Romanitas

Romanitas is the collection of political and cultural concepts and practices by which the Romans defined themselves. It is a Latin word, first coined in the third century A.D., meaning Roman-ness and has been used by modern historians as shorthand to refer to Roman identity and self-image.

Literal meaning and origin

Romanitas means, as a rough approximation, Roman-ness in Latin, although it has also been translated as "Romanism, the Roman way or manner". The term, not common in Roman sources, was first coined by the 3rd century Roman writer, Tertullian, an early Christian from North Africa, in his work De Pallio. Tertullian used the term pejoratively to refer to those in his native Carthage who aped Roman culture.

Concepts behind the literal meaning

Romanitas is used to refer to the collection of political and cultural concepts and practices defining what it is to be a Roman. Unlike the Greeks, the Romans did not see their common identity as being based on language and inherited ethnicity. Their identity was based on being part of a political and religious community with common values, customs, morality and way of life. In light of this, historians have sought to define romanitas using a number of approaches: one way is to consider the general ideals Romans attributed to themselves; another approach, which has achieved consensus amongst scholars, is to consider the construction of Roman identity during the process of colonization. However, not all scholars accept that the notion of identity, herited from social sciences is adequate to understand what is to be Roman.

Romanitas (novel)

Romanitas is an alternate history novel by Sophia McDougall, published by Orion Books. It is the first of a trilogy of novels based on a world where the Roman Empire has survived to contemporary times and now dominates much of the world.

Plot summary

After attending his parents' funeral, Marcus Novius Faustus Leo, the teenage nephew of the emperor (and heir apparent since the death of his father), is informed by his father's secretary Varius that his father Leo and his mother were murdered by a conspiracy concerned about Leo's ambition to abolish slavery. While this is happening, Varius' wife eats sweets given to Marcus by his cousin Makaria and dies of poisoning. Varius promptly arranges for Marcus to flee to a hidden refuge in Spain, run by Delir, an anti-slavery activist and secret ally of Leo. Meanwhile, a British slave named Una, who has the ability to read minds, rescues her brother Sulien who has been falsely accused of rape and sentenced to crucifixion.

The three runaways meet in Gaul. Despite initial suspicion, they agree to help each other and travel to the refuge. However, Varius has been arrested and the conspirators force him to reveal the location of the refuge, as well as making him confess to the murder of Marcus's parents, as well as the murder of Marcus himself.