Left-Handed

[Titus Manlius Verus]

Hello everyone. I am currently in the process of getting into Roman reenactment. My initial plans are to become a legionaire. However, I am entirely left handed. I know the the legions strongly discouraged the enlistment of left-handed soldiers, so I was wondering if that disqualifies me from being a legionaire. :???:

[Gaius Colletti]

Disqualifies you in what sense? From joining a reenactment group? Realistically you aren't going to be swinging your sword around at most events unless you are doing an immersion or mock fighting, but I am inclined to say most events are for the public, and for that reason mock fighting is limited or non-existent for liability reasons.

If this is something you really want to do, just get used to the idea of using your shield in your left and sword/pilum in your left.

My father is right handed, but when he broke his right arm/hand he learned to write left handed, after he healed, he got used to using his left arm so much that he played baseball with a right handed mitt and is ambidextrous, so it is something that can be taught

[Kegluneq]

If you just want to be a vanilla legionary, then it might draw glances, especially if you intend to 'perform' alongside other legionaries. The Romans for the most part didn't really understand that handedness wasn't an immutable choice and would simply have trained everyone the same way. There aren't really any references to soldiers fighting left handed - see a previous discussion of this topic here. At best you'd have an advantage when it came to dextrous use of the shield.

However, left-handedness wasn't a total taboo in the Roman world - 'sinister' was left, but 'scaeva' was left handed; the name 'Scaevola' means 'the left-handed' and was bestowed upon a legendary hero of the Republic who lost his right hand to torture but kept his honour. Gladiators (who could fight independently) were occasionally famous as left-handed fighters, and gained the advantage that modern fencers do against righties. And there's a unit of left-handed slingers (auxiliaries) mentioned somewhere (the bible?). If it's impossible for you to do things right-handed (and as a fellow lefty I sympathise), you could incorporate it into your character by taking that name?

[Vindex]

There's no reason why being left handed should stop you joining a group! Look on the bright side, you'll have an excellent shield arm!

Every polo player in the world has to play right handed and it doesn't stop anyone :wink:

[agrimensor]

I'm a lefty, it did not stop me, i draw a sword as fast as every righthander miles.
But if you want to potray a gladiator then i would go for the lefty because thes were expensive gladiators because they were used to fight righthanded oponent while those did not fight a lefty to often.
but a miles is alright. i made my name even to be a lefty.

[agrimensor]

nice picture, Vindex. as a surveyor i like that.

[Vindex]

nice picture, Vindex. as a surveyor i like that.

:mrgreen: Good isn't it? David Connolly of Past Horizons has allowed me to pinch it!

[richard robinson]

I would support the idea of training right handed. My good friend found that whatever he taught his right hand to do his left knew naturally. He is now ambidextrous and a brilliant miles and gladiator.
Regards
Richard

[Dan Howard]

Agreed with Richard - you will have no trouble training to fight right handed. I'm left handed and trained to fight right-handed, but unlike Richard's friend, I'm no longer comfortable fighting left handed. I wish I spent more time fighting both ways.

[Titus Manlius Verus]

Great. Thanks, everyone. 8)

[M. Demetrius]

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous. :?