Roman Citizens Research Articles

Barbatoriam facere. Distinktion und Transgression in der römischen Kaiserzeit

AbstractWhile clothing issues of the Romans have been researched in recent years, the examination of facial hair has so far been rather unexplored. Therefore, little attention has been paid to the ceremonial first shave of young Romans (barbatoria), although beard growth, shaving and care provided information about hierarchies and identity, alleged sexual practices or periods of life cycle. The ritual of barbatoria was hence accompanied by assumptions about the character of a person.The article shows these dimensions of barbatoria using the examples of Octavian/Augustus, Caligula, Nero and Elagabalus. In doing so, it aims at pointing to the possibilities of distinction as well as transgression for staging the status as a young, wealthy Roman citizen that is becoming a ‘real man’.

The Impact of Awareness Campaigns on Combating the Food Wasting Behavior of Consumers

As food loss and food waste continue to be social, economic, and environmental issues, governments, private companies, and nonprofit organizations have started initiatives in order to raise awareness about this topic. Food waste occurs mainly at the consumer level, so information campaigns have been carried out in the media, in shops, or online, in order to point out the extent of the problem, its effects, and to educate consumers as to how to generate less waste. Although some awareness campaigns were conducted in Romania, mostly by the private sector, but also by governmental institutions, these efforts are still few in comparison with other European countries. Research of this topic has also started to increase, but the effects of the campaigns conducted in Romania have not been thoroughly assessed. In an effort to evaluate the effectiveness of these campaigns on consumer food-wasting behavior, we have carried out a study among Romanian citizens, based on a survey. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and the probit regression model. The results indicate that most respondents already self-assessed their food waste as small to moderate, regardless of their familiarity with food waste campaigns, and it might be the case that only their additional actions to reduce food waste are linked with them coming across food waste reduction campaigns.

Moralia wychowawcze (w) Myśli Lucjusza Anneusza Seneki – „O 13. sprawach”

The moral views of Lucius Annaeus Seneca express the pragmatic axiology of education which aimed to bring up a Roman citizen, a law-abiding person who followed common sense and an ethical code. At the same time, that citizen was aware of the public good and his self-esteem. These views of Seneca express a stoic concept of the human being’s autonomy. These views have been instrumental in defining the pedagogic ideas and are still significant for contemporary axiology of upbringing. Seneca’s moralia include axiology for education, which focuses on bringing up a human who is wise, reasonable, responsible, and efficient. This axiology is timeless.

THE PAYMENT FOR AN ORGAN AND THE ADMISSION OF GUILT BY A SOUTH AFRICAN HOSPITAL The State v Netcare Kwa-Zulu Natal (Pty) Ltd – Agreement in terms of section 105A(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, Netcare Kwa-Zulu (Pty) Ltd and the State, Commer

As the first of its kind in plea bargaining, a South African private hospital group pleaded guilty on charges of trafficking in human organs. The Commercial Crimes Court of the Kwa-Zulu Regional Court (a Specialised Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa) made an order in November 2010 in terms of which Netcare Kwa-Zulu (Pty) Ltd (Netcare) entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the state whereby Netcare pleaded guilty to 109 counts related to charges of illegal kidney transplantoperations. Charged with the St Augustine’s Private Hospital in Durban were the parent company Netcare (Pty) Ltd, its Chief Executive Officer, Richard Friedland, and eight others: four transplant doctors, a nephrologist, two transplant administrative co-ordinators, and a translator. The admission of guilt by the group relates to illegal kidney transplants which took place between June 2001 and November 2003 whereby Israeli patients in need of kidney transplants were brought to South Africa for such transplants to be performed at St Augustine’s Private Hospital. The kidneys were bought from Romanian and Brazilian citizens who were willing to sell their organs.

