On March 23-26 of the year 2759 AUC an event was held in Lafe,
Arkansas so named AD43. This event was a Roman immerson event to give its participates a taste of what life was
like for a Roman soldier in 43 AD Britian. This was my first true Roman event. I was going as a Roman
soldier, and really looking forward to the event.
On March 22 we sent out from Charleston on
our long road trip to the event. That night we camped out on the otherside of Atlanta, Ga at a friends house that
would be rideing with us.
On March 23 we got up a little later than we would
have liked around 0900 hrs. Around 1030 hrs we finally got packed and headed out. We took the scenic route of
going around the mountains, through Birmingham Alabama, and through miles upon miles of endless barely developed land.
Finally arriving onsite just as the sun was almost spent.
On March 24 we woke up with the sun. It was
so cold you could see your breathe. Around 1000 hrs, everybody was up and ready to go. They got us in formation
and told us the rules and reg. for the event and divided us up into two groups. Since our group was the biggest we staied
together. Our duties for the day was to go on patrol. So we set out walking around the site in a single columon,
through grassy feilds, rivers, and wooded areas. We finally came upon a Celtic village. One of Celts
was there, he greeted us and graciously answered our questions. (I was very suprised that he staied in character the
whole time, answering our questions as a Celt and not as a Celtic re-enactor!) Then we set off back to the fort.
On the way back we stopped at the Vicus, where a Celtic girl was trying to steal a pair of scissors. We stoped
her, detained her, and took her to the fort. While resting at the fort my centurion Justus Rustius Longinus, gave me
a mission of great importance. He told me to become friends with the Celtic girl and eventually get information
about her people, location of arms, size of there strength, etc...... I did as I was told and when we set out again
I bid her fair well.
After a long day of patroling I took off my armor, and went to vicus
for a drink and to talk with the locals. While I was there the Celtic girl came up to me and we started talking as freinds.
After a while she asked me if I wanted to go to the Celtic village, I said sure. When we got there I immediately got
the impression that I was not there as an observer. More Celts were there than I have seen all day, and they seemed
to be preparing for battle. After a while they gave me a sword (needlefelt) and told me to take off my balteus.
I had been drafted!
It was getting dark, perfect time for an attack.
We started provoking the Romans, and tried to get them out of the fort. I later learned that no one from the group I
was with knew where I was. When I finally made my presence known to the Romans, the guys from my group, that were on
the wall, starting saying "Theres' Josh!" and "What is Josh doing fighting for them?" Which made my centurion, and the
other guys from the group, come to the wall. For me this was an awesome sight. Looking at the fort in the dark
with the torches light and the light coming off the helmets of the Romans. My centurion, which was now standing on top
of the gate house, starting talking to me "When I sent you get information from the Celtic girl, you were not suppose
to join her." I replied "Good, you do remember that it was you that sent me on that mission. That mission that
you knew that I would fail and eventaully be turned. My failure is on your hands!"
After talking back and forth for a while, and a few small skrimishes
we retreated to the village. This was not the end, we let the Romans cool off and settle down for almost an hour.
By this time it was really dark! So we quietly started out to the fort and when we got almost up to the gate house they
saw us, and started the alarm. We started running as fast as we could, around the gate house and over the wall.
There was very lite resistance! We managed to kill all the Romans and take the fort in one peice. As for my centurion,
he died before he could draw his gladius. HAH!! A great victory!
Even though the night, not to mention the fort, belonged to the
Celts, we decided to be gracious hosts and give the fort back. That night was a night to remember! Not just because
I defected and helped capture a Roman fortress, but becuase of what later became the snorkestra. Imagine a building
that can house twenty-four grown men, but this building has three cambers but the wall stops where the raffters begin.
Now that you have the building in mind think of at least twenty grown men snoring, LOADLY, all night. Some of it was
a normal tone snore, some like a machine gun, and others like they were protecting a den of baby cubs.
On March 25 we again awoke to the sight of seeing
our breathe. The morning started out a much sooner than the day before but this time the roles were reversed.
Our group staied and gaurded the fort, while the other went out on patrol. That was not the only change, we now replaced
all of our swords with needlefelt swords. Their was mixed emotions about this decision. Some whated it to be one
hundred percent authentic, while the others what the same but also wanted to play. I liked the idea!! The only
thing I didn't like about it was the fact that they didn't make this decision the day before.
As the patrol left we started to get water for food and refreshment
as well as set up targets for combat practice. We set up three bales of hay for pila practice. After a while of
throwing and two broken pila we changed to needlefelt pila. Around this time we started hearing noises in the woods,
noises that sounded like sheilds crashing together. After about ten minutes or so a Celt came out of the woods with
the helmet of the centurion leading the patrol. It was a deep blow to our hearts to see it, even if it was just a show.
Around lunch time the patrol returned and rested, also around this
time the Celts decided to attack. Not a problem really since we now out numbered them but half of our force complained
of being to tired to fight. So, with this in mind, we talked our way out of it but not with out a few small skrimishes.
Once the Celts retreated someone had a great idea of taking pictures.
Not a bad idea since everybody wanted to take them. We took pictures of all the soldiers marching out of the fort with
a different centurion and signifer, and also pictures of a testudo assualting the fort. A great number of them were
really great shots!
That night, since it was our last, we as in the Romans and Celts
feasted! We had salad, lamb, furits, nuts, bread, and wine. This event was also the first time I had to eat Roman
food. I had tasted it before but nothing like this. The lamb was cut into peices about the size of a cube steak
and grilled on a open pit, I am not sure what seasoning they used but it was oh so good! It was hard to eat becasue
we had not forks, but we managed. After dinner we retreated back to the fort around the fires to some conversation,
some of it was constructive but most was just a bunch of guys shootin the s*#t. Also, that night there was a new addition
to the snorkestra, farting. That is right farting, a normal thing especially for a bunch of guys but the surprising
thing was that it fit in perfect with the snoring. It when a little like this (snoring that was building up, fart, snoring
that slowly went away, fart, snoring that was building up, fart, snoring that slowly went away, etc....) We laughed
about this the whole way home!
On March 26 we packed up and started our long journey
back home. On the way home I told my centurion that I had a lot of fun being a Celt! That I finally found something
I could bring to Castra. He said "What about starting up your own little barbarian group, but I think being a german
would be more up your alley since you are so tall." What an idea!
So there you go. The humble beginnings of the Cherusci Tribe.
In 9 AD, the leader of the Cherusci put a permant stop to the Roman
conquest of Germania.
In 2006 AD The Cherusci was reborn by stopping the Roman conquest
of Lafe.
Special thanks to that little black
hair Celtic girl that befriended me!
