Ancient reenactment

Ancient reenactment tends to focus on portrayals of the Greco-Roman world, and especially on modern recreations of Roman legions and ancient Greek hoplites.

Roman reenacting

Most groups that concentrate on Roman reenacting focus on one particular Roman legion; nearly all of the legions portrayed actually existed historically, and the reenactors strive to recreate the legion as accurately as possible. This attention to realism generally extends to the worn and displayed, and to behavior displayed to each other and especially to the public; indeed, many public demonstrations attempt to recreate Roman military drills, marches, and even stage mock battles.

Roman reenactment groups usually welcome women and children, in an effort to both accommodate entire families and to portray Roman civilian life. Additionally, it is not unknown for older male reenactors (who might have previously played Roman legionaries) to portray consuls, senators, or even a Roman emperor.

The Roman Army did not remain static and, whilst sometimes demonstrating these changes in displays of the evolving equipment and appearance of the legionary, most groups also focus on a particular time period. The most popular period is probably the 1st-2nd century, with legionaries wearing the characteristic segmented armour illustrated on Trajan's Column. However, some groups portray the Late Roman legion, after the army reforms of Diocletian.

Roman reenacting is popular in both the United States and Europe.

Roman gladiator reeenacting

A smaller subset of Roman reenactors attempt to recreate Roman gladiator troupes. Some of these groups are part of larger Roman reenactment groups, and others are wholly independent, though they might participate in larger demonstrations of Roman reenacting or historical reenacting in general. These groups usually focus on portraying mock gladiatorial combat in as accurate a manner as possible.

Ancient Greeks reenacting

Greek reenacting groups concentrate mostly on classic era hoplites though archaic, hellenistic and earlier eras are becoming popular as well.Most reenactors focus on Greek hoplites and tend to depict the classical ages around the Peloponnesian wars, but accurate depictions of Greeks in earlier Mycenaean and other times are beginning to show up such as the Persian wars and that of the Macedonian phalanx .Besides groups there are also individuals that sometimes excel in their efforts to reenact the heroes of ancient Greece.International conventions are being held with the first being in Watford, Britain in the summer of 2006.

Some groups stage mock battles such as the [http://www.spartanwarband.com/ Spartan warband] that equips its members with durable aspis and equipment and reenact the Phalanx formation tactics to their fullest extent by making two hoplite squads of reenactors to clash with each other.The Spartan Army is very popular as a theme as can be evidenced by the [http://300spartanwarriors.com/ Warriors of Thermopylae] .

The biggest hype in groups seems to be shield devices as they differentiate each reenactor in a similar way as that of the medieval knights.

Greek reenacting is popular in the United States, Europe and Australia and whose members from around the world will gather at the [http://www.300spartanwarriors.com/ 2010 International Ancient Greek Hoplite Festival] .

Celts reenacting

Celts, Gauls and any and all of the many tribes are being reenacted from tribal warfare to even domestic reenactment of Celtic societies. Many specific tribes are being reenacted, as are important events such as battles and festivals. Typically, celtic groups are sister groups to a roman legion.

ee also

List of ancient reenactment groups

External links

* [http://www.erminestreetguard.co.uk/ The Ermine Street Guard] the oldest (1972) Roman Army re-enactment Group, based in U.K. email address: [e-mail]
* [http://www.durolitum.co.uk/ Britannia] is one of many re-enactment societies which has provided extras for films such as "Gladiator"
* [http://www.novaroma.org/ Nova Roma] is a historical recreation society, pagan religious organization and classical studies group wishing to build a new cultural Rome.
* [http://www.comitatus.net/Home.htm Comitatus] is a typical Historical reenactment and Living history group portraying a range of different peoples rooted in a particular geographical location over time, in this case Late and Post-Roman Romano-British and Germanic peoples, based in northern England.
* [http://web.utk.edu/~cohprima/ Legio V Living History Group in Tennessee]
* [http://legvi.tripod.com/ Legio VI Ferrata Fidelis Constans] A Living History Group Representing the 1st Century AD (CE) Based in the Charleston, South Carolina area.
* [http://legvi.tripod.com/thirdcohort/ Legio VI Cohors III Gallica Manis Caesaris] Living History Group representing Republican Legionnaires from 60BC to about 30BC based in the Metro DC and Northern Virginia Area
* [http://www.hoplitikon.com/ HOPLITIKON OF MELBOURNE] Ancient Greek Hoplite Reenactment Group based in Australia Melbourne
* [http://www.hoplites.btinternet.co.uk/ The Hoplite Association] A hoplite reenactment group based in Britain
* [http://www.hoplites.org/ Hoplite Association] Ancient Greek Reenactment society based in the UK
* [http://www.spartanwarband.com/ The Spartans] Re-enactment and live Spartan combat based in USA
* [http://www.300SpartanWarriors.com/ Warriors of Thermopylae] Ancient Greek Hoplite Reenactment Group based in the U.S.A.
* [http://www.paxromana.nl/ Pax Romana] A reenactment society based in the Netherlands, reenacting Cohors XV VCR and Classis Germanica (once based in the Netherlands) and presenting various Roman social classes from the 1st century AD, such as legionaries and officers, medics, teachers, craftsmen and civilians
* [http://www.spartan-society.co.uk/ The Spartan Society] Spartan re-enactment society based in the UK