolitan”, because “Byzantine” was never the name of the state), he would make it a policy to reunite East and West, especially after conquering Ostrogothic Illyria in 534. A deal was struck in 539, but Constantinople’s policies of enforcing Eastern Christianity on the population won them little support, so in 542 the Romans voided the deal. Reunion has been attempted- with mixed results- since then, but most historians are still unconvinced that a real union between East and West will ever occur.

In the 7^th century, Arab attacks forced the Constantinopolitans to bequeath Egypt, Palestine and Syria, and despite Roman help, annexed the Vandal Kingdom of north Africa and southern Spain from the Constantinopolitans (taken by Justinian from the Alans in 550). Shortly afterwards, Rome decided to launch a counter-offensive against both the Franks and the Arabs, convinced that it could now regain its old borders, at first being repulsed on both fronts. However, after the 843 death of Charlemagne (that dissolved the Frankish Empire), Rome’s attempts at re-conquest fared much better: in 851, the Romans routed a Frankish force near Nice, and in 853 defeated the Arabs near present-day Algiers. In ten years, Rome found itself as masters again of Gaul, Germany and North Africa, and twenty years later extended their rule all the way to Egypt, Syria, Nubia, Abyssinia, Hadharamut and Mesopotamia, with Roman armies successfully forcing the Constantinopolitans to submit to Roman rule in 881. A year later- with the voluntary union of the Visigothic Kingdom and the Roman Empire and the famous “March of the Thames” that brought the whole British Isles back to Roman control- Rome now commanded all of its former territories, and with other areas added as a bonus. The incumbent Emperor, Claudius III, was given the title “Emperor of the World” following his victories.

However, this time Roman rule was short-lived. 53 years after Claudius’ empire was formed it fell apart. In Constantinople (where the emperors ruled as governors)- a new dynasty took power and shook off Roman rule, as did the Arabs in the Middle East and north Africa. The Romans’ Gallic territories held out for much longer but were still tenuous: Paris (which later became France), Normandy and the British Isles all revolted, and Rome fought for control of the rest of Gaul with the French and, increasingly, newcomers like the Norman and English kingdoms. Internally, Rome’s civil struggles continued, as the ideological battle between the pagans and the Christians showed a Roman population that was still very deeply polarized.

The history of Rome for the next 607 years was a history that was bound to struggle, both externally and internally. In Gaul, Rome steadily lost ground to the Normans and the English, leading to their almost total eviction in France by the end of 1204 at the hands of the egocentrically named Phillip Augustus, and for the next few hundred years the only remaining Roman territory in Gaul would be Narbon, the Pyrenees and Basqueland. In Germany and Italy, power waxed and waned depending on who was the Emperor- a pagan ruler would see periods of sectarian crises (two of whom, Genoa and Venice, were successful) at the hands of Christian princes, while times of Christian rule saw periods of intense persecutions of the pagans, setting off many revolts. There were a few centrist Emperors at this time that did attempt to bridge the social gap, but for the most part the polarization of Roman society was too deep-seated for even the best of Emperors to fix at the time.

The man who would change all that and steer Rome to its present day course was a man by the name of Decius Capitolinus. Capitolinus ascended to rule at the age of 14, the youngest Emperor on record, in the year of 1542, in the middle of yet another civil strife. The preceding 25-year period was the period known as the Roman Civil War (also known as “the Era of a Hundred Emperors”), where the battle between the pagans and the Christians came to a head following the famous acts of Martin Luther. Capitolinus was neither a pagan nor a Christian and only assumed the throne because he was a distant cousin of a previous Emperor, Paul VIII, and was the only family member who managed to escape the massacre of the Imperial family when a pagan faction raided the Imperial palace. The incident stuck with Capitolinus his entire life, convincing him that it was time to end the ideological nonsense and bring the pagans and Christians closer together.

The 14-year-old quickly erased any doubts over his legitimacy to rule in successfully brokering the end of the Civil War at the Peace of Mantua that divided the Senate directly in half between the pagan factions and the Christian ones (many of whom still existed in what remained of Roman territory). He also pointed Rome away from its re-conquest efforts, formally recognizing the independence of Germany and S and NW Italy (which were effectively independent anyway) and setting a course for Roman exploration projects that dotted the next few centuries. He also enacted several decrees that reformed Roman education, directing it towards greater tolerance for both sides and ending what he termed “the politicization of education”. He was also the first ruler from Europe to openly embrace the Muslim empires (famously stating that “the only difference they have with us is that they name ‘God’ differently”) and established diplomatic relations with all three by 1553: the Ottomans were the first to sign in 1547 (leading to the famous meeting with Suleiman The Magnificent where Capitolinus remarked that “his palace is greater than Rome itself”), then the Safavids in 1549 and then finally the Mughals in 1553. His actions brought Rome closer to the Arabic world, forging a relationship that brought new ideas to both sides and helped the economies of both sides immensely. The Arabs were quick to embrace a European power that was not bent on going to war with them, even bestowing Capitolinus the honorary title “Emir of the Romans”, but Christian Europe was divided- the Pope openly denounced Capitolinus as a heretic (leading to Capitolinus’ famous reply, “if tolerance and acceptance is a heresy, then the Pope is himself a heretic”), but with Papal power on the wane, the competing Christian groups rallied behind Capitolinus, mostly just because they wanted to be against the Pope. Within Roman territory, the Christians moved well away from the Pope (as a growing number had for centuries during the period of unrest) after his statement and moved closer to Capitolinus, whom they saw as “the real modernist in a time of anachronisms” (Martel, writer, 1647).

