NationStates Jolt Archive

ROME (TFP)- For millenia, the people of the Roman Empire have enjoyed various displays of public spectacle, centred around the gladiatorial combats or "munera". Part of the munera- which has survived untouched for centuries- are the so-called "wild beast hunts" or, in Latin, "venationes", featuring gladiators slaying all sorts of different creatures, including panthers and lions, though in recent years this has also included the slaying of a pack of Komodo dragons and crocodiles in response to Rome's greater worldwide involvement. Environmentalists had voiced their objections several times over the past few decades, but nothing ever came close to what happened today.

Earlier today, Rome's largest environmentalist group, "Romans For the Earth" (RFE) invaded the Flavian Amphitheatre in the middle of a venationes during the "Ludi Regulum", or the "Festival of Regulus" (OOC: a Roman Emperor from the 600s- one I created). The hunt- featuring a lion, two alligators and a grizzly bear- was stopped right after the gladiator had managed to corner the animals into a netted corner of the arena, but not into their cages as was supposed to happen. Right after invading, the RFE closed the netting and cornered the gladiator into the cage that was supposed to be for the animals, all while shouting "let the beats roam!". Then the leader of that particular group, gave a speech condemning the crowd for their "act of cruelty", feeding off the suffering of the animals when it once was them in the arena.

"Don't you forget?" shouted the leader, "that your beloved Emperors once fed you to the lions? All you had to do is breathe on him the wrong way and you'd be a goner. No one was safe. In fact, the Emperors loved watching their own people suffer. Do you want to do that to the animals?"

Then the group proceeded to feed the beasts and bring in a few trucks to haul them off, where, the RFE says, they'd be released from captivity.

RFE Chairman Gaius Prometheus, expectedly, praised the events, claiming it a "victory" against "Roman barbarianism". "We are not the barbarians of the past. We are Romans, the proud and noble Romans who shouldn't have to feed off anyone's suffering."

Meanwhile, the rest of the audience in Rome was in shock. Never before had munera been stopped midway, and never before by the RFE. The event's organizer, Paullus Siracius, called the act "appalling", stating that the RFE had no right to interfere with Rome's public entertainment. "The people want these games. They have no right to stop the people from getting what they want."

Emperor Rodin Hartian agreed. "I understand that they're upset about the venationes, but stopping an event is not the way to protest it." He says he will review spectacle procedure and try to understand how the RFE managed to stop the munera, which the group apparently had tickets for and attended legally. He doesn't want to stop public access to the centre of the arena, a celebratory tradition preserved since the Medieval period, but says he may have to "alter" it after today's events.

Peter Jackson, aide to the Cottish Ambassador, sat in the Flavian Amphitheater and watched the games when the animal liberationists struck. He wasn't as shocked as everyone else there. The animal-rights activists existed in Cotland as well, but there they were rounded up and arrested for disturbing the peace and for destruction of public property. It was just the thing that made them stop activating. Still, when he got back to the embassy, he would have to write a report regarding the "uprising".

Exiting along with the rest of the crowds, Peter got on the bus and took it to the street where the embassy were. Walking up to the gate, Peter showed the guards his ID. He was well known to the guards, but they took no chances. Well inside, Peter got to his workstation and started up the PC. The Windows XP Professional started up, and while he checked his MSN Messenger v7.2, he started up the Windows Office Word 2005 and started typing. After 20 minutes, he had it ready and pressed down CTRL + P and printed out three copies. One for himself, one for his boss, and one for the archives. Peter walked over to his boss, and told him what he'd seen before giving him the report before he went home to change. He had plans to go to the bar and meet Rosa the tavernmaid tonight.

While Peter and Rosa were busy, the report found its way to Cotlandstad and the office of the Emperor, where it would be read the next morning, much to the shock of the Emperor. 'How can anyone Roman be against the games? Its so... unroman' he thought before he called Emperor Hartian in Rome to share his shock. The only thing was that he was met by a cranky secretary's voice telling him to call back in a few hours, due to it being only 6 AM in Rome. Bad timing. So, the Emperor would have to wait a little while.

ooc: TAG

OOC: For anyone who doesn't know, the "Flavian Amphitheatre" is the real name of the "Colosseum".

I'll make an IC post tommorow...I don't have time today.

OOC: For background, I edited the Roman story so that the second-to-last Emperor (Julius Nepos, who was still recognized as Roman Emperor to 480) was actually successful in recapturing the state and revitalizing Rome, hence its "existence" today.

Are Venationes Outdated?

(The Roman Free Press, Opinion)

In 482, Roman Emperor Julius Nepos, in a bid to reorganize the crumbling state, revived many of the old Roman traditions outlawed by the earlier 5th century Emperors, with one of the biggest being the reinstitution of the Senate as a powerful political unit and the restoration of the Roman spectacle, or munera. Nepos, who understood the times had changed (since Rome had become a largely Christian state by this point), realized that he couldn't just bring everything back in their old form, editing the old Roman way to fit into its new Christian identity (for example, making the gladiators fight with blunted or wooden swords).

However, the venationes were reinstituted outright, with no alterations made at all to their conduct. Beasts all over the world have been killed, with more being brought in with Rome's increasing worldwide involvement. Exotic creatures like Komodo Dragons and crocodiles have met the end of a Roman spear, all to the amusement and excitement of the crowd. The venationes are known world-wide, with hundreds of millions pouring in every year just to witness this rare and exhilarating event. Each time, the spectators have nothing but praise for the spectacle, noting the humane treatments of the animals that would eventually be sent to the slaughter and even the fairness of the fight- one lion, nicknamed "the Nemean Lion" by the people at the time, was able to kill 53 gladiators in 1493, while, more recently, a cheetah was able to kill 42 during the course of 1992. Of course, every effort is made to protect the viewing public, but for the gladiator himself, it was open season.

Still, the events of a few days ago underscored a small but sizeable minority within the Roman populace who view the venationes as "cruel". The way they see it, two gladiators are very capable of making the decision to fight against each other, but a lion or a crocodile cannot. They are also upset at the fact that gladiators don't get killed anymore, but the animals do. Some of these animal rights activists simply want the animals to go free or to at least be able to fight again, a sentiment shared by others within the Roman gaming community. Still others want them banned outright, a radical move considering that venationes have gone on for well over 2,000 years. This movement has been miniscule, barely making any dent in the public consciousness- until now. Now, the public has to seriously consider the statements of the Romans For the Earth (RFE), since can they no longer claim ignorance.

So what does one make of the RFE? Mainstream Roman thought has always held "animal rights" to be a fallicious statement, noting that animals do not share the cognitive abilities of humans and can therefore not have their rights. Plants and animals can't vote because they don't know how (for example), and they serve a duty to the State in that they are the nation's food, without which the nation cannot survive. Sure, there are some who see animals suffering and feel bad for the animal, but very few Romans would believe that they should enjoy the same protection the state gives to humans. "They are not sentient," wrote Amartius (OOC: a well-known political lobbyist in Rome) in the mid-90s, "so why should we give them rights? If tigers can get rights then so can my typewriter."

Still, after what the RFE did, can people like Amartius scoff at their suggestions any longer, since we can no longer deny the problem's existence? That a group such as the RFE went to great lengths to stage their radical protest of the venationes means something, and must resonate with the Roman people in some capacity. However, the grander question will always remain, "should things change?"; and the answer to that is no. It is true that we cannot deny what the RFE did- it was grand and it is important- however, the truth is that these animals are still the same as they always were- the unintelligent beasts that Romans know and love- and, probably the real kicker is the fact that the majority of the Roman population still wants venationes shown. As the Cottish ambassador stated, it is simply "un-Roman" to dislike the games. Munera are as much a part of Roman culture as the Emperor and Rome are, and to deny their existence is to deny being a Roman. Also, to make one final comment about the RFE's errant history, the executions have been banned since 404, and the Roman nobility often frowned upon them as "barbaric". Surely a group that resorts to pseudohistory is not one that we can really believe.

would you mind if this encourages some Hindus who moved to Gambia to do something, i have an idea for a character rp for E2.

EDIT-just curious, but in your extended history+rps, has any emperor since trajan seen the persian gulf?

OOC:

(1) would you mind if this encourages some Hindus who moved to Gambia to do something, i have an idea for a character rp for E2.

What would this something be, out of curiosity?

EDIT-just curious, but in your extended history+rps, has any emperor since trajan seen the persian gulf?

I've altered my history a little so that Septimus Severus (193-211) reached all the way to China. Also, since I have Roman colonies in the Pacific, the Romans have seen the Persian Gulf numerous times to this day and frequent it quite regularly.

They were going to take over farming collectives in Gambia, mainly the ones that raise cows, and save them from becoming delicious steaks (mmm...steak). I just read Animal Farm, it gave me some ideas for an RP

They were going to take over farming collectives in Gambia, mainly the ones that raise cows, and save them from becoming delicious steaks (mmm...steak). I just read Animal Farm, it gave me some ideas for an RP

OOC: Good idea. I say do it. Could the RFE be involved in some way?

OOC: Good idea. I say do it. Could the RFE be involved in some way?
Well, you could be the activists, i'll make a separate thread