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The Mons Aventinus Project

PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 10:43 pm
by Aldus Marius
Salvete, amici Romani!

I think I've mentioned the Mons Aventinus project in foro a time or two; when last heard from on the subject, in Comitia-->New Curatores and the Future, I was contemplating moving onto the Campus Martius. Bene--I did!! Last week, on the Ides, after a most pleasant conversation with the project's Praefectus.

The Praefectus, Lucius Vitellius Triarius, was researching the historical topography of the ancient City and, like me, he found he really needed to get a visual on it... What he wound up with was a Wiki site housing a virtual recreation of ancient Rome, broken down by hill, street and neighborhood, with houses and insulae for people to move into, decorate, link to other sites and call their own. He promptly threw Mons Aventinus open to purt' near ever'body, whether as individual Romans-in-Spirit or as members of their respective Roman organisations, ours included. MA is run by members of Nova Roma, but is not a branch of NR itself and is not there to "assimilate" anyone. Rather, its purpose is to bring all Romans together online, like I've been talking about for years; to make sure Romans and Roman organisations the world over have a common place to meet, to become aware of each other, to get in touch and be in on each others' events. (The list of links on MA's Community Portal is terrifyingly comprehensive- and yes, we've been on it since well before I showed up!)

Curator Servilius sicced me on Mons Aventinus about a month and a half ago. I went. I saw. I drooled. Wandering up and down the various streets, getting the feel of each neighborhood, stopping for directions, finding the home of a friend...just like a visiting Roman would have, back in the day. It's the closest I've been to actually living in Rome of approximately the Severan era. It's got the Seven Hills, the clivi between them, the distinct neighborhoods of the time (yes, you too can live in the Suburra!). Anyone, NR civis or not, can obtain an insula anywhere except on the Capitoline and the Palatine; these are, understandably, reserved for Nova Roma religious and administrative offices respectively. Any other Hill, you can just pick one of the streets, edit that page to "move into" your building, and decorate to taste. Novaromani can also choose to occupy a domus or a villa, depending on their tax status. There are shop spaces for merchants, Nova Roman or otherwise. Any resident's space can be linked to their Roman group or other site of choice. And by making "subpages", you can add rooms to your home; my little flat already has a Library in the works.

Originally, non-NR Citizens were encouraged to settle either on the Ianiculum (Trans Tiberim) or the Campus Martius; my choice was clear, the old War-wolf would just have to pitch his pup-tent on the Field of Mars. Since then, it's been realised that non-NR Romans are Citizens, too, of a wider Rome; the same Rome Mons Aventinus was designed to appeal to in the first place. But I'm still on the Campus Martius. What can I say, it just calls to me... Besides, it was the traditional site for embassies in historical times, so it's an appropriate spot for a legatus. The old parade-ground's been built up a bit since the late Republic; there are no camping-spots, but plenty of insulae, most of 'em available and just begging for an influx. Ongoing Special: the first tenant of an insula gets to name the building; I'd just love to get us all in there and start making people Nervous <g>! >({|;-)

This is all very new; one can almost literally get in on the ground floor. (The actual ground floors are for shops and businesses.) Besides the site itself, there are a chatroom, a Taverna, and a series of mailing-lists for the residents; and just last week Vitellius launched a social-networking site called RomanSpace. Curatores Servilius et Iohannes, et Poplicola amicus, are already on Mons Aventinus and on RomanSpace; and I may follow them onto the latter if I can get my connection to hold up. (Would you believe your Webmaster's still on dialup??)

Can you tell I'm excited?? --I'm rambling and repeating myself! --Anyway, I like it, and the neighbors don't mind the Little Dog, and the zoning's right. Stop by and leave me a note!

Mons Aventinus: http://monsaventinus.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
Marius: http://monsaventinus.wikia.com/wiki/Via ... Martius%29 (Insula I-C)
RomanSpace: http://romanspace.ning.com

In amicitia et fide,

PostPosted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:41 pm
by Q Valerius
Salve Mari,

You can find me as the community prefect for the Mons Caelius, being the original big name domus builder there. ;)

http://monsaventinus.wikia.com/wiki/Mon ... entinus%29

PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:02 am
by Annia Minucia Marcella
My address at Mons Aventinus is Equiline Hill, Vicus Sabuci, Villa IX right next to one of my Legati.

