An Ancient Worlds Newsletter



VOLUME II - ISSUE V
Id. Jan.

Page 1 | Page 2 Editorial After two months of the grand opening of AncientWorlds, one of the most interesting and important features became available: group construction. During the last 1½ months, dozens of new groups for various different subjects and members have been created all around AncientWorlds. That's why the theme of the fifth issue of (new) Acta is groups. We aim at pointing out groups in all cities and giving some interesting information on their construction, discussion, and future plans. We also hope that this issue will serve as a group guide for everyone seeking their own venue ? especially for the newcomers. Again, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all reporters, writers, and contributors for their hard work for this newspaper. As you can see, the Acta issues have never been this long! There is one hint I wish to share with you all when choosing groups: if a group has sent information to this paper, it probably means the leadership is working hard to create active discussion. Our next Acta should be out on Valentine's Day, so the deadline for reports and articles is, this time, the 12th of February. Mark that day on your calendars - and enjoy what our wonderful writers have come up with for this issue. Maximius Flavius AncientWorlds Update OUT ALL OVER As one of Rome's Roving Reporters, in honor of this special "Groups" edition of the ACTA, I did a quick tour of groups from Rome to MP, Celtia to Babylon, Athens to Egypt to Germania. I must confess, I was amazed at the variety available. Max pleaded with me to keep my article short, so let me do a whirlwind sampling of academic, role-play and other groups that are springing up all over AncientWorlds. For those that I cannot include, I recommend to the patrons - go check out each city's selection to see all listings. Once you're at the city's home page, in the upper toolbar, click on "Egypt's Groups" (or Rome, or Germania) to see the complete selection for that city. You can also choose "Groups" highlighted in the left-hand column. First, Rome. Nine Academic center groups, five social centers, three role-play, and several general! Samplings? Religio Romana (history of Roman religion); Imperium (Who Will be the First Man in Rome?"), historical fiction set in Republican Era Rome, impressive in its historical accuracy and careful plotting. Athens? Nine Academic centers, one Social ("Theatre Dionysius") on the history of Greek theatre; one role-play group ("Exoticos: Interludes in the Aegian Islands."). Particularly intriguing? The new group The Evolution and Legacy of Classical Greece, just starting but with the intention of being a central resource for all Greek history. Ack! I can hear Max pleading "not tooooo long, dear!" So here's just a taste of some other wonderful and exciting groups; Babylon's comprehensive Encyclopaedia Babylonia, Egypt's amazing Alexandria Library, (which hopes to be a clearing house for learning site-wide), Celtia's Celtic Law (Academic) and Aberffraw (historical fiction); Germania's imposing Angelcynn (the history of Anglo-Saxon England) and Lords of the Plains (the steppe Nomads of Asia, like Attila). Machu Picchu is working on its groups, but has quite a resource already in its The Land of the Four Quarters public board. With the abilities of scribes to "feature" great groups on a rotating basis, everyone should find plenty of scope for their interests. My compliments to everyone working so hard to create new worlds at AncientWorlds! Heraklia Aelius NEW TOPIC: BIOS I have started a new topic at Ancient Worlds, under Ancient World Discussions. It is called "Our Personal Bios." It is a place to list the story of our beginning, our lives, and our journeys into the Ancient Worlds we now live in. Perhaps you came from a foreign land and journeyed quite far to get here; perhaps you were born and raised here. Whatever your ancestry and your heritage, this is the place to share your lives with your fellow members. I'm sure each and every one of you has an original story to tell. We are each unique in our own special way. It is also the place to tell how you came to be what you are today. Be it healer, scribe, warrior, or poet. Let us get to know you! My brother, Kellen, and I have started off the topic by posting our stories. You may read them at the Board before you write and post your own stories. We would all love to hear from you. Remember, this is "your" topic. The place where you can tell your own story in your own way. Kyleah Cumhaill ROMAN GROUPS The themes of the newly started groups in Rome spread all the way from web design to Roman Religion, Etruscans to aqueduct construction from Finland to Rome. Many of the most interesting groups at AncientSites Rome have now been started again at AncientWorlds, and it seems the old membership is finding its way back to their old favourite hangabouts. In addition, very intriguing new groups with new concepts and ideas have been started, and as earlier at AncientSites, groups are forming a very important part of the discussion at AncientWorlds. The new academic centres are all most certainly special interest groups for specific areas of interest, offering their members more than general discussion on Roman history. The Etruria group is under construction, and will most certainly become a centre for people interested in the ancient Etruscans - also see the Etruria featuring report on this issue. In addition to the Roman Britain discussion group, Britannia, an apparently multi-faceted group, Londinium, has been started for discussion on London in ancient times. Aedes Divii Julii continues the interesting discussion on Caesar, his life and actions, as well as his contemporaries - there is so much interesting information on this board at least your humble reporter checks the newest posts every now and then. Also, the virtual classroom for Latin novices and more advanced Latinists, Schola Linguae Latinae, is still growing in membership. SLL is also featured in this paper, as is Religio Romana, a new group for information, discussion, reading and links on Roman religion, including Cults and minority religions, such as Judaism and Christianity. Two more active new groups are AncientMysteries, a group for discussion on some of the unsolved mysteries of history, as well as the newly returned Arachne for web-experts and novices alike. In general, most of the Roman academic centres are becoming more and more active although there are many options available. A very refreshing option for citizens is posting on the general historical topics around AncientWorlds and joining the group specializing in their favourite area of interest. The social centres of Rome are all old AncientSites groups in one way or another. In addition to Noir VII, the "next chapter" of the life of many AS-AW Romans, the old Rostra has returned - with a new membership - and another group, The Subrostrani, has been started by the AS Rostra membership: the name is derived from the original congregation place of the first AS citizens. The members who wish to meet each other in a more cool and moist environment have also started a Tullianum. AquaFennica - CrapulaUltima is also an old AS group, which still continues its own moist and humorous construction of the greatest aqueduct world has ever seen to import aqua from Finland all the way to Rome. For the time being, the social centres haven't been very active, as people still seem to be finding their groups and places. Of course, the possibility of hanging out around the Roman Forum enables everyone to meet and greet outside these centres as well. In addition to the vast and active roleplaying group Imperium, which is situated in Rome starting from 200 BC, a new and interesting roleplay with historical information on Roman republic, ResPublica Romana, has been started. Also, another old AS group, Campus Martius, is being set up. The new roleplaying groups are becoming more active as the roleplaying starts - join and reserve your place in the game before it's too late! In the fourth and last category of general groups, there are a couple old acquaintances as well as one completely new idea, at the time being. The Tenth Muse still continues providing a forum for writers of especially poetry to share their experiences and work - in addition to Quill and Parchment in Athens, this is a must for all writers. ArturusRex is aiming at making the legend of King Arthur live once again. In addition to these, there is a group called Caesar III for players for Sierra's PC Game Caesar III at AncientWorlds - if you are interested in the game, take a look at the group. Maximius Flavius ROME: ETRURIA As a remembrance to the Group Etruria in AS, two AW-members, Louisa Agis and Tanaquil Sergius, founded the new group ETRVRIA in the city of Rome. ETRVRIA is an "academic centre" for articles and discussion about everything dealing with the Etruscans. The boards, currently in the group are: New member introductions, The Etruscans on the Internet, Etruria: what, where and when, The Origins of the Etruscans, Etruscan Religion, Etruscan Language, The Etruscans and Rome, ETRVRIA Q&A - discussion panel. The first articles and links have been posted already and the group has six members on Friday, January 17, 2003. There is room for all kinds of open discussions, as long as they remain subject based and clean of "small talk" which will eventually result into serious differences between the group's members. Of course, the board and members of ETRVRIA hope that more members will join this group in 2003! Tanaquil Sergius ROME: RELIGIO ROMANA One of the newest groups of Rome is Religio Romana, a group dedicated to the discussion, information, links and recommended reading on all aspects