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aitor iriarte · 08-31-2004, 07:47 AM

Viventia, 
As a matter of fact, I think that soldiers who were wearing a helmet would wear body armour too (Yes, I know that the soldier painted at the Siracuse catacomb is wearing helmet with no armour, but that is rather an exception than the rule ) 
In the period we re-enact, a long-sleeved mail shirt would be the most usual armour for common soldiers. Well, a mail shirt needs a padded undergarment to be effective and you could distribute the padding at your will to increase your 'manly' appearance (i.e. broad shoulders or the like...) 
Just my two cents, from a late Roman to another one! 
 
Aitor

08-31-2004, 11:14 AM

Hi Aitor, 
 
Quite a few of us in the group don't own mail shirts, but this doesn't matter as we do displays where it's part of the narration to show the type of tunics worn (as well as the various arms and armour available), which the audience wouldn't see much of if we all wore mail. There are more helmets around in the group, than mail-shirts. But you can't assume that those who have no mail, but are wearing helmets are disguised girlies, some of the guys might take exception 
 
Viventia

aitor iriarte · 08-31-2004, 02:23 PM

Hi Viventia, 
I myself take part in the display without armour and I'm not a... (Mmmh let me see...) Yup, no, definitely not! 
Robert from Fectio is organizing an 'all late Roman' event for the beginning of next year's August at Archeon. Are you already engaged for that date at Comitatus? 
 
Aitor

08-31-2004, 03:31 PM

Hi Aitor, 
 
I've passed the details about the Archeon event to our beloved leader. There tends to be a major multi-period English Heritage show the first weekend in August which we normally have an invite for, but the we'll have to see. 
 
I'd love to go to Archeon, and my partner's game take a van, and drive on the 'wrong' side of the road over on the Continent 
 
Viventia

aitor iriarte · 08-31-2004, 03:53 PM

Hi Viventia, 
Yes I know of the Stoneleigh festival and that's why I'm asking you now. Whatever you decide, please le Robert know it, you can get his e-mail address from his website 'Fectio'. 
Yeah, there is nothing like suicide driving! 
 
Aitor

08-31-2004, 10:33 PM

With the right six numbers on a lottery ticket and Lucius and I are going. 
 
By the way, this is the first Lucius has heard of it 
 
Tom

09-01-2004, 03:18 AM

Well I am very broad shouldered since I do a lot of swimming, and I"ll be wearing a helmet covering much of the face, as well as a long tunic (as a Syrian archer). I wont talk to the audiance if I can avoid them! We do a bit of "crowd control" for the play, but I'll spend most of that time on a wall or hill rather then at the foot of the stage. Nice to kow there's a couple more of us Tough girls kicking around!

aitor iriarte · 09-01-2004, 05:31 AM

Tom, 
If you appear there you'll be welcome! 
The meeting is yet at its preliminary stages and it wouldn't be the first or last one that would come to nought in the end! 
 
Aitor

Aluscladiusmaximus · 09-01-2004, 11:07 AM

Some people say its ok to have a woman on the field if they look the part but what about groups who have children on the field. 
I saw a roman group on the weekend who started with two 8 to 12 year olds in their battle line and then introduced a 2 1/2 year old on their later shows. 
Now the 2 1/2 year old looked really cute but I wouldn't consider the display field is a suitable place for someone that young. 
Given that roman fighters are full time soldiers you cannot justify that they may be sons being given training and battle experience as you might with native troops. 
Aulus Cladius Maximus

09-01-2004, 01:07 PM

Aulus, 
 
Unless they were part of a full battle scene (unlikely, but happened at Stoneleigh's Boudicca battle this year) I suspect the 8-12 year olds were involved in a narrated display in which they were probably put into context, and later on the group possibly invited young members of the audience to do some Kid's Drill. So the emphasis was to do with involving the public, and the client running the show was probably very happy with the presentation. 
 
Since becoming involved in doing re-enactment, I've noticed that there's a wide variation in the way groups present themselves to the public. Some are very heavy on the Living History side; some are combat-oriented; some have a lot showmanship; some are gregarious; some are formal, etc.. There's room for all approaches. 
 
Viventia

Aluscladiusmaximus · 09-01-2004, 01:30 PM

Viventia 
 
How do you put children in context when you are supposed to be showing a line of professional adult solders?. 
You obviously saw the same show but I didn't hear them explain the boys. 
The part of the display when they invited children onto the field to do some drill was fine showing children taking part in military drill at the beginning wasn't 
 
My group has used teenagers as young as 14 in our display but they were large for their age and didn't look out of place,the boys in the display I saw were much smaller then a 14 year old. 
Aulus Cladius Maximus

09-01-2004, 02:53 PM

Aulus, 
 
Your group does it one way, the group you saw does it another, and both are valid methods of presenting information to the public. 
 
I wasn't at a show over the weekend (confined to barracks due to a foot injury) Was the group early or late Roman? 
 
Viventia

Lucius Aurelius Metellus · 09-01-2004, 04:03 PM

Yes, this is the first I've heard of going to the event, but if my ol' buddy Tom says I'm going, I guess I'm going! Lucius Aurelius Metellus, miles gregarius, Secunda Brittanica

09-01-2004, 09:38 PM

Got to get the right numbers on the ticket...but once that little problem is solved, we're so there 
 
Cavetus

Crispvs · 09-02-2004, 07:58 PM

Two of our soldiers have sons with full (or nearly full) sets of kit of their own. One is nine and the other is twelve. When the boys are allowed to line up with us during the roll call, they are explained as the sons of soldiers and we mention to the audience the value to a unit of giving a small amount of training to boys who were soldiers' sons and who would probably follow their fathers into the army in a few years' time, as well as giving us the chance to talk about civilian settlements outside forts and their intimate relationship to the forts themselves. After the roll call the boys are dismissed and thereafter take no part in the field display. 
 
Crispvs

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