Three years ago I was very lucky. I providentially had the chance to participate
in the filming of a TV series ( Britannia ) set in ancient Rome. This
film, which takes place during the invasion of Britain, was shot in a
field outside of Prague, where a Roman fort had been replicated with
tents, ramparts, general's tent and all.
For
the next five days, I arrived in a bus full of film extras before
dawn to be lined up in front of the wardrobe tent where I was fitted
with the standard Roman trappings. I was extremely excited, and these
are my impressions.
The Tunic
First
came the tunic. What can I say? I love tunics. I find them incredibly
comfortable and sexy and I would walk around in them all day if
people did not look at me like I was crazy ( which I am, but that is
a point for another blog! :P
Being
a Roman legionnaire, first I was fitted with shin-length trousers.
These were thin trousers which were tied below the knees.
Then
came the tunic(s). First I donned a thick, grey, long-sleeved woolen
tunic. This was incredibly comfortable and warm - almost like
slipping into bed!
Next
came a second, thin, blue, short-sleeved cotton tunic. If the first
tunic felt like slipping into bed, this felt like donning bed-sheets.
One Caliga, Two Caligae
Then
came the shoes - Caligae - the standard issue Roman legion boots.
Made from leather, they slipped-on easily and were laced up the shin
right below the knees. It is worthy to note that, since this film
takes place in Northern Europe, the Caligae provided were fully
enclosed leather, as opposed to the 'sandal' type used round the
Mediterranean.
The
Caligae fit as comfortably as costume wardrobe shoes can. Man! I'm
horribly fuzzy when buying shoes at a store - as I am sure that
everyone is ;) - so I just took what they gave me and moved along.
But
the Caligae are the weakest point of the Roman uniform - indeed - of
the Ancient World. It is not that they were not comfortable, but
ancient cultures had no concept of sole ( let alone insole ) or
tread. How could this be? It is a mystery still. But if you want more
insight on Caligae, I suggest you take a moment to watch this
excellent video by Mr. Lindy Beige, where he explains in detail why -
if you could travel back in time - the best thing you could take with
you is a pair of good sneakers ( or trainers, as my fans from the UK
call them).
Incidentally,
the Roman emperor Gaius
Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus
(
C.E.
37–41)
was
nicknamed "Caligula" because, as a kid, he used to walk
round the Legionary encampment wearing said Caligae which, tailored
to a child's size, were smaller than the standard issue.
Hence
'Caligula'
= 'Little Boots.'
Little
did the legionnaires at the time know what cruel tyrant 'Little
Boots'
was going to grow up to be!
"Wow,
that is very interesting, Georg, but I thought this blog was about
you wearing Roman armour?"
You
are right. Let me continue...
Chain Mail
Then
came the chain mail. Oh have I been waiting for years to wear one of
these! Chain mail - for those of you, my new fans, who still don't
know - is a shirt made of rings of iron. The Roman Chainmail was
short sleeved ( it ended at the shoulders ) and dropped down below my
groin. It weighs around 10 kg ( 22 pounds ).
Did
it feel heavy? That is the key question. At first the weight was,
well, surprising - the way your own clothes feel surprisingly heavy
after being pushed - fully dressed - into the pool. Yet the weight of
the chain mail distributes itself evenly and becomes like a second,
heavier, layer of skin. It did not weigh me down. It allowed me to
walk and even jog, though running would be impossible - unless
desperate!
Let
me tell you this: I sat down on an iron braced trunk many times
during the day to rest and, while I was sitting, I absolutely forgot
about the chain mail. It was only when I stood up that I was reminded
- again, by the weight - that I was wearing armour.
Ultimately
I can say this: did chain mail weigh me down? A little. Did it make
me uncomfortable? Not at all. But, really, there is only one word to
describe how I felt in chain mail: tough. Yeah, I strode about the
camp with my hand resting on the pommel of the Gladius ( sword )
sheathed at my belt with calm and confidence. And when I looked at
the Britons whom the Romans were to battle - who wore no armour at
all - I asked myself, how could these people ever have stood a
chance?
The Helmet
The
helmets provided were copper replicas of the iron originals. As such,
they were slightly lighter yet had been forged identically. The Roman
helmet consisted of a round basin with a brow ridge at the front and
a nape guard at the rear. The face is fully exposed except for the
two cheek guards flanking it, guards which were tied together below
the chin. The production had a whole lot of helmets in different
boxes in the dressing room, and picking one which was the right size
was the key to the comfort/discomfort one would enjoy/suffer for the
rest of the day. The interior of these replicas were lined with
strips of sponge ( the grey utilitarian type ) and I can only imagine
that the originals were lined with some sort of wool padding or
something, as having the bare metal round one's head would be
uncomfortable - even painful - and would do little to cushion blows
from an enemy.
The Cloak
By
far the most versatile item of the Roman uniform is the cloak. I
could wrap it about my shoulders and let it drape down to my feet in
the chill before dawn ( yes, we were in full costume that early) or I
could wrap it into a bundle and use it as a pillow ( in fact placing
the bundle atop my helmet made for perfect naps throughout the day ).
It was tied over one shoulder with leather strings which were
incredibly firm to hold a knot and yet incredibly easy to untie when
needed. Although we did some drilling with our cloaks on, I believe
that when deployed for combat these would have stayed in the camp.
But that is just me.
The Shield
I
remember on my first day I saw a Roman shield and wanted to hold it
to feel its grip. I was too shy to do so, since there were only two -
one for each of the guards at the entrance of the fort. But little
did I know that the next day EVERYONE would be given a shield as we
filmed a 'call to arms.' The actual Roman shield weighed around 10
kilos, but the replicas we had must have weighed about 5. Still, in
the scene we shot that day, everyone had to stand side by side ( arms
length ) with their shields braced as a horde of Britons approached
the fort. I tell you, holding that shield for 2 - 5 minutes at a time
made it feel really heavy.
The Roman Fort
Only
few people know this, but I have already completed the second draft
of a novel which takes place in the ancient Roman world - one which
starts within an encampment of a Roman Legion, just like the one I
was standing on. In fact, let me share with you the snippet where I
described a Roman legionary camp:
"It
was a brisk night of spring and the stars sparkled bright in the
heavens above. Crickets chirped amongst the grass of the surrounding
meadows, and frogs croaked amidst the reeds of a distant pond. At a
faraway grove, an owl hooted now and again.
Within
a vast quadrilateral palisade, the legionary encampment was laid out
in a grid of perfectly straight streets, a grid lined with rows upon
rows of tents and pavilions. Within these, thousands of men slumbered
under the red, eagle emblazoned standards of the Legions of Roma.
All
was quiet in the night but for the neighing of one restless horse or
another, and the crackling of wood at the campfires about which some
men lingered still."
And
that is where I was! The moment I walked into the meadow ( clad in
full Roman armour ) and I saw the replica of a Roman fort which was
the film set, my eyes all but popped out of my face. I walked back
and forth, examining every detail, thrilled that the production
company had done everything right, and that I had written everything
right... ditch, spike palisade, tent rows, iron fire baskets,
catapults, scorpions, balistae, general's tent... Everything! For a
moment I felt that I was standing inside the very book I had written!
The Legionnaires
One
of the things that I dislike about bad/cheap historical fiction, be
it in books or film, is how characters are portrayed as marble
statues or stereo types. People are people as they have always been,
and I always pay close attention when writing characters to ensure
that they are as human ( or as 'normal') as possible.
Being
surrounded by all the extras in different variations of Roman
uniforms ( legionaries, centurions, archers, etc ) I had a moment. It
is difficult to describe, but it was something like this... I saw all
the characters you would expect to find in a legion... The old
big-bellied one with blood-shot eyes after a lifetime of drinking,
the young slacker, the fool who would not stop blabbering about the
same topic all day, the 'senior' legionnaires with their
condescending attitude and the ass-hole who leads them, the friendly
guy who shows you the ropes, the father who misses his family, the
divorcee who resents his ex wife, etc... All of them, they were all
there.
But
then I realized, these are real people I am just seeing with a Roman
uniform on. But how do they look in real life? And later in the day,
when we changed out of our uniforms and back into our personal
clothing, I looked at them again, and there they were, unrecognizable
at first, but there was the drunkard, the slacker, the ass-hole, the
friend, the father and the divorcee. It is funny how I ( like
everyone, really ) can be so fooled by exterior appearances to miss
the true nature of the person within. The palette of personalities
today is the same as it has always been, and I witnessed a bridge
between reality and fiction. Writing about characters will never be
the same for me. Now I will write about people.
