Friends, Late Romans, Gentlemen.
I have read this thread with interest – good comments and ideas. I would like to add my own comments if I may. As a foreigner but with many contacts to other groups outside France, maybe I can add something of value.
I apologize if something was already repeated here earlier.
First let me say that this was a great event. It was my very first battle, and the largest event I ever participated in. It was great. I sincerely hope we can repeat this, maybe every 2 to 3 years, if possible.
Especially the size of this event is what appeals to me. I would be as interested in a smaller event with perhaps a 100 participants, because that is not as unique as this one. I think it can become even larger, because there are more Late Roman groups around, such as in Italy or Eastern Europe.
[may I refer to a discussion on this forum about an event of this size? I proposed something about a Strasbourg event a few years ago and some said these numbers were impossible.
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I agree with many here that the material aspect was OK, especially of the Romans. Exceptions will always be there of course, but for an event of this magnitude it will always be difficult to get everybody with 100% perfect outfit.
I also agree that, especially on the Germanic side, this standard was not the same. Mostly too young equipment, Merovingian and even Viking. IF we want to do this scientifically, the majority of the opposing Germans would look A LOT like the Romans.
Can we ask the Germanic groups to dress more like Romans? We are after all in a Merovingian park, with Merovingian groups being the ‘house-groups’, and we know that there are far less Germanic groups who portray the 4th and 5th century, and far more who portray the 6th to 9thcenturies and after. Can we ask them to invest in equipment to suit us? I doubt this very much. I think that Germanic groups would lose interest to participate in an event like this. Can we honestly tell Ulfhednar and their friends to drop their good equipment because they are 200 years too young for us?
How to avoid this if we really want this to remain a very large event with 200-300 men on the battlefield?
A few suggestions:
1 - portray a single event
This is the ‘Hastings’ model, where the event is one point in time, and all participants can be told to conform to a single standard. We could surely do a ‘battle in 470’or something like that.
That would mean only ask groups from this period. Do we have that many? I know of a lot of German groups who do Alamannic, or Frankish periods, but I doubt we can raise that many.
An alternative would be to have each Roman group also provide some Germanic counterparts?
The quality would be higher, but each time, we are bound to lose numbers on the field. Quality over quantity.
2 – be less restrictive
I have no problem with fur-clad barbarians. After all, Sidonius Apolliaris writes more than once about Goths dressed in furs. It’s not a big problem. Of course, I would like to see less barbarian chieftains dressed as if they just moved from Jutland!
We could therefore accept 8th century equipment like we did this year, and compromise. This would be a way to ensure that many groups want to attend, even though we would lose the scientific approach.
I am not for limiting this only to northwest France during the early 5th century. If someone wants to portray Goths or Huns, good! Only, we do not need to accept everything. No Vikings. And PLEASE, no cataphracts for the Germans again!!!!! Cataphracts are Roman, I would rather have NO Germanic cavalry than seeing that again!
I also have no problem with ARMAE etc. Yes, I realize it’s not up to standards, but a) we know that this is impossible to achieve for many people and b) in this case I think we should achieve the highest number of people on the field. So compromise. I don’t like to see Deepeeka spathae in my group, but if I can get 3 more men in the field by giving them our old swords, I choose for that.
Yes, it would be more ‘fantasy’, but it’s hard to avoid if you want this to be a big event. Quantity over quality.
3 – dress light
With regards to equipment, I agree that many want to be dressed 100% - I am one of them – you want to be seen in your best stuff! However, it would be a good thing to see more warriors in a simple outfit. After all, not all barbarians were chieftains, and not all Romans were comitatenses. Maybe we should develop this: rich troops AND poor troops, elaborate AND simple. That way, groups are encouraged to bring more people in who are dressed ‘light’.
Could we make this a rule? IF you bring troops in heavy armour, you must also bring a similar number without armour? MAYBE we could get a compromise, and become more like a 5th century battlefield?
Resumating:
What do we want? A large battle with less quality? Or a smaller event with a high quality? Severe restrictions in time and geography? Or more compromise and higher numbers?
For me, this event solidly rests on the number of groups involved. Of smaller events, we already have plenty. You will only get groups coming here in such numbers when the rulers are less restrictive. This does NOT mean that everyone can do what they want. For a next event, we can learn from this one and give some warnings and rulers, without losing groups
Also, let’s never forget – this is meant to be fun.
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Lastly, something about the wish to engage more of the public with non-military matters, civilian things, kids’drill and plumbata throwing etc.
I would encourage this, but at the moment the camp is not equipped for this, and the program is too heavy to organize such program points inbetween the military shows. We have recognized this at LRE, and next year we will reduce the military show to one time per day, with a civilian happening being the other one. If you keep two long military shows, there is no way that participants can do the other things as well I think.
OK, before this gets too long I’ll stop and wait for comment. I would like to discus the actual fighting, but that is best avoided here and now.
Regards,
Robert Vermaat
FECTIO