of the Roman religion, as well us other cults and religions in ancient Rome. The group construction is advancing at a high speed and all of the mainboards, as well as a great number of interesting topics, have already been set. We still need one board editor and many topic editors, such as editors for a topic on a certain god or priesthood. Our boards provide information and discussion on the Roman Calendar, including calculation of time, dates, and festivals, different Priests and Priesthoods and their corresponding Gods and Goddesses, as well as Rites and Rituals the Romans performed as a part of the public state religion, or at home. In addition, we wish to discuss the different Cults such as Cybele and Mithraism, as well as the minority religions such as Judaism and Christianity in ancient times. There are also some very exciting and interesting trivia quizzes going on all the time! Please take a look at "RR" and see if could be just the right group for you! If you have questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact your humble reporter and group leader online or at home. Maximius Flavius ROME: SCHOLA LINGUAE LATINAE Here's a word of welcome (yes, again, after the Saturnalia Festivities, X-mas Holidays et al.) tot all members of the Schola Linguae Latinae - We are all together 111 now! Through this medium, I would like to wish our teachers, the grammatici, the other members of the board and, last but not least, all our members, a good and happy 2003! Of course, I hope, that this new year will be a productive one in the Schola! The doors have been put wide open again, but unfortunately, our esteemed claviger, Maximius Flavius, hasn't seen many of you passing the gates of our school. I would like to remind all members of the many facilities the SLL has to offer you: Latin grammar lessons, Vocabularies, Exercises going with the lessons, translation texts, our SLL Trivia Contest (which is great fun and quite educative) and much more information! On behalf of all contributing members/tutors of the Schola Linguae Latinae, I welcome you all back within our midst, and many more of you AW members as new members of our school! Tanaquil Sergius ATHENS GROUPS CONTINUE TO GROW Are you an aspiring thespian? Think you can write and want to show off you knowledge of the bronze and iron ages of Ancient Greece? Fascinated by ancient writing systems? Do you have a passion for Classical Greece and its legacy to humanity? Does the romance and wonder of myth capture your imagination? Want to vacation in the Aegean? Is a good philosophical debate over strong cafe on your daily to do list? Do you find the shimmering gold of Byzantine mosaics mesmerizing? Interested in learning a foreign language? And what does all is have to do with anything anyway? Athens now boasts a total of 11 groups covering a range of topics from the bronze and iron ages to a multi-disciplinary discussion of the trials, tribulations and mysteries of life. The newest group, The Evolution and Legacy of Classical Greece examines Greek life during the classical period of 800-187BCE. Topics covered include politics, military and maritime, economics, and daily life. Currently group members are working on a bibliography for that time period and the group is looking for members with specific interest in women's affairs, politics and political figures that shaped Greece, the Peloponnesian League, the Olympiad, Macedonia and the Macedonian era, the Delian League, and Sparta. Also important in Greek history were the Mycenaeans and Minoans. The group dedicated to them, The Ages of Bronze and Iron proudly announces its first essay competition. The competition is open to all members, from Grammateis to Anagnostai (non-members interested in participating should first join the group). There is no specific theme but entries should be restricted to the chronological framework of the group (ca. 1700-700 BCE). Entries should be about 1,000 words and the deadline for submission is February 10, 2003. The winning essay will appear in Acta Diurna, and it will be accompanied with a medal. A medal will also be awarded to the runner up. Planning to travel to Greece? The Scholeio Neoellinikon, more affectionately known as Greek for Barbarians is open! In the true spirit of "filoxenia" or hospitality, the school welcomes al who are interested in learning the language. Stop in for a lesson in Modern Greek on you way to visit Athens, ancient or modern. And what would Athens be without a group centered on philosophical thought? Philos Sophia invites you to join in the discussion of all aspects of the millennium of philosophical dominance of the Ancient Greeks. From Thales of Miletus to Proclus Diadochus (and beyond) and all those in between, this is the forum for talking about their philosophical ideas, arguments and writings. You may also be curious to know, "Why the Greeks?" We will look at Greek