That
being said, I miss those guys tremendously. I am very sad that I will
not be able to part-take in the filming over the next week, as I have
commitments and responsibilities in Prague. I was truly sad that it
was over for me. While I was there, I felt like I was part of
something. And all these guys, however different our walks in life,
and however much we would not have met or connected under normal
circumstances, became like a band of brothers to me, and I accepted
all their flaws, and they accepted all of mine. If I felt like this
after a week with these guys, I can only imagine what fellow
legionaries must have felt for each other after months of duty
together. I have a feeling that it is true what they say, that battle
and war - when it comes down to it - is all about the man standing
next to you. I felt as much because, however much I despised the
slacker or the drunkard or the ass-hole, I would have still stepped
up to protect them in battle, as I am sure that they would have for
me. Indeed, a band of brothers.
Star Struck
After
my second day I was chosen along with another 10 extras for a
different role the next day. We were given different armour, a
leather version of the steel Lorica Segmentata, which is the armour
of the Roman heavy infantry. This consists of layers of steel
encasing the torso like a lobster.
Thankfully
our leather replicas were quite light, as an actual Lorica Segmentata
weighs - like the chain mail - approximately 10 kilos.
Either
way, once fully armoured the next day, the production team referred
to us as "Jedenactku," which is Czech for "The
Eleven." Little did I know that we would part-take in a scene as
the personal guards of the general, and as such, we were outside the
fort behind the main actors as these met with the Britons ( other
main actors ) for a parley.
As
it turned out, our general was played by David Morrissey of The
Walking Dead Fame ( he played "The Governor," in case you
missed it ). I have come across many 'stars' during my years in Los
Angeles and New York, and I have never been star-struck. I never
really cared.
But
when I saw David I was like, "Woa..." because I really
admire his work in "The Walking Dead." Still, the ultimate
privilege was not to be in his presence, but to see him at work. I
paid close attention, eavesdropping on the conversation between him
and the director as they discussed the details of the scene, and I
have to tell you, Mr. Morrissey knows what he is doing. It was such
a pleasure to see a master at work... It really struck me - not the
star, but witnessing the craftsmanship of a master at work. It was a
treat!
But
to be fair, the scene was carried by the actress playing across from
him - Zoe Wanamaker ( Rolanda Hooch in the Harry Potter films ) who
portrayed the queen of a Briton tribe. In the parley, she tells the
Roman General ( Morrissey ) about the harrowing evil inflicted upon
her son by their rival tribe, and how, because of this, she would
forge an alliance with Rome for the sake of crushing said tribe.
Me
and "The Eleven" were sitting on the grass in a row behind
the General and his captains, so that I could only see Morrissey's
back. But I had a full frontal view of Zoe as she was telling her
story, and her acting was impeccable. I was transfixed by her
narration, by her voice tone, her pacing, how every emotion etched
itself on her face... Truly a master at work. It was a treat. We shot
that scene round three or five times, and I was riveted by her
performance each and every time. Indeed, what a treat, what a treat!
So,
between takes, we - The Eleven - got to interact with David Morrissey
a little, and I can tell you that he is cool, suave and charismatic.
During the first shooting, a girl from the Briton extras standing
behind the queen fainted with a heat stroke ( and she was not even
wearing armour! Ha! ) so the scene had to be 'cut' and we had to take
a break. They brought the girl over to where the paramedics on site
looked at her and gave her water. Morrissey, EVER the gentleman ( and
not going into a hussy fit about the scene being cut because of an
extra ) calmly walked over to her, arms behind his back, regal in his
Roman General's armour, and kindly placed a hand on her shoulder,
asking her if she was OK.
Wow.
WOW!
I
mean... WOW!
What
can I say? David Morrissey was amazing, and I was lucky to be there.
Conclusion
This
experience was a dream come true. I was as happy while I was there as
I was sad when my assignment was over. While I was there, however
brutal it was to stand in chainmail in the sun all day, I felt like I
was part of something, that I was better than myself. After returning
home, and after a couple of days, the routine of the daily life in
the modern world started kicking in, with the same demands and time
constraints and problems as always. And, more than once, I found
myself thinking, "Man, I wish I was back with the legion."
-Georg Freese
.
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