Research: I need some good places/sites to go for this idea.

[rikaaim]

I want to do an authentic style Gladiatoresque, I know made up word, that isn't Gladiator. I want to create a story where a young 18 year male has just been drafted into the army and has to learn the ways of that lifestyle. Both the pros and cons. I was thinking the spoils of victory, i.e. the women and the looting, and the dangers of war, i.e. the dying. I want it to have a very real historic feel to it. Any suggestions for research ideas?

I'm looking specifically for armour/weapons ideas. Authentic around the Roman period. Also ideas for large scale battle tactics and line formations. I was thinking of using Hannibal's strategy for a scene. Any other ideas?

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I want to do an authentic style Gladiatoresque, I know made up word, that isn't Gladiator. I want to create a story where a young 18 year male has just been drafted into the army and has to learn the ways of that lifestyle. Both the pros and cons. I was thinking the spoils of victory, i.e. the women and the looting, and the dangers of war, i.e. the dying. I want it to have a very real historic feel to it. Any suggestions for research ideas?

I'm looking specifically for armour/weapons ideas. Authentic around the Roman period. Also ideas for large scale battle tactics and line formations. I was thinking of using Hannibal's strategy for a scene. Any other ideas?

Roman history is easy to find. AS to weapons and tactics, the history channel runs some good specials. I have a pretty decent knowledge of the weapons and tactics of the roman legion and a decent to adequate knowledge of themilitary life at the time if you need help.

 

[tolyk]

Try looking up an organization called the SCA.. They are a medieval times recreation group. They have MANY websites with resources that you could use. My brother is a member, the only reason I know of them.. but I've browsed their sites on numerous occassions, and they have a lot of information.

I don't have them bookmarked anymore or I'd give you the link, good luck though.

 

[rikaaim]

I will most definatley put in some time and effort to make this turn out well. I do not have cable, so no shows for me.

I will do a long search tonight, but I'm at school now and only have a few minutes before class. If anyone has any long and detailed response they don't want to post here, just PM it to me.

I appreciate any and all help and just keep the info coming. That's right, the INFO.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I will most definatley put in some time and effort to make this turn out well. I do not have cable, so no shows for me.

I will do a long search tonight, but I'm at school now and only have a few minutes before class. If anyone has any long and detailed response they don't want to post here, just PM it to me.

I appreciate any and all help and just keep the info coming. That's right, the INFO.

I mentioned the shows, but if memory serves, they websirte has tonsof info and clips from the shows. Hope it helps.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Christ. The web should be crawling with that kind of stuff.

Thing is, the legions were known for their discipline, and I don't think they did much wholesale looting. I'm sure it happened, but not like the sack-of-Troy kind of thing.

You might want to set this on the barbarian frontier, just to take advantage of our ignorance of what things were like there. There's an awful lot known about life in a Roman Legion, and unless you really want to do some deep research, you run the risk of getting some details wrong.

For instance, the Roman soldier carried his gladius--his sword-- on the right side, unlike just about everyone else in history. They also used a throwing spear called a pilum that has a soft iron shaft designed to bend on impact. They'd throw them into their opponent's shields and the shaft would bend, hampering their enemy's mobility nd making them throw away their shields.

You've got a lot of research to do, I'm afraid.

---dr.M.

 

[rikaaim]

Christ. The web should be crawling with that kind of stuff.

Thing is, the legions were known for their discipline, and I don't think they did much wholesale looting. I'm sure it happened, but not like the sack-of-Troy kind of thing.

You might want to set this on the barbarian frontier, just to take advantage of our ignorance of what things were like there. There's an awful lot known about life in a Roman Legion, and unless you really want to do some deep research, you run the risk of getting some details wrong.

For instance, the Roman soldier carried his gladius--his sword-- on the right side, unlike just about everyone else in history. They also used a throwing spear called a pilum that has a soft iron shaft designed to bend on impact. They'd throw them into their opponent's shields and the shaft would bend, hampering their enemy's mobility nd making them throw away their shields.

