How is everyone

Salvete, new amici; tell us a bit about yourselves! But this is no ordinary Intro forum; you will learn quite a bit about the rest of us too. >({|:-)

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How is everyone

Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:31 am

Salvete omnes Romani,

Oh, it's been such a long time since I last was here. While this may not necessarily be the right avenue to come and post, having been absent for such a long time might mandate me to come here anyway.

So, this is just a short message asking: how have you all been?

I've seen that I'm still top poster after all this time, by the way. Mehercule, I thought by now some other spammer would have assumed this role!

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*There* He Is!!!

Postby Aldus Marius on Wed Aug 01, 2007 6:23 am

***There*** He Is...!!! >({|:-D

I'm catching up with you, Divi Auguste...! More slowly than surely, but then...that's Marius. No Spammer could even make a beginning on such a project--they don't tend to live long enough here, and they can't post until I've done the background check in any case. (Amice Auguste knows I'm not kidding!) <feg> [ = 'Fiendish Evil Grin']

...Omnes, for those of you who don't know, Gnaeus Dionysius Draco is the Grand Old Man of the Societas. He started it. It's all his fault. Oh, and he is also--all by himself--the fabled Latin Inquisition. But he doesn't bite, really! ...at least, not very hard. *other feg* ...And, umm...he's not all that old.

Other'n that...Anything else you'd like to say to the newbies, conditor Draco? We've brought you some; they came to the altar willingly, I promise. >({|;-)

(Go check out the Nova Roma Wiki when you get the chance; I've been contributing, though sparsely, but my last Page [on the Amici Dignitatis] had a little raw meat in it.) *yet another feg*

Amabile visu, commilito! ...I am content. Some things are meant to be admired at a distance--but you are not supposed to be one of them!

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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:45 am

Salve amice!

I've been to the NR Wiki and I've read the AD entry, yes :). I was a bit disappointed to see that a former gadfly like me didn't have his own page, but oh well, heh. I should also update my profile there with a more recent picture, as the current one is seven years old and I was 17 at that time. Young, tender and uncorrupted.

I've also read discussions to transform the SVR site into a Wiki, but I don't think that would be a great advantage as most of our site articles are essays and thoughts rather than pure historical or scientific overviews.

It's good to see that there are new faces active and taking up the cause of the Societas, but at the same time it's a bit sad to see that most of the older members have disappeared without a trace. I know that Lupus is soon going to be a teacher of ancient Greek and Latin, while Atticus is working on his PhD in ancient history (he's moving to Chicago due September). One of my brothers, Tarquinius, has also been working frantically on the Wikipedia articles on Tiberius and Sejanus, and I know that my other frater, Tiberius, still visits SVR from time to time. But the rest of the once-mighty Belgae... I have no idea.

So, fill me in... what has all changed in the past year, in SVR as well as the OP?

Di vos ament,
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Postby Cleopatra Aelia on Thu Aug 02, 2007 8:25 am

Salve Gnae,

Good to hear from you again. If you are still interested in practising your German just send me a PM with your current e-mail addy and I can tell you a long story what all happened to me while joining this board. You might've noticed already that I founded my own gladiator group in the meantime.

Hope to hear from you soon. Take care,

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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Thu Aug 02, 2007 8:46 am

Salve Cleopatra,

Beruflich muss ich ab und zu mit Kunden oder Verkaufern auf Deutsch reden, doch du darfst mir immer eine Nachricht schicken :).

MfG,
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NR, Wikis

Postby Aldus Marius on Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:23 pm

Salve iterum, Conditor amice!

> I've been to the NR Wiki and I've read the AD entry, yes. I was a bit disappointed to see that a former
> gadfly like me didn't have his own page..


