State Capitalism: Socialism for the Rich

 State Capitalism: Socialism for the Rich

In our time, the phrase “free market” has become a kind of secular scripture, repeated from podiums and campaign rallies as though it were a holy truth. But anyone who has lived long enough in a working-class town of a so-called red state knows better. The market is free only for those who already own it. For everyone else, it is a rigged game — a form of state capitalism, where the power of government is bent not toward the people, but toward those already wealthy enough to buy its attention. It is socialism, yes — but only for the rich.

What we call “the GOP” has learned to play overseer in this system. They claim to guard local independence, family values, and small business, but when the curtain is pulled back, we see their hands signing subsidies, tax breaks, and bailout packages that never reach the small shop or the factory floor. Instead, they flow upward — into corporate headquarters, stock portfolios, and lobbying firms. The red states become colonies of extraction: our land drilled, our rivers tapped, our young sent to fight, our labor cheapened — all while the corporate “owners” of this process are given legal personhood and political protection greater than our own.

This arrangement isn’t new. It echoes the old company towns where miners were paid in script redeemable only at the company store. The names have changed — “investment incentives,” “public-private partnerships,” “economic development grants” — but the spirit is the same. The state collects the risk, the wealthy collect the profit, and the worker collects the debt.

What makes it sting worse is the moral dressing it wears. The common man is told to work harder, be more patriotic, and distrust anything that smells of “socialism.” Yet the very ones preaching this line are themselves the greatest beneficiaries of socialism’s privileges — so long as those privileges are reserved for the boardroom and not the break room. When a farmer’s crop fails, he’s told it’s the market’s way. When a bank fails, it’s “too big to fail.” That double standard reveals the lie at the system’s core.

True conservatism — the kind our grandparents practiced — meant stewardship, thrift, and loyalty to one’s own. It meant keeping money close to the soil that produced it, not sending it off to multinational coffers. It meant communities helping each other stand, not bending knee to corporate donors or distant managers. But what parades today under that flag has little to do with those virtues. It is a hired overseer class, keeping working men divided and distracted while the harvest of our labor is carted off to the lords of finance.

The cure is not the central bureaucracy of socialism, nor the chaos of unrestrained greed, but a return to moral economy — where enterprise is measured by what it builds for the common good, and government serves as the people’s tool, not their master. Real freedom does not mean being left alone to starve while billionaires feast; it means each person having the dignity of work, the security of fair return, and the right to govern what his hands have built.

State capitalism, socialism for the rich — these are names for the same betrayal. And until the working people of the red states see that their so-called defenders have sold them to the highest bidder, the overseers will go on collecting their pay from both sides of the fence. The task before us is to remember what freedom truly meant: not license for the powerful, but liberty for the just.

State Capitalism: Socialism for the Rich

The phrase “free market” rolls easily off the tongues of politicians. They praise it as though it were a sacrament of freedom itself — the invisible hand that keeps us all honest and prosperous. But anyone who has worked for a wage, run a small farm, or tried to start a business in this country knows the truth is otherwise. The market is not free; it is fenced. And the fence is patrolled by men who preach liberty while drawing their power from the State. This is state capitalism — the marriage of private wealth and public authority — a system that protects the strong, disciplines the weak, and baptizes greed as virtue.

In simple terms: it is socialism for the rich and market discipline for everyone else.

The Pattern: Profits Private, Losses Public

The pattern goes back to the Reconstruction era, when the railroads were treated as a holy mission. Politicians spoke of “binding the nation together,” but the binding was done with bonds — paid for by the people and redeemed by corporations. The government granted land the size of entire states to private companies like the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific. These companies were supposed to open the frontier, yet their true business was speculation. They used public funds to build rail lines, sold the land for profit, and left the taxpayers to foot the bill when the bubbles burst.

That was the birth of state capitalism in America. The idea that the people’s treasury could be used as seed money for private empires — and that the men who did it were “builders of progress.” It never truly ended. It only changed uniforms.

By the early 20th century, the same partnership appeared in the steel trusts, oil barons, and banking cartels. When the economy crashed in 1929, these titans cried out for government help — and got it, while ordinary workers lined up for bread. The old farmer in Kansas or the mill hand in Alabama was told to “tighten his belt,” while J.P. Morgan’s successors were allowed to write the rules of their own rescue.

After World War II, state capitalism went global. The defense industry learned that there was no profit more stable than fear. Every new bomber, missile, and base was called a “national security necessity,” though much of it was a subsidy for contractors who built in red states precisely to keep the votes flowing. When Eisenhower warned of the “military-industrial complex,” he was describing not just a threat to peace, but to democracy itself — the union of bureaucracy and big money that could outlast any election.

Then came 2008. The greatest act of “socialism for the rich” in modern memory. Banks and hedge funds — after years of reckless gambling — went to Washington and declared themselves indispensable. The people who had been lectured for decades about “personal responsibility” were now forced to “bail out” trillion-dollar corporations. Families lost their homes while the very institutions that caused the collapse were rescued and rewarded. Not one of the architects of that disaster spent a night in prison. The overseers congratulated themselves on having “saved the system.” They were right — but it was their system, not ours.

The Overseer’s Role

Here in the red states, we know the type. The overseer is not the master, but he serves the master’s interests. He keeps order among the workers and keeps their anger aimed anywhere but upward. The modern GOP has mastered this art. They speak to our sense of independence, faith, and hard work — all good things — but then use that trust to defend the very monopolies and markets that crush small enterprise.

When corporate subsidies are handed out, it’s called “job creation.” When a working man gets a tax credit, it’s called “dependency.” When Wall Street receives a rescue, it’s “stabilization.” When a union asks for fair pay, it’s “socialism.” This is double talk, plain and simple — a plantation logic applied to modern life.

And yet, many honest people fall for it, not because they are foolish, but because they remember a time when “conservative” meant something noble — thrift, faith, duty, stewardship. They don’t realize that their party has become a brokerage house, trading in their votes the way financiers trade in futures.

A Republic Betrayed

The founders never intended such a system. The republic they built was meant to protect the commonwealth — the shared inheritance of land, law, and liberty. Jefferson warned against “monopolies of commerce.” Lincoln, in his own time, spoke plainly: “Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital.” He understood that a nation built by working men could not endure if the tools of government became the toys of oligarchs.

But over time, republican virtue gave way to corporate dependency. The flag was still waved, the slogans still shouted, but the spirit was hollowed out. What replaced it was a kind of managed democracy — elections fought over symbols while the real business of wealth and policy is decided in boardrooms and backrooms.

The result is what we live with now: state capitalism. A system where corporate profit depends on government favor, and government survives by corporate funding. It is not socialism, and it is not capitalism. It is a hybrid monster — efficient at producing billionaires, but incapable of producing justice.

Toward a Moral Economy

The cure is not to abandon the market, but to redeem it. Not through the cold machinery of ideology, but through the warmth of moral order. America once had that sense — the belief that work dignified a man, that community mattered, that property was a trust as much as a right. We have lost it in a fog of slogans.

To reform this nation, we must return to the older republican virtues:

Stewardship: Industry must serve the community, not devour it. No enterprise should be “too big to fail.”

Subsidiarity: Decisions should be made close to the people they affect — by local farmers, craftsmen, and towns, not distant bureaucrats or CEOs.

Reciprocity: Those who profit from public funds owe something back to the public. Tax breaks should reward creation, not speculation.

Moral Capital: Wealth alone is not a sign of virtue. Character, honesty, and service must again be held higher than quarterly returns.

Let the republic be renewed on these foundations. Let the working people — of the cities, the farms, and the red states alike — remember that they built this nation with their hands and their sweat, not with stock certificates. We owe no loyalty to overseers who have sold our inheritance. We owe it to our fathers and our children to take it back.

In that act, we would not be turning left or right — but homeward, to the true American ideal: a commonwealth of free men, governed by virtue, where the market serves the people, not the other way around.

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Outline: Building Local Prosperity and Independence

I. Foundational Principles

Moral Economy: Wealth exists to serve life, not the other way around.

Subsidiarity: Decisions and resources should remain as local as possible.

Reciprocity and Fair Exchange: Trade and credit should strengthen community bonds, not debt chains.

Common Good Ethic: Prosperity is shared when all contribute to, and benefit from, local production.

