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A Fathers role (legionary and auxillary)
#1
I've read allot during my very limited time regarding what roll fathers had in the bringing up of their children in Rome itself, however as with the childrens clothing mentioned in my previous post there is very little background information for the legionarys and auxillaries rolls in the education of their children.<br>
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Now i'm not just talking about the three R's, I'm talking about sword play, archery, hunting etc.<br>
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Well with four lads i don't have to teach them much about fighting with their hands, but what we will hope to show at reenactments is the other side of a soldiers life, not just his military side which is well documented and so well depicted, but his family side, what he would be showing his children,<br>
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IE Fundamental hunting skills, children i would think of a soldier would when they reached a certain age be able to contribute to the families wellbeing, either by working on the land, hunting to provide food for the table, this in the event that there father was posted more than a days march away or injured. Hence i will be showing them archery, trap building etc.<br>
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Basic sword skills, with the tendency for the local tribes to kill every Roman in site, including men women and children, (colchester springs to mind) basic sword skills would come in handy. as will the archery.<br>
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Leatherworking again to allow them to generate income and bring food to the table via another means and be able to repair shoes etc as the need may arise.<br>
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Games of course, fishing etc, more of a practicle reason than a pastime.<br>
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Schooling from an appropriate scholar, however i don't think the art of public talking would be something that a serving father would think was particularily relevent.<br>
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Now do you think this would be a good approach, simple as it may appear to be I believe people, public, would have an interest into how a family of the period functioned..... Not just the rich families, the citizens of Rome but those who aspired to become citizens through service.<br>
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Fly on the wall...<br>
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What do you think<br>
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Kormanus <p></p><i></i>
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#2
Dont' forget that soldiers were forbidden to marry until what, the 3rd century AD? So technically they weren't supposed to have any children until they retired.<br>
As to sword play for the 'barbarians' few children and few adults, except for the upper warrior classes, would have had weapons training. Most of their time was spent learning how to run farms or crafts to help support the family. Most of the fighters that faced Rome were poorly trained and equipped; hence the Romans ran right through them in general. Only wealthy opponents could field trained armies.<br>
So the most common thing the kids would be doing is supporting the family, probably in the vicus, where their mother would have a small shop or do other work, as a soldier's pay doesn't go far. <p>Legio XX Caupona Asellinae</p><i></i>
Richard Campbell
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?
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#3
Many thanks, especially regading the information on what century they were officially allowed to marry, however, i can't see Roman legionaries remaining celebate for 30 years?<br>
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Especially on campaign, as crude as it sounds i would imagine, I may be wrong, that even if they were not allowed to marry, many soldiers would have had children out of wed lock with partners who lived in the small villages that seemed to attached themselves to forts. There's plenty of archelogical evidence that the villages existed and families were present there,and since contraception was limited I would have thought chances are quite a majority of them may have had Roman Blood.<br>
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I'm no expert on when rules were passed regarding the behaviour and status of a soldiers ilagitamet offspring or even if he would take any notice of them, however, it is within our very nature to fall in love and propogate ourselves..regardles of what were told to do!! Earliest example involved a wooden horse and a place called Troy, some bird called Helen and a muppet called Paris.<br>
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So my thought is did the soldiers have families here, yes in all probability. Would they have taught their offspring basic hunting skills, I would of thought yes..logical really, sword play..thinking more of wooden swords.. kids emulate what they see, Roman legionaries were constantly training and unless it was a closed shop /practice they would have been able to see it...and kids just love to play fight.<br>
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Basically if you had children, illegitamate or not and you cared for them, would you not as a father try and pass onto them all of the skills they need to survive in a world which was far harsher than what we see now adays.<br>
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The tablets at Vindolander show me one thing, they were not so different from us, may be they word things a little differently, but they mean the same thing.. invites to dinner or parties..letters to old friends..chasing up suppliers...seems that they were more like us than we may think<br>
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<p></p><i></i>
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