Ahh, but you do have your own Page, or at least a spot set aside for one. Go to the NR site and search for "Sextus Apollonius Draco (Nova Roma)." (That was you, wasn't it?) You'll get a notice that "This page does not exist yet", along with an invitation to write it. Yes, we each write our own! Two of 'em, actually; each editor gets a User Page, and a public page (the actual article about you) is reserved for anyone who has actually held Nova Roman public office. I believe you qualify... >({|:-)

The code's really easy--heck, I learned enough to put a page together within half an hour, and they have buttons for the most common formatting requests (bolds, italics, headers, links...). If you already have a profile there, it should be easy to get Octavius to set you up with Edit access to the Wiki. If you want some practice first, you could PM P Nonius Severus here; he's put together a toy Wiki just to see what one for the Societas would be like, and he and I have been having lots of fun with it, as well as some Major Doings. Here it is:

http://editthis.info/ancient_ways/Main_Page

Typical content for your public NR page will be offices held (they have templates for that) and any other little factoids you'd like to share. They do ask you to write it as if it were an encyclopedia article, or you were a neutral observer. Some have extensive bios ("Scrufulus Scrubius Pius joined Nova Roma as Citizen #551 approximately 2,760 days after the date of his birth (blowhard blowhard...)" and they go downhill from there; mine on my User Page is a gem of conciseness, I really surprised myself:


"Nova Roman Citizen from AUC MMDCCLI to MMDCCLIII. As Lucius Marius Fimbria, a figure of good intention but considerable controversy in the Republic's early years. Later instrumental in forming the Societas Via Romana. Recently became active with The Roman Way in Texas."


Anyone here who was in Nova Roma in its early years should at least consider writing historical articles about that time for the NR Wiki. They must be serious about this; they invited me! I'd especially like backup/reality checks from those who took part in the events surrounding my own tenure there. I'm sure I don't remember everything!


On the idea of making parts of the SVR site into a Wiki, we've had quite a bit of discussion on that in Comitia--I believe it spawned at least three topics, if you don't count my remarks on the Annales. They're good readin'; you get to witness my long-drawn-out conversion (on being dragged into it kicking and screaming: "...bene, the Curia did most of the kicking; I just curled up on the floor and covered my head 'til they stopped..." <g>) Wiki is just a format, not every Wiki site is an encyclopedia. On ours, thoughts and observations would certainly be welcome! The main attraction of this format is that anyone--any Sodalis who has been granted Edit privileges--can add or edit their own articles. No more waiting on the Webmaster! And the contributor would be free to update, add to, or otherwise modify his or her own work. I think it would make the whole contribution process a lot more pleasant for everybody. And the Wiki setup is ideal for collaborative projects--most notably, in our case, the "oral history" I envision for our Annales.

Members could have their own personal pages again--remember those? Uploading pics is easy too. The Forum and chat would stay the same, as would the purely-informational parts of the site...but again, see the Comitia threads for particulars. And you still have Curia access, if you want to read what's been said about it there!


> ...a bit sad to see that most of the older members have disappeared without a trace.


You mean they finally graduated??? >({|8-)

...Fear not; a few of the old-timers have stuck their heads in here in the last few months. They're not gone, just busy. Atticus I know has had to choose between two very promising universities, either requiring a long move. And may the gods smile upon Q Aurelius Orcus; he's still plugging away as always, and he has hosted some really neat discussions. I am grateful to anyone who continues to give so consistently over such lengths of time. Macte esto, mi Aureli!

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One more

Postby Aldus Marius on Fri Aug 03, 2007 8:09 am

Post scriptum:

I've had a saying for a long time now: "That which is freely given must not be demanded." If we are placed under compulsion, it denies us the option of making an offering of the same things of our own free will. Your frater exemplifies the flip-side of this principle. Tiberius Dionysius Draco has done much more than put in the occasional appearance. Even (or maybe especially) now that he no longer has to, he has continued to code and upload essays, roadtest features, run Spammers off the premises all the hours of the day that I don't, and teach me new tricks. He, Octavius and I form what could be considered the 'nuclear triad' of SVR Webmastery; it's as though he'd never stepped down...aside from the stress factor for both of us, I'm thinkin'. >({|:-)

The man is still on the job, and it's not even his job, really, except that he's so willing to help. We have each others' backs. He will, in fact, be doing most of the site maintenance in my absence (see General --> Where IS Everybody?? for further info), for which--as for so much else--I remain profoundly grateful.

