imperi nuntivs The newsletter of Legion Ireland --- The Roman Military Society of Ireland In This Issue • New Group Logo • Festival of Saturnalia • Roman Festivals • The Emperors - AD69 - AD138 • Beautifying Your Hamata • Group Events and Projects • Roman Coins AD69 - AD81 • Roundup of 2011 Events November 2011 IMPERI NUNTIUS The newsletter of Legion Ireland - The Roman Military Society of Ireland November 2011 From the editor... Another month another newsletter! This month’s newsletter kind grew out of control so please bring a pillow as you’ll probably fall asleep while reading. Anyway I hope you enjoy this months eclectic mix of articles and info. Change Of Logo... We have changed our logo! Our previous logo was based on an eagle from the back of an Italian Mus- solini era coin. The new logo is based on the leaping boar image depicted on the antefix found at Chester. Two versions exist. The first is for a white back- ground and the second for black or a dark back- ground. For our logo we have framed the boar in a victory wreath with a purple ribbon. We tried various colour ribbons but purple worked out best - red made it look like a Christmas wreath! I have sent these logo’s to a garment manufacturer in the UK and should have prices back shortly for group jackets, sweat shirts and polo shirts. Roof antefix with leaping boar The newsletter of Legion Ireland - The Roman Military Society of Ireland. Page 2 Imperi Nuntius - Winter 2011 The newsletter of Legion Ireland - The Roman Military Society of Ireland. Page 3 Imperi Nuntius - Winter 2011 io satvrnalia! Saturnalia... sents (saturnalia et sigillaricia),and a special mar- Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat....OK, ket (sigillaria). Gambling was allowed for all, even so only X number of shopping days left ‘till Christ- slaves. mas, but did our ancient ancestors celebrate it? We’ll no, they had more sense. They celebrated The toga was not worn, but rather the synthesis, Saturnalia. Saturnalia is an Ancient Roman festival i.e. colourful, informal "dinner clothes"; and the pil- held in honour of Saturn (Cronus), the youngest of eus (freedman's hat) was worn by everyone. the Titans, father of the major gods of the Greeks Slaves were exempt from punishment, and treated and Romans, and son of Uranus and Gaia.[1] Most their masters with (a pretense of) disrespect. The relevantly, Saturn is the father of Rome's primary slaves celebrated a banquet: before, with, or god, Jupiter. served by the masters. Yet the reversal of the so- cial order was mostly superficial; the banquet, for Saturnalia was introduced around 217 BC to raise example, would often be prepared by the slaves, citizen morale after a crushing military defeat at the and they would prepare their masters' dinner as hands of the Carthaginians. Originally celebrated well. It was license within careful boundaries; it re- for a day, on December 17, its popularity saw it versed the social order without subverting it. grow until it became a week-long extravaganza, ending on the 23rd. Efforts to shorten the celebra- The customary greeting for the occasion is a "Io, tion were unsuccessful. Augustus tried to reduce it Saturnalia!" — Io (pronounced "Yo") being a Latin to three days, and Caligula to five. These attempts interjection related to "ho" (as in "Ho, praise to Sat- caused uproar and massive revolts among the Ro- urn"). man citizens. Courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia Saturnalia involved the conventional sacrifices, a couch (lectisternium) set out in front of the temple Saturnalia Today... of Saturn and the untying of the ropes that bound The festival of Saturnalia is practiced today every the statue of Saturn during the rest of the year. A December by Roman Tours / Deva Victrix. I’m go- Saturnalicius princeps was elected master of cere- ing over to participate this year. See here: monies for the proceedings. Besides the public rites there were a series of holidays and customs http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php? celebrated privately. The celebrations included a eid=150499775044506 school holiday, the making and giving of small pre- The newsletter of Legion Ireland - The Roman Military Society of Ireland. Page 4 Imperi Nuntius - Winter 2011 The newsletter of Legion Ireland - The Roman Military Society of Ireland. Page 5 Imperi Nuntius - Winter 2011 The emperors --- 69AD to 138AD VESPASIAN - TITUS FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS (A.D. 69-79) Often described as the soldiers emperor, Vespasian restored peace and stability to an empire is disarray following the death of Nero. Not of noble birth Vespasian was none the less to rise to emperor and give birth to the Flavian dynasty, all due his military genius. Generally considered to be one of