What attracts you to Late Rome?

[starman2012]

Which wasn't the worst assumption in the west-roman empire of the 5th century 8)

Barbarians prevailed as far back as the first engagement with the Teutones and cimbri.

...slaughtered them with the Roman Army.

Regular forces?

[Semisalis Abruna]

I started off reading 'The Lantern Bearers' by Rosemary Sutcliffe combined with school visits to Caerwent & those great late Roman walls - far more impressive to a nine year old than the little piles of stone in the early barracks at nearby Caerleon!!!

When the TV series 'Arthur of the Britons' came out too, I was hooked. Kept reading about it - then
started doing 5th/6th century 'post-Roman' reenactment and went backwards to the 4th/5th, like Robert.

Magister Militum Flavius Aetius wrote:

5th Century is Late Roman too, Robert.

Not here in sweet Britannia where Vortigern hung out!!!

Anyway, why portray the bullying thugs of the expansionist early empire :wink: when you can re-enact the late period and be a hero struggling to mantain the light of civilisation against the gathering dark.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

It's still debatable when the Romans truly abandoned Britain, I personally think it wasn't until the late 420's.

[starman2012]

It's still debatable when the Romans truly abandoned Britain, I personally think it wasn't until the late 420's.

Evidence?

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Well Germanus of Auxerre for one, although the Military had probably left the Roman Government didn't seem to think Britain was "Lost" as they still sent men like him to combat things in the British Provinces like Pelagianism.

[Caballo]

"It's still debatable when the Romans truly abandoned Britain, I personally think it wasn't until the late 420's.

Evidence? "

I don't think any one date marks the withdrawl of troops / Roman rule- it was , i suspect more of a "melancholy long withdrawing roar" - similar perhaps to the slow collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans from 1820s onwards?"

PS "when you can re-enact the late period and be a hero struggling to mantain the light of civilisation against the gathering dark?" - I wish I'd said that - spot on!!

[Robert Vermaat]

Anyway, why portray the bullying thugs of the expansionist early empire :wink: when you can re-enact the late period and be a hero struggling to mantain the light of civilisation against the gathering dark.

Easy when you live in Britain. Not so easy over here. ;-)

[Robert Vermaat]

Evidence?

Of of the attractive things of this period is that you can have discussions like these.

Evidence?
Let's say that there's no evidence to the contrary. The so-called 'Rescript of Honoroius'(Zosimus, Historia Nova, Book VI.10.2) has long been used to date the 'End of Roman Britain', complete with romantic images of tearful mothers and children waving goodbye to legionaries going aboard ship for Gaul, never to return. But lately momentum has gathered that this passage can no longer bear that weight. Lodged as it is between events dealing with southern Italy, the rest of the chapter (which is faulty and chaotic) is to be taken into account. This has lead some historians to comment that the ‘Brittia’ mentioned here could well have been a misreading of ‘Bruttia’, a beleaguered city in south Italy. Most likely though, the province of Brittii in southern Italy is meant here.

On the other hand we have that enigmatic manuscript, the Notitia Dignitatum. And although it does not prove anything for Britain, there is evidence that at least parts of this list of offices and units was brought up to date until past 425 AD. Either those responcible did not mind to keep chapters about a British diocese lost for over a decade before, or it was not lost by that time.

[Gesiþ]

I like the Late Roman Empire largely because of its army, and how it was different from the Principate and Late Republic we usually hear about. A more Germanic or Sarmatian looking Hamata or Squamata rather than the constant Segmentata spam we usually see. Clibinarii/Catafractarii, Spangenhelms, Dracos, pannonian hats, etc.

And pants.

But I especially like it because I can actually re-enact my own and related people in combat against them (or their Romano-British derivative), or as foederati!

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I like your sig Gesith

And yes, for a long time I've been wanting to do a 5th Century Impression, a soldier under Aetius. But I don't have the money. Still, I find the Intercisa Helmets and Fancy Tunics way cooler than the Principate stuff. And the pillbox hats are my favorite.

[Renatus]

And pants.

Now you're talking! If I were a re-enactor (which I am not), this is what would draw me to the late-Roman period. I simply don't have the legs to wear a short tunica without trousers.

[Alanus]

You guys are cool!

That's it-- the real gist is the "newer" look. We have been looking at Gallic G helmets, balthea, and lorica segmentata, until it comes out our ears. Nothing wrong with that old-fashioned stuff, but something different hits between the eyes. ;-)

[Frank]

You guys are cool!

That's it-- the real gist is the "newer" look. We have been looking at Gallic G helmets, balthea, and lorica segmentata, until it comes out our ears. Nothing wrong with that old-fashioned stuff, but something different hits between the eyes. ;-)

Thats the mostly forgotten reason for Diocletians military reforms!

In 284 AD, he was standing in front of his Legions and asked: "Hey guys, would you like to look cool?"
And the legions answered: "Diocletian for Emperor! ..." 8-)

[Flavivs Aetivs]

but something different hits between the eyes. ;-)

Hence the use of the nasal guard

[Alanus]

Hello, Frank and Evan

Nothing like a nasal... unless you're an archer.
Actually, I represent a late 1st century Roxolanus. But somehow... for some oddly strange reason that we can only surmise... a lot of Sarmatian armor and tactics show up in the late Roman cavalry. (nuk, nuk, nuk) :grin: :whistle: