Senatus Consultum De Municipio Novae Condendo (Nova Roma)

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I. The Nova Roman citizens in the area of the ancient site of Novae, today called Svishtov (Bugaria), within our Provincia Thracia, requested, through their legatus pro praetore A. Vitellius Celsus, to incorporate the Res Publica Novarum, their Roman community, into Nova Roma as its municipium.

II. The legatus pro praetore of Thracia, A. Vitellius Celsus, has reported that the lex municipii proposed by the Res Publica Novarum has been reviewed and approved by the Praetorian Law Revision Committee of Classicists and Latinists, the list of the required number of founding citizens has been submitted, and the Action Plan of the future municipium has been outlined as part of the founding documents.

III. The Senate warmly commends the Municipium Novae for its vigorous annual calendar of reenactments and public festivals, and looks forward to its active contribution to the mission of Nova Roma in Thracia and throughout the Roman world. According to the present decree of the Senate, the Res Publica Novarum shall receive the grant of municipium status with the name Municipium Novae, and the following lex munipalis at Section III is hereby authorized by this senatus consultum:

Lex Municipii Novarum

I. Name of the municipium

We the Roman people of Svishtov, Bulgaria, and its surroundings, assembled in the symbolic city state of Res Publica Novarum, hereby declare our collective incorporation into the Res Publica Nova Romana, the commonwealth of Nova Roma, as its Municipium Novae.

II. Geographical Limits

Physically, the municipium shall be based on the city of Svishtov, Bulgaria, and the Oblast Veliko Tarnovo of Bulgaria.

III. Membership

Municipium Novae shall be based on the organization ДУКС АНТИКА (DVX Anticae) and its membership (citizens’ list) shall be identical.

IV. Tabularium

The laws and rules of Municipium Novae shall be published and made available for any citizens by the duoviri of the municipium.

V. Institutions and Magistrates

A. Comitia: the general assembly of all the citizens of Novae.

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

C. Magistratus:

The 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 co-mayors of Novae.

VI. Comitia

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

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

C. The comitia shall assemble at least once every year to elect the duumvir. The comitia shall be called to order, and shall be presided, by a duumvir. The session is valid only if 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 res publica are present, thus the minimum quorum is three citizens. Those who are not present can authorize other citizens to vote in their name.

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

VII. Ordo Decurionum

A. The ordo decurionum is composed of decuriones who are all the current and former magistrates of the res publica, 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 during the census of Nova Roma. 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 res publica. The ordo decurionum shall have the power to legislate by decrees on all issues that are not otherwise regulated under the authority of leges.

C. The ordo decurionum shall be called to order, and shall be presided, by a duumvir. The session is valid only if 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 are present, thus the minimum quorum is two citizens.

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: Duoviri iure dicundo

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

B. 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).

C. The duties of the duoviri are:

1. To govern and administer the municipium, the projects, programs, the entire civic life and all kinds of activities, according to the mission of Nova Roma;

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

3. To have the honor of being preceded by two lictors;

4. To maintain the local album civium, the album decurionum and the tabularium;

5. To administer justice and conduct judicial procedures between members of the municipium;

6. 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;

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

8. To call the local comitia and the ordo decurionum and preside over their meetings;

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

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

IX. Honorary citizenship

Honorary citizenship is a specially awarded citizenship for those who are not living in the territory of the municipium. The honorary citizenship within Res Publica Novarum of A. Vitellius Celsus is hereby confirmed also in Municipium Novae, and upon this solemn occasion of incorporating Novae as the municipium of Nova Roma, is hereby also granted to Cn. Cornelius Lentulus for his help in the establishment of the res publica of Novae and then in its incorporation as Municipium Novae. The ordo decurionum has the power to name other honorary citizens.

X. Appendix

A. Album Civium.

The names of the founding municipes (municipium-members):

1. Servia Servilia Gemella Stella

2. Marcus Servilius Gemellus Marsius

3. Gaia Flavia Venantia Venturia Gemella

4. Proculus Servilius Gemellus

5. Marcus Fabius Ambustus

6. Lucia Cornelia Asina

7. Decimus Didius Lupus Longus

8. Aulus Villius Annalis

9. Appius Papirius Carbo Drusus

10. Decimus Lutatius Catulus

11. Gaius Tremellius Scrofa

12. Tita Hostilia Tubula Iustina

13. Appius Flavius Severus Agrippa

14. Gaius Villius Flavianus Scrofa

15. Agrippa Flavius Scrofa

16. Honorary citizen: Aulus Vitellius Celsus

17. Honorary citizen: Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus

B. The Annual Action Plan of the municipium:

The reenactment legionary unit stationed in the municipium, the Auxilium Palatinum – Tervingi (Dux Anticae reenactment organization) has a very long and established yearly routine of programs, meetings and activities, which guarantees that Municipium Novae will always have enough events and programs where Romanitas is propagated and celebrated. A yearly program plan includes the following programs:

1. Diocletianopolis – “The Crossroads of Time" (April)

2. Ancient Festival "Nike - The Game and the Victory" (May)

3. The Splendour of Philippopolis (June)

4. “Ad Fluvium Frigidum” (June)

5. "Deultum - The Small Rome in Thrace" Festival (August)

6. "Serdica is my Rome" Festival (September)

7. International Late Roman Festival in Novae /Svishtov/ (month pending)

8. Ancient Moments Near the Borovets Fortress (month pending)