the good emperors, Vespasian was somewhat of an exception to the rule of corrupt and cruel Roman emperors that went before and were to follow. Vespasian TITUS - TITUS FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS (A.D. 79-81) The son of Vespasian, Titus was left to conquer Judea in A.D.69 following the departure of his father back to Rome to claim the throne. Titus returned to Rome in June A.D.71 to participate in lavish joint triumph with his father to celebrate their successful Judean campaign. Despite fears to the contrary, Titus’ reign was positive until his untimely death in A.D.81. Though never proven, his brother Domitian is thought by many to be behind his untimely death. Titus DOMITIAN - TITUS FLAVIUS DOMITIANUS (A.D. 81-96) The youngest son of Vespasian, Domitian represented a return to the poor em- perors of the past. Domitian was a micromanager. Upon taking office Domitian raised the silver content of the Denarius, only to devaluate it later when military expenditure demanded it. While the military abilities of his farther and brother were genuine, Domitians were not. This seems to be the story of Domitians life, good intentions but an inability to implement with any success. Domitian was as- sassinated on September 18 th A.D. 96. Opinions of Domitian vary, some believe he was practical in much he undertook, others believe he was lazy and licentious. Domitian NERVA – MARCUS COCCEIUS NERVA (A.D. 96-98) Though short, Nerva’s reign as Roman emperor was pivotal. The first of Gibbon’s so called ‘five good emperors’, Nerva is credited with the beginning the practice of adopting his heir rather than selecting a blood relative. Claimed as an ancestor by all the emperors down to Severus Alexander, he has traditionally been re- garded with much good will at the expense of his predecessor Domitian. After the mutiny of the Praetorian guards he announced his adoption of Trajan as his suc- cessor. Nerva died of stroke on January 1 st A.D.98. Some provincial man has come to Rome, and walking on the streets was drawing everyone's attention, being a real double of the emperor Augustus. The emperor, having brought him to the palace, looks at him and then asks: Nerva -Tell me, young man, did your mother come to Rome anytime? The reply was: -She never has. But my father frequently was here. The newsletter of Legion Ireland - The Roman Military Society of Ireland. Page 6 Imperi Nuntius - Winter 2011 The emperors --- 69AD to 138AD MARCUS ULPIUS TRAJANUS CRINITUS (A.D. 98-117) Under the reign of Trajan the Roman empire reached it’s greatest extent. Best remembered for his military conquests of Dacia and Parthia, Trajan was also a prolific builder and significantly improved the infrastructure of Rome and Italy. Key to Trajans success was his good relations with the Roman senate, which allowed him to accomplish whatever he wanted without general opposition. In 117, having conquered vast territories in the east, Trajan, now a sick man began a slow return to Rome having left Hadrian in control of the east. Trajan died in Selinus of Cilicia on August 9 th 117, having declared Hadrian as his successor on his death bed. Trajan PUBLIUS AELIUS HADRIANUS (A.D. 117-138) Hadrian was the third of Gibbons ‘Five good Emperors’. Hadrian was of the same mind as Rome’s first emperor Augustus, who believed that Rome could not go on expanding forever and must be contained within well defined frontiers. In Britannia he constructed ‘Hadrian's Wall’ from Carlisle in the west to Newcas- tle in the west, not as erroneously suggested by the venerable Bead to keep out the Picts and the Scots but rather to make a political statement. He also rein- forced the northern ‘Limes’ between the Rhine and Danube and returned much of the territories conquered by his predecessor Trajan. Hadrian died in his villa Baiae, in the bay of Naples on July 10 th AD138. Hadrian Beautifying Your Hamata... A Little Problem My introduction to the world of re-enactment came At first we all thought the new maille shirt was in 2005. Back then the most important item on my superb, but in the summer of 2006 this was to agenda was getting my kit together as quickly as change. Our first re-enactment event was at possible. One of the most expensive items I knew I Duncannon in Co. Wexford on the June bank- had to buy was armour. There were to options holiday week-end. Here we were joined by mem- available to me. The first was Lorica Segmentata bers of Legio VIII MGV from Wales. On compar- or plate armour, the second being Lorica Hamata ing maille shirts it quickly became apparent that or chain maille. there was something different about our maille. Ours was very ‘shiny’ and looked unauthentic Both forms of body armour were in service with the when compared with Legio VIII’s maille shirts.