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The introduction to this programme says that it is based on the writings of contemporary Roman writers and is produced with advice from historians.
I noticed that Constantine's legions were using oval shields when I thought that the rectangular scutum was in use at that time. Also I saw that the horsemen were all using brass stirrups. Am I right in thing that these were both anachronisms?
Also the script had it that the Roman gods included Apollo, one of the Greek pantheon, and made no mention of Mithras, who was surely the soldiers' god worshiped by most of the Roman army, especially in the East.
Can anybody tell me whether I have got this right? If I am perhaps the BBC should consult with some of the re-enactment lot before doing another series?
I think that the other BBC series "Rome" was more accurate.
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Try this link for discussion of this series:
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... 9&start=40
Matthew James Stanham
It is a joyful thing indeed to hold intimate converse with a man after one\'s own heart, chatting without reserve about things of interest or the fleeting topics of the world; but such, alas, are few and far between.
Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350), Tsurezure-Gusa (1340)
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Welcome to the forum, fellow Welshperson!!
To address a couple of your questions directly: Apollo was a perfectly respectable Roman god and was the tutelary deity of Augustus, there's nothing wrong with him being worshipped at all! And Mithras was probably not worshipped by 'most' of the Roman army; some, but not most. Soldiers worshipped as many gods and versions of gods as civilians, including the Christian god.
If you have a search through this web-site and the various links members have provided, you'll discover that the BBC 'docudrama' on Constantine wasn't that bad, for both 'look' and events. It was certainly more historically accurate than HBO's 'Rome'!
As Matthew says, you'll find more discussion of all the programmes in that series on the other thread. Happy reading!
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This series has been quite a refreshing difference from the usual fare that we are offered by the Beeb on the subject of Rome. The previous series on the 'history' (if that is the word for it) was so riddled with errors as to come under the Trades Description Act, I would have thought.
What impressed me about the current series is that someone has obviously taken a great deal of trouble to do some actual research for it. Punic Wars period Roman soldiers were wearing Montefortino helmets and small pectoral breastplates, while for the Flavian period we saw Imperial Gallic and Italic helmets with mail and lorica segmentata armour and then for Constantine we saw the Intercisa helms, little armour (perhaps too much mail in evidence) and the large oval shields. This represents such a sea-change in research that one wonders if the programmers at the Beeb have finally listened to all the criticisms that have been heaped on their heads.
One other thing I found of interest was the general dullness of the clothing. There were no bright colours evident, even for the officers and there wasn't a single red tunic in sight for the soldiery. The troops were also much less uniform than one is used to seeing.
As for the stirrups - yes, too early for their use but we might be coming up against the Health and Safety Act here. Despite the fact that Roman cavalry went into battle using the horned saddle, this is apparently insufficient for the modern-day actor!
visne scire quod credam? credo orbes volantes exstare.
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in the film: ..........................
which was utter cack............
i saw: .................................
which was not even worth mentioning,
as well as the (if you can call it a film at all) :.....................
and the:.......................
:lol:
DAMNATIO MEMORIAE!!!!!!!!!!!
M.VIB.M.
Bushido wa watashi no shuukyou de gozaru.
Katte Kabuto no O wo shimeyo!
H.J.Vrielink.
