Pertinax

much variation- is the real answer, heavy/light versions existed http://www.larp.com/legioxx/pilum.html check this well made site out , this should give a good account of variations and usage

May I add a little from one of my own specialities here, an interesting point that arises from long distance movement and complete relocation of a group of persons is the lack of geographical dispersal at the point of arrival (certainly within initial immigrant groups) -as AD mentions very appositely Italians migrating to the USA had very specific initial "landfall" areas .You see this pattern oft repeated when rural populations move into large urban areas-people from Monaghan moving into Dublin for example forming specific enclaves The linguistic reprucussions are very interesting, perhaps preserving archaic/pure forms in remote enclaves . The Ubian removal to Upper Germania (if I remember correctly) is an appropriate example from our own target period.I am just reading the excellent "Hermes the Thief" (as suggested by Pantagathus -and due for review on this site by him) which rather knocks some of the much vaunted "central place theory" of Christaller and Loesch into the bin , demonstrating as it does the agora as the boundary (in ancient Greece ) rather than the central market area:this made me think very hard about the role of the autonomous village/community and its fear of "the stranger" or the other in ancient society -if a community had no choice but to relocate (famine/war/disaster) then I suggest wholesale movement as a coherent group as a norm rather than fracturing of a community. Im sure there will be suggestions that division might occur across class lines in later societies . just some musings

I still like Pertinax's idea of a t-shirt: The Caelian Bread-bakers Guild--Real Roman bread for real Romans. Perhaps an alternative would be " beer and butter" for true Gauls? I was in all seriousness considering an attempt at a t shirt print-I have made them before from edited photos-I found the difficult part was getting a decent base colour and hard wearing cloth.My thought was to get a screenshot of Mr Mcneice declaiming in the forum and adding the Caelian slogan.Hmmm...

A small note, the Numidians were criticised for having scrawny mounts-however as auxiliae they and their horses were grudgingly acknowledged to be excellent. The tough little ponies ( being 14 hands doesnt really lead onee to say "horse") were noted for being rugged, durable and not easily winded. Its a little like the quote from Caesar about not fearing the well fed long haired Gaul's but the pale ,hollow eyed ones.The logic is also the same as the Native American's attitude to US Army mounts "big and weak" .

Just made it back through the drifts-a belated Happy Birthday-what a splendidly ironic date.

Madame Pertinax starts for Rome in two weeks , as you know she is no mean photographer herself, she has strict instructions to snap all angles of the forum.

Welcome to the Forum LDA , as an initial piece of intelligence gathering check the many Osprey series titles related to Roman troops, there are a number of titles on "Rome's Enemie's" which should give you a lead into the topic.FVC is indeed correct in suggesting Tacitus to "set the scene".

My trip to Aqua Sullis and outlying settlements of interest (to the forum) was terminated abruptly by snowdrifts forcing me to take shelter at the nearest available Hotel and wait for the roads to clear -regrettably I was unable to make any headway to even local sites or museums . I returned early today as more snow is now falling. I have posted a shot of my Hotel garden-looking suspiciously like Lantern Waste in Narnia.

I prostrate myself before your vastness!

The Roman objection to Christianity was a horror at the concept of the consumption of the "body and blood" of Christ-and some of course thought this was literal -and if not literal seriously weird!

Perhaps the method of worship was more akin to what we would now consider to be "in the manner of a mystery" due to the need for secrecy-may I suggest rifling through Jung's collected works to lead you toward sources on Gnostic Christianity, Mithras and other "cults" , Joseph Campbell (as suggested elsewhere-a pupil of Jung ) is always worth looking at for signposts to religious experience in historical context. I think Vol; ( "Aion" of Jungs works might spark some trails to other sources.

Total realism has some very interesting "behavioural" packages for the various troops.

Libertine Sauna-its a type of political salon then?

Stoned they may be but they surely have clean sinuses and pores! Thats a much more appealing mix than woad and urine.

and the striking similarity between Iranian nomads and Brythonic types .

I followed your line of thought as the "orgy" is indeed dance above all , rather than drink or sexual licence, though these two may be implicated indirectly as "sacred" activities. ..and as discussed elsewhere we know the role of the feminine principle in fermentation and the exclusivity of that activity ( gender wise) but why not by physical separation also.

minor aside:Am I wrong in suggesting that it was as he slew Penthilesia , looking into her eyes (as he struck her ) he realised to his dismay that she was his amor propre? I cant claim to know this by translation so can the liunguists clarify this small point? Pictii women would perhaps have more "licence" in their behaviour, certainly we know Brigantian women moved very "freely" at a certain level of society.

I claim intellectual property rights on a black comedy set on the island! would this by any chance involve a handsome shipwrecked sailor looking for a lost work of geography? Inadvertently finding a surprising number of virgins brewing beer?