Most stupid questions

[Memmia]

I would be careful in your judgement if I were you. :o
How can you prove that in these sci-fi days of hadron coliders et al that these members of the public you deride for asking daft questions aren't in fact genuine Roman soldiers from the past.
They may be ancient Romans who are in fact future 'post' enactors, who as a hobby (when not marching all over the Empire) try to portray as authentically as possible, average members of the public from 2000 years later who like to visit living history events. After all, according to Newton's Third Law married with black hole theory, this can in fact be a real possibility.

What may seem like normal authentic questions to them, may seem like complete howlers to the modern ear, and I'm sure that many modern attempts at Latin pronounciation would give the same effect to these future 'enactors' ears.

So, next time some dumbo in the crowd asks you if that fire is real (in modern lingo) it may actually be Marcus Aurelius dressed up as a chav thinking that he has just made a real intellectual comment about your tunic colour and balteus design.
Therefore, whilst you are posting on websites about silly questions from some of the 'public', these time travelling enactors may have gone back home to their barracks via an intergalactic wormhole and be having a right old giggle about your attempts at a 'testudo' somewhere out in the time/space continuum!

Sooo.....Think on!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Right, catch tha twoman, and thwow her wuffly to the fwoar!!

[Robert Vermaat]

Therefore, whilst you are posting on websites about silly questions from some of the 'public', these time travelling enactors may have gone back home to their barracks via an intergalactic wormhole and be having a right old giggle about your attempts at a 'testudo' somewhere out in the time/space continuum!

Sooo.....Think on!

Indeed! You could have asked him what color tunic he wore when back in his own time! :twisted:

[Hibernicus]

Memmia.. Now I wonder whether or not Idiotus Contrarius might not be from Tardisium!


Hibernicus

[Memmia]

Well, if you ask the tunic colour question and he yells 'EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!' you'll know that that's Marcus Aurelius alright.

However, if he gives a reading from 'Meditations'- Run away! Run away!

[FAVENTIANVS]

Here, in the South of Europe we're often misconfused with so typical Easter parade Romans, the ones that follow the Christ figure all over the downtown.. :?

[Crispvs]

We've largely solved that problem.

http://www.felthamassociates.btinternet ... otos05.htm

Yours truly appears here wearing blue feathers (and more besides). Unfortunately my crest block decided to part company with my crest box while I was busy hammering. The chap in the trooper helmet is from the church that organised the event, as are the temple guards, just so you know. :wink:

Crispvs

[Hibernicus]

Some years back we supplied/equipped a local RC church with Auxilia kit for 6! ... tunics, caligas, hamata, flat oval scutums, coolus helmets et etc etc... a few years later they had them dressed in bright red tunics with greek key pattern trim, satin cloaks, plastic brass-like breastplates, tiny rectangular shields, helmets with crests, bracers .... and they genuinely thought that they were making historic improvements!

sad

Hibernicus

[Crispvs]

I think sometimes it could be a worthwhile exercise to donate a copy of one of Connolly's or Embleton's books to a church's library.

Crispvs

[Ceannt]

At one event (in full kit) i was asked was i a Viking :roll:

[A_Volpe]

Chav = Moving Pila/Ballistae/Gladii Target Practice!

:twisted:

I agree, over the years of hearing "Are You/Is That Real??" or "Are You A Knight?"...I just shrug it off and answer the question. I really try to not get bent out of shape about the question, as 'obvious' as it may seem

Matt is totally right, many of the people have no idea what is actually authentic or not, and may not be able to tell what is 'real' metal as opposed to say, something plated or faked. Our job is to help educate when we give public programs and encampments, not to berrate them or shoot them down for 'silly' questions...If everyone knew everything about Romans, we'd be "out of work" as it were.

Speaking of which, those who are close-minded Uber-Self-Proclaimed-Experts aka "Know-It-All's" who believe everything in movies, TV and Games is totally real and authentic and accurate...Are the annoying/stupid who I have little time for. I'm not correcting your information to shoot you down, I'm telling you - The real, academic and archaeological research proves the information you had was false, you got duped!

anyway...

[Hibernicus]

Dude! You've been dupped! I might have to use that one...

Dupus Dudius, best friend to Idiotus Contrarius both of Provincia Tardisium



Hibernicus

[Matthew Amt]

I would be careful in your judgement if I were you. :o
How can you prove that in these sci-fi days of hadron coliders et al that these members of the public you deride for asking daft questions aren't in fact genuine Roman soldiers from the past.
They may be ancient Romans who are in fact future 'post' enactors, who as a hobby (when not marching all over the Empire) try to portray as authentically as possible, average members of the public from 2000 years later who like to visit living history events...

Nah, you can spot them easy--they have hand-sewn seams on their shoes and blue jeans! Farbs...

Matthew

[Dan Z]

I’ve told this story before, but hey – it’s funny!

At one event a small gaggle of 10 to 12 year old Boy Scouts I was speaking with were having trouble believing that my segmentata was made of real metal and that armor really worked. I ended up letting them come up one at a time to rap their knuckles on the girdle plates of my armor so they could see for themselves that it was real. As the line progressed the Scouts became more enthusiastic as they knocked on the armor until finally one bright lad ran up and punched me as hard as he could right in the gut. Actually he punched me right on the brass lacing loops riveted to the steel bands that were protecting my gut. The scout master was embarrassed and apologized to me. Little Johnny was fairly unhappy as he gazed down at his slightly bloody knuckles. I was amazed that anyone could have thought that would have been a good idea.

Then another intrepid Boy Scout charged out of the crowd and literally took a flying leap to head butt me in the ribs. I’ll give him some credit – he didn’t aim for the lacing loops like his buddy did. I couldn’t believe he was actually raised to believe that under some situations head butting an adult – let alone an adult wearing armor – would be a good idea. His mom and dad must have missed a page in the owner’s manual or something. At any rate, he bounced off and landed flat on his back. The scout master was even more embarrassed, but the rest of the scouts were convinced: armor works great! :roll:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Precocious child.... :roll: