Culture of Caphiria: Difference between revisions

'''Caphirian culture''' is considered one of the birthplaces of [[Occidental civilization]], a cultural superpower, and has been shaped by its geography and comprehensive history. Caphirian culture is based on a variety of historical influences, primarily on the culture of ancient [[Istroyan]] and [[Adonerii civilization|Adonerii]] civilizations, of which the [[Latinics|Latins]] - the ethnolinguistic group of Caphiria - originate from. The culture of Caphiria is the culture of the Latins and vice versa. Legally, all Latinic nationals are citizens of Caphiria regardless of ancestry or nation of residence and may be distinguished from people of Latinic descent without Caphirian citizenship and from ethnic Latins living in territories adjacent to the Latium without Caphirian citizenship.

===Social order===

{{main|Stratification in Caphiria}}

*Class ("Ordo"): A citizen's legal and economic position in society.

At the peak of the social pyramid ("pyramidis societas") is the [[Imperator]]. An Imperator has the highest "dignitas", "potestas", and is of the highest "ordo" in Caphirian society. If sociologists do not recognize any absolute standard for these ordinal measures, then the Imperator is the relative standard to which the qualities of other residents in the empire are compared. Power and Status are generally perceived to be directly tied to a person's social standing, whereas Class is a person's legal status. After the Imperator, the peak of the "pyramidis societas" is the imperial family, which is currently the [[Panther Estate]]. Altogether the imperial family tends to hold offices of power and a number of prestigious military and collegian posts; they are rarely handed out in the form of nepotism and are usually won based on merit.

{{main|Estates (Caphiria)}}

In Caphirian society, [[Estate (Caphiria)|Estates]] are a complex system of kinship groupings consisting of individuals who share the same family name and who claim descent from a common ancestor, often overlapping and interconnecting with several other families. In ancient Caphiria, belonging to an Estate was exclusively reserved for patricians as they were able to trace their lineage back to the most prominent men. Over time, an Estate became known to describe any major family, although it is still segregated by social class.

Unlike the [[estates of Urcea]], an Estate in Caphiria is a legal concept with its own set of regulations and governance. The registration and regulation of Estates are managed through the [[Ministries of Caphiria#Ministry%20of%20Culture|Ministry of Culture]], which coordinates with other ministries for verification and other validation purposes. An Estate may be registered as a single family (''uno genere'') or multi-family (''altum radices''). In either case, the modern registration process involves an extensive genealogical examination using SNP genotyping and census data from the [[Censorial Assembly]].  

The order for traditional naming conventions in Caphiria is: "given name – father's family name – mother's family name" "– family surname", but can include additional names such as a personal nickname or patronym. This convention is based on the historical "praenomen, nomen", and "cognomen," which make up the "tria nomina" system that has been used since antiquity. The "tria nomina" system fell out of favor during the Dark Period as the influx of Sarpic people and culture permeated through Caphiria. After the establishment of the Third Imperium in the late 18th century, many Caphiro-Sarpics returned to the system, and it evolved organically into the system used today. Although not all Caphirians possess four - or even three - names, the practice of using multiple names having different societal functions is a defining characteristic of Caphirian culture that distinguishes citizens from foreigners.

As a measure to protect religious freedom, the Imperium devolves shares of income tax to recognized religious communities, and taxpayers who do not wish to fund a religion contribute their share to the state welfare system. Despite Christianity's prevalence and unity with the state, freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution. In particular, the Jews are highly regarded in Caphirian society, possessing a significant portion of the banking and investment industries. In modern times, Caprivians take great pride in their religious faith, openly discussing it in casual conversation. There is no stigma in professing one's belief or - in today's culture - non-belief at leisure. With regards to the irreligious, a mere 6.61 million, or approximately 0.5% of the population, do not profess a belief in a higher power. This atheist and agnostic - plus about two million strict anti-religious - groups of people thinly populate the Empire but converse through the "Collegium Atheismum", the only organized atheist body in the world. The majority of the irreligious are wealthy intellectuals who have personal qualms with the Church or who became disillusioned with the rigidity of religious faith. Despite their intelligent base and success at organizing, atheists have failed to challenge the two thousand years of theological hypotheses put forward by the Church. As well, silence in the face of their occasional attacks against religious institutions has dominated ecclesiastical policy for centuries.

Festivals and holidays are a major part of Caphirian cultural and religious life and are directly tied into the [[Catholic Church]] 's liturgical calendar, although several non-religious holidays exist as well.  

{{main|Education in Caphiria}}

The [[Ministry of Education (Caphiria)|Ministry of Education]] sets overall educational standards, though private schools are generally free to determine their own curriculum and staffing policies, with mandatory accreditation and regulation from the Ministry. This allows for more "creative" and "third wave" educational systems to have the chance to develop on top of the already established educational standards. By law, education is compulsory over the age of 3 and ends at 16. The public education system in Caphiria is highly complex and segmented, operated jointly by provincial and local governments. The educational stages are: Children's School (''discatorium''), Core Education (''regulatorium''), University (''universalis''), and Academy (''Academiae'').

====Political ideals====

====Philosophy====

====Levantine Creep====

====International reputation====

Most "teneanturi" serve as personal retainers and domestic servants and most receive a modest monthly salary that could be supplemented by earnings gained outside regular working hours. Out-resident "teneanturi" resided at a distance and were little different from tenant farmers or commoners. They were registered officially as independent family units and possessed their own houses, families, land, and fortunes. Out-resident "teneanturi" were far more numerous than household nobi. In rural Caphiria, "teneanturi" are assigned two pieces of agricultural land, with the resulting product from the first land paid to the master and the produce from the second land kept by the slave to consume or sell. In order to gain freedom, "teneanturi" can serve out the time on their contract, purchase it, earn it through military service, or receive it as a favor from the government.

{{main|Prostitution in Caphiria}}

Caphirian views on sexuality are incredibly liberal, having resisted the oncoming of Christian values; prostitution in the Imperium is legal and regulated, as is operating a brothel in a similar manner to gambling. In an effort to appease the Catholic Church and appeal to Christian values, however, there is a steep 30% excise tax applied on all prostitution transactions, and additional taxes are levied on the prostitute, the client, and the brothel. This tax applies to stripteases, peep shows, porn cinemas, sex fairs, massage parlors, and licensed prostitution. The [[College of Prostitution]] is the governing body for sex work in Caphiria, responsible for the regulation and protection of both businesses and workers and for ensuring workers comply with health regulations and engage in preventative practices

===Gambling===

===Crime ===

====Terrorism====

===Military–industrial complex===

==Culture==

{{main|Cursus honorum}}

The concept of "[[cursus honorum]]" (path of office) is unique to Caphirian culture and is a tenet of its society. It is the sequential order of public offices held by aspiring politicians. Historically, The "cursus honorum" is comprised of a mixture of military and political administration posts, but today it is purely political. To hold political office in the Imperium is considered a great honor, and Caphirian political philosophy dictates that the essential members of the government cannot be unskilled in solving moral or economic problems. A senator, consul, or even Imperator must have the theoretical and practical knowledge to adjudicate, legislate and lead. To have held each office at the youngest possible age ("suo anno", "in his own year") was considered a great political success.  

There are no official standards for what must be done, but a citizen's public record will be critical to entering national politics

{{main|Cuisine of Caphiria}}

It is a Caphirian custom to combine the ravenous enjoyment of food with socializing. The mother of Caphirian meals and social events is the "cena" (dinner), a meal which has barely changed in the last 2,000 years though the dishes themselves have become more and more exotic to the average Caphirian taste buds. Even the plebeians enjoy dinner parties in modern times. These are nothing like an aristocratic cena.

One of the most common seasonings, however, is and has always been garum, a sauce made by exposing salted fish intestines to elevated levels of heat over the course of a month or two. The result is a very strong-smelling fish sauce that is the most popular food condiment next to the salt. In the Caphirian culinary arts, a dish is considered most successful if even the most experienced gourmet cannot recognize its ingredients because the food is so heavily disguised by mixing it and adding spices.

Caphirian wine is famous for the volume produced on a national scale and the quality on an individual basis. The Imperium's most famous wineries, of course, are in the Venet District in cities such as Coriovallum and the Castra Vetera hillside. Caphiria's level of production barely satisfies its 25 billion liter demand for wine, leaving little room for export even when imports are considered. The other prominent alcoholic beverages are beer and whisky. It gained popularity in Samarobriva Ambianorum during the 10th and 11th centuries when it started to be produced from grain.

