ROMAN DAYS
       June 4-5 is the big weekend!  Come to Marietta Mansion in Glenn Dale, Maryland for our annual gathering of Roman soldiers and civilians, gladiators, Gauls, Greeks, and anyone else we can get.  This year, Deb Fuller is the Gal In Charge, and you can contact her with questions.   If you are planning to participate and need space for period displays or tents, please let her know!

       The feast and food plan are being organized, though I don't have any final details yet.  Contact Deb if you are planning to partake, or Merlinia (the Celtic Cook).

       As always, I'd like to see all Legio XX participants there by about 9 AM both days.  Naturally most of you won't be able to come for set-up on Friday, but any extra hands will be appreciated.  If you have extra equipment that you can bring along to lend to the needy, that will also be greatly appreciated!

       There is plenty of modern camping space in the lower field, out of public view.   Period tents can be set up in the display area, of course, and you can sleep in those as long as modern bedding and accoutrements are out of site before the public arrives.  Please do not dig firepits!   Ask about sand for a surface fire, if necessary.  There will be porta-potties, a hose for water, and straw bales.  Please contact Susan Wolfe, the site manager at Marietta, right away if you need tables, chairs, or anything else like that, 301---.

       Directions are below.  More information is available on the website, at http://www.larp.com/legioxx/rdays.html.

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
Friday:  Arrive and set up.

Saturday
10:00 Open to the Public
11:00 Full Muster
11:30 Kids’ Cohort (Drill)
11:30 Marietta House Tour
12:30 Gladiatorial Show
1:00 Massed tactical and drill demo
1:30 Roman school lessons
2:00 Artillery & Missile Demo
2:30 Marietta House Tour
3:15 Evolution of the Roman Soldier
4:00 Event Closes for the Day
6pm - Roman Feast for all participating units

Sunday
10:00 Open to the Public
11:00 Olympic Competition (Armor race, Pilum Throw, Hamata Toss, Wrestling )
11:30 Kids’ Cohort and Drill
11:30 Marietta House Tour
12:30 Gladiatorial Show
1:00 Massed tactical and drill demo
1:30 Roman Court - Romans and Barbarians go head to head - legal style
2:00 Artillery & Missile Demo
2:30 Marietta House Tour
3:15 The Well-Dressed Roman Fashion Show
4:00 Event Closes for the Day

DIRECTIONS to Marietta Mansion: 5626 Bell Station Rd., Glenn Dale, MD 20769. 301---.  From I-95/495, the Capital Beltway, take Exit 20 onto Rt. 450 East, go 4 miles, turn left on Rt. 193, then left onto Bell Station Rd. and left again into Marietta.

 Spread the word, and hope to see you there!
 

AFTER-ACTION REPORTS
       We had a lovely weekend at Marching Through Time for our season opener.  Together with several soldiers from Legio XXIV, we massed eight or nine men for our drill demonstrations and the parades.  We also supplied Zulu war-chants and shield-rattling for the benefit of Her Majesty's 24th Regiment of foot!   On Sunday, George Metz took his catapulta into action, and also wore his lovely new bear pelt as a signifer.

       Turnout for our first appearance at the Johns Hopkins Spring Fair was smaller than expected, only 3 of us altogether.  We also realized that setting up our camp on the Freshman quad gave us a very nice pilum range, but isolated us from the throngs of visitors around the other fair booths and exhibits.  So things were pretty quiet, but if we do it again next year we'll have a better idea of where to camp.  Many thanks to Mike Flowers for organizing this event, and to his mother and sister for supplying the funnel cake!  Thanks also to Roger for driving me and the camp gear through deepest darkest Baltimore.  And thanks to me for navigating brilliantly, and generally being a great guy.  I think that covers all of us!