You've got a lot of research to do, I'm afraid.

---dr.M.

That's the kind of info that I'm looking for. I'm not just going to throw this together and hope that know one knows I'm a complete idiot. I want to take my time and get the little things right so that when someone reads this they say, "Hey, this guy did some work. This is really good."

 

[Colleen Thomas]

That's the kind of info that I'm looking for. I'm not just going to throw this together and hope that know one knows I'm a complete idiot. I want to take my time and get the little things right so that when someone reads this they say, "Hey, this guy did some work. This is really good."

The philum's soft iron shank was designed to bend under the weight of the shaft, thus your enemy couldn't throw it back at you.

A roman soldier carried a lot on his back. Their standard proceedure was to turn each night stop into a fortified position so he caried a lot more than just his weapons.

If you are up for taking advice, I would have my main character join an auxillary formation. The romans often worked in concert with formations indigenous to the province, for example, they often used light cavalry drawn from the native population in the far eastern provincs.

The emphasis was on working as one and individuality suffered for it. An alternative would be to have him assigned to a garrison on some far frontier, al la hadrian's wall. In those saces the soldiers more or less lived among the population and acted with far greater autonomy of action than the men in a legion did.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

A note on the gladius. It'
s a very short weapon. The design is meant for use in formation. Each soldier's shield, covered his own obdy and part of the man next to him. The idea was to get in close, then rip upward with it. AS long as they could hold formation, the roman's were tough. Most accounts of massacres and defeats come when the shield line is broken (Cannae) or when the enemy dosen't let them form (Varius) or when the enemy refuses to come to grips (Cresus)

 

[dr_mabeuse]

You can get your gladius sword here:

http://www.museumreplicas.com/webstore/showproduct.asp?hidProductId=500360&hidSearchPosition=9

I think they also sell pilums (philums? pilae?) Whatever they are.

They have pretty cool stuff. Check out their Roman armor too.

---dr.M.

 

[oggbashan]

Which Romans?

'Roman Army' covers a vast period.

The army of the Republic was different from the army of the Roman Empire. Weaponry, armour and tactics evolved over centuries.

If you want to avoid anachronisms you will have to specify the time and place. How the Romans fought Parthians was different from campaigns against the Carthagians and different again for the Gauls, the Slave wars and the Civil War.

The later Empire saw much more use of auxiliaries, particularly cavalry units.

Best of luck - just don't have Roman soldiers fighting their equivalent of the American Revolution with self-loading rifles.

Og

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Re: Which Romans?

'Roman Army' covers a vast period.

The army of the Republic was different from the army of the Roman Empire. Weaponry, armour and tactics evolved over centuries.

If you want to avoid anachronisms you will have to specify the time and place. How the Romans fought Parthians was different from campaigns against the Carthagians and different again for the Gauls, the Slave wars and the Civil War.

The later Empire saw much more use of auxiliaries, particularly cavalry units.

Best of luck - just don't have Roman soldiers fighting their equivalent of the American Revolution with self-loading rifles.

Og

hey Ogs, haven't seen you aroundmuch. Hapy New Year!

 

[oggbashan]

Re: Re: Which Romans?

hey Ogs, haven't seen you aroundmuch. Hapy New Year!

Happy New Year to you too!

Over the past month, apart from daughter's wedding I have been celebrating my wife's 60th birthday, Christmas, New Year and I retired from my bookshop. Then I went to the West Yorkshire meet (300 miles each way) and 2005 has started with a number of political meetings. Not much time for Literotica.

Sometime I need to do some writing.

Og

 

[rikaaim]

Thanks for all of the info. My internet has been down, and still is, so I couldn't respond. I can't really respond more than this right now, but I will come back when my internet comes back. I hope to make this a well thought out and decent story, but we'll see. Thanks again too all of those who offer support.