II. Local Food and Trade: Reclaiming the Market

Farmers’ Markets

Purpose: Keep food dollars local; strengthen ties between grower and eater.

Action Steps:

Secure community spaces (church lots, fairgrounds, schoolyards).

Use local advertising boards and social media for free promotion.

Prioritize producers within a defined radius (e.g., 50 miles).

Establish fair vendor fees that fund community improvements.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Structure: Households pre-purchase “shares” of a farm’s produce.

Benefits: Predictable income for farmers, seasonal eating for families, shared risk and reward.

Local Artisan and Trade Markets

Create monthly or seasonal fairs for tools, crafts, repairs, and trades.

Encourage barter alongside cash transactions — a partial return to “gift economy” roots.

III. Cooperative Enterprise

Producers’ Cooperatives

Examples: Dairy, woodworking, textile, or metal workshops pooling tools and distribution.

Structure: Each member owns one share and one vote, profits distributed by labor or contribution.

Benefits: Reduces startup costs, increases bargaining power, protects against monopolies.

Retail or Service Co-ops

Small-town grocery, energy, or repair co-ops replacing chain dependency.

Community capitalized through membership dues or small bonds.

Educational Co-ops

Shared homeschooling or trade instruction networks.

Local apprenticeship systems restoring intergenerational skills.

IV. Local Finance and Credit

Credit Unions

Member-owned banks that lend primarily to members and small enterprises.

Keep savings local; interest returns to the community.

Encourage business and farm microloans for start-ups or expansions.

Community Investment Funds

Town or regional fund pooling small contributions to support local projects (greenhouses, sawmills, bakeries).

Democratic oversight board ensures transparency.

Local Currencies or Time Banking

Use “labor hours” or local tokens to exchange goods and services.

Keeps circulation inside the local economy and honors useful work.

V. Infrastructure and Energy Independence

Community Solar or Wind Projects

Co-op ownership of small renewable arrays.

Members share in savings or sell excess power back to the grid.

Reduces dependence on national utilities.

Repair and Reuse Networks

Shared tool libraries, community workshops, and repair days.

Extend life of goods and reduce costs.

VI. Social and Civic Renewal

Civic Clubs and Shared Meals

Weekly or monthly town suppers connecting farmers, craftsmen, teachers, and clergy.

Encourages moral unity and a culture of shared responsibility.

Volunteer Brigades

Locally organized groups for small construction, clean-up, or elder support.

Builds community pride and reduces need for outside contractors.

Public Faith in Honest Labor

Recognition ceremonies for exemplary workers, farmers, or youth apprentices.

A moral counterweight to celebrity and wealth worship.

VII. The Long Vision: From Dependence to Self-Governance

Economic Independence: Communities generate their own credit, food, and goods.

Cultural Independence: Identity rooted in place, faith, and craft, not corporate marketing.

Political Independence: Local self-government and civic virtue replace party loyalty.

Moral Renewal: Work regains its dignity; wealth serves life; and the people again become owners of their own destiny.

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Policy Pitch: The Local Commonwealth Initiative

Restoring the Republic from the Ground Up

For too long, our nation has been governed from the top down — by corporations too large to care and by parties too distant to listen. In the name of “free markets,” we’ve been sold monopolies. In the name of “freedom,” we’ve been bound by debt. Our communities have been hollowed out — the factory shuttered, the farm foreclosed, the youth driven off by the cost of living and the absence of hope.

It is time to rebuild from the soil upward.

The Local Commonwealth Initiative is not another partisan scheme. It is a call to restore the founding spirit of republican virtue — that government and economy exist to serve the people, not to rule them. It is a plan for working families, small farmers, craftsmen, and honest business owners to regain control of their livelihoods through cooperation, self-financing, and local production.

We reject both state socialism and corporate feudalism.

We stand for ownership, accountability, and mutual aid.

I. Our Guiding Beliefs

The Common Good: A strong nation begins with strong towns. Every citizen deserves the means to produce, trade, and thrive in dignity.

Local Stewardship: Decisions about work, credit, and land must be made by those who live with their consequences.

True Free Enterprise: Markets must reward labor and creativity — not speculation and monopolies.

Reciprocity Over Dependency: We will not beg from corporations or bureaucracies what we can build for ourselves.

II. Our Policy Goals

Local Food Sovereignty

Expand farmers’ markets, community gardens, and local food co-ops.

Provide tax incentives for small-scale food producers and processors.

Protect rural water and soil rights from corporate extraction.

Cooperative Ownership and Enterprise

Encourage producer cooperatives for farmers, craftsmen, and small manufacturers.

Offer state-level legal recognition and light regulation for co-op startups.

Favor co-ops and small enterprises in public contracts.

Community Credit and Finance

Strengthen and charter local credit unions to replace predatory banks.

Establish community investment funds for small-town projects.

Allow local governments to hold deposits and debt within local institutions.

Energy Independence at the Local Level

Promote community-owned solar and wind projects.

Simplify permitting for shared renewable infrastructure.

Keep utility profits circulating inside the county, not on Wall Street.

Civic Renewal and Apprenticeship

Partner schools with local businesses to teach trades and crafts.

Fund civic workshops, repair guilds, and local skill exchanges.

Support veteran, elder, and youth cooperatives for service and mentorship.

III. The Moral Foundation

This initiative is not born of ideology, but of necessity — and of memory.

Our grandparents built barns together, formed credit unions, and stood shoulder to shoulder in hard times. They understood that independence requires fellowship, and that freedom is not given by decree — it is cultivated in community.

We do not seek charity from Washington, nor orders from Wall Street.

We seek only the right to work together for our own good — as free citizens of a free republic.

The choice before us is clear:

We can remain tenants in our own land, or we can become stewards once again.

The Local Commonwealth Initiative calls on every town, every church, every family farm, and every small business to take back the power that was always theirs — the power to build, to trade, to govern, and to live as a people worthy of their inheritance.

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THE LOCAL COMMONWEALTH PLAN

A Handbook for Renewal, Self-Governance, and the Common Good

I. The Vision

To restore the republic from the ground up — not through slogans or parties, but through community action that ties prosperity to labor, ownership to responsibility, and credit to the common good.

The guiding belief: Every family, town, and trade can produce, trade, and govern itself more justly than distant corporations or political machines.

II. The Pillars of Local Renewal

1. Local Production and Food Sovereignty

Goal: Ensure every community can feed itself and retain value from its own soil.

Action Steps:

Farmers’ Markets:

Create weekly or monthly markets on church grounds, fairgrounds, or main street. Keep vendor fees minimal, and require local sourcing within 50 miles.

Outcome: Local dollars stay home. Farmers and families meet face-to-face.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA):

Organize subscription programs where townsfolk prepay for a farm’s harvest.

Outcome: Predictable income for farmers; fresh food for families; shared responsibility for the land.

Preserving and Processing:

Fund small canneries, bakeries, and creameries under cooperative ownership.

Outcome: Local jobs, local food resilience, and independence from national distributors.

2. Cooperative Enterprise

Goal: Replace corporate dependency with shared ownership.

Action Steps:

Producers’ Co-ops:

Small manufacturers, woodworkers, or artisans can pool capital to share equipment, distribution, and marketing.

Outcome: Mutual growth, protection from monopolistic pricing.

Retail Co-ops:

Establish community-owned stores for groceries, hardware, and supplies.

Outcome: Profits return to members, not distant investors.

Service Co-ops:

Shared networks of tradesmen — plumbers, mechanics, electricians — under collective insurance and scheduling.

Outcome: Fair pricing, reliable service, and local employment.

3. Local Finance and Credit

Goal: Keep the wealth of a town in the town.

Action Steps:

Credit Unions:

Charter locally-run banks where members are both depositors and decision-makers.

Outcome: Affordable loans, community reinvestment, honest accountability.

Community Investment Funds:

Pool small contributions ($50–$500) to finance start-ups or infrastructure like bakeries, workshops, or renewable energy projects.

Outcome: Shared risk and shared reward.

Local Currencies or Time Exchanges:

Introduce a voluntary token system or “hour credit” exchange.

Outcome: Encourages local trade, values labor, and resists inflationary manipulation.

4. Energy and Infrastructure Independence

Goal: Free local life from external utility monopolies and fragile supply chains.

