KING'S COLLEGE SCHOOL DISPLAY, 27 MARCH 2015

Imperium-Romana was invited by Professor John D. Jackson, Head of King's College Classics and Latin Department, to put on a show for about 120 year 9-13 Latin and year 12-13 Classical Studies students. We worked closely with Prof Jackson  to tailor a show specially geared toward the students' education. The Latin students were studying the Roman army, especially as it operated in Britain in the C1st AD and the senior Classical Studies students were studying Caesar and the Gallic Wars and the rise of Augustus. The students also had a good working knowledge of the gladiators.
Our Roman show enrolled a student volunteer to join the Roman army. We dressed him in full Roman gear to train him in fighting techniques. However, he was not very good fighting against the barbarian dummy, so Legionary Marius stepped forward to demonstrate with three quick sword strokes slicing old watermelon-head up, much to the delight of the cheering crowd! But what a mess he made.
Some of the students were formed into a Greek phalanx with very long spears. They were then attacked by Legio VI Ferrata using very short swords. We demonstrated the advantage that flexible Roman cohorts had against a rigid phalanx that must maintain its cohesion to be effective. We were able to outflank them, so showing the superior Romans tactics that let them then go on to conquer all of Greece.
A student dressed as Julius Caesar with a white bedsheet knotted on one shoulder, and a laurel wreath, while another wore a scruffy red wig as Vercingetorix. He was defeated at the Siege of Alesia, despite barbarian reinforcements coming to his aid, and forced to kneel before mighty Caesar. The Roman legion then charged the huge howling barbarian army with drawn swords to win the Gallic Wars, and all of Gaul was conquered.
Caesar fought Pompey the Great in the Civil War and defeated him at the Battle of Pharsalus. Poor Pompey fled to Egypt where his head was chopped off. But mighty Caesar didn't enjoy his victories long, for he was assassinated on the Ides Of March by many daggers in the back.
Right: Caesar's veteran black shields smash into Pompey's novice red shields. Caesar's centurion leaves the ground to drive his full body-weight against the enemy!
Two boys were dressed as Octavian and Antony, and two girls as Octavia and Cleopatra. Octavian married his sister Octavia to Antony, but when Antony ran away with Cleopatra in her sexy Egyptian wig, angry Octavian declared war on Egypt. Antony and Cleopatra were defeated at the Battle of Actium and suicided, Antony with his rubber sword, and Cleo with her rubber snake. Octavian renamed himself Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome.
The Emperor Claudius was played by a boy who had to limp, slobber and squint. He did a great job. Claudius invaded Britannia. Legio VI Ferrata advanced in testudo formation against the British city walls where big rocks (large cushions) were thrown onto the shields from the ramparts above. They used vallum formation against live arrow fire until they were close enough to kill the archers. Queen Boadicea was captured!
During Intermission the students were drilled to use the Roman shields in battle formations while their fellows discharged the dummy pilums at them. They were surprised at just how heavy a Roman combat shield is, and also the skill required to effectively throw a Roman javelin. They really had great fun!
Lisa demonstrated how to properly  tie a genuine full-sized Roman toga by dressing Professor Jackson as the Roman Emperor.
The Gladiator Games saw the Roman champions first salute their new Emperor Jackson. The captured Queen Boadicea was dragged into the arena and forced to fight her own bodyguard. Then a student was dressed as a gladiator and given some basic training. He was matched against our giant Murmillo, but unfortunately was not very good and killed in his first bout, which was a typical fate for many ancient gladiators. Our Retiarius fighting with net and trident defeated the deadly Thraex who asked the crowd for mercy. The students voted thumbs-up for life, thumbs-down for death, and the baying mob howled for death, so poor Glaucus the Grey was dispatched with the blood-dagger through the heart spraying red cordial everywhere, much to the delight of the bloodthirsty students. A grand time was had by all.
We received great feedback from the school that the students were still raving about the show for weeks after, having been engaged by trying out the gear for themselves, or seeing their mates performing as historical characters in the show and hamming it up.
​It is so great to fire up the imaginations of young students and inspire them to investigate further what they have seen to help further their education. We are all Romans!