Why do 1st Century Roman groups avoid combat

[Crispvs]

"Use light wood, soft and large-enough padded tips, shafts covered with tape to limit splinters. Train people to cover their heads with shields to avoid head injuries."

Well, this is all very well, but we are surely talking about pila here. As the pilum was designed to either pass straight through a shield and into its carrier, or to stick into the shield so as to make it so unmanageable that it would probably have to be cast aside, I can't see how your suggestion would demonstrate anything at all about the pilum, other than that it was a weapon to be thrown. The distinctive features of the weapon (ie: the reason for its adoption and continued use over several centuries) would have to be rubbed out of existence. Nothing would be demonstrated to the public and nothing would be learned.
As I said earlier in this thread, if you are going to have a 'bash' then fine - have fun. Don't, on any account, try to tell the audience though, that they are watching anything even remotely like what would actually have happened, because they won't be! Even if we knew how the Romans actually fought (and we don't) we still couldn't do it in a way which allowed the public to take away a lesson from it. Pila and arrows were not designed to bounce off shields.

I stand by everything I said on page five of this thread.


Byron, as a former mountaineer who has lost friends to the dangers of that pursuit, I take your point entirely.

Crispvs

[jkaler48]

"Don't, on any account, try to tell the audience though, that they are watching anything even remotely like what would actually have happened, because they won't be!"


I agree that any "combat" demonstration with "safe" weapons for the public should be accompanied by
a good explanation of the marked difference between it and an actual battle. While not even close to a real battle a combat demonstration well done can be a fun way of promoting both the hobby and an interest in the study of history particularly for young people.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Yes, I agree there. However, as Crispus mentions, some equipment will not be demonstrated as they are/were ment to be.
That is where you have targets (static, not live) to throw at, and is great to see. And a good laugh!
That is something I think we can expand on, with a good comentator informing the crowd of how it would apply in the real situation!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

However, there are groups wh do the bash each other bit who make the claim they are authentic, and better than 1st century groups who do not. This is a joke, as far as I am concerned!