In the 17^th century, the Roman Empire began the climb to industrialization. They had already cement and had used it extensively- eventually, they started to use coal power and steam engines, and by 1650, the Romans had begun to use machines as we would know them. It was around this time that the suddenly resource-needy state began to expand overseas- in 1698, the Romans established colonies on the islands of Andros and Eleuthea, and in 1701, the Romans defeated Castile (northern Spain as the southern half belonged to the Visigoths) in a bid to conquer Venezuela, which they finished conquering in 1704. Rome, now industrialized, now became a major global power on the same level as Britain and France.

Rome’s newfound successes led to even more revolutionary activity back home, as a new crop of philosophers emerged in the Empire. Concerns over poor working conditions and over too much Imperial power led to the 1742 Roman Revolution. The Revolution set the foundations for the current Roman Constitution (instituted by Marcus Aurelius II, who called himself that as a homage to the earlier Philosopher Emperor) with a number of new political freedoms emerging (such as freedom of speech and expression), as well as the abolition of slavery. The Revolution failed in its quest to get the Senate directly elected by the people, but it did succeed in curbing the Senate’s power with the Constitution.

In the late 18^th century, a new threat emerged from the east. Napoleon Bonaparte, a French Revolutionary (who was actually Corsican), invaded Italy in 1797 and actually went all the way to Rome, where he overthrew the Emperor Claudius V and declared, “The Roman Republic is reborn”. The Praetorian Guard managed to secure Claudius’ position in power after Napoleon left, but Bonaparte left an impression in the minds of the Roman people (as they felt that Napoleon was “Roman”), who again called for the direct election of now both the Senate and the Emperor. They half succeeded: the Senate was now directly elected (by wealthy landowners only), but the Emperor was still an inherited position, though the only power that he had was veto power. As Napoleon’s power began to wade in the 1810s, the people called for the government to provide him support, but Claudius, remembering how Napoleon dethroned him, refused. In 1815, after Napoleon was overthrown by a European coalition that also included Claudius, the Roman population forcibly deposed Claudius and declared a Republic. Ten years of actual physical fighting ensued between the Praetorian Guard and Republicans, and, after that ended with a ceasefire, more fiery debate over the role of the Emperor in Roman life, as well as discussions over suffrage. The electoral questions were not resolved until Keylusus II came to power in 1912, when he declared that all government positions in the Empire would be elected through universal suffrage.

While the philosophical debates raged, the Romans proceeded to add territory across the globe. In 1817, during the confusion of Napoleon’s reign, Rome went to war with Portugal over its colonial possessions and wound up wresting Brazil and Mozambique away from the Portuguese. In 1832, the Romans took control of northern Australia and eastern New Guinea, as well as several islands in the outlying areas. They also went to war for the first time with British troops in Burma, and while the Romans were defeated outside of Rangoon, they did manage to get a foothold in the Adaman Islands. Roman policies of expansion continued into the 19^th century, with the Empire adding Somalia and Hadaharamut by 1874. Closer to home, the Romans successfully united the Italian Peninsula under Giuseppe Garibaldi from 1861 to 1870, forging a new Empire that stretched from the Pyrenees to Dalmatia. The union wasn’t perfect, taking several years for the various Italian peoples to eventually rally behind the Emperor, but for most Italians they were finally relieved to have a united country under what many viewed as “the greatest society that ever lived in Italy”.

In 1894, the Romans went to war for the first time against the Abyssinians. The official reasoning was because of Abyssinian assaults on Roman positions in Somalia, but the vast majority of the public believed it was just another case of Roman imperialism. The Christian population of Rome was especially appalled at a Roman assault on another “Christian” state, while other Romans were worried about the negative effects of imperialism, namely nationalism and the reaction by the indigenous population against being “conquered”. These feelings- coupled with a Roman defeat at Adowa in 1896- started a new Roman policy of “integration”, with progressive policies aimed at incorporating the new territories into the Roman metropolitan area and the new peoples into the greater Roman society. Universal male suffrage- independent of wealth- was instituted across the Empire in 1901, meaning that now even the “colonial” peoples could elect and send members to the Roman Senate.

In 1912, a new development emerged on the Roman political scene- Keylusus II, the son of Regulus III, was thrust into power at the age of 20 after the sudden death of Regulus. He was studying political science at the University of Rome at the time, from where he received his thoughts about instituting real democracy in the Empire, thoughts that he put into use almost immediately after gaining power. The people of Rome, expectedly, were extremely unhappy that a 20-year-old “boy” was in power and clamoured for his removal, causing Keylusus to institute his now famous decree (Decree No. 27542, or “The Electoral Decree”) instituting real democracy in the Roman Empire. He decreed that later that year there would be elections- under universal suffrage (independent of gender now as well as independent of wealth)- for the Imperial throne, commissioned and audited by the close Roman ally Egypria, the Roman Free Press and several Universities across the Empire (which still occurs today), and for a five-year term. Partly due to his goodwill, Keylusus triumphed in 1912, claiming the first of an unprecedented 16 straight electoral victories. Upon the completion of his final term in 1992- on December 8- he retired, ending an 80-year reign that brought him the title of “the Eternal Emperor”.

He used his time well, instituting many progressive decrees and commissioning many public works- including the improved Roman Road system and the construction one of the world’s largest synagogues in Rome following World War II- that greatly improved the economy. He also annexed the Ogaden Region in 1932 from Abyssinia (upon the request of the Somalis), as well as- finally- Burma in 1944, the latter coming after Rome responded to an attack by the Japanese during World War II on the Adaman Islands, an attack Rome repelled. He was also criticized at times for being focusing far too much on centralizing power in Rome, refusing to grant the provinces several rights including that of taxation or to even incorporate set borders for the provinces. His policy in this regard has been best known for a quote he uttered in 1966- “Draw a line on the map, and you create division”- where he steadfastly refused to incorporate clear provinces for the fear that they would break away. However, despite the provincial issue Keylusus retained his popularity throughout his reign, mainly for his highly progressive attitudes.

Internationally, Keylusus was known for his diplomatic efforts and for being a moderating force at a time of heightened emotions throughout his reign. Rome was officially neutral in both World Wars (it only entered World War II because of Japanese aggression and stayed out of World War I because of “conflicting interests”), and helped broker peace in both instances. It also accepted many refugees from all over the world, with many of those same refugees being political prisoners. It was during Keylusus’ time that Rome’s legacy as a highly tolerant, equal and democratic society became firmly entrenched, often being regarded as a “model” for the way society should be. In fact, several of Keylusus’ late additions to the Empire- such as south-central Gaul (in the wake of the collapse of the French Republic), NE Louisiana, Vancouver Island, California, Nevada, Idaho, southern British Columbia, New York State, North Dakota and Ontario- all came at the request of the local populace’s, who were convinced that Roman rule was preferable to the government situation they were presently in (the latter three later became independent as “the Principality of Ontario”).

One major aspect of his international policy was his stance on anti-imperialism, which he vociferously spoke out against. His most important statement came after the Treaty of Sévères in 1920 that practically dissolved the Ottoman Empire. The treaty granted Thrace and much of Anatolia to Byzantium (the name of the Constantinopolitan state after 1894), Palestine to Britain (to compliment its earlier annexation of Egypt), Syria and Cilicia to France and much of northern Cappadocia to the newly created Armenian state, leaving the Ottomans with just southern Cappadocia. Keylusus, calling the arrangement “territorial shoplifting”, organized a resistance effort with the Ottomans in 1923 which failed to restore Anatolia but managed to restore Syria and Cappadocia to the Ottoman state. The Romans and Ottomans later entered an arrangement called the “Confederation of Roman States” in the hopes that they could bring in Byzantium as well, but the Byzantine-Roman rivalry was still very much etched into the minds of both Byzantium and Rome (especially after the Byzantines were attacked by both the Romans and the Ottomans in 1923), so the arrangement failed in this regard. He was, however, successful in other international initiatives, such as helping broker the end of World War II and the 1979 ceasefire in Cyprus, as well as being an outspoken critic of the “Cold War” political shell game. Very late in his career Keylusus made Rome a key figure at the end of the War, gobbling up massive chunks of former Soviet and American territory in the wake of the collapse of both governments as well as working to thoroughly ensure the stability of the new world. The old territories have regained their old wealth, but stability has been a continuing concern.

In 1992, Keylusus gave way to Paul XII, elected with a 70% majority in the December elections. Paul’s legacy has been a mixed one- he continued many of Keylusus’ policies, especially the public works (which won him re-election in 1997), as well as granting independence to Brazil and Mozambique shortly after assuming the throne and Ontario soon afterward. He also sent Roman spending levels to stratospheric proportions, levels that had not been seen since the time of Nero or Commodus. By the end of his reign in 2002- the same year he gave way to the current Emperor Rodin Hartian- the tax level stood at a mind-boggling 71%. Predictably, Rome’s economy was gutted and needed a massive overhaul, which it received when Hartian was swept to power in 2002. Hartian’s policies- including massive tax and spending cuts- greatly revived the economy and earned him widespread praise across the Empire. He also dealt with the provincial question head-on, creating a system of “Dominions” that granted widespread autonomy to many of the provinces (leaving only Latium, Provence, California, Nevada, Idaho and SE British Columbia under direct Roman rule), remaking the Empire into a federation of states based in Rome. His argument was that Rome was “effectively a federation anyway” and felt that the Empire would be more effectively run in this manner. He also founded the Roman Union, an updated alliance from that forged between the Ottomans and Keylusus, which effectively united all of the former provinces of the Empire into one strong alliance. There are a few kinks that need to be worked out, but for the most part, the Union’s prospects are bright.

On June 2, 2006, Valerius IV Maderia was elected Emperor, succeeding Hartian. He ran on a ticket of improving the status of the Dominions under the law and by drafting a unified Roman Constitution. He is expected to name his office later in the year.

Section 3: Roman Government

(Special Note: all positions in Rome can be held by a male or a female, with the Emperor only being referred to in the male form because that is the title a male would use. The female form is “Empress” or “Caesarea”.)

The Roman political system- as it has since the reforms of Keylusus II- is technically that of a republic, with the citizens of Rome electing their own Head of State. The Head of State in Rome is referred to as “the Emperor” in informal speech, but in more formal terms the official title is “Caesar”, a title that has been in use since ancient times. The continued use of the monarchy in Rome has led some political scientists to call Rome’s system “a constitutional monarchy”, but since the Head of State is not elected for life, it is officially a republic, though few Romans would call it that.

