Our Philosophy

Our philosophy is that Roman Times is an organization that will not only help educate members of the public, but more so, allow our members to learn about the life and world of the Roman citizen (and other members of the Roman world) by doing, vs. just learning by reading a book. Actual immersion helps us learn in a way that is not possible any other way. The feel of wool and the weight of armor... The taste of posca and garum... More so, marching in armor with your gear, not knowing if an enemy will jump out and ambush you... these things add quite a lot to one's understanding of the Roman or Celtic person.

Our goal is to authentically attempt to "experience the time period" and feeling one gets by actually doing the things that ancient people did in their daily lives. Obviously, we can never be totally perfect — that would require us to be a certain age, be quite fit and speak Latin, not only fluently, but also in the proper dialect from the region where we purport to be. Anyway, our authenticity is on several levels in that we use the "3-M's system" to recreate the time period...

Reenactment Philosophy

The best way to describe what we do is engendered in the phrase 'experiential archeology'. Our displays are dynamic, not static. We are not content with parades and drills or displays of gear. We, via our portrayals, prefer to put our Roman gear and equipment to the test. Many academics look down their noses at this kind of thing, but we feel that we gain much in what we do.

We strongly believe that the gear we make or acquire is best portrayed and understood when it is used, used extensively, put to its physical limitations. We do not revere our equipment or handle it with cotton gloves. The gear we make and wear is designed and intended to be durable, fully functional soldier's gear, just like the originals.

• If it bends, we straighten it.
• If it breaks, we fix it.
• If it is destroyed, we replace it.

Reenacting and the 3-M's System

Historical reenacting is sort of an “interactive history lesson” for spectators and participants alike. Unlike history books or documentary films, reenacting attempts to provide first-hand, live experiences with a wide variety of military equipment, of the monotony of camp and garrison life, and the tragedy and violence of combat.

The 3-M's

To do as accurate a presentation as possible, we have a rather simple philosophy: There are three main facets to a historical impression, and they all are of equal importance: Man, Minutia, and Methods—the “big three,” or the “three M's.” When we get too far advanced in one area, we try to stop and improve on one of the other two.

• Man refers to the person inside the uniform — without knowing something about the Roman man, you can't really portray a convincing Roman Soldier. In this category, we include things like personal appearance, language, and mannerisms.
• Minutia is all the “stuff” related to the person: uniforms and clothing, equipment, personal effects. A very obvious and; therefore, important aspect, but by no means any more important than either of the other two.
• Methods are the ways in which the Man uses his Minutia. This includes drill, combat techniques, camp chores, unit organization, etc.

Our Main Activities

As members of a Living History group, we have two main activities: attending events and doing research. The events we participate in range from static educational displays to full-fledged battle reenactments complete with a battlefield. Our research efforts include not only determining the correct uniform, equipment, and personal effects, but also in gathering as much history as possible from all sources.

Purpose and Goals

Our purpose is primarily to provide a means for people who share an interest in ancient Roman history, to join together in learning about the everyday life of the common Roman or Celtic person (soldier or civilian>). We concentrate on life in Britain, circa 60-68AD. An important part of this learning process takes place at living history and immersion events where we experience, as much as is practically possible, the different aspects of a person's life during this time period.

Our goals are:

1. to provide activities that include those of both soldiers and civilians — both are an equally important part of our Roman military encampment presentation. Our focus is on one time period in order to present a cohesive and comprehensive display.
2. to provide the best experience we possibly can for our members at our events
3. to provide activities that are interesting, educational and entertaining
4. to attempt to accurately and respectfully represent people from another time and place who struggled and sacrificed for something they believed in
5. to foster among ourselves a sense of connection with the past.

Activities

We recreate the activities of an area of Roman Britain, between 60-68AD, in a temporary camp, some miles north of what will one day become Hadrian's Wall in Britain. Our activities also include public Living History presentations and immersion events onsite. We try to balance public held events and living history immersion events.

A Social Function

Roman Times has a social function as well: to create a sense of comradeship among our members and the Roman community as a whole. This is something that is often difficult to find in our highly individualized, present-day society. This comradeship is built upon our shared interests and experiences, and the pride that we take in trying to do something as well as we possibly can.

When possible, members of Roman Times are also encouraged to share with others—school groups, fellow collectors and historians, and the general public—their growing knowledge of the Roman Empire, and insights they may be gaining into the life, times, and motivations of the common Imperial Roman soldier. This goal, however, is secondary to learning more for ourselves, and providing our members with the best possible experience while at our events.

Page Author: Roma Admin Last edited: April 19, 2023