THE ROMAN PEASANTRY IN VIRGIL’S AENEID

The recollection of the wars that took place in Latium and their concrete consequences for the Italian peasant elite in particular and the Roman peasants and laborers in general, are elements the contemporary reader of Virgil must have recognized immediately in the form of allusions and references, while for us they appear veiled and demand an exercise of search and interpretation. As a citizen of Rome at the peak of its splendor, under Augustus’s rule, and as a poet from an Italian county, Virgil is an author that is sensitive to the wounds inflicted on the social body by different wars and he has poured his recollections and his version of history into his work as an act of memory and homage, not only for the heroes who fought for Rome but also for all the soldiers and anonymous peasants who returned to find their farmlands devastated. This work aims to focus on the references to the depopulation of fields in the Aeneid and to analyze them as an act of memory, that is to say, as something that creates a reading horizon for Virgil’s contemporaries who undoubtedly bring past wars to the present through one of their most influential consequences, the transformation of the Italian countryside and the peasant elite.

Die Geschäfte des Herrn Julius Caesar. A survey of the first century BC – third century ad Latin and Latin-Greek documents referring to Roman citizens and their business in Egypt

The paper provides an updated and annotated list of Latin and bilingual Latin-Greek papyri from the first century bc to the early third century ad – including very recently published and still unpublished – that refer to the lives and businesses of Roman citizens in Egypt. It also covers documents connected with the Roman army, that is produced in military officia to be specifically used by soldiers (acknowledgments of debt, receipts of money etc.). They are connected not with the army life, but with the life outside the barracks, among tradesmen, merchants, and (from the second century ad onwards) in the milieu of veterans.

Changes in attitudes towards food environment in Romania

Attitudes and knowledge regarding the food environment and purchasing behaviour are drivers or hindrances toward a healthier lifestyle. A questionnaire-based study on consumers’ knowledge about food and health and main drivers for food purchasing was applied to a group of Romanians and results were compared with those from a similar study carried about 10 years ago. Respondents seem to be more aware of some environmental and ecological problems (deforestation, global warming, etc), about the importance of bioproducts consumption, and regarding the link between food products and health. Still, the nutritional part of the food label is underused. The main reasons for selecting food are the same as in 2011, but with the greater interest paid to food related health aspects and taste. The perceived trust in food safety remains low. The consumers` amount of knowledge regarding food increased, food being perceived more as a useful adjuvant for health maintenance and an energy booster. Ten years after, some positive changes have been noticed in a group of Romanian citizens. Efforts have to continue in order to put a greater accent on the link between health, food, and purchasing behaviour. Education policies at local and European level have to guide consumers` choices so that the impact of food consumption becomes a sanogenic and sustainable one, both on people, and the environment.

Legislating political space for LGBT families: The 2018 referendum on the definition of family in Romania

AbstractAs marriage is defined in post‐socialist Romania as the union of two spouses and not specifically between a man and a woman, the legalisation of homosexuality in 2002 created the possibility for legal same‐sex marriage and for a more inclusive sexual citizenship. By 2018, a political alliance mobilised a referendum to redefine marriage in a way that would make families headed by same‐sex couples impossible. LGBT rights organisations and others who promote a more tolerant society urged Romanian citizens to boycott the vote. Eventually, due to a missing quorum the referendum was invalidated leaving the definition of marriage as it was – between two spouses. With a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, we analyse the way that this referendum functioned as a test of the re‐definition of family within the post‐socialist Romanian political space. The failure of this legislation then leads to our central question – were Romanians acting to promote a more tolerant and inclusive definition of family or were they merely reacting against the politicians, religious, and other influential groups who initiated the referendum? First, discourse analysis presents the various sets of ideas employed by actors involved for and against the referendum. Then we conduct a spatial analysis to reveal the territorial articulations of obedience to vote (voter turn‐out) and the results of voting along with other demographic characteristics. Even though the majority of the population with the right to vote preferred to boycott the referendum, our research demonstrates the spatial articulation of attitudes towards LGBT families showing that in Romania there are five overlapping discourses: the tolerant, the politically conformant, the homophobic, the passive rural, and the homosexual.