Action Steps:

Community Energy Co-ops:

Own and operate small-scale solar or wind projects for member households.

Outcome: Reduced bills, reliable power, shared dividends.

Tool Libraries and Workshops:

Store shared equipment for farming, carpentry, or repairs.

Outcome: Reduces individual costs, builds communal trust.

Repair and Reuse Brigades:

Volunteer teams repair homes, tools, and infrastructure — teaching skills in the process.

Outcome: Low-cost maintenance and strengthened community pride.

5. Education and Apprenticeship

Goal: Restore practical knowledge and craftsmanship to civic life.

Action Steps:

Apprenticeship Circles:

Match skilled tradesmen with youth seeking to learn.

Outcome: Transmission of skill and discipline; revival of pride in work.

Community Learning Halls:

Hold weekly instruction nights for budgeting, gardening, carpentry, or trade skills.

Outcome: Lifelong education without debt.

Cultural Literacy Programs:

Readings from American classics, local history, and scripture.

Outcome: Cultural continuity and moral grounding.

6. Civic and Moral Renewal

Goal: Rebuild civic virtue and personal responsibility.

Action Steps:

Town Suppers & Guild Meetings:

Monthly gatherings to discuss local projects, celebrate achievements, and plan cooperative ventures.

Outcome: Bonds of trust, shared purpose, and unity of class and craft.

Volunteer Brigades:

Organize local defense, emergency response, and maintenance groups.

Outcome: Reduces dependence on overstretched state systems.

Public Honors for Honest Work:

Annual recognition of local teachers, farmers, craftsmen, and volunteers.

Outcome: Replaces celebrity culture with earned dignity.

7. Governance and Self-Rule

Goal: Restore the republican ideal — that governance begins with the governed.

Action Steps:

Town Trusts:

Legal entities (nonpartisan) managing shared assets like markets, co-ops, and funds.

Outcome: Protection of local wealth from corporate takeover.

Transparent Ledgers:

Public posting of co-op, fund, and credit union transactions.

Outcome: Accountability builds trust.

Local Charters of Stewardship:

Communities adopt written moral compacts defining duty to neighbor, land, and trade.

Outcome: Civic morality becomes law in spirit, not merely on paper.

III. Expected Outcomes

Economic Resilience: Reduced dependence on global supply chains and unstable finance.

Social Cohesion: Stronger bonds of trust and shared identity.

Moral Renewal: Return of honor to work, thrift, and fairness.

Political Independence: A populace less susceptible to manipulation by party or media.

Cultural Flourishing: Local pride expressed through festivals, crafts, and education.

IV. The Spirit of the Plan

This is not nostalgia. It is the recovery of what worked — the blend of self-reliance and fellowship that built America’s rural towns, unions, and churches. It is not “anti-progress.” It is progress rooted in human scale, moral limits, and the eternal law that neighbor is not a competitor, but a partner.

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THE COMMONWEALTH FIELD MANUAL

A Handbook for Local Renewal and Cooperative Sovereignty

(Draft I)

I. Foundational Principles

Maxim: All good order begins at the table, the hearth, and the market.

Purpose: To restore real power to real communities through cooperative production, shared credit, and moral economy.

Premise: The empire of debt and speculation cannot be fought with slogans, only with local self-sufficiency and mutual obligation.

Goal: A network of local Commonwealths — self-financing, self-defending, and self-respecting — joined by shared law and custom, not corporate bondage.

II. The Five Pillars of the Local Commonwealth

Local Finance (The People’s Treasury)

Objective: End dependence on foreign capital by establishing community-controlled credit.

Means: Credit unions, mutual banks, barter networks, and regional currencies.

Productive Guilds (The People’s Economy)

Objective: Replace “jobs” with craft, and consumers with citizens.

Means: Producer co-ops, community workshops, trade associations, and apprenticeship programs.

Food Sovereignty (The People’s Sustenance)

Objective: Feed the community before the market.

Means: Community-supported agriculture (CSA), seed banks, collective kitchens, and local water trusts.

Defense and Dignity (The People’s Guard)

Objective: Cultivate responsibility, not reliance.

Means: Local emergency brigades, defense training, supply reserves, and civil service corps.

Law and Custom (The People’s Charter)

Objective: Replace bureaucracy with custom and participation.

Means: Local assemblies, customary courts, oaths of mutual aid, and transparent accounting.

III. FIELD SECTIONS — THE “HOW-TO” MANUAL

Each section is a step-by-step guide, written in checklist form with accompanying proverbs or maxims.

1. How to Start a Local Credit Union

Purpose: To circulate wealth locally and finance real enterprise.

Checklist:

 Gather 7–15 trusted members with common bond (trade, parish, or community).

 Pool initial capital (target: $10,000–$50,000).

 Register as a non-profit credit union under local statute.

 Write a charter binding lending to productive and local use only.

 Elect a volunteer board with term limits and open books.

 Issue small, low-interest loans for crafts, farms, or co-ops.

 Maintain 10% liquidity, 0% speculation.

Maxim: Money should turn like the millstone — never rust in vaults, nor grind air.

2. How to Form a Producers’ Co-op

Purpose: To unite small producers into a sustainable whole.

Checklist:

 Identify 3–10 producers in the same trade or locality.

 Draft a charter defining fair pricing, profit-sharing, and democratic decision rules.

 Register as a cooperative association (limited or full liability).

 Establish shared logistics — storage, shipping, and marketing.

 Reinvest 20% of profits into training and infrastructure.

 Maintain internal audit every quarter.

Maxim: He who works alone feeds one house; he who works in company feeds a village.

3. How to Found a Community Land Trust

Purpose: To secure the ground beneath one’s feet and end speculation.

Checklist:

 Form a non-profit trust with community membership.

 Acquire or receive donated land.

 Lease parcels on 99-year renewable terms.

 Fix land value apart from improvements.

 Ensure dwellings and farms remain affordable in perpetuity.

Maxim: The earth was never meant to be owned, only cared for.

4. How to Organize a Local Assembly

Purpose: To restore voice and custom to governance.

Checklist:

 Convene monthly gatherings open to all householders.

 Keep minutes and vote by raised hand, not machine.

 Elect officers by lot or rotation.

 Draft local ordinances consistent with higher law but rooted in custom.

 Record and publish all accounts.

Maxim: He who rules from afar rules no one.

5. How to Establish a Civil Defense Corps

Purpose: To ensure resilience and order in crisis.

Checklist:

 Organize volunteer fire, first aid, and supply units.

 Maintain local stores of food, fuel, and medicine.

 Train youth in emergency discipline and stewardship.

 Coordinate with local assembly for lawful oversight.

Maxim: The free man defends himself before he begs another to do so.

IV. GOVERNANCE AND MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Every Commonwealth shall be governed by its members through open assemblies and rotating councils.

Finance and production must be transparent and published.

Moral accountability replaces bureaucracy — oaths matter more than contracts.

Maxim: The ledger and the conscience must agree.

V. EXPANSION MODEL

When one Commonwealth stabilizes:

 Sponsor a new one within 50 miles.

 Lend expertise and seed capital.

 Link through trade pacts and shared arbitration councils.

 Form a confederation of local commonwealths bound by shared moral law.

Maxim: The Commonwealth grows not by conquest but by example.

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THE COMMONWEALTH FIELD MANUAL

Samizdat Edition — For Circulation by Hand and Memory

I. FOUNDATIONS

Maxim 1: All order begins at the hearth and the market, not in parliaments.

Maxim 2: What you cannot feed, finance, and defend, you do not truly own.

Maxim 3: Local strength is liberty; borrowed strength is servitude.

Aim: Build self-reliant commonwealths — local, lawful, moral, enduring.

Method: Credit, Craft, Land, Assembly, Defense.

Rule: No speculation. No dependency. No secrets.

II. CREDIT UNION — “THE PEOPLE’S TREASURY”

How-To:

Gather 7–15 trusted persons of one bond.

Pool initial fund ($10k–$50k).

Charter as nonprofit credit union.

Elect board; publish accounts quarterly.

Lend only for productive local work.

Keep liquidity 10%; speculation 0%.

Maxim: Coin must serve work, not idle hands.