The Emperor is elected for a term of five years, but he can be re-elected as many times as the public wishes. The Emperor’s duties are mainly to oversee the affairs of the entire Empire, such as foreign affairs and defence, as well as serving as the Empire’s top judge (“the Supreme Court” in other countries). His duties are defined as those of a “national matter” and thus he is bound by law to leave local affairs to local officials. The Constitution of Rome (enacted by Capitolinus in 1552) more clearly delineates the authority of the Emperor over his people, explicitly stating that “any responsibility not defined here is that of the Dominions (provinces)”, although there are provisions allowing intervention by the Emperor in the Dominions should Dominion authorities not be able to resolve the issue effectively. The clause has caused periodic abuses of power by the Emperor, but for the most part the jurisdiction of the Emperor and the Dominions is respected, plus there is a provision allowing the Dominion leaders (gathered in a “Comitia Imperia”, or the Imperial Committee) to “vote out” the Emperor and call a new election if the Emperor goes too far out of line.

Officially, the only territories administered directly from Rome itself- called “the Republic”- is Latium, Provence, C and W Gaul, California, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Idaho, SE British Columbia and Nevada, with those territories being afforded a degree of local autonomy as Imperial Provinces. The rest of the Empire is split into Dominions, which have extensive autonomy from Rome. The Dominions, unlike the Provinces, have limited control over taxation, their Legions and foreign affairs, although in all cases Rome can supersede Dominion authority should the need arise (such as if Legionary reinforcements are needed in another area of the globe). The Dominions themselves can give their state any title except that of “Empire” (which is reserved for the name of the entire political unit) and are effectively treated as separate states.

Second in command to the Emperor is the Consul Primus (or, more commonly, simply “the Consul”), who is elected solely by citizens of the Republic. Their duty is to the Republic and the Republic alone, being the chief administrator of the core Roman territories on behalf of the Emperor. The Consul- through the Tribune of the Plebs- has the power to enact any laws they choose pertaining to Republican territory, but the Emperor is allowed to veto any law the Consul wants to pass (though after the fourth veto the matter is put to a Republican referendum). This will be covered more in depth in the section about the Legislative Assemblies (LA’s) of which the Tribune of the Plebs is one.

Third are the Dominion Prefects, all elected to the Comitia Imperia. The Prefects are the leaders of the Dominions and can thus have their own titles should they so choose- for example, if a Dominion calls itself a “kingdom” then the Prefect can be named a “king” (or queen, depending on gender)- but in official legal terms, they are called Prefects. The citizens of each Dominion- should the Dominion allow an election for its jurisdiction (all but Utah do)- directly elect their Prefect (like the Consul with the Republic), and, like the Consul is to the Republic, their main job is to administer the Dominion, with the same power over the Dominion that the Consul has over the Republic. Although the responsibilities and jurisdiction of the Prefects and that of the Consul are practically the same in their respective units, the Consul is seen as more influential simply because the Consul rules from Rome, the centre of the Empire. Thus, while the Consul has no direct power over the Dominions sometimes they use their influence to force laws upon the Dominions, leading to continuous squabbles between the two entities and with the Emperor, the only person who can actually intervene in the situation. Nevertheless, the jurisdictions are more or less respected, and whatever squabbles do show up are rarely divisive.

Following the Prefects in authority is the Senate. The Senate is the official term used to describe what other nations call “the Cabinet”, with many of the same titles and offices that were used in ancient times, with their responsibilities evolving with the State. Some of the more notable developments have been evolution of the office of Praetor to that of a title signifying the secondary minister in that position with “Consul” being used for the primary one- for example, the Minister of Defence, the administrator of the Army from the government perspective, becomes the “Consul Legate” while the General, who administers the Army in the field but is subordinate in governmental affairs to the Minister of Defence, becomes the “Praetor Legate”. It should, however, be noted that these designations are used more in name than in practice, because each Senator is guaranteed equal status within the Constitution. The official duties of the Senate is merely to carry out the orders of the Emperor, but their status as the advisors to the Emperor have made them highly influential in Roman politics, a role they have continued to have since ancient times.

After the Senate is the Legislative Assembly (LA), present in all sectors of the Empire, led by the Prefect. In Rome, the Tribune of the Plebs holds this position (with the Consul leading it), but in the Dominions different units carry out the role. Most Dominions elect the LA, but not all: Utah, governed by the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS), does not hold elections for its LA, since its LA is the governing body of the LDS. Other Dominions have different rules over suffrage, but for the most part, the Dominions are all democratic in one form or another. The LA’s jurisdiction is to the Dominion itself, with each member administering a province within the Dominion. Most Dominions have political parties, but the Prefect does not necessarily have to come from one of those parties (being elected separately from the Members of the LA (MLA)) although they typically do. LA’s have the power to pass laws for the Dominion, but the Prefect (or the Emperor) can veto those laws up to four times, after which a Dominion-wide referendum must be held. The Prefect also has the power to dissolve the LA twice in a five-year span (and only once a year), and, after the second dissolution, can have a referendum allowing them to rule by decree (though the MLA is retained as simply provincial administrators). After that, only the Emperor has the authority to dissolve the LA and even to remove the Prefect if he so chooses, in which case the Emperor can rule by decree until the next election. Finally, the Prefect has no power to enact any laws by themselves, but they do have the power to propose laws to the LA for consideration, with those laws- should they pass- not being allowed to be vetoed since they came from the Prefect themselves. While the format has come under criticism in some circles since they feel the Prefect has too much power and because the format appears divisive, in practice the format has worked well, since usually the elected Prefect is also the leader of the majority party elected to the LA, meaning that divisive squabbles are rare and instances where the Prefect rules by decree or is even removed entirely are rare.

