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01-24-2005, 06:21 PM

Are there any documentation of marching songs or drilling songs? Did the soldiers have chants to pass the time while marching? Aug33

01-24-2005, 08:10 PM

I think the words to some of them may have survived, though the tunes were lost. They didn't have modern music notes, which didn't come about until the middle ages.

01-24-2005, 08:53 PM

I don't know the precise wording, but it goes something like, "lock up your wives, here comes the bald whore-monger". Perhaps someone can post the complete and accurate wording. 
 
Oh by the way, a latin version would be extra special. Legio XXX could sing it during their march by the Erie Canal this spring. We would of course have to invent appropriate music. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=neuralmancer>Neuralmancer</A> at: 1/24/05 10:02 pm

L C Cinna · 01-25-2005, 12:40 AM

You mean this: 
 
"Urbani, servate uxores: moechum calvom adducimus. 
Aurum in Gallia effutuisti, hic sumpsisti mutuum."

01-25-2005, 01:02 AM

My latin isn't yet very good. The first part sounds right, "City dweller's save your wives". I'm thinking of incorporating this into a ditty that we could all sing to while on the march. Suggestions for the chorus, perferrably in both latin and English, are welcomed. 
 
Ah, I found it: 
 
Men of Rome, keep close to your consorts, here's a bald adulterer. Gold in Gaul you spent in dalliance, which you borrowed here in Rome. 
 
Latin seems to be rather flexible. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=neuralmancer>Neuralmancer</A> at: 1/25/05 2:17 am

Tarbicus · 01-25-2005, 03:37 AM

Just goes to show nothing has really changed over 2 millenia 
 
I have great rugby songs and stories that would seemingly compare to those chants. They include donkeys. They are modern anecdotes. I'd be really interested to find out how the ancient Roman army compares to modern soldiers in their behaviour?

01-26-2005, 02:30 PM

"Unus homo mille mille mille decollavimus" 
(For the loss of one man we cut a thousand thousand thousand heads) 
And: 
"Mille Sarmatas mille francos semel et semel occidimus, mille Persas quaerimus". 
(A thousand Sarmatians and a thousand Franks we killed again and again, and now we're looking for a thousand Persians) 
The second one was sung by Aurelian's soldiers, when he was still a tribune and was on his way to Persia after a stay on the german limes. 
The two are often linked but apparently it's not the same song.

01-26-2005, 04:08 PM

Hey, that first line could serve as the chorus that I'm looking for. What does everyone think of this: 
 
 
Urbani, servate uxores: moechum calvom adducimus 
 
mille mille mille decollavimus 
 
Aurum in Gallia effutuisti, hic sumpsisti mutuum 
 
mille mille mille decollavimus 
 
[repeat] 
 
What other hobby is there where a bunch of guys can get together and sing dirty songs in public?

Crispvs · 01-27-2005, 10:36 PM

I meant to jump into this earlier and mention 'Urbani' but Neuralmancer got in there first (well done that man). 
 
As far as I knew, we are/were the only Roman re-enactment group which sings. We can do three songs and another three chants. As far as I know most of them are just appropriate thoughts expressed in English and then translated into Latin. However the exception is the song Neuralmancer quoted, which I believe comes to us, along with two others which can be put to the same rhythm without too much trouble, via Suetonius' life of Caesar. We sing all three as one song to the tune of a Latvian army marching tune which seemed to fit the song very well. This is the full version which we sing, with a translation (as printed in our drill manual) following: 
 
Urbani, servate uxores: moechum calvum adducimus. 
Aurum in Gallia effutuisti, hic sumpsisti mutuum 
 
Gallias Caesar subegit, Nicomedes Caesarem: 
Ecce Caesar nunc triumphat qui subegit Gallias. 
Nicomedes non triumphat, qui subegit Caesarem. 
 
Gallos Caesar in triumphum ducit, idem in curiam: 
Galli bracas deposuerunt, latum clavum sumpserunt. 
 
Translation (as printed in R.M.R.S. drill manual): 
 
Citizens, keep an eye on your wives: we're bringing back our bald adulterer. 
He's f**ked away the gold in Gaul that you loaned him here in Rome. 
 
Caesar vanquished the Gauls, Nicomedes Caesar: 
Caesar who vanquished the Gauls, now triumphs. 
Nicomedes does not triumph, who vanquished Caesar. 
 
Caesar leads the Gauls in triumph, likewise into the senate house: 
he Gauls have laid aside their trousers and put on the broad purple stripe. 
 
Crispvs

Dan Diffendale · 01-27-2005, 11:25 PM

With elision, the whole works rather well to the tune of "Clementine" and I've seen suggestions in print of that sort.

Crispvs · 01-28-2005, 12:35 AM

You're right, it does go rather well to 'Clementine'. I think however, that our choice of the Latvian tune was based as much on the fact that it would probably not be recognisable as anything our audiences would already know and could put other words to, as it was for the fact it suited the words quite well. 
 
Crispvs

Dan Diffendale · 01-28-2005, 02:57 AM

Well, yes, I'm not sure that the tune of 'Clementine' would be convey the right impression...

01-28-2005, 03:34 AM

While we're on the topic of songs, anyone know any good Roman drinking songs?

01-28-2005, 02:32 PM

I like it! Please post either a wav or mp3 file so that we may all hear you guys sing. 
 
One thing though, how do you get, that you loaned him here in Rome, from hic sumpsisti mutuum? Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=neuralmancer>Neuralmancer</A> at: 1/28/05 3:43 pm

Chariovalda · 01-31-2005, 10:54 AM

Well, for a "marching song" (ho-hum) you might take a look here: 
 
www.emmuty.de/katalog/EM005.php 
 
Listen to the last sample, "Mars Reprise"... 
 
The Dutch group Omnia was later radically regrouped and these days have gone for the "neo-pagan" thing. But this is their first, and very Roman, CD. 
 
Valete, 
 
Chariovalda

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