philosophy in its historical perspective, i.e. what events and settings gave rise to their systems for organizing the universe, their ethics, and beliefs. Latest discussions concern the thought Pre-Socratics, The Hellenist Philosophies, Aristotle and Aristotelian logic. One and all are welcome to join! Also quintessentially Greek is myth. Join the discussions atop Mt. Olympus where they are busy constructing a reference of character biographies. Just finishing up with the 12 Olympians and other major figures, the group members are now moving on to the myriad of lesser mythological entities. Got a favorite mischief maker? Join Mt. Olympus and add that character's bio to the collection! Aspiring thespians are welcome at the Theatre of Dionysus For dramatic discussions of all things related to the theater in ancient Greece! The group also features stage productions at various times throughout the year (who can forget the re-enactment of the dedication of the Parthenon during the Gold Launch?). Rumor has it there may be a performance for the sitewide springfest. Auditions are in progress for actors and writers so if you like to perform and write in the vein of the ancient playwrights don't miss this extraordinary opportunity! Latest Discussions: The theatre in Ancient Greece, Playwright's Corner for discussion of the ancient plays. The city of Athens also sponsored a group dedicated to the study of ancient writing systems from all cultures. Ancient Scripts is currently looking for people with an interest in runes, hieroglyphs, cuneiform, the alphabet and any other ancient communication systems to be topic editors. The group also hosts a board for linguistics in general. If you already have a degree of expertise in any of these areas great, if not, here is your opportunity to dive into an exploration of your favorite ancient script! Just be sure to post your findings for the rest of us as you learn. Byzantium group explores Byzantium and the Byzantine influence from its origins as a Greek colony through its continuing legacy in modern times. This group also has a Role Play component for those who wish to re-enact some of the more, ummm, notorious moments in Byzantine history. And what good would these forays into history be if there were no forum for applying lessons learned (or not) to life as we know it (or don't) in modern times? ArcanumArcanorum [a2] is just the place for a multi-disciplinary discussion the philosophies and mysteries of ancient times in the context of how they impact the way we live today. Currently a[2] boasts very active astrology/astronomy and philosophical debate boards. Coming soon will be boards on the obscure and unresolved (at least to our moderns psyches), and secret societies. Join a[2] for a spirited discussion of the intangible mysteries of life--those magical things the ancients took for granted as a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Do you have a fear of posting? Need a little help brushing up on your writing talents? Or perhaps you already write well and just need a place to hone that craft. Then Quill and Parchment is the place for you. This group is the place to brush up on your writing skills. Writers of all genres are welcome and the group is currently recruiting people with experience in Role Play to help others who are interested in joining the RP fun! Q&P funs biweekly writing exercises, and serves up a variety of writing prompts. Currently in development are the members' workshop and writers reference sections. Yes, Athens does have a Role Play group, Exoticos. A historically based role-playing group set in the islands of the Aegean Sea, spanning time from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic age. Beginning with this issue of Acta, Exoticos will have regular updates on the goings on in this island paradise. See the special column in this issue for the latest for what's up in Exoticos! Aphrodite Theocritos ATHENS: EXOTIKOS Exotikos, Athens' role-playing group, has its first storylines underway with more to follow! Our first big adventure involves the kidnapping of Caeseria Maximus. The devious Daedalus Solon has cast a spell over her so that she willingly goes with him wherever he leads her. He wants her for his wife. Lost Alexandros has taken it upon herself to find her missing friend. With the help of Ephiny Solon, MagesFurri Alexandros, Ember MacRoth, and Caeseria's two brothers, they are off in hot pursuit! Will they find Caesaria in time to save her from an imprudent marriage? Stay tuned. Meanwhile, back on Crete, at the palace of Phaistos, a mysterious lady and her servant have made their way to the palace. Due to their travel worn appearance they were inadvertently taken into custody and brought before Queen Louisa. Who is this woman? Could she be a relative of the Queen? Someone she knew in her youth? We will find out very soon! We hope to see you in the