Historic Replicas

Although few of his writings have survived, Tiberius Claudius was one of the most influential historians of ancient Rome—not to mention the fact the he became Emperor. It can often be difficult to humanize these ancient figures who have reached mythical proportions, but that’s exactly what Robert Graves does in his fictional autobiography of Tiberius, “I, Claudius.”

The book, which is consistently voted as one of the best of the 20th century, gives a vivid, personalized picture of the miraculous rise to power of Tiberius Claudius. During the story, it’s often easy to forget that the book is an act of fiction due to its historical consistencies and distinct voice. Much of the book deals with the politics of the time—including the reigns of Julius Caesar, Augustus and Caligula—but there are also graphic accounts of soldiers and gladiators battling in Roman armour.

Long before Halloween rolls around, kids often get exciting about dressing up and already know what they want to be that year. Choices that are already popular include classic, creepy creatures, like witches, ghosts, vampires and goblins. Little girls gravitate to Disney princess outfits and popular movie and TV characters, like Hannah Montana and the girls from High School Musical. Boys like to be pirates, Power Rangers, Transformers and more.

But older kids may tire of those predictable costumes, and they may not want to look like everyone else in their class on Halloween. If your child is dying for something different this year, try getting them some authentic movie costumes. Unlike traditional costumes made from subpar materials, these costumes look like they’re straight off a Hollywood set. You can find an assortment of options, many of which are geared towards those who have grown out of the traditional “kids” costumes.

Since his iconic role in Gladiator, Russell Crowe has been cast in a variety of roles, none of which, however, have garnered the acclaim of his portrayal of Maximus. Many of these subsequent films have been more dramatic, putting Crowe into humanizing roles, which many feel are out of his range. However, Crowe has traded in the Roman helmet for a bow and quiver and teamed up with director Ridley Scott once again.

Their new version of Robin Hood opened to lukewarm reviews last weekend, and couldn’t even earn the top spot at the box office. While audiences showed a tepid reception for the film, many critics and moviegoers alike agreed that the role was more inline with Crowe’s personality than his recent theatrical endeavors. Although he may lack the thespian aptitude of more refined actors, when it comes it grit and guts, audiences tend to cast Crowe in an approving light.

When people think of the ancient western world, the two societies that come to mind most often are Greece and Rome. This association makes sense, as much of the culture and traditions between the two civilizations were quite similar. While the Greeks are often considered the founders of modern thought thanks to Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, the Romans also contributed greatly to the world that we live in today.

From our art and literature to our vary language, much of what we take for granted today was made possible via these cultures. These societies also made significant advances in math, science and various other technologies and areas of study. Most of the original artifacts from these cultures have been destroyed, but there are still accurate Greek and Roman replicas to be found.

By now I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll never be a famous thespian. The fact that I earn a generous living at a day job I happen to love does something to soften the blow. Still, I get a genuine thrill from performing in theatrical productions with a local acting troupe. In our most recent play, I was cast in the titular role of Julius Caesar. When offered the part, I said I would take a stab at it.

Our community theater budget is especially low this year, so I had to turn to a third party for a suitable costume. Luckily it took practically no time at all to find replica Roman costumes online. I placed an order and donned my costume in a matter of days. From there, I went on to ham it up in a play that I’ve always admired. It looks like I’ll be shopping for something a bit more Scottish because we’re getting ready to tackle Macbeth.

The Greeks were one of the most fascinating and most successful cultures in the ancient world, with a rich history that spans several centuries.  The Greeks were also one of the most advanced cultures in the world, and from this cultural advancement, the Greeks were pioneers of literature, art, science, language, and philosophy.  The most common Greek costumes associated include the toga, which is a simple drape of cloth worn around the shoulder to cover much of the chest and the lower extremities.  When people think of Greek warfare, for which the civilization was also famous, often the image of the Spartan hoplite comes to mind.  Wielding a huge shield and long spear with a sword strapped at the waist, the Spartan hoplite was one of the most feared warriors in all the world.  The Spartans mastered combat and built their society around warfare, making them one of the most fascinating cultures to study.

Much of the Greek culture has translated into cultures around the world, and so much of the Greek is rooted in European culture that it’s almost impossible to distinguish one from the other.