DIASPORA START-UP PROGRAMS AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: EVIDENCE FROM ROMANIA

Romania is one of the main countries of origin for intra-European migration. The national authorities recently implemented the first major program —Diaspora Start-up—to support the business initiatives of Romanian citizens who live abroad and who are interested in opening a business in their home country. This scheme was developed in parallel with a broader program—Romania Start-up Plus—which was designed to support the entrepreneurial initiatives of individuals residing inside the country. These programs have already supported over 8,600 non-agricultural start-ups created in urban areas. This study conducted a comparative analysis of the two programs based on different criteria and explored their regional dynamics regarding the emergence of start-ups and the prevalence of creative industries companies. The analysis highlighted important regional differences within Romania and revealed that the Diaspora Start-up program registered a statistically significant lower level of businesses registered as part of the creative industries. The results support the formulation of a hypothesis of negative selectivity within the programs designed to support Romanian migrants’ entrepreneurship, but further research is needed to test this hypothesis.

VIII. Parakatatheke und letztwillige Verfügungen: Zum Hintergrund von D. 32,37,5

Abstract Parakatatheke and last wills: on the background of D. 32.37.5. Already Hans Julius Wolff refused the idea of a hermetical isolation between Roman law and local (provincial) legal practice in everyday life. Following his trace, this contribution will show that legal intercourse between different classes of provincial populace was far more intensive than generally assumed. Focusing on the period before the Constitutio Antoniniana (212 AD), a detailed exegesis of a unique decision of Scaevola follows. The Roman jurist delivers a paradigmatic case: He settles a dispute in which the Greek formula of parakatatheke was used by a Roman citizen for disposing about his assets on death. In fact, the legal act should be considered ineffective under Roman law. However, Scaevola looked for ways to enforce the claim. Roman law and provincial legal custom: Scaevola’s decision sheds a new light on the creative approach of Roman jurisdiction regarding foreign legal thoughts.

How Smart is the Grid?

Ancient Romans called urbs the set of buildings and infrastructures, and civitas the Roman citizens. Today instead, while the society is surfing the digital tsunami, urbs and civitas tend to become much closer, almost merging, that we might attempt to condensate these into a single concept: smart grid. Internet of things, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and quantum cryptography are only a few of the technologies that are likely to contribute to determining the final portrait of the future smart grid. However, to understand the effective sustainability of complex grids, specific tools are required. To this end, in this article, a new taxonomic framework has been developed starting from a general analysis of the emerging solutions, identifying intersectoral synergies and limitations with respect to the ‘smart grid’ concept. Finally, from the scenario portrayed, a set of issues involving engineering, regulation, security, and social frameworks have been derived in a theoretical fashion. The findings are likely to suggest the urgent need for multidisciplinary cooperation to address engineering and ontological challenges gravitating around the smart grid concept.

CHERNYAKHIV «BULLAS» (METAL AND LEATHER PENDANTS-FOLDING IN THE CHERNYAKHIV—SINTANA-DE-MURES CULTURE’S AREA)

Decorations of the Chernyakhiv—Sintana-de-Mures Culture (ChSM) includes metal and leather pendants which by some morphological features can be considered as derivatives of the roman bulla. Bulla is a small capsule pendant folded from two identical halves. It’s assumed that bulla originated with the Etruscans in the VIIth century BC. The bulla was later borrowed by romans, who originally intended it for boys — the children of aristocrats from the ninth day of birth to 14—16 years, until receiving the status of a Roman citizen. Later the golden bulla lost the meaning of a social marker and became mainly a property feature. Content of bulla were parts of plants, animal bones, pieces of textile, sand etc.
 Derivatives of the Roman bulla in the ChSM Culture have been found in next burial complexes (Barcea 139, Bila 3, Cherneliv-Rus’kyi 96, Dumaniv 8, Sosnova 245), leather bullas were found once (Legedzine 16). Besides, two pendants-capsules were found on late Scythians Lower Dnieper cemetery Mykolaivka (burial 64, grave 1), which contained ChSM Culture’s graves too.
 Following observation deserves the attention. The capacity of one pendant from Pannonia is similar by decor to clay knots, which were spread in many cultures, including ChSM Culture. They are interpreted as magic, used for fortune-telling and similar to nasturtium seeds.
 Contents of Chernyakhiv Culture’s «bullas» are unknown, but combination with another pendants-amulets certainly confirms the magical character of such pendants.
 Finally, metal bullae, cylindrical and flat cylindrical pendants-capsules continued their existence in the early Middle Ages and as metal folding icons and leather incenses survived in orthodox church to this day.