Aegean! More islands are being added to, so more options/opportunities for role-playing are opening all the time. Come join us in the adventures! Louisa Agis BABYLON GROUPS I am Leah Enkidu, a new scribe for our wonderful Babylon. I have learned a valuable lesson. If you are online and see Maximius Flavius on the people panel - Immediately log out! If you don't he will sneak up behind you throw you down and sit on your back till he has an article for his paper! I was spitting out dirt for 3 days! Here are a few things of interest that is happening around our neighborhood. The Academic Centers of Babylon Harp and Cymbal H&C started out as a discussion for Babylonian music, hymns, chants, incantations and to learn about instruments, cuneiform "sheetmusic", harmonies, and scales. The amount of information we have in this time period was very limited, so the Harp and Cymbal has recently expanded to include all Ancient and "Modern" music to give people a wider range of information to post. A new Thread called Musical Notes, posts about weird musical facts and information from around the world. Encyclopaedia Babylonica EB has recently started the Threads, History of Ancient Ships and Canals, Irrigation and Agriculture. They are a nice compliment to the Thread: Sciences and Math that covers Astronomy, Cartography, Mathematics, and Medicine. The Social Centers of Babylon Empires Empires has just started a New Role Playing group called,The Two Faces of Ishtar. "Keeping her back to the wall, she ran quickly to the doorway and slipped inside. Torchlight illuminated the steps which led down into the bowels of the palace. She knew that far below the man she wanted to question would be chained within his cell and that he would probably be guarded. Her hand automatically touched the sword strapped to her side, almost reasurringly and she started the descent..." Stop by and read some of this Gripping Tale! The Flooding of the Black Sea This group is getting ready for their role play and its so interesting reading how their characters take form with all the information about who was there and what was there at that time. "Enkil is a Ubaid fisherman, forced by change to modify his fishing habits, as well as to become something of a warrior himself, to protect what remains of his family and those Ubaids of his tribe who travel together." West of Eden Includes stories from all scriptural origins and ancient writings, interpretive storytelling, and historical stories reflecting recorded events. These may be based on archaeological or recorded data of the geographical area, for example, Petra, Palmyra, Judea, Palestina. They are discussing new Board proposals and their Thread: Song of Ruth is a place to develop the storyline for their re-enactment of the Book of Ruth, is very interesting. Also, on the Babylon Board, there is an interesting new subdivision called the Club Babylon, where the every popular Kash Bowl and Library was moved. It also has the BabbleON Trivia and the Babylon Beat, a small newspaper. Leah Enkidu THE CELTIA CORNER Fàilte! Greetings and well met! Celtia continues to grow with new members joining daily. Our Welcoming Committee is visiting each new member with a warm and friendly welcome message. Kudos to the committee members for their dedicated work! :) New groups have been springing up in Celtia! All Ancient Worlds citizens are welcome to join in any of the Celtia groups! Be sure to read about Celtia's featured group, The Unseemly Court. If you want to play in and explore a virtual kingdom (created by Arbin Beag) then come join Aberffraw. Arbin has done an excellent job with intriguing clues and eye-catching graphics and maps. The Celtic Law group, which consists of discussions of the Celtic Druids with a focus on law, continues in a strong vein. The Rath of Celtia is brimming with creativity and activity. Stop in and have a drink at the Three-Fingered Druid or let yourself wander into the world of "What If...?" or set up a new shop in the Market Place. Kyleah Cumhaill is already in business creating a lovely England, Wales, Western Gaul and Spain. Please feel free to join in and contribute your thoughts, resources, and articles. We hope to see these groups become veritable treasure troves of information on the Celts and their histories. We also suggest you to stop in to the the Celtia Board. Poetry, trivia (both expert and beginner), feasts and festivals, and more is being discussed. Know a good limerick? Read anything interesting of late? We'd love to hear from you! Note: watch out for Ollave's riddles - he's a tough one! *G* Lastly, Celtia is tentatively planning a grand Beltane festival for spring. Please message Aifa Niafer if you would like to help with the preparations. Sláinte! May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live. Caileadair Morna CELTIA: ABERFFRAW Aberffraw is a virtual roleplaying group kingdom where by following its map you can explore the halls of "Aberffraw Castle," or hang out at "The Red Horse Inn." Wander through the ancient seat of power known as "The Druid Stones" and listen to the echoes of voices past. Go then and barter with the merchants at the "Robbers Market", and find your way to a "Gypsy Camp" and consult the seer. If it's a bit of rhyme or verse you want then the "Bards Cavern" will be your next stop. Walk through the "Hunters Forest," where there is magic and some say the sisters of Avalon dwell within, and you might stumble into the Brahan Seers Maze. Tread carefully - things are not always as they appear here. Arbin Beag CELTIA: THE UNSEEMLY COURT Hear ye! Hear ye! *coughs* Welcome to the most Unseemly Court in all the lands that ye may encounter in these worlds of the ancients. Be not afraid, for here ye may encounter dragons of magic, fae of fluttering wings, curmudgeonly tavern-hoppers, knights of boldness bearing mighty swords and wearing stained tunics, druids of prowess in all the mysteries, bards of the smooth silver'd tongue, and even a bar wench or two. 'Tis not a Court for the weak of heart or those who can't hold their mead - for here you enter into a realm that is far removed from the one you know. Then again *coughs* 'tis one you may be most familiar with. Come join in on the merry mayhem and enjoy to the fullest! Caileadair Morna MACHU PICCHU: "VIRTUAL ARCHAEOLOGY" "Why is the virtual reconstruction of an archaeological site so important? Because, over and above its strong popular impact, computer reconstruction allows the presentation of complex information in a visual way that enables it to be used to test and refine the image or model that has been created. It is very much more than a graphic reproduction...it allows objective verification to be made of possible interpretations of architecture, material culture, topography, paleo-environmental data, restoration, museum display, and any number of other factors." - Virtual Archaeology Re-Creating Ancient Worlds, Murizio Forte and Alberto Siliotti, editors, Harry A. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, 1996. These are heavy claims to be sure, but certainly realistic ones when the right tools are used. Virtual reconstruction is the process of researching a structure or building and modeling it as accurately as possible in a 3D graphics program. For the average, non-university based 3D modeler, attempting a virtual reconstruction can be a great way to learn about a architecture, history and various civilizations. To explore this, a new group has been proposed in Machu Picchu: Virtual Archaeology. The group is intended for folks who are new or experienced in working with 3D software. These folks will also have an interest in learning/sharing their knowledge of 3D and an interest in reconstructing ancient structures. The hope is to encourage folks to pick various sites or buildings, do research about it and create a model or artist's concept in 3D of how it might have looked. There would be no restriction placed on what civilization or structure was reconstructed. Virtual Archaeology is envisioned as a place to discuss the computer tools as well as the scholarship and resources that are necessary to understand the civilization, the history and the construction methods of a structure in order to reconstruct it accurately. Part of the vision is to be able to exchange banner links with other boards at Ancient Worlds devoted to relevant topics such as architecture and html/graphics. Once operational we hope to be able to do this in the hopes that members will be able to exchange information and graphics to everyone's benefit. Look for us to be up and running soon! If you are interested in joining this group, please leave Bryce Yupanqui a message. Bryce Yupanqui

In This Issue EDITORIAL OUT ALL OVER NEW TOPIC: BIOS ROMAN GROUPS ROME: ETRURIA ROME: RELIGIO ROMANA ROME: SCHOLA LINGUAE LATINAE ATHENS GROUPS CONTINUE TO GROW ATHENS: EXOTIKOS BABYLON GROUPS THE CELTIA CORNER CELTIA: ABERFFRAW CELTIA: THE UNSEEMLY COURT MACHU PICCHU: "VIRTUAL ARCHAEOLOGY" PRELUDE TO MURDER: LUPERCALIA 44 BC POMPEII BOOK REVIEWS Reporters and Contributors Editor: Maximius Flavius Reporter, Rome: Heraklia Aelius Reporter, Rome: Caeseria Maximus Reporter, Athens: Aphrodite Theocritos Reporter, Athens: Louisa Agis Reporter, Egypt: Onions Hatshepsut Reporter, Egypt: AzureEyes Ramesses Reporter, Babylon: Apiladey Apilsin Reporter, Babylon: Leah Enkidu Reporter, Celtia: Caileadair Morna Reporter, Germania: Thiudareiks Gunthigg Reporter, Machu Picchu: ChanChan Tupac Article: Heraklia Aelius Article: Cornellia Cornelius Book Review: Xolotl Huascar Book Review: Optimus Valerius Contributors: Kyleah Cumhaill, Tanaquil Sergius, Arbin Beag, Bryce Yupanqui Acta Graphics: Tobius Tullius Articles, stories and reports for Acta are very welcome. Contact Maximius if you wish to contribute.