Leg Viii At Banna (in Conclusion).

Entry posted by Pertinax May 30, 2006

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The re-enactors were quite a bunch, very friendly and keen to share knowledge. They also presented a sight that many will consider strange, their ages-many were "grizzled veterans" but that added to the event , it was easier to see "old sweats" with missing teeth and not so athletic builds -we know Germanicus had to quell revolts by men who showed him toothless gums and old injuries.

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=759

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=758

They also had the wiley disarming charm of old soldies,indeed some of them were old soldiers! Interestingly the Centurion of Deva Victrix had been brought up in Deva (Chester) and had handled a Gladius and Scutum since childhood.

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=754

The mounted Auxilliae had an air of lofty disdain for the foot soldiers , and I detected that this was reciprocated, the usual inter service rivalry made flesh two thousand years on.

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=760

I actually felt a sharp pang of reality as the mounted men told the foot soldiers to move aside as they entered the arena, it was perfectly reasonable as the horses needed the space , but it had a real hint of class difference in its delivery. Im sure it was totally unintentional, but it was also most revealing.

The main photo upload is enormous ,so it will have to be off site especially as this is only the first such event im covering this summer.We have a day at Bremetennacum, another at Skipton and a Roman Day at York.

LEG VIII AUG album now in my msn blog :wacko:

http://spaces.msn.com/Triclinium/PersonalSpace/

I would like to ask members to visit Northern Neil's clever little models of Turret and Milecastle construction ,

these are very good "imaginings", its possible that some fort/fortlet towers were even taller than the one shown, but I suspect this was more likely to be at the "premier" forts -the totally lost Axelodunum (Stanwix-THE premier posting on the Wall) and Arbeia as a large logistical support/fleet base.

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=765