====Psychotropics====

Another psychotropic, cannabis, was introduced to Caphiria through travelers in the 8th century/ No medical functions were noted by traveling doctors, so the Senate never supported a cannabis trade. Nevertheless, various guilds/crime families noted the possibility of marketing it for recreational use, buying the plant in large quantities during the 900s. When colonization of the New World opened, plantations were moved there to take advantage of the government subsidy on colonial slaves. Today, cannabis, like any other drug, is not illegal in the Caphiria- some restaurants will even offer it before meals. As medicinal uses started to be noticed, they began to be sold in pharmacies. It is, however, discouraged among the patrician order who generally view recreational drug use, outside fine wine, with disdain.

===Sports===

The national sport of Caphiria is [[gladiatorial combat]], a hybrid martial art combat bloodsport. The origins of the sport go back two millennia to ancient Caphiria, where slaves fought with other slaves and wild animals and condemned criminals as entertainment for Caphirians. This became so popular that volunteers would begin risking their lives and their legal and social standing by appearing in the arena to fight for glory, fame, notoriety, and eventually, freedom. These volunteers would be known as gladiators and were celebrated in art, and their value as entertainers increased exponentially. Gladiators quickly became an essential feature of politics and social life in the Caphiric world.  

Modern gladiators compete in an advanced carbon-fiber armored suit called "Lorica Ficà", which completely protects its user's body while electronic sensors record an opponent's strike position and power on the body. Opponents use a variety of martial arts and weaponry to attack each other, and software keeps score of damage. The "Lorica Ficà" is also fitted with a complex subsystem of electrical neuromuscular polymodal nociceptors that can accurately and realistically simulate pain and "dismemberment".

[[Tepiù pugna]], also known as Caphirian Cane Fighting, is a martial art that uses a "tepiù" or cane (a kind of walking stick) designed for fighting. The "tepiù" is very light, made of chestnut wood, and slightly tapered. It is very similar to {{Wpl|fencing}} in that a padded suit and a fencing mask are worn for protection, and points are scored based on where you hit your opponent - the calves, the torso, the head, and how you hit your opponent - according to the correctness of body positions during the fighting. The Ministry of Culture approved "tepiù pugna" as a legally recognized sport in 1957 and would be under the purview of the [[National Pugură Guild]], which has approximately 9 million members. Aside from the organized sport, "tepiù pugna" as self-defense is still alive and practiced to this day  

[[Pugură|Pugură boxing]], also known as Caphirian kickboxing, is a Caphirian kickboxing combat sport that uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of Occidental boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Initially, only foot kicks were allowed, but over time the sport evolved to allow the use of the knees or shins, eventually allowing strikes in any part of the body. Pugură is a Sarpic word for "old shoe or boot," as fighters wear specially designed boots. A male practitioner of pugură is called a "priprečo" while a female is called a "pripreča".

Modern codified pugură boxing provides for three levels of competition with slightly differing rulesets: '''collatis'' (sparring), ''duellum'' (duel), and ''certatio'' (contest). In sparring, the competitors focus on their technique while still making contact; referees assign penalties for the use of excessive force. A duel, however, allows for full-strength fighting so long as the fighters wear protective gear such as helmets and shin guards, while in a contest, protective gear other than groin protection and mouthguards is prohibited. There are approximately 15 million practitioners in Caphiria.

====Horse racing====

As with all societies, body language is of immense importance when conveying ideas during social interactions in the Caphiria. Understanding these signals is vital to gaining a proper understanding of Caphirian culture and the intricacies that it entails. Although this is not a complete analysis, it hopefully serves to further immerse oneself in the Caphirian lifestyle.

A standard greeting in the Imperium is a handshake wherein each participant grabs the other around the wrist rather than the palm. This came from the practice of checking for concealed weapons when greeting a political or business opponent. Though its formal variant is usually done by having each person stand still directly opposite each other, a friendlier and more commonly used version has the participants use their left hand to touch the other's elbow gently. Relatives or long-time friends will often follow this sort of thing up with a hug, an action which is in general only done when two people are personally close to each other. Unfamiliar members of the opposite sex will usually greet each other with a kiss on each cheek, whilst kisses on the lips are reserved for either the sealing of a deal or the bedroom. Unlike most cultures, a peck on the lips between two men is viewed purely in this business context, distinguishing itself from its intimate counterpart by being quick and uninvolved. The wedding ceremony is the one place where these two meanings merge as one.

===Transportation===

===Honors system===

===Symbols, flags, and emblems===

==Media and art==

===Architecture===

===Visual arts===