III. PRODUCERS’ CO-OP — “THE PEOPLE’S ECONOMY”

How-To:

Unite 3–10 producers in one trade.

Write a clear charter of equity and vote.

Share storage, transport, marketing.

Reinvest 20% into tools and training.

Keep books open to members.

Audit quarterly.

Maxim: A lone craftsman feeds one house; a guild feeds a town.

IV. LAND TRUST — “THE PEOPLE’S GROUND”

How-To:

Form nonprofit trust.

Acquire land by gift, purchase, or recovery.

Lease plots on long, renewable terms.

Fix land value apart from improvements.

Ban resale for speculation.

Keep rents just and public.

Maxim: The earth is to be tended, not traded.

V. ASSEMBLY — “THE PEOPLE’S VOICE”

How-To:

Call open meetings monthly.

Record minutes and public ledgers.

Elect by lot or rotation.

Decide by raised hand; speak by custom.

Maintain oaths of honesty.

Keep all proceedings plain and brief.

Maxim: A ruler who cannot be questioned is already false.

VI. DEFENSE CORPS — “THE PEOPLE’S SHIELD”

How-To:

Train volunteers in first aid, fire, and watch.

Maintain supplies for ninety days.

Keep civil and disciplined order.

Serve assembly, not ambition.

Drill quarterly.

Swear to defend all without fear or favor.

Maxim: A man who will not stand guard cannot stand free.

VII. COMMON LAW AND ACCOUNT

Precepts:

Write oaths shorter than contracts, but mean them more.

Let every ledger be seen; let no man grow rich by confusion.

Resolve disputes by custom before court.

Favor restoration over punishment.

Maxim: Justice is not what is decreed, but what is remembered.

VIII. EXPANSION

How-To:

When stable, found another within one day’s travel.

Share charter and seed capital.

Keep moral and financial independence.

Join by trade and arbitration, not hierarchy.

Confed only with the trustworthy.

Maxim: The Commonwealth spreads not by decree but by example.

IX. FINAL ADMONITION

Guard this manual as you would seed grain.

Use it; teach it; then pass it on.

Do not argue systems — build them.

A just order is made by hands, not words.

Maxim: What we restore by craft, no empire can destroy.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHARTER OF AQUILA

Government for a fictional world – will have these elements:

0. A class based society in which service, both military and civic gives one elevated status similar to Aristocrats –these servants – both veterans and civil servants – make up the voting body. Any person who has two citizen parents; does their service; gets a vote at their tribal level. Everyone else will be legal citizens but lack the franchise.

1. Community voting blocks called 'tribes' 50 such tribes will exist. Each Tribe has its own mini-government and constabulary militia.

2. A people's assembly with 10 representatives from each community who serve for a single 5 year term. For 500 Councilors, who will select 5 'tribunes' to act as the Joint President of the Assembly with one being 'High Tribune', the Second being 'Junior Tribune', the other three shall be collectively the 'third tribune'. These gain the title of Nobilius. They have have 10 lictors to protect their President.

3. A 150 member senate chosen for LIFE and from those who have previously served in the Assembly. The Senate will be headed by Two Consuls, who shall be aided by a Parliamentarian, and Clerk, as well as a Legate, to act as an agent at large for fact finding missions ect. These gain the additional title of Illustrious.

They shall have 25 lictors to protect them and their proceedings.

4 A 50 member COURT, who will select 3 members to be a sitting tribunal, who will check all laws for constitutionality, and determine all suits between any members of government or the government and any other party. Judges shall sit for natural life and be replaced by their tribe as needed. Judicare shall be these peoples titles.

5. A Dictator who will be Nominated by the Assembly, confirmed by the Senate, and who barring illegality shall sit for life. He shall have full power over the Army during war, police in peace, and shall be the executive of the State. He shall be aided by three Praetors – who shall act as Junior officers taking such roles as he shall delegate them. August for the Dictator. Patrician for the others will be their titles. The Dictator shall have 50 lictors to protect his person.

The world will be a generally 'industry agriculture' fantasy world much like the Late Roman Empire but lacking most slavery – except as a punishment or in cases of war captures – but with a bite of Christian Germanic flourish. We will call the the 'state' we are outlining 'Aquila'.

⚜ THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHARTER OF AQUILA ⚜

Ratified by the Assembly and Senate in the First Year of the Eagle, for the Perpetuation of Order and the Preservation of Service.

PREAMBLE

Let it be known to all generations, that the People of Aquila, descended from the Founders, united by Duty and Faith, do ordain this Charter to establish a Commonwealth of Order and Virtue; that Service be rewarded, that Justice prevail, that the strong protect the weak, and that all may live under the unbroken wings of the Eagle.

For by Service we are ennobled, by Law we are bound, and by Faith we are sustained.

TITLE I – OF THE STATE AND ITS PEOPLE

Article I – The Nature of the Commonwealth

Aquila shall be a Commonwealth of Tribes, bound in unity under a single Dictator, governed by the Law, and administered through the organs of Assembly, Senate, and Court.

The Sovereignty of the State resides in the Service of its Citizens, and from that Service flows the Franchise, the Law, and the Sword.

Article II – Citizenship and the Franchise

All born of two lawful citizens are Citizens of Aquila.

All born or sworn into Service—military or civil—shall upon honorable completion be entitled to the Franchise of the Tribe.

Citizens who have not rendered Service shall have all rights of protection and property but not the Vote.

The Vote shall be exercised only within one’s Tribe.

Article III – The Service Oath

All who serve the State shall swear:

“To Aquila, I give my labor and my life; to my Tribe, my faith; to my fellows, my loyalty; and to Justice, my conscience. May the Eagle judge me if I betray this oath.”

TITLE II – OF THE TRIBES

Article IV – The Tribal Constitutions

Each of the Fifty Tribes shall govern its own affairs in accordance with the general laws of the Commonwealth, maintaining:

A Tribal Council of not fewer than twenty Servitors.

A Constabulary Militia to preserve order and defend the lands.

A Tribunal to hear cases within its borders.

The right to select Ten Representatives to the People’s Assembly.

No Tribe shall coin money, raise armies, or conduct diplomacy without the Dictator’s leave.

TITLE III – OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY

Article V – Composition

The People’s Assembly shall consist of Five Hundred Members, Ten from each Tribe, known as Nobilii Populi.

Article VI – Term and Conduct

Members shall serve a single term of five years, not to be renewed. They shall receive no stipend beyond their needs, that their service remain pure and temporary.

Article VII – Tribunes of the People

The Assembly shall elect from its number Five Tribunes to preside over its sessions:

The High Tribune (Primus Nobilius), who shall speak for the Assembly.

The Junior Tribune (Secundus Nobilius), who shall manage its correspondence.

Three Third Tribunes (Tertii Nobilii), who shall chair its committees.

Each Tribune shall be attended by Ten Lictors, the symbol of lawful authority.

Article VIII – Powers of the Assembly

To propose and pass civil law.

To nominate candidates for Dictator.

To levy taxes and approve expenditures.

To maintain a record of Service Rolls and Census.

To recall representatives for misconduct by a two-thirds vote.

TITLE IV – OF THE SENATE

Article IX – Composition

The Senate shall consist of One Hundred and Fifty Illustrious Senators, drawn from those who have completed honorable service in the Assembly.

Senators hold their office for life, or until resignation.

Article X – Officers of the Senate

The Senate shall elect:

Two Consuls, as joint presiding officers for seven years.

A Parliamentarian, to ensure conformity with Law.

A Clerk, to record proceedings.

A Legate, to serve as envoy and investigator of the State.

Article XI – Powers of the Senate

To confirm or deny the nomination of the Dictator.

To ratify treaties, declarations of war, and foreign missions.

To advise upon matters of Law, Faith, and Constitution.

To sit as the Court of Honor for disputes among the Nobility.

Article XII – Guard of the Senate

Twenty-five Lictors shall guard the Senate Chamber and enforce its decrees.

TITLE V – OF THE COURT OF JUDICARE

Article XIII – Composition

The Court shall consist of Fifty Judges, one from each Tribe, serving for natural life.

Article XIV – The Tribunal of Three

From among their number, three shall be chosen each decade to form the Sitting Tribunal of Judicare.

This body shall:

Determine the constitutionality of all laws and decrees.

Judge disputes between organs of the State.