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Re: NR, Wikis

Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:23 pm

Salve mi Mari,

Aldus Marius wrote:Ahh, but you do have your own Page, or at least a spot set aside for one. Go to the NR site and search for "Sextus Apollonius Draco (Nova Roma)." (That was you, wasn't it?) You'll get a notice that "This page does not exist yet", along with an invitation to write it. Yes, we each write our own! Two of 'em, actually; each editor gets a User Page, and a public page (the actual article about you) is reserved for anyone who has actually held Nova Roman public office. I believe you qualify... >({|:-)


Yes, in the OP I've actually had as much as three names. Sextus Apollonius Draco, Marcus Octavius Solaris, and then the name I also have in SVR. I'm going to keep that one, because having the same name in two organizations makes life a little easier. Also, I really do feel these three names represent wholly different phases in my Romanitas.

I know how a Wiki works, I've contributed several articles to the Wikipedia. It just seems so vain to write one about myself, ha :).

Aldus Marius wrote:Anyone here who was in Nova Roma in its early years should at least consider writing historical articles about that time for the NR Wiki. They must be serious about this; they invited me! I'd especially like backup/reality checks from those who took part in the events surrounding my own tenure there. I'm sure I don't remember everything!


Me neither. I remember long evening chats at Baiae's seaside, when we were plotting away to rid ourselves of the Bumbling Tyranny Inc. Speaking of which, where is that blasted Curio? I hope he hasn't fallen into a lake and drowned. He lives in the north of England, after all (as far as I can remember).

Aldus Marius wrote:On the idea of making parts of the SVR site into a Wiki, we've had quite a bit of discussion on that in Comitia--I believe it spawned at least three topics, if you don't count my remarks on the Annales. They're good readin'; you get to witness my long-drawn-out conversion (on being dragged into it kicking and screaming: "...bene, the Curia did most of the kicking; I just curled up on the floor and covered my head 'til they stopped..." <g>) Wiki is just a format, not every Wiki site is an encyclopedia. On ours, thoughts and observations would certainly be welcome! The main attraction of this format is that anyone--any Sodalis who has been granted Edit privileges--can add or edit their own articles. No more waiting on the Webmaster! And the contributor would be free to update, add to, or otherwise modify his or her own work. I think it would make the whole contribution process a lot more pleasant for everybody. And the Wiki setup is ideal for collaborative projects--most notably, in our case, the "oral history" I envision for our Annales.


True, and I would be interested in cooperating on SVR's annales, since I've been here pretty much longer than anyone else :).

Aldus Marius wrote:...Fear not; a few of the old-timers have stuck their heads in here in the last few months. They're not gone, just busy. Atticus I know has had to choose between two very promising universities, either requiring a long move. And may the gods smile upon Q Aurelius Orcus; he's still plugging away as always, and he has hosted some really neat discussions. I am grateful to anyone who continues to give so consistently over such lengths of time. Macte esto, mi Aureli!


Yes, that is to be treasured indeed.

And I'm also aware frater meus Tiberius has done a lot for SVR. More than I had ever expected him to do when I asked him to join years ago. He's also been constantly nagging me about returning to SVR, and while I haven't come back at his instigation, well... here I am ;).

What is Pisci up to these days? And Tergestus?

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Amici veteri

Postby Aldus Marius on Fri Aug 03, 2007 7:30 pm

Salve iterum, care Auguste!

