Pax Romana

Pax Romana was formed in 1997 to reenact Early Imperial Roman life. The group has two primary focuses. The first is the reenactment of the Roman Military. We have chosen to concentrate on the VIIIIth Legion Hispana, which was stationed in Britain in the year 79AD under the Emperor Vespasian. We have recreated 8 Legionaries from the period as well as 4 Syrian Auxiliary Archers, 2 German Auxiliary Spearmen, 1 Centurion, 1 Vexilifer (Standard Bearer) and 1 Tribune.

The groups second focus is gladiatorial combat in which 10 members have trained. The gladiator came to prominence under Julius Caesar. They had been used in pairs at Etruscan and Roman funerals to honor the departed. Records for bouts as big as 22 pairs date back to 264BC, although they were rare. Many Roman Consuls used the idea sporadically to generate public opinion, however Julius Caesar scaled up the idea considerably during his consulships.

The grand spectacles that Hollywood portrays were from the Imperial period in the first two-century’s AD. The Coliseum was commissioned by Vespasian in 70AD and was completed in 80AD. This became the central location in Rome for gladiatorial spectacles, however every major provincial city had its own arena. Only the best gladiators would be taken to Rome to perform there.

Pax Romana re-enacts the Ludi Romani Gladiatori or School of Gladiators in Rome. This school was owned by the Emperors and would have had hundreds of Gladiators training who were usually acquired as slaves from the provincial arenas by the equivalent of ‘talent scouts.’ While it was uncommon for free men to be in the arena, it was not unheard of and even the Emperor Commodus participated on occasion. By the time of the Coliseum it was not unusual for bouts featuring 200+ gladiators, 1000’s of wild animals and prisoners being executed. The Colesium could even be flooded to host mock naval battles between crews of gladiators.

Pax Romana has 10 members who train to perform gladiatorial combat. Each has chosen a unique gladiatorial combat style and combination of weapons and amour. Most people would be familiar with the net and trident wielding retiarius and the rectangular shield, bronze crested helm and short sword of the myrmillo, however some of the more obscure types are less familiar. We portray the hoplimachus with short spear, bronze greaves and small bronze shield, the Thracian with small square shield, curved sword and bronze crested helm as well as the heavily armored secutor.

Pax Romana trains every weekend to ensure that its combatants are safe since the participants are wearing a minimum of armour compared to other military combat types throughout history. The combats are not choreographed and hence the winner is the best on the day. The gladiatorial combats are always a crowd favourite, with members of the public getting a real feel for what the Roman’s enjoyed most (without the blood...well most of the time anyway.)

The VIIIIth Legion was raised in Spain (Hispana) by Julius Caesar during the Gallic Wars of the Late Roman Republic around the year 57BC. Caesar formed his famous Xth Legion from the officers of the VIIIIth Legion and both Legions fought with distinction in the campaign, which ended with the siege of Alesia and the subjugation of Gaul in 53BC.

At some point during the two years after the conquest of Gaul the VIIIIth returned to Spain to garrison the province. Shortly thereafter Civil War erupted between Julius Caesar and Pompeius Magnus (Pompey) and control of the VIIIIth fell to Pompey. However with Pompey’s attention diverted elsewhere he was unable to take personal control over the Spanish Legions and Julius Caesar took the opportunity to march on Massilia (Modern Marseilles) and then onto Spain itself.

Faced with Caesar himself and with Pompey having fled Italy to Greece, the Spanish Legions, including the VIIIIth returned to Caesar’s control. These veteran legions were to prove the difference less than a year later at Pharsalus in 48BC. The VIIIIth held one flank while the Xth held the other. Their calm and experience held the day and gave Caesar victory. .

The assassination of Caesar in 44BC brought his nephew Octavian (who was to become Augustus Caesar) into the field. The VIIIIth was to see service during the last civil wars of the Republic, initially fought between Octavian and Caesar’s assassins and later between Octavian and Mark Antony. The last battle of the republic was fought at Actium in 31BC during which the VIIII served with distinction. The VIIIIth saw further service in the pacification of Western Spain between 30-19BC. The legion was dispatched to Pannonia in 9AD and remained there until 43AD except for a four year campaign in Africa between 20-24AD.

In 43AD, under the Emperor Claudius, Rome invaded Britannia with four legions and many auxiliary cohorts. One of the Legions dispatched was the VIIIIth. While hard fought, the initial conquest of what we know as England had largely been completed by 60AD when a warrior queen, known to us as Boudicca, almost succeeded in defeating the Romans in Britannia entirely. At the time, most of the legions were engaged in the West of Britannia (modern Wales) in operations against the Druids, who the Romans understood as the lynchpin of Celtic resistance. No sooner were the Druids defeated and their groves and buildings laid waste than the legions had to turn south to face Boudicca.

During their march, both Colchester and the fledgling Londinium were burned to the ground. While waiting for reinforcement, elements of the VIIIIth legion engaged Boudicca’s forces and were completely destroyed. In the final battle Romes Legions were outnumbered somewhere in the vicinity of 6-1, however superior coordination, discipline and choice of terrain saw the Romans victorious.

While the complete pacification of Britannia was never completed all of what we know as England and Wales today remained under roman rule until 410AD. The VIIIIth legion remained a garrison force stationed in York until around the year 110AD when it was summoned to the deserts of Persia. The legion disappeared without a trace in the East sometime between 110AD and 120AD and its fate remains a mystery to this day.