06-12-2011, 07:53 PM
Friends, Romans, fellow soldiers! Please heed the following announcements .
The first part is from Legio IX Hispana, and the second from the Legion Six Historical Foundation.
PART ONE
From:
SEAN RICHARDS, aka HIBERNICUS,
Founder, Centurio and President of Legio IX Hispana:
The time has come to step aside. I am no longer the Centurio of Legio IX Hispana.
In mid 1993 I had an idea: Form a serious Roman themed warband within the SCA that also does serious Roman re-enactment. With the help of a few friends we did just that. Our first event was in February of 1994. It was a creaky start but, within a year we had dozens of members cranking out armor, shields, weapons...
A few years later we did The Roman War Machine for TV. We were the first US Roman club to do a History Channel TV show. No longer did US production companies have to film in Europe!
Early on, our goal was to create the largest Roman club on the planet. We recruited guys from all over incorporating several small clubs. At one point we had budding chapters across southern California, Alaska, Washington, Colorado, northern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, the east coast including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, and West Virginia and even England with single members scattered all over the USA. As the years passed by, members and chapters came and went. The hobby of Roman reenactment grew in the USA and many participants joined local Roman Legion clubs.
For many years we strove to be the best, making and remaking gear, experimenting and experiencing! (Anyone remember when I announced that we tossed out 15 segmentatas? They were wrong and not worth reworking!)
Our largest Legio IX gathering of Legio IX soldiers numbered 24 though at that time we had as many as 60 soldiers across the USA.
Organizations change and grow. As with many clubs the dynamic flows around the leader, often times the founder. But, I am older and have had some health issues, now resolved (the health issues not the age) . A search for a new dynamic leader for Legio IX Hispana went on for a bit over a year. No one was able to step up. Work, life, age, health, other reenactment interests, the recession all played a part in that.
As a Roman reenactment club we achieved some excellent even exceptional things.
Some highlights:
- We appeared in several TV shows (history channel PBS, etc)
- We used our gear in rough simulated combat, proving its ability to withstand violent use and abuse
- Our work was referenced in Lorica Segmentata Vol 1 and acknowledged in the 2nd edition of Roman Military Equipment
- We set a standard by phasing out plywood shields in favor of lath strip built scutums.
- We won awards and recognition at military timeline events in southern California
- We also donated 1200 hours of labor at The Muzeo in Anaheim California for their first exhibit: Imperial Rome. We set up a weaving demo inside the museum as well as an armor display. Outside we had a working forge and bread oven. For that volunteer effort The Muzeo recognized us as Corporate Sponsors valuing our contribution at over a quarter million dollars.
- We've had equipment on display in Ontario Canada, traveled to Texas to make a presentation at the Dallas Museum of Art, we spoke at Loyola Marymount giving a presentation about the life of the common Roman soldier. (Bruno Heller, of HBO's Rome, opened for us.)
- there were the numerous talks and presentations at public and private schools
- and several hands on displays and demonstrations at SCA events
We have certain level of pride in our accomplishments. We did damn good!
As of today, Legio IX Hispana as a nationwide US club has come to a nexus, not an end.
I am very pleased to announce that we are merging with Legio VI Victrix, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. This is part of the goal of adding to, of creating, a large dynamic club capable of fielding a full strength Centuria with members all from the same club.
Merging will help both clubs grow, improve and create an exceptional Roman Legion impression that WILL rock the planet! Several European clubs have dominated the Roman reenactment hobby for far too long. That will be challenged!
What happens to Legio IX: The west coast and east coast chapters will become Vexillatio IX Hispana, retaining many of the same symbols and devices of Legio IX Hispana as part of a transitional presentation to continue to educate the public about the life of a Roman soldier… Our Texas members are being asked to join the soon to be chapter of Leg VI in Texas. Individual at large members of Legio IX across the US are also being urged to join Legio VI.
As for me, I am very much looking forward to being a common Roman soldier and actual finishing my personal kit! As of this writing I still do not own my own pila!
The Legatus also said something about a modest Villa overlooking Mare Hibernia....
Salvete! ………Hibernicus
. . . . . . . . .
PART TWO...
From Dave Michaels, aka T. Flavius Crispus,
President and Centurio of the Legion Six Historical Foundation / Legio VI Victrix:
We of the Legion Six Historical Foundation are both humbled and honored to formally and permanently join forces with Legio IX Hispana, the first and most storied Roman Reenactment group in California and one of two original Roman legions in the United States.
