The Romans and Me
01.30
Romans Then and Now.
Marcvs and Decimvs at Roman Days 2011
I like the Romans. I find them interesting. So like us, yet a life so different. And SO long ago. Think about it: 2000 years ago — that’s a LONG time. So long that while we know SOME things about the Romans, other things, basic things like the colour of their military uniforms is not really known.
For years, I fought against doing a Roman portrayal, mainly I think because I didn’t want to make all the stuff. Really, it was a pain in the ass… for example: you had to CUT OUT the armor hinges by hand, I mean you had to make everything 😮 I am not a “craftsman.” Well, you COULD pay someone to make your kit, but it was ass-reamingly expensive. Nowadays, like most other reenacting time periods, you can buy what you need. There are some great vendors out there and many will go out of their way to help you get a good experience. As with anything else, sometimes you have to watch out for the scumbags.
A Good Place to Learn
A really good website to learn about Roman kit and how to make it is Matt Amt’s Legio XX website. He also has his online handbook up that tells how to make all your stuff. Along with this, he has a page of things to just plain avoid. Now, lest someone think I am a Matt groupie, there are things I disagree with him about, but so what! He’s a good guy and will discuss things with you. He truly IS the father of Roman Reenacting in the United States.
But it’s boring Marsh
Is it? Really? Have you looked? Holy crap, imagine life without ANY of the stuff we “need” today. Life was short, it was dangerous and it was rough. You had to either be on one side or the other, there was NO HALF WAY’s to it at all. Roman politics could be violent. And for the Roman, being part of the norm was important, unlike people today, Romans didn’t want to stand out and be different or apart. Something else, the history of antiquity was written by children. Yes! Sure a few people lived to older ages, but like was short. As a Roman man, you could marry at 15 and often they did earlier at 14. Usually an arranged marriage too.
RiB
Recently, I brought this website, Romans in Britain back from the dead and invite you to go look at it. We are constantly updating it and it is going great guns with new sections being added constantly. We are trying to update some dated info, adding art and photos and MORE recipes — I hope you’ll give it a look. Guess what school kids, a website that you can steal stuff off of for schoolwork :-Þ No, we don’t care. And if it perhaps gives you an interest in Rome and the Romans, well all the better!
Brought to Life
When you look at it, Rome brought to life through reenactors and historians can be breath taking and to see how they lived, to taste what they tasted. To feel some of what they felt… Or even just to see it. To see it live, in colour, not in a book as a drawing or an old statue… live. It gives one a whole new appreciation for our far-off ancestors.
RiB