Chinese Lantern Festival, Auckland Domain, Feb 21 March
The Romans helped celebrate Chinese New Year at the Lantern Festival in Auckland Domain (and not just because it's only a short march from the Roman temple). The Chinese New Year is close to the ancient Roman New Year that starts on 1st March, which is why our months are numbered September (7), October (8), November (9) and December (10).
To those interested we explained that we were Chinese-Romans as shown on our map; when Crassus was defeated by Parthia at the Battle of Carrhae (53 BC) we were sold down the Silk Road to fight for the Mongols in the Battle of Zhizhi (36 BC). Chinese historians record the novel "turtle" of overlapping shields (the Roman testudo formation) and the victorious Chinese emperor settled the surviving Romans in the city of Liqian (Legion = the Chinese name for the Roman Empire). Some festival-goers googled "Liqian" and were delighted to see that there are still Romans there today.
To those interested we explained that we were Chinese-Romans as shown on our map; when Crassus was defeated by Parthia at the Battle of Carrhae (53 BC) we were sold down the Silk Road to fight for the Mongols in the Battle of Zhizhi (36 BC). Chinese historians record the novel "turtle" of overlapping shields (the Roman testudo formation) and the victorious Chinese emperor settled the surviving Romans in the city of Liqian (Legion = the Chinese name for the Roman Empire). Some festival-goers googled "Liqian" and were delighted to see that there are still Romans there today.
A video of modern Liqian now reviving its glorious Roman past in the hope of attracting tourist dollars. Their museum's intro video of the Battle of Carrhae (where the Romans were wiped out by Parthian arrows) shows footage from the movie 300 where the Spartans were wiped out by Persian arrows. I guess Romans and Greeks all look the same.