It’s somewhat unclear whether dueling existed in Ancient Greece and Rome.  The Roman costumes / uniforms definitely weren’t made for it.  Both were military societies whose men were trained for war, and they took their honor and reputations as warriors very seriously.  They probably didn’t hesitate to defend their honor with a sword when they felt they’d been wronged.  Dueling was a more sophisticated concept, though, involving combat between equals armed with the same weapons, and restricted to noblemen, since only they had honor to satisfy.  Dueling as we know it today wouldn’t take shape for several more centuries.  The Greeks and Romans had an equally exciting tradition though, and one with much higher stakes.  It was the practice of single combat, in which a lone warrior could decide the outcome of an entire war.  There have been accounts of single combat since biblical times (David and Goliath, for example), but the Greeks and Roman appear to have been particularly fond of it.  If a warring king or general wished to spare the lives of his men (or just conserve his resources), he could select a champion to fight on his army’s behalf.  The opposing leader was compelled to choose his own fighter, and this one battle would decide the victor. Both armies were honor-bound to respect the outcome of the battle, and be prepared to surrender if their champion lost.  The two men donned their Roman armor and met in the no-man’s-land in the middle of the battlefield while their comrades cheered them on from afar.  Can you imagine the terrible excitement these warriors must have experienced, knowing the fate of their homelands rested on their shoulders? 

It’s somewhat unclear whether dueling existed in Ancient Greece and Rome.  Both were military societies whose men were trained for war, and they took their honor and reputations as warriors very seriously.  They probably didn’t hesitate to defend their honor with a sword when they felt they’d been wronged.  Dueling was a more sophisticated concept, though, involving combat between equals armed with the same weapons, and restricted to noblemen, since only they had honor to satisfy.  Dueling as we know it today wouldn’t take shape for several more centuries. 

The Greeks and Romans had an equally exciting tradition though, and one with much higher stakes.  It was the practice of single combat, in which a lone warrior could decide the outcome of an entire war with his Greek sword.  There have been accounts of single combat since biblical times (David and Goliath, for example), but the Greeks and Romans appear to have been particularly fond of it.  If a warring king or general wished to spare the lives of his men (or just conserve his resources), he could select a champion to fight on his army’s behalf.  The opposing leader was compelled to choose his own fighter, and this one battle would decide the victor. Both armies were honor-bound to respect the outcome of the battle, and be prepared to surrender if their champion lost.  The two men donned their Roman armor and met in the no-man’s-land in the middle of the battlefield while their comrades cheered them on from afar.  Can you imagine the terrible excitement these warriors must have experienced, knowing the fate of their homelands rested on their shoulders?  

The sword is a practical, intuitive weapon, and many Bronze Age cultures developed them independently.  Bronze wasn’t ideal for making swords, though, and it wasn’t until the dawn of the Iron Age (with invention of new smelting techniques around 1300 BC) that swordmaking became truly refined.  Iron is actually weaker than bronze, but was more plentiful, so people used it anyway.  For the first time, a king could equip his entire army with swords, and in time, it became the weapon of choice throughout Eurasia. 
Eventually, smiths learned to convert iron to steel, an immensely strong and lightweight metal.  The Ancient Romans took full advantage of this technique, and produced the gladius, the roman sword that built the empire.  The gladius might not have looked very scary; it was about two feet long, with a narrow blade and little ornamentation.  But in the hands of a Roman legionnaire, it was a truly fearsome weapon.  Bronze swords could hold a sharp point, but the edge dulled quickly; they were mostly used for stabbing. Iron could hold a sharp edge, but broke easily.  The steel gladius was sturdy and sharp all the way around, good for both stabbing and chopping.  It was a versatile weapon, and all legionnaires were trained in its use.  In fact, the Romans were among the first to develop really advanced swordsmanship.  Like an archer or karate master, skilled swordsmen in Rome the many cultures that followed would gain renown as artists.  

There are a certain number of people who love collecting ancient and antique Roman weaponry.  One of the things that they always look forward to having is Roman armour.  The craftsmanship that was worked on these pieces makes you think that you are seeing the real thing.
 
It is almost impossible to find the original pieces of Roman armor so replicas are the next best things these collectors will get.  But with a lot of research done in making the replicas, they really look like the real ones.  A lot of people use them for recreation battles because of their authenticity.  And they get matching swords, daggers and helmets as well.  You can also find authentic Roman apparel too.