Civitas (Nova Roma)
Nova Roma is divided into a number of provinciae, and some provinciae are sub-divided into a number of regiones which can in turn be subdivided into civitates if needed, but a civitas can also be a direct subdivision of a provincia, though it is normally a subdivision of a regio. A civitas is ideally a smaller part of a country or state, and it is usually a precursor of an oppidum. Governors of the provinces have the power to create a civitas and to appoint or replace leaders of a civitas.
In the ancient Roman Empire, civitas, as a territorial subdivision, referred to an area of a tribe or smaller nation recently conquered, the romanization of which was in its intitial phase, or it was used simply to denote a smaller subdivision of a region or province. The Nova Roman usage of the term strictly follows the ancient model.
Applications of the term
There are two cases when creating a civitas is beneficial:
- 1) the governor can apply the term civitas to a territory within a Nova Roman provincia where the number of active citizens and the level of "nova romanization" of its citizens has not yet achieved the level of a regio: in this case civitas means a "nascent regio", a nascent community;
- 2) or it can be used to denote a smaller community within a Nova Roman regio without reference to its activity and level of development, where the community is destined to evolve into, or develop around a city-level (hence the Latin name civitas) Nova Roman local community: in this case civitas may indicate a "nascent oppidum".
Civitates are governed by a praefectus. All civitas leaders are responsible and strictly subordinate to the provincial governor and have no imperium. Lieutenant governors can not issue edicts or appoint officers, the provincial governor, however, can do it for them.
Civitates in the provinciae of Nova Roma
There is currently only one community of Nova Roma classified as civitas: