Becoming a member of an Order and getting a great title sounds a little strange at first. What exactly is behind it and how does it all work?
We are a loose global association of people who all seek wisdom and knowledge, and who are committed to a moral way of life. The Order’s administrative base is in Romania. Senators and Consuls in individual countries, districts and cities are contact points for members and non-members alike.
Contrary to the common belief that an Order is always a religious thing, that is not the case. By definition, an Order is a community of men and women who have common goals which are enshrined in the Order’s constitution.
Because we are an Order, we are allowed to bestow certain titles within this Order. While the title of KNIGHT is not protected, SENATORs and CONSULs may only mention their titles in specific connection with our Order. For instance, “John Meyer, Consul of the Minerva Order.”
We are a free Order that carries no obligations. It is completely within our rules for you to decide to join the Order just to gain the title of Knight, or that of Senator or even Consul. We are only concerned that you, as a member, always abide by the statutes and rules of the Order. This does not require you to take any active part in the life of the Order.
We live and act in accordance with certain virtuous values and exacting rules. The most important rule the Order advocates is the high standard of education that it lives by. Only educated people will truly understand the moral values that make up our community, use them to lead a perfect life, and pass these values on. Furthermore, the Order does not tolerate bad attitudes towards state, religion and good morals, meaning members are not permitted to hold such views. However, you have no further obligations as a member of our Order. There is no regular membership fee to pay, nor is any participation in meetings required.
Minerva was a Roman goddess who was worshipped by the Sabines, Etruscans and Latins in particular. The Etruscans called her Menrva.
Minerva was initially primarily considered the protector of craftsmen and trades in the Roman Empire. Later, ideas from the Greek Athenian cult were incorporated into Minerva’s image, so she also became the patron goddess of poets and teachers. Minerva was the goddess of wisdom, tactical warfare, art and shipbuilding, as well as the guardian of knowledge. Ever since Augustus, she has been revered as the goddess who grants victories or directs the fate of the state. The Emperor Domitian was a notable follower of Minerva. He often depicted her on the reverse of his coins.
In Rome, Minerva was worshipped alongside Jupiter and Juno as one of the three city deities on the Capitol. Their temple once stood in the middle of the Aventine Hill. However, none of its remains survive today. A second temple—also established in Roman times—was on the Esquiline Hill and was dedicated to Minerva Medica, the patron goddess of doctors. A third temple was on the Caelian Hill. It was named “Temple of Minerva Capta” because the cult image had been plundered by the Romans from the conquered city of Falerii in 241 BC.
The main feast of Minerva, the Quinquatrus, was celebrated as a craft festival by guilds and fellowships in particular. In the 18th century, elements of this feast and some other references resulted in the Minerva celebrations being precursors of the Gregorius processions.
Since the time of Renaissance humanism, the image of Minerva has been frequently used in heraldry, on coats of arms and seals. It is, among other things, the symbolic emblem of the Max Planck Society as well as the signet of its predecessor, the Kaiser Wilhelm Society. She can also be found on the seal of California. She also appears as the guardian of knowledge on the coats of arms and seals of the University of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, the Hotchkiss School and numerous Spanish military schools, etc. The Quinquatrus was celebrated as a craft festival by guilds and fellowships in particular. In the 18th century, elements of this feast and some other references resulted in the Minerva celebrations being precursors of the Gregorius processions.