Hand to hand combat

[Aetius Helvius Merula]

Salve! I'm looking for references to the way new legionaries were trained to fight with their weapons, since I intend to do this myself if I ever get the time and space. Roman swordsmanship, essentialy. I'm looking for literary excerpts, your own efforts along this line, or anything else that's relevant.

[Magnus]

You can try running a search on the subject....the topic has been covered before...the only caveat is not to expect any manuals. Mostly a fair bit of guesswork.

[jvrjenivs]

FLAVI VEGETI RENATI VIRI INLUSTRIS COMITIS
EPITOMA REI MILITARIS
De Re Militari Book I: The Selection and Training of New Levies
(11-12 sound the most interesting for you.)

Only translation I found:
[url:1py1ytif]http://www.pvv.ntnu.no/~madsb/home/war/vegetius/dere03.php[/url]

[Untilatie]

Try this:
Jon C. N. Coulston By the sword united: roman fighting styles on the battlefield and in the arena, in The Cutting Edge, Studies in ancient and medieval combat, Barry Molloy, Tempus Publishing Limited, 2007.

[stevesarak]

Hi,

I’m not sure what time frame you’re looking for, but this is from the Republic.

I read this last week in Livy’s book 6-10. I don’t have the exact book, paragraph, line, in front of me, so I’ll tell you in my own works.

The year is 362 BC (I think), the Romans stand on one side of a bridge, the Gauls on the other. Neither want to destroy the bridge and avoid conflict as they don’t want to seem cowardly, but both side are content to stand on their side.
A large Gaul in elaborate armor walks onto the bridge and challenges any from the Roman army to come over and fight him. He taunts them, but still no one takes the challenge. Then the son of the father, who had held a knife to a patrician, to make him swear that he’d drop the charges stating that his father was abusing him because of his speech, went up to the dictator and asked him if he could go out onto the bridge and defend the honor of the Roman people.
His friends armed him with a simple sword and armor, then he went out and took up the challenge. The large Gaul waived his sword back and forth and tried to goat him on, but the Roman waited patiently for the Gaul to make the first move. Then the Gaul, with shield in hand stepped up and struck down in a sweeping motion. The Roman, in a crouched down position, used the top of his shield to push up against the bottom of the Gaul’s shield, then drove his sword into the gut of the Gaul, through the opening he’d created. He jabbed a couple more times, then stepped away and let the Gaul drop to the bridge dead, where he took the bloodied scarf (Livy called it something else) and tied it around his neck.

I know this isn't much, but its a good example of how the smaller Roman’s, average height of 5’ 5â€

[Eduorius]

have you guys read about the ancient football-like sport that the Roman legions practiced to stay in shape? Saw a documentary about it the other day in the roots of football.