By Parker McKenzie
The Roman Legionnaire is weary after the long march, his lorica segmentata — the metal armour he carries across his chest — weighing him down as he puts one foot in front of the other.
With his bladed gladius and his shield in his hands and fully kitted in his combat gear, the vast green mass of the Dandenong Ranges is partially obscured by the visor of his helmet.
If you happen to find yourself behind the Ferntree Gully Bowls Club on a particular Sunday once a month, you too may see the Roman Legio X Fretensis, far from home.
Ancient Roman Re-Enactors Victoria President Christian Thomas said he has loved classical history since he was young, which attracted him to re-enacting.
“I came across the reenactment club a number of years back at a festival that they were participating in and I saw these guys in the full Roman kit, which was really authentic,” he said.
“I was really interested and I came over to have a chat and fell into it. I came along to a couple of sessions and then started picking up my own gear.”
According to the organisation’s secretary Aldo Schepis, the group are bought together by their shared love of ancient history.
“Exploring what may have happened 2000 years ago is what we are all about,” he said.
“Our group prides itself on being historically accurate and with that comes a lot of responsibility.”
Bearing javelins known as the pilum, two varieties of shields — the square Scutum and the round parma — and other historically accurate equipment, the group practices their formations as they march around Glenfern Reserve.
Mr Schepis said he enjoys the Roman military history part of the re-enactment, however, there are other aspects to it as well.
“I enjoy reading about it and this helps me bring the theory to life, reliving some of those elements from 2000 years ago,” he said.
“We don’t only do military stuff, we also do civilian stuff as well. We’ve got people who are interested in the cooking aspects, like when we put on an open day at Melbourne University.”
At the open day, members of the organisation fed attendees with Lucanian sausages — a dried and smoked delicacy from the period — and bread made from a recipe supplied by the British Museum. Partnerships with other organisations are a key part of the club, which put together displays of equipment and military tactics.
Mr Thomas said it is important to do the research and find the right equipment for your representation, to ensure it is accurate for the classical period.
“There are a lot of different types of gear out there and there’s a whole thing in the media of what we call Hollywood Romans,” he said.
“It’s trying to see past that and get down into what the ancient world would really look like. What were the colours like? What did it feel like? That’s something you get a good sense of when you do historical reenactment.”
Mr Schepis said there are challenges when trying to remain historically accurate.
“There are some elements of our kit or our representations that haven’t existed or haven’t survived,” he said.
“Were all Roman tunics red? We don’t know. Yes some were red and it was a popular colour, but there’s no definitive answer.”
Other challenges stretch into military theory and the conditions where they can train.
“It’s experimental archeology. We say well that wouldn’t really work when you’re doing this sort of thing, or you’re in this sort of place,” Mr Schepis said.
“But was this the way the Romans actually did it? There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, as far as that is concerned.”
Ancient Roman Re-Enactors Victoria was formed in 2016 and is an incorporated organisation featuring a hierarchy of officers, legionnaires and civilian members.
Mr Thomas said membership in the club is an opportunity to come together with like-minded people who enjoy ancient history.
“We have some really great conversations. Sometimes people will go hunting around and discover a tidbit of information in archeological reporting, and it will actually tweak or amend their gear, so we will discuss that as a group,” he said.
“We’re a really welcoming, inclusive group and we are always on the lookout for anyone who’s interested in coming along.
“We do it to share with the public and the community. We attend community events to get out and have fun with our team.”
For more information about Ancient Roman Re-Enactors Victoria, visit www.ancientrrv.com