Protect the rights of citizens against unlawful seizure or arrest.

Article XV – Independence of the Court

The Judicare shall answer only to the Law and to God.

No Dictator, Senator, or Tribune shall interfere in its deliberations.

TITLE VI – OF THE DICTATOR

Article XVI – Election and Confirmation

The Dictator, titled August of Aquila, shall be nominated by the People’s Assembly and confirmed by the Senate by a two-thirds vote.

Once confirmed, he shall hold the office for life, unless removed for treason or incapacity.

Article XVII – Powers of the Dictator

To command all military and constabulary forces.

To enforce the laws of the Commonwealth.

To appoint officers of administration and command.

To proclaim war with the consent of the Senate.

To issue decrees in times of emergency, subject to later judicial review.

Article XVIII – The Praetors

The Dictator shall appoint three Praetors (Patricians) to assist in governance:

Praetor Militum: for the Armies.

Praetor Civium: for the Civil Orders.

Praetor Legum: for Law and Procedure.

Each may act with delegated authority in his absence.

Article XIX – Succession

Upon the death of the Dictator, the Assembly shall within one year nominate a successor, the Senate confirming the choice.

Until that confirmation, the three Praetors shall jointly serve as Triumvirate Regent.

Article XX – Limit of Power

The Dictator shall be supreme only so long as he remains lawful.

If he violates the Charter, the Judicare may pronounce Breach of August Authority, whereupon the Senate and Assembly may remove him by unanimous decree.

TITLE VII – OF LAW AND JUSTICE

Article XXI – The Law of Aquila

All laws shall conform to the Constitution and be written in the High Aquilan tongue.

No law shall be retroactive, nor punish a man for an act lawful at its commission.

Article XXII – Rights of the Citizen

Every citizen has:

Right to fair trial before his peers.

Right to appeal to the Judicare.

Right to property and inheritance.

Right to serve the State in honor.

Freedom of worship in manners not contrary to the Law or public virtue.

Article XXIII – Justice and Punishment

Justice shall be corrective, not cruel;

Punishment shall befit the crime and preserve the soul’s redemption.

Slavery is forbidden save as lawful penalty or in war captivity.

TITLE VIII – OF SYMBOLS AND RITES

Article XXIV – The Eagle of Aquila

The Golden Eagle shall be the emblem of the Commonwealth.

It shall bear in one talon the fasces of authority, in the other the olive branch of peace.

Its gaze shall be ever eastward, toward the rising sun of renewal.

Article XXV – The Oath of Renewal

Each year, on the Festival of Founding, all magistrates and officers shall renew the Service Oath before the Senate and People, pledging again their lives to the Commonwealth.

TITLE IX – OF AMENDMENT AND PERPETUITY

Article XXVI – Amendment

Amendments to this Charter may be proposed by either Assembly or Senate, and shall require:

Two-thirds vote of the proposing chamber.

Ratification by three-quarters of the Tribes.

Approval by the Judicare for constitutional conformity.

Article XXVII – Perpetuity

This Charter shall endure until lawfully amended or replaced by the united will of the Servient Order, and may never be suspended save by the Judicare in case of civil dissolution.

EPILOGUE

Thus is founded the Commonwealth of Aquila —

A realm where Duty is Nobility,

where the Sword serves the Law,

and where the Law guards the People.

So let it be written under the wings of the Eagle,

and so may it endure unto the ages.

⚜ THE CEREMONIAL OATH AND INVESTITURE CODE OF AQUILA ⚜

Sanctified by the Senate, the Assembly, and the Court of Judicare, in the Name of Duty and Service.

PRELUDE

Let the horns be sounded, and the banners raised;

Let the people gather beneath the vault of the Eagle;

For Service is Nobility, and Nobility is the soul of Aquila.

I. THE INVESTITURE OF THE DICTATOR (AUGUSTUS AQUILAE)

The Setting:

Within the Hall of the Twin Thrones, beneath the Great Eagle of gold and alabaster. The Senate stands robed in crimson, the Assembly in white, and the Judicare in grey.

A marble basin of consecrated water stands before the dais; the Eagle Diadem and Seal of Command rest upon crimson silk.

Ritual of the Assembly:

High Tribune:

“Who comes before the People of Aquila to bear the burden of command?”

Chamberlain of the Senate:

“He who was chosen by the Tribes, confirmed by the Senate, and judged worthy by the Law — let him approach.”

(The Dictator-elect kneels before the dais.)

The Oath of Office (spoken by the Dictator-elect):

“I, [Name], Servitor of Aquila, do swear by the Light of Duty and the Honor of Service,

To guard the Commonwealth as father guards child,

To wield the Sword only for justice,

To preserve the Law and obey it first myself,

To defend the weak, to honor the strong,

And to place the good of Aquila above all desire and fear.

So may the Eagle see me,

And so may my name be judged among the worthy.”

The Anointing and Crowning:

The High Tribune anoints the brow with consecrated oil.

The Two Consuls place upon him the Eagle Diadem, symbol of vigilance and virtue.

The Parliamentarian presents the Seal of Command, bearing the image of the bound fasces.

The Judicare Primus touches his shoulder with the Rod of Justice, signifying lawful rule.

All in Unison:

“Rise, Augustus of Aquila! By Service, Sovereignty; by Duty, Dominion!”

(The horns sound thrice; fifty lictors step forward in salute.)

II. THE INDUCTION OF SENATORS (ILLUSTRII SENATUS)

Setting:

The Forum of Marble, before the Eagle Standard and the Flame of Virtue.

Each new Senator approaches the Flame bearing a scroll of his Service Record.

The Consular Call:

“Who seeks to enter the Hall of Counsel?”

“Those who have served the People and been found steadfast.”

Ritual of the Scrolls:

Each Senator-elect places his scroll upon the altar flame, saying:

“Let my deeds be as fire, consumed but not forgotten;

Let my name be recorded in the Senate of Aquila.”

The Oath of the Illustrious:

“I swear upon the Flame and the Eagle,

To advise with honesty, to deliberate with restraint,

To guard the Charter, and to speak for the memory of the State.

I shall bow to no passion but Reason,

And serve no master but Law.

So may the Flame judge my counsel.”

The Consuls then place upon each shoulder the Mantle of Scarlet — emblem of wisdom and sacrifice.

Consuls Together:

“Be now Illustrious, and bear the burden of counsel.”

(The Flame is covered with a bronze lid until the next investiture.)

III. THE RENEWAL OF THE SERVICE OATH

Setting:

Every Year, upon the Day of Founding, in the open Forum of the Eagle.

All classes—Servitors, Citizens, Nobilii, Senators, Judges, and the Dictator himself—stand beneath the banners of their Tribes.

The Flame of Virtue is relit, and the Dictator stands before it.

The Dictator’s Invocation:

“By the wings of the Eagle and the bond of the Law,

We stand again as one people, one duty, one destiny.”

The People respond:

“By Service we rise, by Duty we endure!”

The Service Oath (recited by all Servitors):

“I serve Aquila in strength and in sorrow.

I give my hand to my Tribe, my arm to my fellows,

My heart to the Commonwealth, and my soul to Justice.

May my service be my crown,

And my faith the light of my children.”

The Benediction of the High Tribune:

“As the Eagle soars above tempest and thunder,

So shall Aquila stand above all strife.

Serve well, and be remembered.

Fail not, and be forgiven.

Forget not, for the State endures.”

(All raise their right hands in salute to the Eagle Standard. The Flame burns until dawn.)

IV. THE PRAETORIAL OATH

Before assuming office, each Patrician Praetor stands before the Dictator and swears:

“I shall be the hand of the Dictator,

The voice of his will, and the conscience of his command.

Where I walk, Justice shall follow;

Where I rule, Mercy shall temper Law.

As I have served, so shall I govern.

May Aquila guide me in all.”

V. THE CONCLUSION OF CEREMONY

The Parliamentarian intones:

“By these oaths, the State is renewed.

The Law lives, the Service endures,

And the Flame of Virtue burns anew.”

All respond:

“So let it be under the wings of the Eagle.

Virtus per Officium! — Power through Service!”

(The bells of the Tribes sound across the city, and the lictors march in procession through the avenues of banners.)