Last, but not least, in the Roman system is the Forum. In Rome, the Roman Forum, in use since ancient times, holds this role but Dominions have different institutions that cover this role. The Forum is a public institution open to any citizen of that Dominion willing to attend it, and is open 24 hours a day. There, any citizen can put forward any petition they so choose (provided it falls under Dominion authority, though an Empire-wide Forum also exists at the Roman Forum), and if it gains enough signatories (51% of the Dominion’s population), it can be proposed to the LA. With recent advances in technology, each Forum (including the Imperial one) also has its own Web Site where these functions can also take place, even with its own Instant Messaging (IM) service so that these petitions can be debated. Forums are moderated so that obscene laws (such as those authorizing murder) are removed, but the laws governing the moderation process are strictly defined in the Constitution, and the moderators themselves are the MLA. Petitions are present for only one month, after which they are expired, but there is no limit to the amount of times it can be proposed (though signatures are not carried over).

Section 4: Government Officials

Office Of The Empire (elected)

1. Caesar (Emperor): Gnaeus Valerius Maderia (com. "Valerius IV Maderia")

2. Consul Primus (Prime Minister, can also be simply referred to as “Consul”): Officially still held by Maderia, but election for the post is this year.

3. Dominion Prefects (can have their own titles):

· Venezuela: Julio Ferrara

· Pacific: Papitra Momodanos

· Roman Emirate (E Arabian Peninsula): Ali al-Tabin

· Burma: Hamsa Mossodare

· Roman East Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia): Johanna Mosameh

· Albania: Christos Amadeus

· Canada (refers to Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario): Gilles Duceppe

· Hollandia (Holland): Arjan Bakker

· Bosnia-Dalmatia: Darko Misedkevic

· Ravenna (Emilia-Romagna): Piotr Dombruski

· North Italy: Gemma Ferraria

· Corsica: Marie Guyenia

· Sassari (N Sardinia): Claudia Ferrarina

· Narbon Et Basqueland (Catalonia, Pyrenees, S France): Hector Marconi

· Cascadia: John Tyson

· Utah: Gordon B. McKinley

· Haida Kingdom (NW British Columbia): Robert Manada

· Prince George (N/C British Columbia): Gregory Smith

· Eastern Provinces (New Mexico): Mario Lopez

The Senate (Imperial Cabinet, appointed by the Empire)

4. Praetor Extraterritorialis (Foreign Affairs Minister): Lucius Cornelius Jomus Mareanus (com. “Jomo Marea”)

5. Aedile (Minister of Commerce and Public Works): Maria Claudia Catrania

6. Consul Extraterritorialis (United Nations Delegate): Lucia Aemillia Millenia

7. Consul Legatus (Minister of Defence): Giorgius Aurelius Giormani

8. Praetor Legatus (General): Primus Julius Emitrius

9. Quaestor (Minister of Finance): Cornelia Bruta Compisia

10. Minister Of Health: Marcus Cassius Othello

11. Minister Of The Environment: Martius Brutus Carius

12. Transit Minister: Filipina Claudia Emidio

13. Praetor Urbanus (Urban Issues Minister): Decius Filipus Catrius (com. “Philip Catria”)

14. Censor (Official Historian and Census Tracker): Claudia Romana Udia Tifosi (com. “Udia Tifosi”)

15. Education Minster: Sixtus Romanus Claxtus Farelli

Section 5: Roman Law

Roman Law is based upon one central document- the Constitution. Officially, Rome is governed by two Constitutions- an Imperial one that governs the Empire and a Dominion one in each Dominion that governs that particular Dominion.

The Imperial Constitution specifically covers the scope of Imperial and Dominion authority, meant to clearly delineate the jurisdiction of both. The “protector” of the Constitution is the Emperor himself, but he has no power to change it. Any changes to the Roman Constitution must be approved by 66% of the entire Dominion electorate in each of the Dominions. However, the Emperor himself ultimately resolves any Constitutional challenges (almost all of a jurisdictional nature), but if he declares that any law is “unconstitutional” he can only strike down the law, he cannot replace it. This has meant that several laws have been struck down without replacement, but for the most part legal challenges are rectified quickly.

Within the Dominions, the Constitution is different, as the Imperial Constitution grants the right of each Dominion to enact any law of a “local” matter. In each Dominion the Constitutional protector is the Prefect, but like the Emperor in the Imperial realm, the Prefect only has the power to strike down laws and not to change them. In extreme cases- meaning, if the case has potential Imperial ramifications- the case can be brought before the Emperor himself, but considering the Emperor mainly deals with jurisdictional issues, the vast majority of cases never go that far.

In Rome itself (and, more or less, in most of the Dominions), the Constitution itself is an updated version of The Twelve Tables, meaning Rome has had the longest-serving Constitution in the history of the world, with many of the Tables’ original provisions modified to fit the modern context. The main clause in the Constitution guarantees the people the right to do whatever they wished provided it does not infringe on the rights of someone else- this means that something like murder is prohibited because it infringes on that person’s right to choose to live, but something like an obscene shirt is not, because no one is required to look at it. The clause, despite its ostensible clarity, has not prevented its fair share of controversy, for the scope of “infringement” is constantly debated and has changed over the years. Mostly, though, the clause is backed up by several other articles in the Constitution that guarantee other freedoms, such as the freedom of choice, expression, religion and mobility, and continuous precedents in recent times has meant that an extremely liberal application of the clause is used, so much so that now it is actually written into the Constitution itself.

Section 6: The Modern Roman Economy

The modern Roman economy is an extremely diverse but hard to classify system. Within the Empire exists a fairly extensive trade network and a moderately liberal trading system, with free trade existing across the Empire. Outside of the Empire exists a series of laws designed to protect Roman economic interests but at the same time allows foreign nations entry into Roman markets.

This is a summary of the many economic laws in Rome:

· Monetary Unit. The ancient divisions of coin value have remained intact to today, but officially Rome’s currency is listed as simply “the Coin” (symbol: C) to avoid confusion. The value of the Coin was affixed to the United States dollar (still in service) at a value of C1=$10 in 1974 and has remained relatively stable since then. As might be unexpected, only monetary units below the denarii are manufactured as coins, but advances in electronic banking and the possibility of using the cannabis plant to manufacture paper money indicate that a banking reform may be possible in the future. Each unit contains the picture of the Emperor at the time of manufacture, a practice that has been maintained since the ancient times, as well as the picture of a famous monument in the area that the Coin is circulated. The Bank of Rome, headed by the Quaestor, was established by Imperial Decree 12356 of the Emperor Julius Nepos to properly administer the Empire’s finances and has been in continuous service since 482, with its main job being to supervise currency circulation and interest rates.

· Employment Laws. All businesses in Rome must have a local Roman manager within a year of being registered, including in the capacity of CEO for the business. All managerial positions (including that of CEO) must be elected every two years by all workers within the company, even part-time and occasional workers. Every city has a job placement centre where the local citizens must apply for work and where the business must go to hire their citizens- business owners and/or manager caught violating this policy lose their rights to the business, which gets transferred to another worker at the placement centre’s discretion. The placement centre also acts as the local labour board and each centre has a “hotline” for workers to call to report anonymously on business and/or employment infractions. Workers are also prohibited from being “imported” from outside of the city of operation (except on a one-year contract), unless those workers become citizens of that city.

· Time Off. The Roman economic system works differently than in other parts of the world- namely, the work schedule does not work in time per week but rather time per month. This is because Roman Ludi (festivals) do not always fall on regular days of the week, meaning that the work schedule is developed around those times to accommodate them whenever they are present (which is more so in the bigger centres than in the less populated areas, but even in those areas a Ludi happens at least once a month). Businesses are forbidden from employing workers for more than 170 hours a month (which translates to roughly 40 hours a week) and/or force them to work more than six days straight unless the Roman employee says so voluntarily, upon which they must be paid overtime. They are also forbidden from scheduling shifts closer than ten hours apart from each other, with a time frame that can be extended if the worker can prove that they must commute more than two hours to get to their workplace. In addition to this, Romans are allowed to apply for “credits” to allow them to go to other Ludi across the Empire or to simply get time off from work, of which they are entitled four weeks of vacation and can only be assigned at the worker’s choosing.

· Wage Laws. The minimum wage across the Empire is C1/hour with mandatory wage increases every three months on the job of C0.04 until it hits C1.5, where it is required to remain. Performance is the only allowable reason to raise or lower the worker’s earning, and a worker must be paid for every hour they put in. Overtime rates come in at time and a half and apply to any amount of work that is over 170 hours a month. Businesses afraid of being sent into debt because of wages may apply to the Bank of Rome for subsidies, but they must provide independent proof of their financial condition.

· Income Taxes. After the reforms of Emperor Hartian, Romans pay two taxes off their income- a 15% Imperial Income Tax and a Dominion Tax, the value of which can be affixed by the Dominion as long as it is not greater than 30%. The overall Roman income tax- including both the Imperial and Dominion rate- cannot exceed 45% of a worker’s earning. No additional charges may be affixed to a worker’s earnings by either the business or the government, including charges to the Roman Pension Plan and Unemployment Insurance (which must come out of the regular Roman Treasury), unless the worker voluntarily agrees (and even then the worker is required at least 45% of their pay).

· Retirement and Unemployment. There is no mandatory retirement age in Rome, with workers being allowed to work as long as they wish. Upon their retirement, the maximum any Roman can earn is C100/mo. for 20 years, or roughly C24,000 per Roman, unless the business works out a higher pension plan for their employees. The same principle works for the unemployed, with the maximum allowed payment being C100/mo. However, for the unemployed person to collect UI they must be considered “actively looking for a job” and must be registered in the local job bank. They also cannot be on UI for more than a year unless they can provide proof that their case is “an extreme case”.

· Branch Plants. Roman law allows the entry of foreign companies into the Roman system but only under a number of regulations, including the imposition of Roman building standards (including pollution controls), employment laws and Roman wage laws. The Romans also prohibit the “importation” of foreign workers (including those in managerial positions) except on a contractual basis to “teach” the local Romans about their new jobs. These contract workers can only stay for one year, after which the workers are required to become Roman citizens, and there exists a limit (set to no more than 25% of the plant’s workforce) to how many of these workers can be brought in. The plant’s CEO must be a Roman citizen, and should the foreign company not be able to find a Roman citizen to operate the plant, the Roman Government takes over until a citizen is found. Also, any plant that is being “closed” in the Empire- whether Roman or foreign- must be sold back to the government who will operate the plant until a new owner is found. This is done to minimize the amount of people becoming unemployed in the wake of the plant closing and to allow a better transition for the plant and its workers in the general Roman economy.

· Tariffs. The Roman Empire has several trade agreements with many different countries and maintains different tariff levels depending on the product. Foreign companies who have operations within the Empire may bypass the tariffs as long as they operate in the Empire and as long as their product is manufactured within Roman territory. Tariffs also apply to any goods manufactured by Roman companies from outside of the Empire, a policy that is maintained to ensure that Roman jobs stay within Rome.

· Roman Operations in Other Countries. Any Roman company is allowed to set up a foreign plant provided that they make arrangements with the host country to set up their plant, follow the regulations of the host country and provided that they pay the duty imposed on their goods when they are re-imported back into Roman territory. This is because under Roman law any plants outside of Roman territory is not considered “Roman” and thus does not receive any of the benefits from being designated as such. Also, the Roman Government from time to time sets up national corporations of their own in other countries aimed at improving their economy, and the rules governing those corporations are the same rules that apply to foreign branch plants within Rome, unless Rome and the other nation in question reach a different arrangement.

· Imperial Trade. Officially, free trade is recognized and practiced across the Empire, with goods allowed to come and go freely across Dominion borders. However, the Dominions are allowed to apply for grants to subsidize public works, and periodically the Empire will willingly invest in the poorer Dominions to prop up their economies. Roman policy since Keylusus II has been that the Empire will be stronger only if its Dominions are stronger, although this hasn’t always been consistent.

Section 7: Roman Economic Overview

The Roman Economic Factbook

Nation	Arable Land(x1000 Acres)	Population (x1000)
Arabia	9,000.00	15,200.00
Baja California	15,643.00	15,959.00
Greater California (W US)	148,000.00	53,429.00
Caribbean	100,730.00	3,800.00
Cyprus	180.00	780.00
E Spain	22,897.50	12,618.00
Ethiopia	24,840.00	67,851.00
Ireland	2,802.50	4,015.00
Italy	13,572.00	37,998.00
New Orleans	500.00	1,330.00
Papua New Guinea	550.00	5,420.00
Roman Columbia (British Columbia)	11,415.00	6,600.00
SC France	23,062.50	30,220.00
Solomon Islands	45.00	523.00
Somalia	2,612.50	9,890.00
Venezuela	6,495.00	25,017.00
Yugoslavia	16,475.00	12,100.00
Total	398,820.00	302,750.00
Carrying Capacity (x1000 people)*	797,640.00


*Using Western European farming methods, such as crop rotation, 1 arable acre can feed 2 people
(GDP Figures listed in Roman Coins, 1 coin = $10 US)
	GDP (B)	GDP/Capita	Products
Papua New Guinea (GDP)	1.15	211.81	copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining of gold, silver, and copper; crude oil production; construction, tourism
Louisiana (GDP)	3.90	3,903.02	oil, natural gas, services
Baja California (GDP)	31.90	1,998.87	food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
Venezuela (GDP)	11.79	471.28	petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Ireland (GDP)	11.60	2,889.17	food, textiles, clothing, software, crystalware, machinery
Roman Colombia (GDP)	22.93	3,444.00	logging, fisheries, services
Greater California (GDP)	223.63	4,185.61	logging, fisheries, services, manufacturing, minerals, machinery, chemical, tourism
Solomon Islands (GDP)	0.08	152.96	fish (tuna), mining, timber
Yugoslavia (GDP)	2.50	206.61	machine building (aircraft, trucks, and automobiles; tanks and weapons; electrical equipment; agricultural machinery); metallurgy (steel, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, antimony, bismuth, cadmium); mining (coal, bauxite, nonferrous ore, iron ore, limestone); consumer goods (textiles, footwear, foodstuffs, appliances); electronics, petroleum products, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals
SC France (GDP)	70.00	2,316.35	machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, iron and steel products; agricultural products, textiles and clothing
E Spain (GDP)	48.50	3,843.72	textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism.
Ethiopia (GDP)	4.68	68.97	food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement
Somalia (GDP)	0.43	43.48	sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down), wireless communication
Arabia (GDP)	28.70	1,888.16	crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics
Italy (GDP)	105.00	2,763.30	tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
Caribbean (GDP)	2.08	547.37	tourism, agriculture, fishing, construction
Cyprus (GDP)	0.98	1,258.97	food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, wood products
Total	569.85
GDP/Capita (Exact)	1,882.25

Fising

Country	Fish (Mt)
Ireland	417,244.00
Illyria	38,583.00
Ethiopia	15,390.00
SC France	686,597.00
Mexico	491,556.00
Papua New Guinea	53,763.00
Saudi Arabia	57,385.00
Solomon Islands	30,090.00
Somalia	20,000.00
Spain	698,734.00
Venezuela	434,569.00
Caribbean	120,830.00
Italy	228,666.00
Greater California	2,702,702.00
Roman Colombia	600,977.50
Cyprus	77,686.00
Total	6,674,772.50

National Budget (billions of coins)

Tax Rate	0.35
Total Revenues	199.45
Education (20%)	39.89
Health/Social Services (20%)	39.89
Defence (20%)	39.89
Public Transit (20%)	39.89
Infrastructure Spending (15%)	29.92
Miscellaneous Costs, Gov. Surplus (5%)	9.97

Sources: FAO, RussiaTrek.com, CIA, Wikipedia

Section 8: Roman Society

Because of the Empire’s breadth, Roman society is a diverse milieu of peoples; cultures and styles, meaning that pinpointing a “single” Roman culture can be problematic. However, there are a few aspects that are common throughout the Empire, and several aspects of the ancient society still remain today.

The chief characteristic of Roman society is a continued application of a pragmatic thought process. While fringe groups do exist in the Empire, very rarely do the Romans get swept up in an ideology, as Romans are very mindful of what is best for the State. The Romans are also still fierce traditionalists, and while they can accept change, it may be hard to come by because of a “fear of the unfamiliar”. However, this does not mean that the modern Romans were as conservative as their ancient brethren: because of the influx of new ideas and peoples, the progressive policies of Emperors like Capitolinus and Keylusus as well as a continued emphasis on the ancient values of honour, equality and fairness, Rome has become the world’s leading liberal force. In fact, this is one of the few things Romans do take pride in, because they feel that by being this liberal they feel they have set an example to “how other societies should run” (Martel). The Romans don’t go as far as saying other societies “must” be like theirs because they feel it would “dishonourable” to force change on other peoples (besides, writes Martel, “they could always learn new ideas from them”), but most Romans would never imagine living anywhere else.