Between liberty and control: citizens’ attitudes towards Romanian state surveillance

Surveillance was extensively analyzed in the literature from multiple standpoints. Some studies looked to the temporal development of surveillance, while others analyzed the traditional theories that influenced many of the contemporary surveillance studies. All these studies define surveillance as an activity that is ubiquitous and performed globally, by multiple private and public institutions, through the involvement of specific technologies. However, little attention was paid to the perceptions of citizens about surveillance. This article addresses this gap in the literature and analyses how state surveillance is perceived by the Romanian citizens according to the socio-demographic factors (i.e., age, education, income, gender and medium of residence). The aim of the study is to explain how socio-demographic factors influence the acceptance of state surveillance. It also controls for the left-right self-placement, and the use of Facebook as source of information. The statistical analysis uses individual level data from an original survey conducted between October-November 2020. The survey was completed by 1,140 respondents, and the article uses correlation and linear regression to analyze the data. The findings illustrate that the acceptance of state surveillance is influenced by the gender, level of education and medium of residence of the individuals. The age and income of the citizens have no effect on the acceptance of state surveillance.

The Escape to Turkey. Ways and Methods of Illegal Border Crossings into Turkey from the perspective of SSI documents (1945-1948)

"The Escape to Turkey. Ways and Methods of Illegal Border Crossings into Turkey from the perspective of SSI documents (1945-1948). Romania`s first years after the communist regime took political power in Romania, concurrent with the onset of the Cold War, meant a reshuffle of the state institutions at first and later a dramatic impact on people`s lives. The political and institutional purges were the first signal that soon repression and terror will follow, thus prompting numerous Romanian citizens to leave the country. Yet, due to the strict surveillance of the Secret Police Services which did not easily allow traveling to Western countries, the only way to escape was through illicit border crossings. One of the most common destinations was Turkey, with documents issued between 1945 and 1948 by the Secret police services revealing an impressive number of such cases. Keywords: Illegal border crossings, escape, communism, Romania, Turkey. "

The “evaporation” of Romanian citizens towards Western Europe, with the secret help of Hungary, between 1985 and 1989

"The “evaporation” of Romanian citizens towards Western Europe, with the secret help of Hungary, between 1985-1989. The Document edited and published here it was a secret one. It comes out from the communist archives of Hungary and deal with the problem of the emigrants that enter from East in Hungary in the last years of the communist regime. It is an illustrative piece in which secretly and silently the communist authorities of Hungary understand to lease the persons who wants to travel in west to exit from Hungary without any control. It was not only an expression of the tensions between Romania and Hungary in those years, but also a rehearsal for what was happened with the East German citizens who passed over Hungary to the West in 1989. The authenticity of the act is proved also by the oral and written testimony of one of the travellers which pass over Hungary in Austria in 1985. Keywords: End of Communism, border regime, Romanian-Hungarian tensions, emigration from East to West in late 80s. "

Citizens’ Beliefs Regarding Dog Breed-Specific Legislation. The Case of Romania

ABSTRACT This contribution aimed to highlight the importance of the legal framework on human-dog interactions to better understand the “more‐than‐human cosmopolitanism”. Thus, it gives insight into the never-ending debate of how we can share the living space with other forms of life. The study acknowledged the inconsistencies between community members’ and experts’ opinions on the best methods to prevent dogs’ attacks, the imperative to consider concerns for animal welfare and public safety while improving the legitimacy of different implemented measures. The seriousness of the dog control problem determined the enactment of laws to limit or ban dogs purely on their breed/type. The study explores Romanian citizens beliefs regarding law labeled “dangerous” dogs within the context of Romanian breed-specific legislation (Governmental Emergency Ordinance No. 55 of 2002). An overwhelming majority of respondents considered that a dog’s dangerousness must be assessed individually, according to each specimen’s characteristics, and regardless of the breed/type to which it belongs. A significant percentage of people were unaware of the legal regime in place for “dangerous” dog breeds. Responsible dog ownership intertwined with learning to care could solve the societal annoyance of “blacklisted” dog breeds/type.

