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I have several articles in mind, but I chose this one to write, because
exemplifies my personal preferences and much of the spirit I can
find in New Era.

First, there's a a large excerpt of Titus Livius' Annals, a book that
should be read once a year ( at least). Then I ellaborate a bit on
the "virtues" and "ideas" displayed in this excerpt.


The entire book can be found freely at:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10827/10827-8.txt

Excerpt:
"""
CHAPTER XXV.--_Of the poverty of Cincinnatus and of many other Roman
Citizens.


Elsewhere I have shown that no ordinance is of such advantage to a
commonwealth, as one which enforces poverty on its citizens. And
although it does not appear what particular law it was that had this
operation in Rome (especially since we know the agrarian law to have
been stubbornly resisted), we find, as a fact, that four hundred years
after the city was founded, great poverty still prevailed there; and
may assume that nothing helped so much to produce this result as the
knowledge that the path to honours and preferment was closed to none,
and that merit was sought after wheresoever it was to be found; for this
manner of conferring honours made riches the less courted. In proof
whereof I shall cite one instance only.

When the consul Minutius was beset in his camp by the Equians, the Roman
people were filled with such alarm lest their army should be destroyed,
that they appointed a dictator, always their last stay in seasons of
peril. Their choice fell on Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus, who at the time
was living on his small farm of little more than four acres, which he
tilled with his own hand. The story is nobly told by Titus Livius where
he says: "_This is worth listening to by those who contemn all things
human as compared with riches, and think that glory and excellence can
have no place unless accompanied by lavish wealth._" Cincinnatus, then,
was ploughing in his little field, when there arrived from Rome the
messengers sent by the senate to tell him he had been made dictator, and
inform him of the dangers which threatened the Republic. Putting on his
gown, he hastened to Rome, and getting together an army, marched to
deliver Minutius. But when he had defeated and spoiled the enemy, and
released Minutius, he would not suffer the army he had rescued to
participate in the spoils, saying, "_I will not have you share in the
plunder of those to whom you had so nearly fallen a prey._" Minutius he
deprived of his consulship, and reduced to be a subaltern, in which rank
he bade him remain till he had learned how to command. And before this
he had made Lucius Tarquininus, although forced by his poverty to serve
on foot, his master of the knights.
"""

This passage is one of the most famous of the universal literature,
specially:
"Cincinnatus, then,
was ploughing in his little field, when there arrived from Rome the
messengers sent by the senate to tell him he had been made dictator"

It's striking for modern perspective, that the City (Urbs) that ruled
the world nearly for 1000 years( 1500 if you count Bizantines), once,
it was not only happy but proud of relying the state security and survival to
a "peasant", politically unexperienced peasant. It was even striking at T. Livius time (much later than Cincinatus time),
when Rome was hopelessly corrupt, and it was living on its own
inertia of power. At T. Livius times, cursus honorum ( something similar to
eRep "experience", the kind of 3 times MoD, 4 times CP, 1 times
President and so on) was, in most cases, useless, and old families
recalled ancenstry as own merrit and reason to get more power. Most
consuls and public posts were filled with unable people, belonging to
the highest Gentes ( Gens, families ) of the Republic.

As a matter of fact, T. Livius is somewhat "biased" towards certain
"moral" and "ethics" ideals that many romans of his time thought as
the genuine Roman, and ideals that were the foundation and cause
of the empire.

What's for sure is that Lucius Quintius Cincinatus (read as Lukius Kuintius
Kinkinatus) was an average citizen, in fact, poor, austere and
honorable and worthy, he lacked the "experience" , the "cursus
honorum", but he was known by his virtues ( btw, virtues comes from
virtus, vir-tus ( the attributes regarded to being man ( vir, viri),
( vir close to "were"-wolf, and probably (in my opinion) to "we" and
german "wir" (yeah, we "the man" )))).

It's worthy to note, how "ancient" romans didn't mind poverty much ( a
polish bonus would be unthinkable to them ), and another point: being
"peasant" was much more something to be proud of than a shame. In
fact, roman "peasant" tribus ( tribus meaning division of three) or
agricola tribus were more honorable than roman urban tribus. And yes,
the mere mention or pretention of being King was utter treason for
them.

Titus Livius would have voted New Era HANDS DOWN. L. C. Cincinatus
too.

Salve!