I hope to add new rooms soon :)

Seconding the Mons Aventinus Suggestion

PostPosted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:12 pm
by Marcus Lupinius Paulus
I already posted this in the Roman Outpost...
Wow...you guys were not joking. I visited Mons Aventinus and was
IMPRESSED. I don't entirely have the hang of it yet, but with Marius'
help I did set up in an insula in Trans Tiberim. Look me up in the
Vicus Gemini. {On a histoprical note, I discovered that the actual
location of the Vicus Gemini is unknown, but it was probably close to
the river and the small island in the Tiber. Traces of Marius' street
have been found.}
Exploring a bit I also came across the Greek community {Cleopatra
Aelia, are you the Xanthe there?}

I would like to suggest that if you are not on Mons Aventinus, you go
and check it out. You too Ericius. No NR citizenship required. You
might really enjoy it.

Marcus Lupinius Paulus

Castra Vetera

PostPosted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:08 pm
by Aldus Marius
Salvete, amici Romani!

I've just named my insula "Castra Vetera"; there are four apartments still vacant. If anyone wants to check out the Project but doesn't have a neighborhood in mind, you can have one of 'em; and there's no pet deposit! >({|:-)

In amicitia,

PostPosted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:55 pm
by Cleopatra Aelia
Moved in at Mons Aventinus on the Viminal Hill, Via Labicana as Medusa Gladiatrix in Insula Prima, I-A.

http://monsaventinus.wikia.com/wiki/Via ... al_Hill%29

PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:01 am
by M. Aemilius Corvus
If there's still room to crash at your place, Marius, I'd be inclined to take it for awhile, until I find my own home!

Too many choices there! Rome really was huge, even back then ;)

Rooms for Rent!

PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:17 am
by Aldus Marius
Salve, mi Corve!

Not to sound too much like a real-estate tycoon or nuthin', but...I still have four apartments and three shop-spaces left to rent out. Shops are for anyone with Roman-related goods to sell. Pets allowed, no smoking, security on premises (and then some), and you can't beat the price!

In amicitia et fide,

Solitudo Inopinata

PostPosted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:18 pm
by Valerius Claudius Iohanes
Salvete, Romani -

Ego quoque cellam habeo, colle Caelio, Via Tusculana. Hoc in loco est.

http://monsaventinus.wikia.com/wiki/Via_Tusculana_%28Caelian_Hill%29

Atque hoc in loco possitis illustriam historiam Caelianam legere, si velitis.

http://monsaventinus.wikia.com/wiki/Mons_Caelius_-_The_Caelian_Hill_%28Mons_Aventinus%29

Mea insula "Insula Divi Claudii" appellatur. Verum opinor partem maiorem nostrarum insularum habere iam solum unum habitantem! Quo sunt alii? inquiro.

I also have an apartment, on the Caelian Hill, in the Via Tusculana. It is at the first link, above.

And then you can read the illustrious Caeilan history, if you wish (replete with Albans, Etruscans, Oak-Trees, the Great Temple of the Deified Claudius, and more!) at the second link, above.

My apartment building is called the "Deified Claudius Apartments" (sounds MUCH better in Latin). But I think that the major part of our buildings still have but one inhabitant! 'Where are the others?' I ask.

Valete.

PostPosted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 1:06 am
by L. Livia Plauta
I got a villa on the via Sacra on the Palatine, but it's still very empty.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:09 am
by Marcus Calidius Gracchus
M•CALIDIVS•GRACCHVS•OMNIBVS•S•P•D

SALVETE, QVIRITES!

APOLOGIA PRO SILENCO MEO! QVID AGITIS?

I too have taken an apartment on the CLIVVS PALATINVS an ancient road which rises from between the FORVM ROMANVM towards the MONS PALATINVS (the Palatine Hill). If you turn left at the Arch of TITVS, it is situated between the AEDES IOVIS STATORIS (Temple of Juppiter Sator) and the DOMVS FLAVIA.

Everything is still in boxes but a neighbour was kind enough to drop by with a bottle of wine the other day so I think I going to like it here! lol!! I'm also close to the CIRCVS MAXIMVS - it just gets better and better!! lol!! Come on FACTIO PRÆSINA!!!!! SALVETE AMICI FACTIONIS PRÆ SINA!!

I should also say that I am also paticularly pleased to get an apartment here as I belong to the TRIBVS PALATINA.

OPTIME VALETE

M•CALIDIVS•M•F•M•N•M•PR•PAL•GRACCHVS

VERITAS•LVX•MEA

BENE QVI LATVIT, BENE VIXIT - One who lives well, lives unnoticed.
(OVIDIVS, TRISTIA)