⚜ THE CALENDAR OF STATE AND SACRED DAYS OF AQUILA ⚜

Codified under the August [Name], in the 1st Century of the Eagle.

I. THE AQUILAN YEAR

The year of Aquila is reckoned from the Day of Founding, divided into Ten Months of Thirty-Six Days, followed by Five Holy Days Outside of Time, known as the Interregnum of Renewal.

Each month bears the name of a Virtue and is presided over by a civic feast, a military remembrance, and a religious observance.

The months correspond roughly to seasons as follows:

Month Virtue Season Patron Symbol

I. Servitor Duty Early Spring The Rising Eagle

II. Fidelis Loyalty Late Spring The Bound Fasces

III. Concordia Concord Early Summer The Joined Hands

IV. Fortitudo Strength Midsummer The Sword Upright

V. Justitia Justice Late Summer The Scales and Torch

VI. Pietas Piety Early Autumn The Laurel Crown

VII. Industria Labor Mid Autumn The Hammer and Plow

VIII. Patientia Endurance Late Autumn The Shield and Oak

IX. Honoris Honor Winter The Laurel Wreath

X. Sapientia Wisdom Deep Winter The Book and Lamp

II. THE CIVIC FEASTS OF THE MONTHS

I. Month of SERVITOR – Feast of the Founding

Feast: Dies Aquilae — The Day of Founding

Observance: The Dictator renews his Oath before the Senate and the Tribes.

All Servitors parade before the Forum, banners unfurled.

New citizens take their first Oath of Service.

“By Service, the world was raised from chaos.”

Rite: The Flame of Virtue is lit anew. The people fast the day before, feast the day after.

II. Month of FIDELIS – Day of Vows

Feast: Fides Vincula — The Binding of Faith

Observance: Citizens renew marriage, friendship, and oaths of loyalty.

Children of age sixteen are presented for civic initiation.

“Loyal hearts are the mortar of the State.”

Rite: Pairs clasp hands before the altar of Concordia; ribbons of red and white are tied about the wrists.

III. Month of CONCORDIA – Day of the Tribes

Feast: Conventus Tribus — The Gathering of the Tribes

Observance: Delegations from all Tribes meet in the capital.

Minor disputes are settled by common feast rather than judgment.

Rite: Each Tribe bears offerings of bread, oil, and wine to the Great Forum; one loaf is broken for all.

“Many banners, one Eagle.”

IV. Month of FORTITUDO – Day of the Sword

Feast: Dies Gladii — The Day of the Sword

Observance: Honors are given to the fallen soldiers of Aquila.

The Dictator leads a procession to the Field of Valor.

Rite: The names of the dead are read aloud by the Praetor Militum.

Citizens lay iron laurels at the cenotaph.

No weapon may be drawn in anger this day.

“He who dies in Service, lives in Honor.”

V. Month of JUSTITIA – Festival of Scales

Feast: Luminis Legum — The Illumination of Law

Observance: Judges and Advocates rededicate their service to the Law.

The Judicare convenes in open court, allowing petitions of any citizen.

Rite: The Flame of Justice is carried through the streets, borne by twelve lictors.

All decrees are read aloud for public hearing.

“The Law does not sleep, for the Eagle never closes its eyes.”

VI. Month of PIETAS – Day of the Ancestors

Feast: Memoria Majorum — The Remembrance of the Elders

Observance: Families gather at tombs and hearths, offering oil lamps and wreaths of rosemary.

The Senate sits in silent vigil.

Rite: The Dictator offers libations at the Tomb of the Founders; the Consuls burn incense to the Unknown Servitor.

“The living are the guardians of the dead.”

VII. Month of INDUSTRIA – Feast of Hands

Feast: Opera Publica — The Great Labor

Observance: A civic festival of work — bridges repaired, walls whitewashed, fountains restored.

All Servitors labor one day without pay for the good of their city.

Rite: Guilds and craftsmen march with their tools raised high.

The Dictator walks among them without regalia, bearing hammer or plow.

“Work ennobles more than birth.”

VIII. Month of PATIENTIA – Day of Trials

Feast: Probatio Virtutis — The Testing of Virtue

Observance: Games of endurance, contests of oratory, and rites of penance.

Those who have failed in duty atone through public service or fast.

Rite: Ash is placed upon the brow, and one day of silence is kept.

“Endure, and you shall overcome.”

IX. Month of HONORIS – Day of Crowns

Feast: Laurea Victorum — The Crowning of the Worthy

Observance: Awards of merit and valor are conferred.

The Assembly presents civic laurels to heroes, scholars, and benefactors.

Rite: Laurel crowns are placed upon the heads of the honored; the Dictator proclaims their deeds before the Eagle.

“To serve with honor is to live beyond death.”

X. Month of SAPIENTIA – Day of Reflection

Feast: Noctem Lampadarum — The Night of Lamps

Observance: A quiet festival of learning and remembrance.

Schools, libraries, and temples remain open through the night; citizens write letters to future generations.

Rite: Lamps are placed in every window; the streets glow with golden light.

The people read aloud the Charter and Oath of Service.

“Wisdom is the light by which Service finds its way.”

III. THE INTERREGNUM OF RENEWAL

After the tenth month, five holy days exist outside the calendar.

They are not numbered, for they belong to no time but themselves.

Dies Tacitus – The Silent Day: a day of rest and fasting; all bells are stilled.

Dies Penitentia – The Day of Reckoning: debts of honor are paid or forgiven.

Dies Novus – The Day of Forging: new laws are proclaimed; old records sealed.

Dies Flammae – The Day of Flame: the Eternal Fire is rekindled.

Dies Renovationis – The Day of Renewal: the Oath of Service is spoken; the year begins anew.

“From the ashes of the year, Aquila rises again.”

IV. RITES OF MOURNING

For a Citizen

A white shroud, a sprig of laurel, and the recitation of the Citizen’s Prayer:

“He served the Law, and the Law remembers.”

For a Servitor

A black banner trimmed in gold; six comrades bear the bier.

“He bore the weight; we carry the memory.”

For a Senator or Tribune

Procession through the Forum, silent bells, and the burning of the deceased’s mantle:

“His counsel has returned to the Flame.”

For a Dictator (Augustus)

The city fasts three days; the Eagle banners are veiled in grey.

The Praetors light the Torch of Vigil upon the Capitol, and the body lies in state before the Flame of Virtue.

Upon the third night, the lictors bear his bier through the Forum to the Tomb of the Augusti.

“The Eagle sleeps, but does not die.”

V. CONCLUSION

Thus flows the rhythm of the Aquilan year —

From Duty’s dawn to Wisdom’s dusk, from Oath to Renewal —

Each day sanctified by Service, each act bound by Law,

That the People may remember they are the living body of Aquila.

“As the year renews the earth,

So Service renews the soul.

For under the wings of the Eagle,

Time itself is made sacred.”

✠ The Litany of the Eagle ✠

The Common Prayer of the Citizens of Aquila

To be recited at Dawn and Dusk throughout the Commonwealth

I. The Dawn Invocation — “Ad Solem Surgentem”

(Said as the Sun rises, facing East)

Leader (Pontifex or Senior Officer):

Citizens of Aquila, lift thine eyes to the East, where the light first touches our land.

All:

From darkness we arise, beneath the wings of the Eagle!

Leader:

Who shelters the weak, who remembers the fallen, who guards the law and the hearth?

All:

Aquila shelters, remembers, and guards.

Leader:

By Service we are ennobled. By Duty we are bound. By Honor we endure.

All:

We serve that others may dwell in peace.

Leader:

Who grants us the peace of labor, the pride of order, the mercy of law?

All:

The Commonwealth grants it, by our toil, by our oath, by our blood.

Leader:

Then let the banners be lifted, and the forge and plow begin anew!

All:

As the Eagle soars, so may our works rise to Heaven!

II. The Midday Reflection — “In Medio Diei”

(Recited silently or communally when the bell of the civic hour sounds)

“Let no citizen forget that his strength is the strength of the whole.

Let no soldier forget that his courage is the shield of the weak.

Let no magistrate forget that his justice is the light of the State.

And let all remember: we are not masters, but servants of the Law.”

(Moment of Silence — three heartbeats, heads bowed)

III. The Dusk Benediction — “Ad Solem Occidentem”

(Said as the Sun sets, facing West)

Leader:

Citizens of Aquila, the light fades, yet the Eagle watches still.

