Request for Assistance on Roman Drill project

[QF VARUS]

Salvete,

As some of you may know, I have been gathering drill manuals from various reenactment groups as part of an article/ research project for JMRS. So if you are a unit leader, would you please consider sending me your current drill manual? I would be very happy to send ours for Legion XXIV. I am not interested in re-opening the issue of "the Romans must have done it this way." Rather, I am trying to review what other units are doing. The general philosophy of our updated manual (in use by Legions XVI,XXIV and XXX) has been to come up with commands that would have been comprehensible to 1st century Roman soldiers (based on literary/historical/epigraphical evidence). At various events of the last few years, reenactors have said that they needed a command "to...," and it is well known that Maurice's work does not cover all needs.

Gratias Quam Maximas,
Quintus Fabricius Varus
Optio Vexillationis Mediae Occidentalis
Leg XXIV

[jkaler48]

THis project is a good idea. A common Drill manual would be very useful
for events attended by more than one group.

One command that would be useful to add is one for grounding pila
perhaps "Pila Ad terra"

Also some standardized music for Cornu calls - I would suggest that
all too familiar US or UK calls not be used but the lesser known calls like
Battlion right march etc could be adapted.

Now you will have to find a cornu player who reads music and make a CD ROM
Rome goes multimedia!

[Marcus Mummius]

One command that would be useful to add is one for grounding pila
perhaps "Pila Ad terra"

In Europe, most groups have a command for this.

"Pila deorsum": For grounding the pilum on the but spike.

To lay down the pila we use the following command sequence:

"Pila deponite!": this is the warning signal qo that the soldiers know they will have to lay down their pilum.

And then: "Deorsum...duo...tres": on this command the soldiers kneel down together. They all get down onto their right knee and the hand holding the pilum is on the ground.

Then the command: "Sursum...duo..tres": all soldiers rise up together.

Alsways be carefull around pila lying down. A butspike sticking in your foot between the toes isn't a pleasant feeling. :wink:

Vale,

[Hibernicus]

Auger?

Oh! Marching and stuff.. I get it.

A uniform drill set for everyone?

No chance. Others have tried.. doesn't mean it won't happen.. but several others have tried over the decades to do so but to no avail.

Junkelmann's set of commands

ESG's version with their own Latinisms

The actual historic versions

Those same commands that others have adapted, blended and/or osterized

The sets of commands that take this and that from several other sets

One club's Latin scholar/Phd'ed Ancient Latin Linguist/ favorite primary school teacher adding his... or her.. or her own scholarly bent

Then several clubs have added terms to fill perceived needs

Then several clubs use some of the same terms (from any of the above) differently

And just how in the heck do you get them to march obliquely?

Do you wheel on center or on a corner or all three.. and who has the time or inclination to learn each well enough to not look like kindergarteners playing redrover?


Oh, and do scutums overlap front to back or back to front in a testudo??

sigh

write me at...

[email protected]

...and I'll send you ours

[Hibernicus]

Oh and what about slang???

draw gladius.. some clubs use some form of:
Gladia stringite!

But we like to toss in some slang.. well, because we can... so we use

Vaginae vacuae

...and that's the polite one!

[Hibernicus]

pronounce it...

Do you speak "church" Latin, classic Latin or add a provincial twist to it?

does one say:

ad scuta

or

ah shoota

BTW pronoucing the SC as SH gives a fun way to pronounce the familiar form of Scithius.. Scithi his friends call him... his best friends!

[jvrjenivs]

and about pronouncing

- do you say .....-iiiiiiiiiiiii-te and do the command on the 'te' so you could all prepare during the iiiiii

- when stopping do you stop inmidiatelly or walk about 2 steps, so everyone can stop at the same time better

- do you start with left or right foot.

[rusty myers]

our drill manual is on the LEGVI.com website. Use what you like. It is the LAFE/ISPA manual.

Left foot. Why relearn walking.... Shield foot, sword foot. Shield forward, sword thrust... makes sense, thus our reasoning.

Also the bugle calls we used at lafe are there, use whatever you need.

Pila infige to plant
Pila In Terram to Lay down

[maius]

What would be great (I think), is if someone did a CD of Roman military commands, both in english and latin. also music commands for the cornu.

This is somthing that could be sold to other groups or anyone who could use it. I would sure get some for members of my group.

Maius/Bill

[Emmanuel]

You can go, if you want, to the french leg VIII Augusta Web site. I work, as latin teacher, with my centurio on roman drills It's in latin and french. Sorry, but you have the pronounciation. (leg8.com) It's on the first page when you arrive on the site. the namae in french of the post is "commandements latins"

[jkaler48]

Don't have a manual copy but here is a video with the commands being spoken (shouted) by our Centurion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUOk3PcQTJQ

[Marcus Mummius]

Don't have a manual copy but here is a video with the commands being spoken (shouted) by our Centurion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUOk3PcQTJQ

Nice movie

Why does the miles in the front rank always put down his scutum to draw his gladius? Must be very anoying if you have to draw the gladius while moving :lol: