Rome's Backbone: The Enduring Power of Traditional Values

As the sun sets on this glorious year of 45 B.C., let us toast to a new dawn, ushering in nothing but the same old, same old. I mean that in the best possible way, of course. For as we Romans know, there is no better old than our old – the old – the enduring power of traditional values. Here's to you, Rome, the city that's as timeless as Vestal Virgin's vows!

For those of you who have been too busy dodging your responsibilities (or your wives' frying pans), let me give you a brief rundown. Rome's been a bit of a circus lately – and not the fun, bread-and-games kind. A certain Julius Caesar, perhaps you've heard of him, has been making his mark and ruffling a few togas along the way. He's been playing around with our calendar like it's his own personal toy, adding a whole extra 90 days to this year. It's enough to make a man wonder if he's overcompensating for something!

But fear not, dear reader. For as much as Caesar tries to mark his territory like a stray dog in the Via Sacra, he can't erase what's been etched in the stone of our Great Republic's foundations. It's our traditional values that have stood the test of time, like our glorious Colosseum (which, I must remind you, Caesar had absolutely nothing to do with).

What are these values we hold dear and refuse to barter for foreign tinsel, you ask? It's honour, duty, bravery and respect for the gods. Simple, elegant virtues – a stark contrast to the flashy, gaudy displays of Egypt, with their gilded pyramids and all-powerful cat gods. It's all a bit much, don't you think?

Our values are embodied in our citizen soldiers, the backbone of our society, who in their sturdy sandals march across continents to expand our great Empire. And let us not forget our esteemed Senators, who tirelessly champion the will of the people (when it aligns with their own, of course).

It is these values that we must hold onto tighter than a Scylla to its rock, in these turbulent times of change. For they are the glue that binds us, the fire that fuels us and the wine that intoxicates us (or maybe that’s just the Falernian I've been sipping on).

So, my fellow Romans, as we step into 44 B.C., let's remember that while the world around us may change, we must remain as solid and immovable as the marble of the Pantheon. Never let the whims of would-be emperors, or the allure of exotic outsiders, blur the paragon virtues that make us who we are. As our good friend Horace once said, "Remember to