All:

Even in shadow, we stand beneath its wings.

Leader:

This day we have labored, we have judged, we have fought — in service and in duty.

Let our works be weighed, and our hearts be found steadfast.

All:

By Service, Honor, and Law — we are made whole.

Leader:

Who guards the sleepers, the widowed, and the unborn?

All:

Aquila guards, through her sons and daughters.

Leader:

Let us commend our deeds to the memory of the Fathers, and to the promise of our children.

All:

From the ashes of the past, may the Eagle rise forever!

Leader:

In peace we rest, in vigilance we remain, in unity we endure.

All:

Glory to Aquila — One Commonwealth, under Heaven.

IV. The Creed of Citizenship — “Symbolum Aquilinum”

(Recited on days of oath renewal, state ceremony, or battle)

I am a Citizen of Aquila.

I serve, that Order may reign.

I labor, that others may live.

I obey, that the Law may endure.

My hand for the plow, my shield for the weak,

My sword for the law, my life for the Commonwealth.

In the balance of Service and Freedom,

In the fellowship of Tribe and Senate,

In the mercy of the Eagle’s shadow —

I stand.

So may my name be written in the rolls of the faithful,

And my deeds remembered in the halls of the Just.

Gloria Aquilae Aeternae — Glory to the Eternal Eagle!

V. Musical and Processional Notes

At dawn: horns of silver are sounded three times before the opening verse.

At dusk: a single bronze bell tolls as the final “Glory to the Eternal Eagle” is said.

During war or crisis: the Litany is to be spoken in full at all camps and watchtowers, with the Praetors and Centurions leading.

During peace: every citizen recites the Dawn Invocation privately or communally in their household or workplace, reaffirming civic unity.

✠ The Antiphons and Processional Order of the Litany of the Eagle ✠

Ritual Music and Marching Sequence of the Commonwealth of Aquila

Composed for the Dawn and Dusk Offices of the Civil Religion

I. The Processional Order

The Litany of the Eagle is performed twice daily — once at dawn, once at dusk — in every city, fortress, and village square of Aquila.

Each performance follows the same sacred order, expressing unity between civil and military life.

1. The Order of Procession

(All stand in two facing ranks: civic on the right, military on the left)

Standard Bearers of the Tribes — fifty banners, each embroidered with its tribal totem and colors.

The Lictors of the Dictator — fifty in number, helmed and cloaked in crimson, bearing the fasces wreathed with silver olive leaves.

The High Tribune and the Consuls — robed in white with gold trim, bearing the Eagle-Standard of the Commonwealth.

The Choir of Youths (the Novae) — boys and girls of service age, carrying lamps or laurel branches.

The Veterans and Magistrates — cloaked in deep blue, signifying the continuity of service.

The Citizenry — craftsmen, scholars, farmers, gathered in ordered ranks by trade or guild.

The Clerks of the Law — carrying tablets inscribed with the Constitution of Aquila.

The Pontifex of the Eagle — last to enter, bearing the bronze effigy of the Eagle with outstretched wings, set upon a gilded pole.

The procession enters the Forum (or parade ground) to the sound of the First Antiphon.

II. The Musical Antiphons

Each antiphon alternates between Choir and People, with the Horn Corps and Drums of the Watch providing rhythm and solemn cadence.

The melodies follow Aquilan mode — pentatonic minor with solemn rising thirds, imitating the cry of an eagle in flight.

1. The First Antiphon — Adventus Aquilae (The Coming of the Eagle)

Choir:

Ex oriente surget lumen Aquilae,

(From the East rises the light of the Eagle,)

Ex umbris oritur ordo novus,

(From shadow arises the new order.)

People (respond):

Surgimus in lumine eius,

(We rise in its light,)

Sub alis eius invenimus pacem.

(Under its wings we find peace.)

(Drums beat thrice; horns sound one long note to mark the Eagle’s arrival at the dais.)

2. The Second Antiphon — Carmen Civium (The Song of the Citizens)

Choir:

Who labors in peace builds the pillar of the realm;

Who serves in war defends its crown.

People:

One Law, One Service, One Aquila.

Choir:

Blood and oath, toil and grace,

bind us in the circle of the faithful.

People:

By Service we are raised; by Duty we are known.

(Bells sound softly. The banners of all 50 tribes are dipped toward the Eagle Standard.)

3. The Third Antiphon — Militia et Pax (War and Peace)

Leader (High Tribune):

What keeps the peace when men forget the Law?

Choir:

The watchman’s blade, the soldier’s vow.

Leader:

And who shall guard the hearts of men?

Choir and People together:

Justice, borne by the wings of the Eagle!

(At this point, soldiers present arms; magistrates raise their right hands in salute. Drums shift to half tempo.)

4. The Fourth Antiphon — Memoria Fidelium (The Memory of the Faithful)

(Sung at dusk or at funerary observances.)

Choir:

Remember, O Commonwealth, the fallen sons,

whose dust guards thy fields, whose names gird thy walls.

People:

They are not lost, but gathered into the shadow of the Eagle.

Choir:

Their deeds are stars in the firmament of duty,

and their silence speaks in our oaths.

People (kneeling):

Requiescant sub alis Aquilae.

(May they rest beneath the wings of the Eagle.)

(Horns fall silent; a single bell tolls thrice. The Eagle Standard is lowered.)

III. The Marching Cadence

Between antiphons, the drums maintain a measured cadence of 6 beats per line, representing the six pillars of the Aquilan State:

Service, Law, Duty, Order, Faith, and Unity.

At dawn: the cadence ascends, 1-2-3 / 1-2-3, symbolizing the rising of the Eagle.

At dusk: it descends, 3-2-1 / 3-2-1, signifying the Eagle’s return to its aerie.

The Horn Corps plays in triple call, echoing through the city:

"Rise – Serve – Endure" at dawn,

"Rest – Remember – Guard" at dusk.

IV. The Concluding Procession

After the final antiphon, the Pontifex blesses the crowd:

“As the Eagle watches, so may you watch.

As the Law endures, so may your faith endure.

As the light returns, so may your service be renewed.”

All respond:

Gloria Aquilae Aeternae!

(Glory to the Eternal Eagle!)

Then the banners are lifted, horns sound the Triumphal Tone, and all march outward in the same order as they entered — but in reverse direction, symbolizing the unity of return: from the many back to the one Commonwealth.

✠ Hymnus Triumphalis Aquilae ✠

The Triumphal Hymn of the Eternal Eagle

To be sung only at Coronations, Victories, and the Founding Feast of the Commonwealth

Set for full choir, horns, drums, and the Great Bell of Aquila

I. The Procession of Triumph

(The people gather before the Forum or Basilica of the Eagle. Bells toll seven times — one for each virtue of the Commonwealth: Faith, Duty, Honor, Law, Service, Mercy, Unity.)

Pontifex Maximus raises the Standard of Aquila. The Dictator, Consuls, and Senate stand beneath the Eagle Banner.

Herald of the State:

People of Aquila, behold! The Eagle descends once more upon her children!

Crown and Standard are united — Victory and Virtue made one!

(Horns of silver sound the Triumphal Call, echoing thrice through the Forum.)

II. The Hymn Begins — “Cantus Gloriae”

1. The Invocation of Light

Choir:

Ex tenebris surrexit Aquila,

(From darkness has the Eagle arisen,)

in flamma aurorae alas expandens.

(Spreading her wings in the flame of dawn.)

People:

Exultemus in lumine eius,

(Let us rejoice in her light,)

quia per eam salus civitatis manet.

(For through her endures the salvation of the State.)

Choir:

Behold her feathers of gold and iron,

cleansed by battle, tempered in justice.

People:

Our hearts are her hearth; our hands her flight.

2. The Antiphon of Service

Choir (in triple harmony):

Servire est regnare!

(To serve is to reign!)

People (thundering reply):

Servire est regnare!

Choir:

He who bears the plow serves the State.

He who bears the sword guards the Law.

He who bears the oath sustains the world.

People:

All serve, and in service are made noble.

(Drums strike the “Pace of Triumph” — six deep notes repeated three times. Horns answer in high triple call.)

3. The Chorus of Victory

Pontifex Maximus:

Who has broken the spear of the tyrant?

