By way of introduction, the article below was written by Dominus of
Rome,
a speech advocating Rome's participation in the SCA and at Pennsic. Rome
first fielded at Pennsic XXIX in August 2000 fighting for the Midrealm in the Tuchux
vanguard.
Rome has made the huge splash alluded to below, winning great glory in
many battles. We were uncertain at first how accepting the SCA would be with a
Roman group. We are an anachronism within their anachronism, after all. Thanks
for the warm welcome, SCA, and all the new friendships. We've since become an
established fixture at Pennsic, attending every Pennsic since in force. It just
keeps getting better.
"…the difference between the previous Commentaries and this one is
that I do not intend to write about our past. It's our future that we must all
consider now with Roman gravity. I'm not discounting the past. It's important. A
country that does not remember its past has no future. And the past must
certainly be important to a country like ours, with a strong awareness and pride
of our history and our grand traditions. But today I write about our future. You
know the past. You were there, and you helped build it. And no, Rome wasn't
built in a day, was it? We're still building her, and that's what I want to
write about now.
We've fought important battles and wars in the last year, Ragnarok being the
most important of them. We've gained some Romans, but some have slacked off. I
won't fault those who've done their two years with Rome's Legions. They've
earned their share of dignitas and Roman glory. But they are dearly missed. When
an inactive Roman comes back out to join the fray with his countrymen, welcome
them home as you would your family. Anyone who has harsh words of criticism for
them will hear harsh words of criticism from me.
Our future has more potential than our glorious past. And our past has been
glorious. I could write volumes recounting the glorious personal deeds of my
triumphant countrymen and the deeds of each valiant iron clad Legion of which
they are a part. I have been literally moved to tears by the heroism and
steadfastness demonstrated by my fellow Romans, and your commitment and valor
have inspired me with confidence that Rome will survive. That we have more than
a future. Rome has a destiny.
At Ragnarok, we've built a national reputation beyond measure. Something
eternal that no amount of treachery could tear down. …Rome's glory has always
been won in battles, not in tournaments. What's more important is what else the
tape shows of the huge battles. Our thinly spread line of Romans fending off
attacks by a vast foe, fighting with valor against innumerable odds. Did we
lose? Gods, yes! The tape shows the enemy advancing in unbelievable numbers. Not
in formation, but as a horde massed twelve to twenty deep against ours, spread
one deep. At some points, you can't even see our line. But when the dust clears
for a moment in the advance of hundreds, you see the last few Romans forming up
to fight their last stand among the heaps of dead. That's Rome. Who needs
victory when you have everlasting glory? That's why you shouldn't criticize your
inactive countrymen. They've been there. They've helped make it happen for you,
for me, for all of us. If anything, urge them to return for more. They know what
they're missing. That's why they come back out.
I mentioned our destiny. Dagorhir has been our past, and we will
not stop fighting there. It's been the perfect proving grounds for
us. They've built our Legions into the unvanquishable war machine we've become.
And we've returned the favor. That unmentionable LARP we used to attend fought in phalanx formation when we began
there, they'd never heard of a flank attack. We've schooled them well. Our
training has made them worthy adversaries. But they are worthy only by LARP
standards. We have new fish to fry. Lots of them.
You've heard tell of Pennsic. Pennsic, to provide you with background, is the
SCA's (Society for Creative Anachronism) Ragnarok equivalent. The SCA is huge,
with an international membership numbering in the tens of thousands. For the
last thirteen years, we've been big fish in a small pond. Rome is rapidly
outgrowing her small pond. And I know you, you pompous Roman bastards. You all
would rather be big fish in a big pond. That's what I want for you too.
Locally, SCA has five or six battles a year within 100 miles. Their battles
usually have hundreds of participants. Even a small battle for them generally
has a hundred combatants. That's worth our time. You've all demonstrated genuine
commitment in your Roman career. That's what I am asking for now. Your
commitment that you spend the money, time and effort necessary will have your
gear together for Pennsic next August. Your commitment that you will attend
practices between now and then, and become as dangerous with a stick as you've
become with a foam sword. Your commitment that you will stay as steadfast and
dedicated to the Legions as we expand our Known World to include new campaigns
and new challenges. Your commitment to join the SCA as a card-carrying member
and keep your combat authorization current. You won't ever be sorry. You can
expect the same commitment from me. Further, I commit to help you in any way I
can. I'll be there with you every step of the way. I will share your hardship,
work and expense. And when we take the field at Pennsic against the massed
thousands, I will be there to lead you to eternal glory as I have always done:
with your help.
I said big fish in a big pond. Pennsic is a war of such epic proportions that
it is difficult to envision without having experienced it firsthand. Two
thousand fighters take the field. Over two thousand! Anything you've faced to
date has been little more than a skirmish by such standards. How can Rome hope
to achieve the singularly unparalleled reputation that she has earned thus far
in medievalism? I have a plan, and I'll share it with you.
