[kre8tv]

I'm new here and a relatively new student of Roman history. I'm turning to this wise forum for advice and directions. What was the title of the individual who would report news to Romans of their empire's latest conquests? Was it always delivered first as a spoken-word account? Was it always in a public place?

Any details or useful links are appreciated.

[GhostOfClayton]

It won’t give you all the answers, but as a starting point, I recommend HBO's Rome DVD (series 1 and 2). The actor Ian McNiece played the newsreader/Town Crier, and much research went into his role. If you watch his bits with the ‘All Roads Lead To Rome’ feature turned on, there will be subtitled information on why he was used as he was, why he orated like he did, etc. Also, I think there’s some more information in the DVD extras (though I won’t guarantee it 100%.).

In Falco, there is frequent mention of a journal that in context would be equivalent to a newspaper/newsletter. I seem to remember it’s called the ‘Gazette’, though that has the air of a French Loan word. Maybe Lindsay Davis explains this in Falco: The Official Companion? Could one of the other Falco-philes confirm or deny this?

Incidentally, the word Trivia is believed to originate in the Roman practice of posting news at places where three roads met (Tri – Via). How’s that for a piece of threeroads?

[Melvadius]

Although there are more modern works which may now disagree with some aspects of this explanation as a start you may find this article from A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890) by William Smith, LLD on the cursus publicus of interest.

[Crispina]

(In Falco, there is frequent mention of a journal that in context would be equivalent to a newspaper/newsletter. I seem to remember it’s called the ‘Gazette’, though that has the air of a French Loan word. Maybe Lindsay Davis explains this in Falco: The Official Companion? Could one of the other Falco-philes confirm or deny this?)

As you know, I am a Falco-phile, not sure how official. But here is what I found in the afore mentioned book, "Falco, The Official Companion" by Lindsey Davis, pages 81-82:

"The second feature I was eager to develop was the Daily Gazette; I had frequently mentioned it and people often queried the reference. Sadly, we don't have relics of the Forum inscriptions, but the Acta Diurna's flavour comes from a passage in Petronius's Satyricon. The ghastly nouveau riche freedman Trimalchio shows off throughout a dinner party, telling his hapless guests more than they want to know about his own wealth: What really interrupted was his accountant, who sounded as though he was reading out a copy of the Gazette: 26 July:Births on the estate of Cumae: male 30, female 40: Wheat threshed and stored: 500,000 pecks. Oxen broken in: 500... The official edicts were read out and the wills of certain game-keepers. In specific codicils they said they were leaving Trimalcho nothing. Then the names of some bailiffs; the divorce of a freedwoman, the wife of a watchman, on the grounds of adultery with a bath-attendant; the demotion of a hall-porter to a job at Baiae; the prosecution of a steward; and the result of an action between some bedroom attendants. This suggests the Acta Diurna, which was established to record the doings of the Senate, included official tally of births and deaths in Rome, equivalents of the finance pages in a good daily newspaper(money paid major public buildings), and general daily news; prodi-sacrifices, public games (the sports pages) - and a scandal column. No commentator says that Vespasian tried o manipulate new coverage to make his regime look good - but I bet he did! "

Hope I quoted Ms.Davis in a post properly.

[Maty]

Here's some contemporary news reporting on a major breaking story, as told by Polybius a generation later.

"On the news of the defeat reaching Rome, the civic leaders were unable to suppress or soften reporting of the facts because of the scale of the disaster. [A Roman defeat by Hannibal]. Therefore they summoned a meeting of the people to announce it. Therefore the Praetor mounted the Rostra and stated 'we have been defeated in a great battle.'"

The Acta appears to have been in imperial innovation. By and large, news would seem to have been propagated by the old fashioned method of public announcements (especially at public ceremonies) and posting notices. We have some of these notices surviving from Pompeii for scheduled gladiator games.

[guy]

kre8tv, on 19 January 2012 - 04:32 AM, said:

I'm new here and a relatively new student of Roman history. I'm turning to this wise forum for advice and directions. What was the title of the individual who would report news to Romans of their empire's latest conquests? Was it always delivered first as a spoken-word account? Was it always in a public place?

 HBO Town crier.jpg (33.31K)
Number of downloads: 9
 mcneicesignedphotorome340.jpg (22.72K)
Number of downloads: 5

(To echo what Ghost said) I loved the performance of Ian McNeice as the senate crier in the HBO series "Rome."

I don't know whether the following information is correct:

Quote

Newsreader (Senate Crier) (fictional), played by Ian McNeice. The closest [HBO series]"Rome" comes to a narrator, and the mouthpiece for pieces of plot exposition not fully explained. The Newsreader announces daily the pronouncements of the Senate, public service announcements, business advertisements, and the current events of the Republic to the people in the Forum. He often uses dramatic gesticulations when using names of important Romans, like Gaius Julius Caesar. All these pronouncements would also — as portrayed in the series — be publicly displayed later in written form on the Senate-House door, for the literate few. The role is a more-or-less attested one in Ancient Greek and Roman society, as there was never any public gallery in the building where the government met and much of the population was illiterate. The Latin word for newsreader is praeco, and in many old translations is translated as herald. Seen in [the following episodes of the HBO series "Rome"] The Stolen Eagle, How Titus Pullo Brought Down the Republic, Pharsalus, Caesarion, Utica, The Spoils, and Kalends of February.

http://sharetv.org/s...cast/newsreader

Oh, the memories. :rolleyes:

guy also known as gaius

This post has been edited by guy: 31 January 2012 - 11:07 PM

[GhostOfClayton]

Is the signed photo yours, Guy?

[guy]

GhostOfClayton, on 01 February 2012 - 08:03 AM, said:

Is the signed photo yours, Guy?

No. :lol:


guy also known as gaius