IX Hispana was my introduction to the world of Roman reenacting and Hibernicus my mentor in all things legionary. He is, quite simply, a living legend in the world of living history, as is Legio IX as a whole. Watching him place his vine staff upon the family altar and retire his cresta traversa gives me strong mixed feelings as I am sure it does for all those who have served under him. But the thought of working together with him in the same organization thrills me beyond measure. And his "retirement" doesn't mean that he will not play a very active role in all our future activities. His experience and wisdom and will be constantly sought out as we move forward, and as a Primipilaris (retired chief centurion) he will receive all the honors and deference due a respected and beloved senior officer. That well-deserved villa on the Mare Hibernia might have to wait just a bit...
Legios IX and VI have worked together on many projects, TV productions, etc. and our joint efforts have always produced great results and warm feelings all around. The mutual respect the members of our two groups have always had for one another cannot be measured. Now these opportunities for us to pursue our common passion will multiply and our audiences will grow exponentially. The merging of Legions VI Victrix and IX Hispana and the uniting of two fine bodies of dedicated living historians will create a dynamism that will sweep all before it and carry us all to new heights!
To address a few questions in advance:
--The Legio IX Hispana identity will NOT be retired, but retained as our organization's mid-first century Roman impression. In other words, when called upon to portray a legion of the Second Century AD, we will all portray Legio VI Victrix. This will remain our "baseline" impression. When we are called upon to portray a legion of the mid-first century AD, we will all portray Legio IX Hispana.
--The foundation has both military (legionary) and civilian components, and at our timeline events we set up both a Legionary marching camp and a civilian "vicus" adjoining it. The civilians are both fully "provinced" Romans a native Celtic Britons who are new to Roman civilization. We look forward to working with Legio IX spouses, significant others, friends and/or younglings and adding to our civilian component and "do as the Romans do."
--We have a full schedule of Living History events planned for the rest of 2011 and on into 2012, including appearances at the wonderful Getty Villa in Malibu, movie premiers, TV and theatrical productions, and our usual full timeline encampments at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro and Marching Through History in Chino. We look forward to including all new Legio VI members!
In closing, I'd like to once again thank Hibernicus, to embrace all of my Fraters and Sorers of IX Hispana and tell them how much I look forward to marching with them to new conquests for the Empire we all love!
Roma Invicta!
T. Flavius Crispus / Dave Michaels
The first part is from Legio IX Hispana, and the second from the Legion Six Historical Foundation.
PART ONE
From:
SEAN RICHARDS, aka HIBERNICUS,
Founder, Centurio and President of Legio IX Hispana:
The time has come to step aside. I am no longer the Centurio of Legio IX Hispana.
In mid 1993 I had an idea: Form a serious Roman themed warband within the SCA that also does serious Roman re-enactment. With the help of a few friends we did just that. Our first event was in February of 1994. It was a creaky start but, within a year we had dozens of members cranking out armor, shields, weapons...
A few years later we did The Roman War Machine for TV. We were the first US Roman club to do a History Channel TV show. No longer did US production companies have to film in Europe!
Early on, our goal was to create the largest Roman club on the planet. We recruited guys from all over incorporating several small clubs. At one point we had budding chapters across southern California, Alaska, Washington, Colorado, northern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, the east coast including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, and West Virginia and even England with single members scattered all over the USA. As the years passed by, members and chapters came and went. The hobby of Roman reenactment grew in the USA and many participants joined local Roman Legion clubs.
For many years we strove to be the best, making and remaking gear, experimenting and experiencing! (Anyone remember when I announced that we tossed out 15 segmentatas? They were wrong and not worth reworking!)
Our largest Legio IX gathering of Legio IX soldiers numbered 24 though at that time we had as many as 60 soldiers across the USA.
Organizations change and grow. As with many clubs the dynamic flows around the leader, often times the founder. But, I am older and have had some health issues, now resolved (the health issues not the age) . A search for a new dynamic leader for Legio IX Hispana went on for a bit over a year. No one was able to step up. Work, life, age, health, other reenactment interests, the recession all played a part in that.
As a Roman reenactment club we achieved some excellent even exceptional things.
Some highlights:
- We appeared in several TV shows (history channel PBS, etc)
- We used our gear in rough simulated combat, proving its ability to withstand violent use and abuse
- Our work was referenced in Lorica Segmentata Vol 1 and acknowledged in the 2nd edition of Roman Military Equipment
- We set a standard by phasing out plywood shields in favor of lath strip built scutums.
- We won awards and recognition at military timeline events in southern California
- We also donated 1200 hours of labor at The Muzeo in Anaheim California for their first exhibit: Imperial Rome. We set up a weaving demo inside the museum as well as an armor display. Outside we had a working forge and bread oven. For that volunteer effort The Muzeo recognized us as Corporate Sponsors valuing our contribution at over a quarter million dollars.
- We've had equipment on display in Ontario Canada, traveled to Texas to make a presentation at the Dallas Museum of Art, we spoke at Loyola Marymount giving a presentation about the life of the common Roman soldier. (Bruno Heller, of HBO's Rome, opened for us.)
- there were the numerous talks and presentations at public and private schools
- and several hands on displays and demonstrations at SCA events
We have certain level of pride in our accomplishments. We did damn good!
As of today, Legio IX Hispana as a nationwide US club has come to a nexus, not an end.
I am very pleased to announce that we are merging with Legio VI Victrix, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. This is part of the goal of adding to, of creating, a large dynamic club capable of fielding a full strength Centuria with members all from the same club.
Merging will help both clubs grow, improve and create an exceptional Roman Legion impression that WILL rock the planet! Several European clubs have dominated the Roman reenactment hobby for far too long. That will be challenged!
What happens to Legio IX: The west coast and east coast chapters will become Vexillatio IX Hispana, retaining many of the same symbols and devices of Legio IX Hispana as part of a transitional presentation to continue to educate the public about the life of a Roman soldier… Our Texas members are being asked to join the soon to be chapter of Leg VI in Texas. Individual at large members of Legio IX across the US are also being urged to join Legio VI.
As for me, I am very much looking forward to being a common Roman soldier and actual finishing my personal kit! As of this writing I still do not own my own pila!
The Legatus also said something about a modest Villa overlooking Mare Hibernia....
Salvete! ………Hibernicus
. . . . . . . . .
PART TWO...
From Dave Michaels, aka T. Flavius Crispus,
President and Centurio of the Legion Six Historical Foundation / Legio VI Victrix:
We of the Legion Six Historical Foundation are both humbled and honored to formally and permanently join forces with Legio IX Hispana, the first and most storied Roman Reenactment group in California and one of two original Roman legions in the United States.
IX Hispana was my introduction to the world of Roman reenacting and Hibernicus my mentor in all things legionary. He is, quite simply, a living legend in the world of living history, as is Legio IX as a whole. Watching him place his vine staff upon the family altar and retire his cresta traversa gives me strong mixed feelings as I am sure it does for all those who have served under him. But the thought of working together with him in the same organization thrills me beyond measure. And his "retirement" doesn't mean that he will not play a very active role in all our future activities. His experience and wisdom and will be constantly sought out as we move forward, and as a Primipilaris (retired chief centurion) he will receive all the honors and deference due a respected and beloved senior officer. That well-deserved villa on the Mare Hibernia might have to wait just a bit...
Legios IX and VI have worked together on many projects, TV productions, etc. and our joint efforts have always produced great results and warm feelings all around. The mutual respect the members of our two groups have always had for one another cannot be measured. Now these opportunities for us to pursue our common passion will multiply and our audiences will grow exponentially. The merging of Legions VI Victrix and IX Hispana and the uniting of two fine bodies of dedicated living historians will create a dynamism that will sweep all before it and carry us all to new heights!
To address a few questions in advance:
--The Legio IX Hispana identity will NOT be retired, but retained as our organization's mid-first century Roman impression. In other words, when called upon to portray a legion of the Second Century AD, we will all portray Legio VI Victrix. This will remain our "baseline" impression. When we are called upon to portray a legion of the mid-first century AD, we will all portray Legio IX Hispana.
--The foundation has both military (legionary) and civilian components, and at our timeline events we set up both a Legionary marching camp and a civilian "vicus" adjoining it. The civilians are both fully "provinced" Romans a native Celtic Britons who are new to Roman civilization. We look forward to working with Legio IX spouses, significant others, friends and/or younglings and adding to our civilian component and "do as the Romans do."
--We have a full schedule of Living History events planned for the rest of 2011 and on into 2012, including appearances at the wonderful Getty Villa in Malibu, movie premiers, TV and theatrical productions, and our usual full timeline encampments at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro and Marching Through History in Chino. We look forward to including all new Legio VI members!
In closing, I'd like to once again thank Hibernicus, to embrace all of my Fraters and Sorers of IX Hispana and tell them how much I look forward to marching with them to new conquests for the Empire we all love!
Roma Invicta!
T. Flavius Crispus / Dave Michaels