Most have you have met Shaitan of the Tuchux. The Tuchux are like us in many
ways. Bad ass fighters who take no crap and have no time for politics or
medieval wuss types. (Thanks, Harn, for telling me how to correctly spell "wuss".)
We don't have much more common ground than that with the Tuchux. They're
barbarians, we're not. They wear lots of black leather; we like to gleam in the
sun. For background, Shaitan was in Dagorhir when I joined. The Tuchux number
about 80 active fighters nationally. They're arranged in groups of ten the way
we are in our Legions of five. Shaitan is a commander of one such group of ten.
I've spoken with him at length about the kind of arrangements we might make to
fight with them at Pennsic. Romans can't be Tuchux any more than Tuchux can be
Romans. They feel just as we do about their people conforming to their
established standard. As it says in the Mos Maiorum, "if you want to be an
exception to the things that have made Rome great, why be a Roman?" They
feel the same way about their standards as we do about ours, and properly so. The arrangement we
arrived at is that Rome will camp near and fight with the Tuchux. The SCA's East
Kingdom and Mid-Realm are the contenders in the Pennsic War, and they bid
for military assistance. Fighting with the Tuchux, we can hope to exact a
portion of the tribute they receive for fighting with the highest bidder. What
do they get out of it? Shaitan gets considerable clout for adding twenty of the
world's best soldiers to the Tuchux line. The Tuchux have a reputation similar
to ours. They're our SCA equivalent. Big, mean, unstoppable. Good fighters too,
even in melee, which is a lot more than I can say for most of the SCA. But
fighting with them is not the entire plan, nor does it make Rome big fish on her
own merit. I shall continue.
Fighting with the Tuchux makes us very high profile. They're the group
everyone is most afraid of. We'll be very noticeable among their ranks, gleaming
in steel and fighting in formation behind our red shields. Everyone trying to
scramble out of their way will cross swords with the Legions, much to their
personal detriment. Twenty armored Romans will make a considerable splash, even
on a field of thousands. Everyone will ask themselves and their fallen comrades,
"Who were those guys? Did you get the number of that truck?" People
will remember our deeds, and talk about us. You think that our admirable and
well-earned national reputation is something to be proud of? It is. But it is
nothing compared to the national fame that awaits us in the SCA. There are other
individual Romans and small groups of them who fight in the SCA nationwide.
There are individuals and groups of people who've fought Dagorhir and are now in
the SCA, who would love to be part of something bigger. There are people in
Dagorhir that want to fight in the SCA, and would with some
urging. Our strong presence and success on the field will make them flock to our
Eagles, as Romans, auxiliaries, or just as associates. Through SCA, we are
poised to become a famous national organization, recognized and feared by
thousands. That's the destiny I'm speaking of. And it's yours to share, my
beloved countrymen. All you need do is join me as we reach out and take it in a
gauntleted fist. Rome is going to grow into something we've only dreamt of. It's
time. We stand now at the threshold of our eternal destiny. If we step through
that threshold together, that future is ours.
That’s SCA. Now I want to tell you more about Pennsic itself. It's a
nonstop, two-week party with over ten thousand people. Plan on being there for
the second week at least, that's when the battles all happen. Pennsic sprawls
over countless acres that will take you all of a full week to explore. The
parking lot itself is bigger than Ragnarok was, covering a square miles of dusty
cars. It will probably be over a mile from your tent in camp, and you won't see
your car for the whole week. And you won't need it. Pennsic has a dozen fine,
inexpensive restaurants set up in pavilions right in the market place. The
market place is sprawling, about the size of the Ragnarok site last year. You
will get lost in it, among countless shops that sell clothing, armor, jewelry,
weapons, leather gear, camping supplies, books, weapons, anything and everything
an avid medievalist could possibly want. Every camp for miles has a huge party
every night, with dancing girls, wine, liquor, kegs, and anything else you could
hope for. There are two thousand scantily clad medieval women worth looking at,
and they've all been drinking for days. You won't even need your car for
anything the whole time you're there. There are hay wagons that run back and
forth all day like a medieval bus service. Pennsic is the penultimate, it's the
Disney World of medieval combat. If anything, I should apologize to all of you
for not pushing Rome to go sooner.
-Allaricus Xirinius Dominus, Imperator
Revised Excerpt, Commentaries XX
In The Consulship of Tiberius And Tempest
We have gigantic dreams for Rome's future in the SCA.
We welcome any and all SCA fighters who share our fascination with Rome to join
us on the field, to share the fun! Roman groups are out there, as
are many lone individuals who are interested in Rome and would love to be a part
of something greater. Whether you just want to fight with the massed iron
Legions under the unvanquished Eagles of Rome, or would like to become a full
member, we welcome you!
Please consider that an
invitation. If interested, don't hesitate to
contact us.