Another key aspect of Roman society are the Ludi, or festivals. Unlike ancient times, the only Ludi that is directly funded by the Imperial government is the Ludus Romana, the main festival of the Empire, but the Empire does give out grants to communities so that they can stage Ludi of their own. Also, while they have been stripped of their religious element when Nepos enacted religious freedom (as well as their more gruesome elements like executions by later Emperors), the Ludi are still times when cities come alive, buzzing with activity. They focus on that particular city’s culture in an effort to make their citizens feel proud to be from that city and to exhibit to tourists the city’s culture. Every city and town typically has one Ludi per month, but in bigger centres they can occur every week or even every day. In fact, in these bigger centres such as Rome and New Orleans, there is a concept of a “major” Ludi that is meant as that city’s main attraction for that time period, with lesser ones occurring daily. The biggest festival- and the only period where literally every Roman is on vacation (although essential workers such as the Army, hospital workers, police and fire departments still have to work, but not as much as other times during the year)- is the Ludus Romana, or “Roman Festival”, when the Empire’s cultures all congregate in Rome to celebrate their individual cultures and to celebrate the Empire as a whole. The Festival’s time- in mid-September- sees Rome’s population triple, with people from all over the world visiting Rome to take part in the festivities.

Socially, the Romans have no legal divisions, but ideas of “Patrician” and “Plebeian” still exist today, often in derogatory terms. “Patrician” is the name that is overwhelmingly applied to the rich, often to those seen as obsessive misers who are too fixated with sophistication, while “Plebeian” are typically applied to the commoners, especially those who appear easily amused and are “morally undisciplined”. Sometimes, the terms can be applied to people who may not fit them- for example, one could be a “patrician” if people feel they’re too fussy about details or don’t seem very relaxed, even if they’re not extremely rich. Also, a rich person who is seen as “undisciplined” could be characterized as a “plebeian” simply because people feel they don’t restrain themselves easily. They apply nowadays to mindsets rather than physical groups, and while this may give the impression of a deep social divide in Roman society, the majority of Romans have no qualms with associating with people of the different “classes” because most Romans feel it would be dishonourable to exclude anyone. Nevertheless, the divide was deeper in the past and was the subject of many Imperial decrees aimed at “bridging” the gap, but it should be noted that today most Romans feel that excluding anyone would be a disgrace to not just themselves but also the State, because disunity can- and has- caused immense problems in Rome’s deep past.

Still, there are activities that people usually associate with one mindset or the other. For example, a patrician is more likely to eat at a fancy restaurant or watch a play or a movie that is “mentally challenging” because those are sophisticated, while a plebeian is more likely to eat at a pub or watch a play or a movie that is designed mainly for entertainment because of the plebeian’s relaxed mindset. Other aspects of the “cultural divide” involve sports, some of which may be surprising. Plebeian sports are held to be things like wrestling, rugby and- relatively recently- hockey, because plebeians typically enjoy “violent” sports. Patrician sports include things like basketball and soccer, because those sports abhor violent contact. However, the divide is not always clear-cut, because most Romans see both sides in almost any activity. Some sports and activities- like the long-lasting gladiatorial combats (whose combatants are no longer prisoners but willing athletes and do not die after losses)- have universal appeal simply because they have lasted for so long or because there is something about that activity that can appeal to both mindsets. On the sports front, in general Romans are more likely to enjoy something that involves quick thrills that can be continuously maintained (because of the Romans’ fast-paced lifestyle and love of spectacle), meaning that some sports- such as American football- fail because they’re seen as “too slow”. Other cultural differences exist in other activities: in a famous example made by contemporary writer Quitus Marcus Rogus, nightclubs are associated mainly with a “plebeian” lifestyle, “because patricians don’t dance”. However, as said before it is very rare for any Roman to fit squarely in any kind of mindset because of the overriding Roman mindset of inclusion, meaning that Romans of all “classes” enjoy most activities.

Section 9: Roman Names

The last section will cover the subject of Roman names. The naming convention has remained the same since ancient times, with a few key differences. Since slavery has been abolished (and has been since Capitolinus), all Roman names have three elements: a “praenomen” (first name), “nomen” (middle name) and “cognomen” (last name), with every Roman known by their cognomen or their praenomen and nomen combined (more so the former). The praenomen serves the same function as a first name does, being the name that is most commonly used in informal speech. The nomen is what signifies which extended family or clan one belonged to; while the cognomen signifies what immediate family the person belongs to. Both the cognomen and nomen are inherited, but once one marries, they can choose to a new cognomen for themselves if they so choose, either replacing the old one or by simply tacking on the new one.

In modern times, the nomen also signify different areas of cities within the Empire, with the larger cities having more nomen. This fact becomes important when dealing with immigrants to Rome, because once their family passes into a second generation, their nomen becomes the place they were born. First generation immigrants, upon attaining Roman citizenship, attain the nomen “Romanus”, meant to signify that they have “just arrived” in Roman territory (meaning not born in the Empire) and have not yet settled down. New citizens also pick a Roman praenomen to go along with “Romanus”, but they keep their old name in a Romanised form as a cognomen, which can be retained as long as subsequent generations so choose.

For more information on Roman names, see Roman Naming Convention (Wikipedia))).

Section 10: The Roman Imperial Army

Chronology of the Emperors

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