- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
You must log in or register to comment.
Explanation: When the Roman legions were just beginning to change into a standing, professional army, they had gladiators teach new recruits techniques for dodging and warding blows. While the later legions wouldn’t need the instruction of glorified athletes, as they would develop a core of veterans with dedicated training duty, it was useful in getting them started.
Here we see a 100% accurate recreation of those Roman training techniques!
I honestly can’t tell if this is a joke or not, which is kind of hilarious.
I will say as a historical rapier fencer that it actually looks like a decent drill to practice getting out of the way, even though it looks quite silly.
Everything is serious except for the pic. The pic is just some re-enactors goofing off, lmao
Actual Roman techniques for dodging and warding blows involved very minimal and utilitarian movement. Conservation of energy and all that, plus the fact that they would be fighting in fairly closed ranks. Interestingly, some of the techniques involved leaning into the enemy’s blows - shying away could expose unarmored fleshy bits, while inclining your body or your head could help take the blow on the armor.
Interesting! Do you happen to have a primary source? I’d love to read more.
Fuck me, I swear to the gods the internet is in decay. Or search engines, at least. Sorry, but I can’t find where I read it, in part because 90% of the fucking results for primary sources anymore aren’t the easy online versions that used to exist, but all fucking paywalled or just advertisements for translations. If I come across it, I’ll be sure to message you. I might paw through my physical (non-primary source) books at some point, but I have no clue which would have mentioned it.
Vegetius’s De re militari seems to be somewhat on point, and though in a brief skim and search I couldn’t find specific instruction to lean into an attack, this was interesting:
THE POST EXERCISE
We are informed by the writings of the ancients that, among their other exercises, they had that of the post. They gave their recruits round bucklers woven with willows, twice as heavy as those used on real service, and wooden swords double the weight of the common ones. They exercised them with these at the post both morning and afternoon.
This is an invention of the greatest use, not only to soldiers, but also to gladiators. No man of either profession ever distinguished himself in the circus or field of battle, who was not perfect in this kind of exercise. Every soldier, therefore, fixed a post firmly in the ground, about the height of six feet. Against this, as against a real enemy, the recruit was exercised with the above mentioned arms, as it were with the common shield and sword, sometimes aiming At the head or face, sometimes at the sides, at others endeavoring to strike at the thighs or legs. He was instructed in what manner to advance and retire, and in short how to take every advantage of his adversary; but was thus above all particularly cautioned not to lay himself open to his antagonist while aiming his stroke at him.
NOT TO CUT, BUT TO THRUST WITH THE SWORD
They were likewise taught not to cut but to thrust with their swords. For the Romans not only made a jest of those who fought with the edge of that weapon, but always found them an easy conquest. A stroke with the edges, though made with ever so much force, seldom kills, as the vital parts of the body are defended both by the bones and armor. On the contrary, a stab, though it penetrates but two inches, is generally fatal. Besides in the attitude of striking, it is impossible to avoid exposing the right arm and side; but on the other hand, the body is covered while a thrust is given, and the adversary receives the point before he sees the sword. This was the method of fighting principally used by the Romans, and their reason for exercising recruits with arms of such a weight at first was, that when they came to carry the common ones so much lighter, the greater difference might enable them to act with greater security and alacrity in time of action.
Thanks for that archive link to De Re Militari, btw, I’m saving the webpage as an HTML because of how fucked the internet is getting nowadays. That’s the exact site I used to reference it by Back In The Day
The Web has been enshittified beyond belief. The decline of search engines started long ago when the web’s overall focus shifted to advertising, but with the advent of “AI” it’ll become even more horrible.
No worries, thanks for looking! I’ll check out The Strategikon, it sounds interesting.
I think I read it in the Strategikon, but my memory is spotty as to details. Give me a few and I’ll see if I can dig up the passage I remember.
Doesn’t look like the Strategikon. I’ll keep looking for where I read it.
