Ides of March Meeting Highlights (Nova Britannia Ulterior)

1: 00 p.m. I found Marcus Audens and Gnaeus Floccus by the door. They were meeting for the first time. We discussed past experience within Nova Roma. Marcus Audens offered a suggestion to send certificates of citizenship to those residents of Nova Britannia who would like them. A similar program was well received in Sodalitas Militarum. M. Audens gave me a stack of prototype certificates, mentioning they could be further elaborated as desired. Computer issues were also discussed: M. Audens described the issues of the Nova Britannia web list and the possible solutions he has considered; Cn. Floccus mentions similar difficulty with modifying the wiki page, which requires updating.

            Once we got the agenda, we began with a short presentation by M. Audens. This consisted of a description of several model siege engines he is constructing, including one that can fire a dart several yards!

            The next point on our agenda was a discussion of the Etruscans, which quickly wandered to Rome’s ability to apply ideas in innovative ways, with the development of the arch being a key example. M. Audens pointed at the evolution from fairly uneven early arches to what we know today. Cn. Floccus mentioned the dome as another derivative of the arch, and the senator described the astonishing amount of weight a small model of the Pantheon was able to bear.

            Next we began a round of trivia. Each of us took coming up with obscure (or not so obscure) facts to question the others about. The final score (by my informal count) was Audens – 3 ½, Floccus – 1 ½, Paterculus – 1. This took us to about 2:30 p.m., over which time we also ordered appetizers & drinks.

            Following this, we offered a toast to Gaius Iulius Caesar. Cn. Floccus joking added, “May he live long.”

            We attempted to play tali using modern d4s and some rules I had printed off the internet. The substitution seemed to go well, but we were hampered by uncertainty of how to handle scoring or the number of rounds we were to play. M. Audens mentioned that the neck of a turkey could be boiled to create something resembling knucklebones.

            Cn. Floccus mentioned that he is a Latin teacher and currently studying Catullus. M. Audens mentioned some reading of Vegitus, Frontinus, Vitruvius, and Julius Caesar. We had already spoken about architecture, but we did talk somewhat about neoclassical architecture, both in Coventry and Ledyard, as well as around the world.

            We discussed the potential for a Make-&-Mend meeting such as M. Audens had suggested in the past, as well as the problem of distance. Cn. Floccus accepted the challenge of organizing activity in Massachusetts and expressed some interest in Legio II Cyrenaica.

            I left in some haste at 3 p.m., leaving behind all the money I’d brought for my share of the bill, which was not entirely covered.