Curio is still with us; he PMed me just last week. I trust he's kept his feet dry, to the extent that anyone in Britain can. Didn't some poor sod on the Wall write home to complain that he was growing mushrooms between his toes? (And the Amis think trenchfoot was a WWI innovation. HA!) >({|;-)

Oh, and Curio's blank NR Wiki page is the #15 Most Wanted Page on the whole site! Many other pages link to it, so one of us should do the Wiki a favor and at least write a stub. My apologies for not giving you credit for knowing how a Wiki works; in tech support, it's not safe to assume anything about the customer's level of expertise, and I'd rather explain something unnecessarily than leave something vital unexplained. Sorree...! >({(:-)


> Yes, in the OP I've actually had as much as three names. Sextus Apollonius Draco, Marcus Octavius
> Solaris, and then the name I also have in SVR.


O, the redirects!!

I agree, it does feel a little strange to be tasked to write an article on oneself. Mine especially should be the task of a neutral observer. Nonetheless, I'm making the attempt; my draft version is slowly accruing on our toy Wiki:

http://editthis.info/ancient_ways/User_talk:Marius will take you right to it.

Piscinus is up to his ears in Nova Roma stuff most of the time; a Trib Pleb's work there is never done. Now that he's got a seat in the Senate, he can actually read the accolade they voted him a couple of years ago...but neglected to tell him about, as he was a non-Civis at the time. When he does swing by here, his posts are always well worth the wait.

Tergestus has changed his cognomen; he's Primus Aurelius Timavus now. He's still Consuling...and we're all still trying to figure out what that means. <smile>

We've had a Census...a complete one this time; the magnitudo of the resulting carnage may be inferred from the shortitudo of our Album Sodalium. On the plus side, we've been getting two or three new applications every month since the dust settled. Nice to know all the people the Album says are here are really here!

Hmm, what else...? As you've seen, Introductions is now its own section. I've added Roman Gatherings; I've been collecting goodies for the "De Viva Latinitate" thread in Collegium Linguarum; and there's a topic in the General forum called "On the Roman Web". And I'll say this here first: Now that having a Collegium no longer involves appointing Rectors and such, I'd really like to bring back the Collegium Militarium as a separate Board-section. I don't like having military history in one forum and daily life of the soldier in another. (I ain't schizoid enough to enjoy it.) Thoughts, anyone...?


> I would be interested in cooperating on SVR's annales, since I've been here pretty much longer than anyone else.


JOY!!

I see you've been having a long look around. I hope you like what's being done here. Good to have you back!

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Postby Primus Aurelius Timavus on Sun Aug 05, 2007 9:32 pm

Salve Draco! Great to see you back again!

I don't suppose you have any interest in running the chariot races again? It was one of the most fun things we've ever done.

Welcome back!

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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Sun Aug 05, 2007 11:31 pm

Heh, as you can see, my actions preceded your wishes :).
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Postby Curio Agelastus on Sun Aug 12, 2007 12:48 am

Draco!

How are you? You haven't let us know in this thread what you've actually been up to during your absence!

I'm still around and dry, though I poke my head in here but rarely.

Aye, I too remember the long chats at Baiae. (Incidentally, I'm in the south of England. Probably not much in it for you continental types, but it's a pretty important distinction here in England! :P ) I find it interesting that the different ways the various AD have gone - some have returned to NR, some stayed all along, some went to SVR, some left both... Tis interesting when one considers the various personalities involved.

Mari, mine is the #15 most wanted page? Mine? How? I wasn't even particularly important in NR... :? I'd feel a bit uneasy about writing my own page on there, though one of you fine chaps is welcome to do so.

Ah mi Draco, I remember teasing you for your name changes many times... Solaris didn't last too long, did it? IIRC he was only a brief phase between Sextus and Gnaeus.

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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Sun Aug 12, 2007 2:43 pm

Salve Curio,

Well in the meantime I've been involved in the porn industry.

Kidding.

In 2005 I've graduated as a master in English and German, and against my own intuition but through the advice of an (ex-)girlfriend, I pursued a one-year course of teacher training. Now, I like teaching, but apparently other teachers don't like me because they thought I was too funny. I stopped the course somewhere in March 2006 and remained involved in student life until the end of the academy year.

In the meantime, I held various jobs. I've translated a book about XBox tuning from German into Dutch, worked at a student restaurant for a while, and was then hired as a private teacher at a highly dubious institution whose director had the bad reputation of not paying his people, and was a convicted pimp and fraud. Needless to say, I was dying to leave there, and the opportunity presented itself in November, when I applied for copywriter at one of Belgium's biggest technology companies, and was subsequently hired. I've been doing that job since January.

Other than that, I'm still writing. I unsuccessfully tried to publish some earlier volumes of poetry and prose in 2006, and I've recently finished my seventh volume of poetry, titled "Moscow" (Moskou). I'm currently about 3/4 through writing the major finale of my sci-fi cycle, called "Hyperborea". I'm at about 540 pages now, and still counting. I even included a nod to the Roman communities in the book, by including the corrupted planet of Nova Roma, and various names of Romans we all know so well.

A few weeks ago I moved into my own place together with one of my best friends, and it's nice here. I still live in Ghent, the city of cities (after Rome). I also had the pleasure of going on two business trips, one to Cologne, the other to London.

On a personal level I've just begun to resurface from a darker place. Making the transition from college life (sleeping long, staying up late, doing whatever I bloody well like, relationships), to the life of a wage slave has been much harder than I thought, and it all kind of crept under my skin. Especially on days when there's not much to do at work, I feel particulary burned out, because I essentially like my job - if there's something to do :). It was also odd because in my social circles I'm usually among the oldest, and at work I was suddenly the youngest colleague. I've turned 24 this year, and Saturn's Return is edging closer. I guess I'm a bit afraid to not have done everything I really want to do when I'm young before I turn 30 (travel to Scandinavia and Brazil, publish some work, meet even more interesting people...).

My interest in Rome was actually rekindled by Tarquinius's articles about his emperors, and Atticus's stay in Italy, where he was taught living Latin. I'm still with one foot on the threshold of Germanic culture, but I also still feel drawn to many aspects of Greco-Roman culture. Maybe I'm just a quintessential European :).

I guess that about covers it. Probably a lot more than you bargained for, heh.

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Popular thread--Popular fella!

Postby Aldus Marius on Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:21 am

Salve iterum, amice peregrine! (Always wanted to say that to somebody)

[On his writings:]


> I even included a nod to the Roman communities in the book, by including the corrupted planet of Nova Roma...


ROTFLMRAO!!! (and scaring the puppy-dog) >({|8-D

No joke, though, that I'm glad you're keeping it up. I've had an idea for a Roman story noodling around in my head since I first became a Roman, and I've only just graduated from an outline to (gasp!) an outline with scene summaries. I'm beginning to think I'd better do it justice soon or it'll give up on me and go away...

[On transitions:]


> Making the transition from college life (sleeping long, staying up late, doing whatever I bloody well like, relationships), to the life of a wage slave has been much harder than I thought, and it all kind of crept under my skin.


Would you believe I can relate to this? I was not a partyin' college student at your (or any) age; but I was in Uncle Sam's Air Force, which was an intense lifestyle in its own right, and probably involved the same degree of sleep deprivation. Eighteen years up on my toes with a mobility bag on one shoulder and a readiness to pick up and go Far, Far Away on a moment's notice... Well, I got used to that. One can get used to anything. Except losing it.

It took me five years to figure out how to be a civilian. I actually lasted those five years; at that, I beat the odds--a lot of veterans, sans morale and at a loss without that structure in their lives, don't make it. And those five years included my interval with Nova Roma; yeah, I was pretty shaky for a while. But once over those hurdles (and that didn't happen without a lot of help), I seem to have settled into a very nice little life; no longer employable (they say), I now have my days to myself, set my own standards and work-schedule, and have found a routine that suits me. Rather college-like after all, come to think of it. >({|:-)

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