Legio X Fretensis at the Scottish Highland Games

Salve, noti! (Salutations, friends!)

The Legion is on the march!

During the month of our fair emperor Augustus, on the Weekend of the Day of Labor, the Roman Army is dispatching Legio X Fretensis to the 2008 Scottish Highland Games at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California, August 30-31 (Saturday and Sunday).

We hope to see our friends and relations, to share fun, to educate the young and adults alike, and to create new bonds of amicitae (friendship). We know well the Caledonians are renown across all Terra as a brave, strong and warlike race. As Romans, we have that reputation in common! Yet both our peoples are more than this: hearty and curious, creative and gregarious, musical and wise. We share these qualities in common too.

Our strength respects their strength, and we respect the traditions of this wild and hearty people. Legio X is glad and honored to have been invited to this gathering of the clans.

Besides, we all love to eat, drink and enjoy life. Word has reached our barracks this will be quite a festivus (feast)!

Until our paths cross on the Via Vita (Road of Life), salve!

PETRVS PAVLVS

Getting the Centurio Registered

After a mystical use of a pair of vox jaculatori, or what us modern people call telephones, Bob is getting registered today for Blogger. With that, the exploratio will lead the centurio into this new terra incognita of blogging, and show him how to keep the blog updated.

A Memory: Planning the Hadrian’s Wall Hike

Our Centurio in his civilian disguise, as mild-mannered Bob Garbisch, March 28,2006

This was the day Bob got me first geared up for Legio X Fretensis’s Hadrian’s Wall Hike. I had, before this, participated in a Central Valley hike, which was quite an experience. This was going to be the Big Kahuna. Britain! Hadrian’s Wall! The edge of Empire!

Bob took me into his garage and we started plowing through tons of gear. Literally.

Try this on for size!

You can see the leather chest guard, a steel torc and this conical helmet. Note there are left-and-right feather-slits right over the ears. A properly decorated helmet would have tall plumes indicating a swift scout.

What a ludicrous sight! But now you can see more how the armor works. I actually did use the helmet and the bag on the trip. We skipped the armor. Apparently as a scout (exploratio), I was going to be afforded my tunica and that was about all the armor I needed. *gulp!*

Britain, here we come!

Catching Up

Author’s note: It has been quite a long time since I updated this blog. Indeed, I never finished the story of the trip to Britannia. We also never got this blog transfered over properly to Bob Garbisch to edit.

I started this blog with the hope of keeping the unit’s ancient Roman and modern present-day history up-to-date.

My interest in the “Ol’ 10th” was sparked again when I recently Web-bumped into an old friend, Kathy Plamback, via a social networking site. She informed me she works for a company named Legio X, Inc., along with Don Perrin.

Quite a coincidence!

As I sit and type this, my helmet and my caligae are both within reach for ready action! For the life of me I am unsure where my gladius ended up. The centurio will have me beaten for sure!

Fond memories, though, come back of our 2006 hike on Hadrian’s Wall. It is probably about time to tell the rest of the story.

-Peter Corless. (PETRVS PAVLVS)