RAT, Jurjen, Jona and Jasper in \'De Pers\' (Dutch)

[Praefectusclassis]

http://www.depers.nl/wetenschap/110325/ ... einen.html

[Jona Lendering]

Hey, I thought that this article was not supposed to appear until tomorrow?!

[Praefectusclassis]

So did I, but there it is!

[Jeroen Pelgrom]

nice article! Good to see some advertising. How did it come to this article BTW? did they contact you or something like that?

[Praefectusclassis]

Jona has his contacts.
It's actually announced on the frontpage of the actual paper, with photo!

[Magnus]

It's in a language I no comprendez.

[Praefectusclassis]

It just says that we're all wonderful.

[Jona Lendering]

Jona has his contacts.

I can not deny that I know Marcel Hulspas, but the real reason why it was published, is that the RAT-community is simply NEWS. It is pretty rare that an internet forum successfully makes a cross-over to the old media, and starts a journal of its own. It is also quite rare that the distinction between academics and laymen disappears.

Meanwhile, a photo of the printed article (which is a bit different) can be found here.

It's in a language I no comprendez.

It starts with some remarks about Jasper's passion for military history, continues with a remark about Ancient Warfare magazine, and tells that re-enactors are the main audience. After some remarks about the organization and size of the legions, Jurjen Draaisma and Marc Sanders are introduced; the second tells about the weight of his panoply, the first about his career as reenactor (first Arabian merchant in the Biblical Open Air Museum, now Roman soldier, now training for gladiator [hence the title]). Some remarks about Roman skeletons, about making your own panoply, and about reenactors'activities (including cooking); finally, yours truly saying something about the disappearing distinction between academics and laymen.

[Natuspardo]

That was the first time I tried to read a longer text in Dutch - and I am amazed to understand nearly everything! Thanks to our common ancestors! (and maybe also the fact my parents speak Plattdütsch, which is especially similiar to Dutch).

Jasper - could you please tell more about your statement

Er zijn skeletten gevonden van soldaten waarbij je aan de botten vergroeiingen ziet, veroorzaakt door het jarenlang sjouwen met zware bepakking.´

I havent known about that.

[Praefectusclassis]

I was referring to a skeleton of - probably - a roman soldier from the Velsen fort. His right arm was more strongly developed than his left and his feet and spine show signs of overburdening.

[Magnus]

Thanks for the recap guys. And jasper, I always knew you were wonderful. :wink:

[pvblivs cordvs]

Congratulations to all involved.
Another step closer to re-enactors being seen as serious people instead of the village idiot.
Jona, I have to concur with you. RAT is pretty amazing.
People from all levels of education, all walks of life and from all over the world are sharing knowledge about the one thing they have in common: their love for ancient history.
And don't forget the RAT conference. Another move out off the virtual world to a real time place to discuss -and to have fun- with people you would probably haven't even met otherwise.
I'm really looking forward to it. (and to the next issue of AWN of course)
Wim van Broekhoven a.k.a. Cordvs

[Robert Vermaat]

Very well done people!!

Why did the journalist write that we re-enactors do not fight (in contrast to Jurjen saying that he will train for show fights only) because our equipment is too expensive? :?: I assumed that the likely possibility of injuries sustained as a result also had something to do with it..

A thing which I'm ignorant about - when did the Roman army introduce conscription? I know it from late Roman times as a given, but I have no idea as to when it was introduced.

[jvrjenivs]

Why did the journalist write that we re-enactors do not fight (in contrast to Jurjen saying that he will train for show fights only) because our equipment is too expensive? :?:

That's actually something that is said by Mark Sanders, the other re-enactors who was interviewed, from the Dutch Gemina Project. He said this in the context that we all have put a lot of money and work together and don't like that some stupid barbarian ruined our equipment when doing some fight. Actually it is thus something that applies on Mark, but not on all re-enactors, I think.

[Jona Lendering]

A thing which I'm ignorant about - when did the Roman army introduce conscription? I know it from late Roman times as a given, but I have no idea as to when it was introduced.

It was normal in Republican times. A man was supposed to serve for at least six campaigns between his eighteenth and forty-third (-second?) birthday. When Rome's empire expanded, these were often six consecutive years in a faraway country, which was the first step towards a standing army. Keppie has an excellent chapter on it in The Making of the Roman Army.