Salve Amicus. Me adiuvare potes?

Azkanan

New Member

First, allow me to offer an apology for invading the forum in this way. I'm a long-time crawler and inhabitant of a forum or two elsewhere, and there's nothing more infuriating than some sparky appearing and selling his wares; so to speak.

However, I attempted beforehand to search for a online Forum Romanum, so to speak, where I could invite people who may actually be interested in what I had to say, but alas no luck. So instead, I turn to Latin Forums; probably the closest I can get, right?

In any case, I digress. My point is, I am currently heading up a project, an online game, called Project Earth, set in 200BCE. I am starting off in Italia, the land of the Latins. I've been working on this since... October, last year, was it? Some time around that. I aim to make this game as historically-correct as possible.

What brings me here is I am in requirement of somebody skilled in the tongue of the Latins for translations. Per example, in-game speech of Romans.
Let's say you're a gaul, visitting Rome - and you don't speak a lick of Latin (Your character, at least). When you speak to a roman, he will speak Latin.
Now, same scenario, except you are a Gaul who has the appropriate ability to understand/speak Latin.

Kablam, it translates to English.

I am currently a lone explorer, delving into the world of the Romans, heck the entire history of 200BCE, so if anybody has any knowledge of the Romans, this would also be of great help!
My own research is what is taking the most time. Before I impliment anything, I'll spend as long as it takes to grab at least two, preferably thee sources, in concurrance about the entity in question.
I have a reference book on Roman History (Enthralling read) which stretches from Monarchy to Downfall, and currently a Roman Recipes book in the post, which is suprisingly important, considering players need to eat/cook their own meals!
Oh, and a ton of reference art (Clothing, weapons, etc).

I'm also drowning in maps. Please call the Coastguard.

My thanks for your time, and I look forward to any replies.


Edit;
I noticed this forum doesn't support the tag, so here are a couple of links to screenshots of Forum Romanum.[/i]
[u]
[b]Curia, Comitium & Lapis Niger[/b][/u]
[url=http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/14/13556/curia.1.png]http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/1 ... uria.1.png[/url]

[u][b]Lapis Niger Inscription Transfer[/b][/u]
[url=http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/14/13556/lapisniger_alone.png]http://media.moddb.com/images/games/1/1 ... _alone.png[/url]

Regards,
- - Azkanan
[url=http://www.moddb.com/games/project-earth/]Project Earth[/url]
 

Iohannes Aurum

Technicus Auxiliarius

  • Technicus Auxiliarius

Location:
Torontum, Ontario, Canada
For the voice acting, I recommend that you contact THREAD: #9723. View the video below for a sample of his work in the game:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbXGZRSkGPg[/youtube]
 

Azkanan

New Member

Iohannes Aurum dixit:
For the voice acting, I recommend that you contact THREAD: #9723. View the video below for a sample of his work in the game:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbXGZRSkGPg[/youtube]
Very Impressive! A local of here too, eh? Prestigious.

Voice Acting is more of a post-processing thing, whilst I am currently in the pre-processing phase. I will keep a footnote of this fellow for the post-processing stage, however - my thanks!
 
 

cinefactus

Censor

  • Censor

  • Patronus

Location:
litore aureo
Azkanan dixit:
I have a reference book on Roman History (Enthralling read) which stretches from Monarchy to Downfall,
If you are writing a game, do you think that you might be better with a history of the Roman Republic? Rome changed very greatly throughout these periods, and what is representative of the empire would not reflect the culture of the republic.

Polybius is an historian who lived in this time period. You could read some of his histories to get an idea of how a Greek saw the Romans. Also some of Plutarch's lives. Cato the elder comes to mind. The playwright Plautus (and Terence) wrote during / close to this time. They would give you some insight into everyday life.
 

Nikolaos

schmikolaos

  • Censor

Location:
Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
My first thought would be that the "monarchy" that it spans from is the time of the seven kings, before the empire.

Most of our translations here are community driven - we all contribute a little. No offense intended toward anyone here, but there are only a few here that would be able to translate extensive amounts of text without help (I'm not one of them).

Does anyone have suggestions on how to set this up?
 

Quasus

Civis Illustris

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Águas Santas
Translating into Archaic Latin must be hard. The safest way would be perhaps to use quotations from Plautus and Terence.
 

Azkanan

New Member

Cinefactus dixit:
Azkanan dixit:
I have a reference book on Roman History (Enthralling read) which stretches from Monarchy to Downfall,
If you are writing a game, do you think that you might be better with a history of the Roman Republic? Rome changed very greatly throughout these periods, and what is representative of the empire would not reflect the culture of the republic.

Polybius is an historian who lived in this time period. You could read some of his histories to get an idea of how a Greek saw the Romans. Also some of Plutarch's lives. Cato the elder comes to mind. The playwright Plautus (and Terence) wrote during / close to this time. They would give you some insight into everyday life.
Yeah, I've gathered as many tidbits of Republic history (circa. 210-190) as I can! Although, those names right there will be quite helpful; my thanks.

Nikolaos dixit:
My first thought would be that the "monarchy" that it spans from is the time of the seven kings, before the empire.

Most of our translations here are community driven - we all contribute a little. No offense intended toward anyone here, but there are only a few here that would be able to translate extensive amounts of text without help (I'm not one of them).
Heh, and it's why I've directed this plea for help towards a community, rather than single people, in hopes of roping in one of those "few". :)
 

Nikolaos

schmikolaos

  • Censor

Location:
Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
Would there be any objection to simply posting phrases that need translated to this forum?
 

Quasus

Civis Illustris

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Águas Santas
Just to get the idea of what we are facing:

Lucius Cornelius Scipio’s epitaphy (died ca. 250 BC)

honc oino ploirume consentiont R(omai)
duonoro optumo fuise uiro
Luciom Scipione: filios Brabati
consol, censor, aidilis hic fuet a(pud uos):
hec cepit Corsica Aleriaque urbe:
dedet tempestatebus aide mereto(d).

Emilius Paulus’ decree (189 BC)

L. Aimilius L. f. inpeirator decreiuit utei quei Hastensium seruei in turri Lascutana habitarent leiberei essent, agrum oppidumque, quod ea tempestate posedisent, item possidere habereque iousit dum poplus senatusque Romanus uellet. Act. in castreis a. d. XII. K. Febr.

I take my hat off to anyone who can translate into this language.
 

Azkanan

New Member

Greetings once more!

I've recently realised how deeply structured the social order of the Roman was and I may need a little help in it. I could research into it, but if anybody is available to give me a run-down of a few orders in Roman Republic, it'd save me a few days... If not weeks, heh.

Namely Priesthoods, Governmental Orders and Social Classes.
 
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