The Caracal murder content analysis of the media coverage of one of the most violent gender-based homicides in Romania’s recent history

ABSTRACT Romanian citizens remain haunted by the gruesome crime that took place in Caracal—a small city in the southern part of the country—in 2019. Alexandra Măceșanu, a 15-year-old girl, was kidnapped by an illegally operating taxi driver who raped, murdered, and then burnt her body in a barrel. She had managed to call 112, the emergency hotline, on the second day that she spent in the murderer’s house. However, despite her three desperate calls, the police could not find her because of their dismissiveness and incompetency. Consequently, the Romanian press published over 3000 articles about the case in the six weeks after the information first surfaced. Thus, this article aims to analyze the aforementioned coverage. The analysis revealed that despite the fact that this was one of the most violent manifestations of gendered violence, most articles ignored this aspect and focused on others such as corruption within the police- or the inefficiency of the hotline.

THE CANTACUZINO INSTITUTE AND HEALTH LAW

"Providential personalities are an essential, unifying, element across cultures, omnipresent in the world’s history. They are one of a kind, born every century or even more than a hundred years apart, and their emergence is conditioned by specific factors and even circumstances. Among Romania’s historical personalities, Professor Cantacuzino’s name and achievements could not be contained within the country’s borders. His genius has left its mark not only on the Romanian public health system, or even the nearby Balkan area, but has echoed way further than Europe at that time. The conscious effort he made to offer more than he had previously received stemmed from his exceptional personal development work. A multifaceted persona like few have been, he has managed to acquire great insights into many subjects and, more importantly, he had the character and strength to establish a Healthcare Legacy and an Institute that will soon celebrate 100 years of existence. The current generation and the ones to come should learn their history and praise the achievements of their ancestors, while also preserving and further cultivating them, for the good of Romanian citizens, Romania and the global health system."

Federico III e Niccolò V

The visit of Frederick III to Rome in 1452 has been reconstructed on the basis of published and unpublished sources, including correspondence between the orators in the Roman Curia (especially between orators coming from Siena and Milan), urban chronicles (by Stefano Infessura e Paolo Dello Mastro), biographies (De vita ac gestis Nicolai quinti summi pontificis by Giannozzo Manetti) and several historiographic and literary sources (Historia Austrialis by Enea Silvio Piccolomini). Particularly noteworthy is what has been written about the relations between the emperor and Pope Nicholas V, with the latter being concerned that the Roman citizens would revolt during the emperor’s visit, as had already occurred in previous centuries when other emperors arrived in Rome. Most of all, the pope was scared about the conspiracy against the papacy orchestrated by Stefano Porcari, which occurred in 1453, and about an alliance between Frederick III and Alfonso of Aragon, King of Naples. Among all the international controversial issues that emerged during the visit, there was also the issue of Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, demanding that the coronation of Frederick as King of Italy be held in Milan, prior to him being crowned in Rome by the pope, thus following the old tradition with the Iron Crown of Lombardy. The meeting between Frederick III and Nicholas V, at which no particular problems arose, was partly conducted with Piccolomini’s skilful mediation.

Attitudes et corporalité du suppliant sous le Haut-Empire

Through a study of the bodily attitudes of supplicants, the purpose of this article is to consider how and why, in certain exceptional circumstances, the Roman citizen, who is usually required to conform to a normal, so-called suitable, beauty as a constituent part of his dignitas, can, and even must, transgress the rule to resort to codified gestures and attitudes, out of step with the traditional setting and habitus of the ciuis, but paradoxically expected, in order to symbolise his situation of distress, the risk incurred and his willingness to remedy it. The argument will try to show the elements of permanence and the evolutions from the Republic to the Empire of a practice both in the gestures and in their meaning(s). In order to do this, we will first look at the age and circumstances that necessitate recourse to man-to-man supplication, then at why the body is the main character before considering its expected effects.