06-21-2005, 12:40 AM
Gordak, its ok - this is interesting. Its those details about things like the subermalia and the weight of the mail that are really important - things I can't always get from a dry history book.
I've got a good collection of resources now, includig Adkin's 'Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome', Goldsworthy's 'Roman Warfare', osprey Caesar's Legions, and a shelf-full of original sources and assorted other books on the era. And the net, of course. So I'm trying to add up all the little references from here and there to build a good mental picture.
Theres big research, dates and places. Then there's military rank, which is kind of doing my head in. And other social details, for example - I was under the impression that doctors were slaves. But it turns out that military surgeons were Immunes, rankers with specialist training.
The stuff I'm hoping to find out from re-enactors is just the kind of thing that you've been discussing - the texture of everyday life.
For a military example, what does it feel like to wield a blade for hours on end? What does it feel like when it contacts a shield does it vibrate, or is it a harsh jar? Does it grip into the shield or glance off?
Regarding the spinning of fabric, I can't help feeling that materials produced by modern mechanical means would have a very different feel to ancient ones. I'm sure they were amazing quality, but that it would be different somehow to the modern ones which have a bland uniformity. I actually imagine that the fibres, being less mechanically wound, might have felted a little more, and that, in combination with a slightly more open weave, might have resulted in a fabric that would be softer, draping better, but still very warm and relatively windproof. Might have to go google for textiles experts to ask.
I'll be back with some specific questions fairly soonish. Thanks for your input so far!
Helena Pictoria
aka Helen South
I've got a good collection of resources now, includig Adkin's 'Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome', Goldsworthy's 'Roman Warfare', osprey Caesar's Legions, and a shelf-full of original sources and assorted other books on the era. And the net, of course. So I'm trying to add up all the little references from here and there to build a good mental picture.
Theres big research, dates and places. Then there's military rank, which is kind of doing my head in. And other social details, for example - I was under the impression that doctors were slaves. But it turns out that military surgeons were Immunes, rankers with specialist training.
The stuff I'm hoping to find out from re-enactors is just the kind of thing that you've been discussing - the texture of everyday life.
For a military example, what does it feel like to wield a blade for hours on end? What does it feel like when it contacts a shield does it vibrate, or is it a harsh jar? Does it grip into the shield or glance off?
Regarding the spinning of fabric, I can't help feeling that materials produced by modern mechanical means would have a very different feel to ancient ones. I'm sure they were amazing quality, but that it would be different somehow to the modern ones which have a bland uniformity. I actually imagine that the fibres, being less mechanically wound, might have felted a little more, and that, in combination with a slightly more open weave, might have resulted in a fabric that would be softer, draping better, but still very warm and relatively windproof. Might have to go google for textiles experts to ask.
I'll be back with some specific questions fairly soonish. Thanks for your input so far!
Helena Pictoria
aka Helen South
