Why can\'t we all just work together! Deva 2012

[Titvs Statilivs Castvs]

Christian, superb post, as always.

[Marcus Caecilius Avitus]

Going back to the original statement (question) :???: Why can't we all just work together! It might be becasue of the clash and proximity of other events.

Ordinarily, our Chester event would be a week later. It was brought forward to line up with the new Bank Holidays as a result of some event or other! :wink: Hopefully we'll be back to the old slot next year (which we have the weather booked for!).

What might be interesting is if we had a proper Calendar of Roman (Ancient) events (worldwide)

[Magnus]

That was a good post Christian

The only other two factors I would add in there is the ever changing knowledge base of the Roman Army can affect how quickly we adapt our displays/demos/gear. And the second factor is the attitude every individual person brings to reenacting, regardless of event type they do.

Funny you mention it...When I first started all I was doing were display events. Then from about 2007 to this year, all I did were private ones. Now I've come back full circle and just recently did a spectacularly fun event at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. So I think now I'll be doing both. I think that's a great way to expand one's own reenactment "tool box".

[Robert Vermaat]

Matt, I think your arguments are in themselves conclusive. However, I think behind all this is a serious other problem. Starting to think from the end: What do people who disguise themselves as Romans want?

I'm with Magnus, the answer to this question can change over the years. Plus, as a newby I certainly had not the faintest idea about all the differences and possibilities! This is where others canand should come in, to help people forward. Which is what I believe we do here as well.

[DECIMvS MERCATIvS VARIANvS]

I used to know a guy who was in a Civil War unit that prided itself on making people cry. No shit! These ass clowns, instead of helping some eager new guy who showed up, would criticize him mercilessly until he cried. Yes, cry, that was their goal. I heard these guys joke about it more than once.

Another not-so-cool story was some young kid who'd come out and had a sleeping bag. While he wasn't looking or something, they hid it in a tree, again, the result was causing him to cry. WTF?! These kinds of actions are so ignorant :evil: It just makes us ALL look bad. And these guys (I won't mention the unit) considered themselves the "light" of ACW reenacting.

Again, I will state that I think that we should all, as Roman Reenactors, try to help each other. The neat thing about doing Roman is that none of us really speaks Latin, so it is kind of a nice tool that allows us all to communicate and come together

[Cavok]

Good post Christian

Just a bit worried about

you could theoretically also wear a pink bunny costume

As I will try and join you Saturday night in Kipfenberg!

[Mergus]

Well I am glad that this thread kicked off such a good debate. A lot of very valuable points have been made; I won't re-iterate them all but say the following. I have been a re-enactor for 30 years, WW2 initially, back in 1982 when the real equipment was cheaper than the repro. I had to give it a break whilst in the regular military (what, you want to go and play soldiers, have we not got enough wars for you? Not the done thing for an officer to do!) and returned to the Roman world 1999. Having trawled through the early internet I decided upon a group (RMRS), and then contacted them to get info on equipment. At my first outing I had my made own Caligae, Tunica (hand stitched), Focale and Paenula (it was a February training session!). During the training session I was welcomed and lent equipment, by the end of it I had purchased, mostly on a "pay me as you can" basis, nearly all of the basic equipment. A welcoming and helpful group gains and retains re-enactors. As they made a lot of the equipment themselves they also ensured the standards were high as regards known authenticity, and were cheaper than Deepeka! Although I can no longer wear the armour (breaking collar bone when skiing and falling off motor bikes!) I still remember those early days and always bring as much spare kit as I can.
I also think that attitude is important. Many people try to play the "1st person" whilst in the public eye doing the living history; i.e. "I am Centurio Porcus Agricolus Vermanus"....(yes, I know the Latin is incorrect but I am typing off the cuff and making a point!)......no you are not, you area fat middle age man who probably will have a heart attack if you run 100 metres who has a bit of a power thing going on! The public are much more interested in why you are interested in what you are doing. A genuine interest and desire for knowledge is very rarely met badly by the public, wether casual passers by or interested parties. When we get new recruits lets get them to remember why they joined and pass that enthusiasm on. When on parade and displays we can slip into the 1st person role quite correctly.
And most of all, lets enjoy it. I have slept in the open and wet enough in the military, don't want to do it as a hobby. If you do, great, but do not criticise me for staying dry. There is a reason we are not washing ourselves with olive oil and strigils nowadays (never mind the price of olive oil!), so if you want to, great (and as said, slightly creepy!), but don't criticise me for opting for a warm shower and soap!
Right, will lower head beneath the walls again and take my medication! Thanks to all for very positive discussions

[DECIMvS MERCATIvS VARIANvS]

Guy, I just wanted to thank you for starting such a good thread. Sometimes people forget why we all got into this hobby, for most of us, it's a love of things Roman and for fun. Your thread brought that to light again!!

[Magnus]

Brings a tear to my eye.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

"no you are not, you area fat middle age man who probably will have a heart attack if you run 100 metres who has a bit of a power thing going on!"

Guy, you just made me fall of my couch laughing !

Brilliant !

M.VIB.M.

[M. Demetrius]

Yeah, me, too. :lol:

[DECIMvS MERCATIvS VARIANvS]

"no you are not, you area fat middle age man who probably will have a heart attack if you run 100 metres who has a bit of a power thing going on!"

Guy, you just made me fall of my couch laughing !

Brilliant !

M.VIB.M.

Well... I could do a 100 metres (yards) but I would sure be huffing. The key to it is to recruit young guys. Reenacting is an "aging" hobby and we need to bring new blood into it. We have had some luck in our WWI unit w/ this and hope to try it in Roman. A lot of it is just getting guys to see history as real and not some black and white thing or a bad documentary w/ blurred or slanted marching feet shots.

[Magnus]

Unfortunately it's getting harder and harder with this new generation. My cohort is fairly young and I can't seem to recruit anyone younger than 25 or so.

[Paul Elliott]

Wonder if its an image and a cost thing. Cost means that its more of a middle aged hobby, which in turn gives it an image of something enjoyed by middle aged guys. :?:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Unfortunately I think that could be partly true.
But even when offering the kit for their use, it takes the individual to have some interest i nthe first place.