Dignitas and Auctoritas

I’ve been living in a mini society for a week, a little frisbee team society. My society has spent the week in sports conflict with other teams at the World Masters age championships: struggle, valor, victory and defeat. Go the Wombats.


Of course the whole time, between games, I’ve been thinking about what parallels exist between this global frisbee conflict and Ancient Rome. Normal stuff. Particularly, I’ve been musing about the social and interpersonal nature of a society, a community, a team.


Here are two Roman ideas that I only partially understand, yet have enjoyed in action this week: dignitas and auctoritas. Dignitas could be understood as a combination of personal dignity and respect that is recognised by the group. Your personal share of Rome’s total glory. As the group achieves success (wins a game by 3 against Germany, or defeats the Samnites to win control of the lands to the East of Rome) every players’ dignitas increases. If you personally forced a block, scored a goal or are first over the siege wall your individual dignitas expands as a proportion of the whole.


Auctoritas could be understood as the value of your opinion within the group. This is built over time through
the quality of your contributions to the society. Romans could increase their auctoritas by holding a public office, arguing well in the courts or senate, success in the army and having their point of view or wisdom proved correct in important matters. In a frisbee team if you say we’re going to play zone defence and it turns out to work better than match defence, then your auctoritas grows in the group. Equally if you suggest fish tacos for the team dinner and people get sick your auctoritas takes a hit.


A week with the boys on the team is a week in a mini society. Everyone striving to enhance the glory of our team, and also quietly their own share of that success. From how to play, where to eat, which songs to play in the car and how often is too often to ask about the weather. All elements of team life exist in a highly social setting.


There are some important factors that binds this whole swirling mass of personal ambition and interpersonal wrangling together. A common identity, collectively understood, enjoyed and worked for helps to build trust and appreciation between citizens and between team mates. Further, the collective mission to achieve something together against opposition and external threats helps to unite individuals who value their dignitas and auctoritas. Whether you’re trying to win an elimination quarter final against Japan or destroy Carthage, the existential threat to your society takes priority above who gets to make the first cut on offence that point.


So it’s been an interesting week with the boys. We struggled together to do something good, and we formed an excellent little society for a while.


Up the bats.