Roma Novan family trees

Roma Nova vexilloidThe principal families in my Roma Nova families are the Mitelae, the Tellae and the Apuliae, so as we approach publication of the fourth book, I thought I’d do some diagrams to clarify how they interrelate.

Language note: Latin is inflected, i.e. it changes the ending of nouns and adjectives depending on the word’s place and function in sentences and whether it’s singular or plural, feminine, masculine or neuter gender. Women’s names often end in ‘a’, men’s in ‘us’, ‘o’ or ‘ax’ hence Aurelia Mitela, Conradus Tellus, Cornelius Lurio.

As a matriarchal society, Roma Novans use the feminine form when referring to the family in general. (It’s a happy coincidence that in Latin familia is feminine gender although classically familia meant the whole household, but that’s for another post!)
When referring to several members of the family, the feminine plural is used, e.g. the Mitelae.

 

Family trees2

Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers –  INCEPTIO,  PERFIDITAS,  SUCCESSIO,  AURELIA,  INSURRECTIO  and RETALIO.  CARINA, a novella, is available for download now.  Audiobooks are available for the first four of the series.

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11 comments to Roma Novan family trees

  • Love the book covers on all of your books Alison they are very regal looking. I was a dunce at Latin in my schooldays but it makes more sense now! Thank you for taking the time in your busy schedule to do this for us. Leila

    • Alison

      Happy to do this, Leila. I used to be fascinated by family trees in historical fiction. I loved following all the intermarriages. I know the Roma Novans inside out, but now we are stretching back to the 1960s, I thought it would be clearer to see the families in diagram form.

  • Mark Tyler

    I am confused as to where Nicola fits in. Who is her mother?

    • Alison

      Have you read SUCCESSIO, Mark? If you haven’t I don’t want to spoil it for you…

      • Mark Tyler

        Not yet. Thank you for the heads up. By the way, does Conradus have any rights or responsibilities concerning his six children, or do these all belong to their two mothers?

        • Alison

          Yes, Roma Nova father have access rights and are responsible for the well-being of their children along with the children’s mothers, but the mothers carry full legal responsibilities. Mothers are not required by societal norms to marry but may contract to a man for a set period, if they choose.
          This all arises from the earliest days of Roma Nova when they were fighting for survival. They needed children to grow and protect their society in the next generation, so formal arrangements where parents had to be married were abandoned.

          • Mark Tyler

            That is very interesting. Sorry to bombard you with questions. Are there advantages/disadvantages for each sex when it comes to marriage?

  • Alison

    A public show of commitment, the name change and belonging to a familia that was possibly a bit further up the food chain. And of course, personal security and a structured domestic environment. But a man received a statutory financial settlement if the woman decided to divorce him.

    • Mark Tyler

      Thank you. Regarding children, does the husband lose rights or gain rights regarding his offspring in the event of a marriage or divorce? Or are those rights unaffected regardless?

      • Alison

        Generally those rights would be unaffected, but the child(ren) stay with the mother’s family Of course, any disputes would go to the family court.

  • Mark Tyler

    That is interesting. I ask these questions because it has always seemed more logical to my wife and I for children to bear the mothers surname. When we married, I took her surname, and our children all have it. It is interesting to us to read about a society in which this has been incorporated into the society and applies to everyone.