       The presentation by Tony Clunn at our May 7 workshop was fabulous!  We learned a LOT about the defeat of Varus by Arminius, and the site on which it happened.  Tony is a great speaker, and spent some time autographing copies of his book.  We are very grateful to him for coming to visit us, and to his publisher, Savas Beatie, for arranging his trip (http://www.savasbeatie.com ).   Many thanks go to Richard, Allison, and Beth Campbell for hosting yet another wonderful massive party at their home and feeding us so well.  And special thanks to John Dittamo and his wife for transporting and housing Tony.

       Whew!  What a month!

HOBNAILS
       Greg Fabic is experimenting with 18th century hobnails from Najecki Reproductions, http://www.najecki.com/repro/Shoes.html.  The "Large Cone Head" style seems a little small, but isn't any less accurate than the "Decorative" nails we've been using.  They cost $3.75 for a 2-ounce bag (100 nails), or a 1-pound box for $22.50.
 

PARTS!
       Hey, loose Deepeeka belt parts are available from La Wren's Nest!  CHEAP!  http://www.lawrensnest.com/parts.html    The small buckle #RPT1001 is great, and the Pugio Frog #RPT2000 looks good (seems be priced "apiece", not per pair).  The image doesn't seem to work for the Terminal End, #RPT4001, but as I recall it's not bad, either.  Belt Plate 5, #RPT3004, is the "RGZM" plate, probably not really wrong but it's cast and quite heavy.  The Large Buckle (TOO large!), the other plates, and the Apron Decoration are "not approved".

       They have Helmet Florets which are great, also good for lorica bosses.  I don' t know if other Deepeeka vendors are offering these loose parts as well.  By-the-Sword shows photos of parts but doesn't seem to mention them being available separately (http://www.by-the-sword.com/acatalog/images/ah-6701-rgzmb.JPG).
 

WALK?  From Chuck Bagby
       My work is getting together a team for the challenge walk for M.S.  It starts on the eastern shore of Maryland and ending up in Baltimore.  We are going 20 miles a day for two days and the last day will be 10 miles.  I thought the XXth might be up to a little exercise.  The dates are Sept 9 thru 11.  My kit will not be anywhere close to being ready by then but I thought maybe some of the Twentieth might like a go.  Information can be found at http://www.baychallengewalk.org
 

" FIRST INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF ROMAN RECREATION GROUPS"
       "During the days of  August 13th, 14th and 15th 2005, the fallowing event, "First International Meeting of Roman recreation Groups", will take place in the hispanoroman city of VALERIA (Cuenca) HISPANIA (SPAIN).  This meeting is an interesting opportunity to know each other, to exchange experiences and to realise some common projects related to our Latin past.
       "The meeting will happen at the same time as the Roman Journeys, which are celebrated every year in Valeria, and which consist in different recreation acts, conferences, exhibitions, activities etc.
       "We would like to count on your attendance; we offer you the lodging in Roman Camps, the meals which are composed of legionary food, and buses to transfer you from Madrid (Barajas Airport) to Valeria.
       "For any additive information or contact, you can consult our web site http://www.granvaleria.com/campusmartius.htm or reach us at this e-mail, --  We wait for your answer and confirmation.
       "Thank you."
 

SURF'S UP
       Decyphering the Oxyrhynchus Papyri using infra-red photography,
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=630165

       Archaeologica News, http://www.archaeologica.org/NewsPage.htm

       Pages recently updated on the Legio XX website include Links, Suppliers, Gladius, Pugio, and Lorica Segmentata.  Have you read your website recently?
 

CALENDAR
   June 3-5 --Roman Days, Marietta Mansion.  Be there!
   July 2 --Monthly Workshop?  (Maybe not, it's the Fourth of July weekend)
   August 6 --Monthly Workshop
   September 3 --Monthly Workshop
   September 10-11 --Fall Encampment, Marietta Mansion

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ADLOCVTIO is the Official Newsletter of the Twentieth Legion, supposedly published on the Ides of each month.  I am Quintus, aka Matthew Amt, the Legion's Commander and Editor of the Newsletter, http://www.larp.com/legioxx/.