Choir:

The sons and daughters of Aquila!

Pontifex:

Who has guarded the law from decay?

Choir:

The servants of the Commonwealth!

Pontifex:

Who has kept faith beneath the storm and flame?

Choir and People (together, crescendo):

The Faithful of the Eagle!

All:

Victoria! Victoria! Gloria Aquilae Aeternae!

(Victory! Victory! Glory to the Eternal Eagle!)

(Fire beacons are lit across the city, and the Eagle Standard is raised to full height.)

4. The Hymn of Coronation

(Sung only when a new Dictator or Consul is crowned.)

Choir:

Blessed is he who bears the burden of command,

who wears the laurel of service, not dominion.

Pontifex:

May he rule by Law, not by whim.

May he guard by duty, not desire.

May he remember that the crown is not owned, but borne.

People:

Aquila coronat, non possidet.

(The Eagle crowns, she does not possess.)

Choir:

Ascend, O August, beneath the shadow of the wings,

Thou servant of the Law, thou keeper of the peace.

People (bowing):

Sub alis Aquilae regna, non regnaris.

(Beneath the wings of the Eagle, rule — and be ruled.)

(The Pontifex anoints the Dictator’s brow with oil, saying, “Rise, August of Aquila. Serve as you would be served.”)

5. The Hymn of Foundation

(Sung each year on the Founding Day, and at the dedication of great works.)

Choir:

From the stones of duty we raised these walls,

from the ashes of discord we forged one peace.

People:

We built not for glory, but for endurance.

We sowed not for harvest, but for posterity.

Choir:

Behold, the Eagle rests upon her mountain,

and her gaze endures from age to age.

People (softly):

Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,

et in saecula saeculorum Aquila.

(As it was in the beginning, now and forever, the Eagle.)

(The Great Bell tolls once — the sound of Eternity — and the Choir resumes in full voice.)

6. The Final Chorus — “Exaltatio Aquilae” (The Exaltation of the Eagle)

All choirs, horns, and drums together:

Rise, O Eagle of the Eternal Law!

Spread thy wings over the sons of service!

Shine upon our fields and towers!

Remember our dead, bless our living!

Let Justice be thy left wing, and Mercy thy right;

Let Truth be thy flight, and Honor thy cry!

For as long as hearts beat and hands serve,

The Eagle shall never fall!

All (in unison, as torches are raised):

Gloria Aquilae Aeternae! Gloria Aquilae Aeternae!

(Glory to the Eternal Eagle! Glory to the Eternal Eagle!)

(The music ends with a triple horn-call: one for Heaven, one for Earth, one for the Commonwealth.)

✠ Rituals of the Twin Consuls and the Dictator’s Throne ✠

Sacred Investiture of the August, Consuls, and Tribunes of Aquila

I. Preparation of the Forum

Setting: The Grand Forum of Aquila, beneath the Great Eagle Banner.

Marble dais at center, with three elevated thrones: the central for the Dictator (Augustus), flanked left and right by the Consuls’ thrones. The High Tribune stands slightly forward to officiate.

Fifty lictors line the sides of the dais; banners of all fifty Tribes drape the Forum in gold and crimson.

Pontifex Maximus (PM) blesses the space with consecrated oil, sprinkling water thrice.

Pontifex Maximus (intoning):

“Let the Forum of the Eagle be cleansed of shadow and doubt.

Let the Law and Service shine as flame and beacon.

May the hearts of the faithful rise as the wings of the Eagle!”

(All present kneel; a bell tolls seven times — one for each virtue of Aquila.)

II. Procession of the Officers

Standard Bearers of the Tribes — advance to the dais, raising the Eagle Standard.

The Dictator (Augustus) — led forward by the High Tribune, flanked by fifty lictors, head bowed.

The Twin Consuls (Consules) — step forward on either side of the Dictator, each accompanied by their own ten lictors.

Senators, Judges, and Tribunes — form a semicircle around the dais.

Choir and Horn Corps — sound three long tones, signaling the start of the rite.

III. The Oath of the Dictator (Augustus)

The High Tribune steps forward, holding the Eagle Diadem and Seal of Command.

High Tribune (HT):

“Who stands before the People of Aquila to bear the weight of Command and the Law?”

Dictator (kneeling, voice solemn):

“I, [Name], Servitor of Aquila, do present myself to the Commonwealth.

I bear the oath, I bear the law, I bear the sword of the People.”

HT:

“By what virtue shall you govern?”

Dictator:

“By Service, by Justice, by Duty, and by Honor.”

(The High Tribune lifts the Eagle Diadem above the Dictator’s head.)

HT:

“Rise, Augustus of Aquila, chosen by the Tribes, confirmed by the Senate, consecrated by the Flame of Virtue!”

(Pontifex anoints the Dictator’s brow with sacred oil, then places the Seal of Command in his right hand. Fifty lictors kneel in salute. Horns sound thrice.)

IV. The Investiture of the Twin Consuls

The High Tribune now turns to the Consuls.

HT:

“Step forward, Consules of Aquila. By Law and by Oath, do you pledge to uphold the Commonwealth, to advise the August, and to protect the People with wisdom and strength?”

Consuls (in unison):

“We pledge, by the Flame and by the Eagle, to serve with honor and to guard the Law.”

(Pontifex drapes the Mantle of Scarlet over each Consul’s shoulders. The Clerk of the Senate presents each with the Scroll of Counsel.)

HT:

“Rise, Illustrious Consules, for your vigilance and wisdom shall uphold the Commonwealth alongside the August!”

(Drums beat once for each virtue; the crowd chants in unison: “Gloria Aquilae Aeternae!”)

V. The Consecration of the Tribunes

The three Tribunes approach, standing before the High Tribune.

HT:

“By the voice of the Council and the Oath of the People, do you swear to guide the Assembly, to protect the rights of the Tribes, and to uphold the dignity of the Law?”

Tribunes (in unison):

“We swear, by Service and by Virtue, to act in justice and counsel.”

(Pontifex lays a hand upon each Tribunus’ shoulder, chanting:)

“Patricii of Aquila, bear now the mantle of Nobility in Service. Let your wisdom and counsel rise as wings of the Eagle!”

(Ten lictors step forward to form a protective circle around the Tribunes.)

VI. The Elevation of the Thrones

Dictator’s Throne: The High Tribune leads the Dictator to the central throne. Pontifex raises the scepter and places it in his lap.

Consuls’ Thrones: The Consuls ascend to their flanking thrones.

Tribunes’ Position: They step to the front of the Assembly dais, forming the symbolic triangle of command: August at apex, Consuls at sides, Tribunes in counsel.

HT (intoning):

“Behold the triad of command: the August, the Consules, the Nobilii Tribunes.

By Law, by Service, by the Flame, the Commonwealth is consecrated!”

(Horn Corps signals the assembly; the Choir intones the opening bars of the Hymnus Triumphalis Aquilae in subdued tones.)

VII. The Benediction of the Commonwealth

Pontifex Maximus (raising the Bronze Rod of Justice):

“By the Flame of Virtue, by the Wing of the Eagle, by the Law of our Fathers, I bless this Throne and all who occupy it.

May the August govern with wisdom.

May the Consuls counsel with foresight.

May the Tribunes speak with justice.

And may the People ever prosper under their vigilance.”

All Present (chanting):

“Gloria Aquilae Aeternae! Gloria Aquilae Aeternae! Gloria Aquilae Aeternae!”

(The Great Bell tolls thrice; the Eagle Standard is lifted to full height; horns sound the Triumphal Call. Lictors and officials march in ceremonial departure.)

VIII. Closing of the Ritual

The Assembly disperses in silent respect.

Citizens remain in contemplation for three heartbeats in honor of the eternal service of the State.

The Dictator, Consuls, and Tribunes stand briefly in communion with the Flame of Virtue before resuming public duties.

The Litany of the Eagle may now be recited in full, followed by a civic feast or parade depending on the occasion.

This liturgical rite cements the sacred hierarchy of Aquila — August, Consuls, and Tribunes — in both the hearts of the people and the eyes of the Eagle. The ceremonial language, gestures, and objects (oil, mantles, scepter, Seal of Command) emphasize that authority derives from Service and Law, not mere birth or ambition.