Roxanne, Queen of Noricum

Intro

Today it's the First of February 2015 and I'm on my bed writing this intro to this small novel. I'm quite interested in observing human behaviour, especially behaviour of groups with a homogeneous culture. I found out through personal experience that all societies are mental constructions: they only exist in the minds of those who adhere to those idols.

Yes, all societies are a form of idolatry. This novel is meant as a parable. A parable to display the hidden mechanisms that precede all cultures and moral codes throughout history. I hope this novel will give you insight in social problems and what Biblical scholars define 'sin'.

This narrative is based upon real life facts I encountered in the social realm. I converted them into a discourse that takes place during the beginning of the Second century A.D. (during the period of the Principatus Romanus). The Principate (Roman Empire) was the global economic, political and cultural order since 27 b.c till the fall around 406 A.D. with borders from Hibernia (Ireland) till Mesopotamia (Iraq) a population of 70 million (that declined to less than 50 million over time), and hundreds of Greek city colonies all over the globe. Remains of that Pax Romanus (Roman peace) can still be seen today in the civilizations of the world.

We go to February 1st in 116 A.D. (the year 869 on the ancient Roman calender Ab Urbe Condita). We will zoom in to Noricum (Austria) which was a Celtic client kingdom within the Empire, that managed to keep their independance for a long time! We go to the city Juvavum (Salzburg). A wealthy city where almost everyone had Roman citizenship. The city's economy existed out of the trade in pottery, minerals, gold, slaves, Greek art and agricultural products. There were embassies of Germanic kingdoms there, because Rome was to far off. The population was around 20.000 in the city (urbs) and around 40.000 living in small villages around the city (which together formed the municipum). The 60.000 population were mostly natives, a small community of Romans, Greeks, Macedonians, Egyptians and Hebrews (who were called Jews).

One of those Hebrews was a guy named Simon, who adopted the name Altheus Hebraecus Juvavus. He was born 21 year earlier and he attended a scholarship in Londinium (London) and Eblana (Dublin) in ethnography and political sciences. He lived for about 4 years abroad in Brittania (England and Wales) and Hibernia (Ireland). He is fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Latin and the local language of the British people. He has been back in Juvavum for about three months. And he decided that he's going to travel a lot.

This fiction is aimed to give anthropological and sociological insight.

Enjoy it.