ADLOCVTIO
NEWSLETTER OF THE TWENTIETH LEGION
Vol.  VIII, no. vii, July 1998

PICTURE THIS
       Illustrations at last!  Several good people have supplied me with photographs from Roman Days, so I’m spreading the wealth.  Those of you who receive Adlocvtio on paper will find a couple prints or color copies enclosed; most email subscribers will get a little something in the mail.  If you don’t get a picture or two and would like one, I probably don’t have your mailing address--let me know!  There are also a number of photos on the Nova Roma website, www.novaroma.org (go to Via Romana and then Historical Reenactors), which may satisfy your cravings.  Enjoy!  Thanks to Judy Ridgely, J.W. Shaver, and George Metz for donating photos, and to the other people who took pictures.

EVENT
       On September 26-27, 1998, the Legion will be encamped again on the lawn at Marietta Mansion, as guests of La Belle Compagnie, a 14th century group.  The usual gig, military and civilian.  It won’t be as hectic as Roman Days, so we should be able to do more practice drilling and javelin-chucking.  Can we really fit eight men in the tent?  That sort of thing.  Camp overnight if you like.  Tell Quintus your plans.

STUFF
       I have built a new scutum press, and it works very well.  Instead of a simple row of ribs to which the layers of the shield were screwed, the new press has a row of “male” ribs hinged to a row of “female” ribs.  Each set of ribs is held in place by several longitudinal beams (2x4s, etc.).  Operation is very simple:  glue the two layers of shield wood together, place across the female ribs, close the “lid” of male ribs, latch it shut, and tomorrow morning you have a curved scutum blank!  Two are done already.
       In the past I’ve used 1/8” wall paneling, which works pretty well but the glossy finish must be sanded off before the glue will hold.  It also has those fake seams which can crack during bending.  The two new blanks are made from a luan door that the gods left in a dumpster, but “hollow” doors have a lattice core of corrugated cardboard which is almost as hard to remove as the finish on wall paneling.  So I started hunting for 1/8" luan plywood, and found that Wood World in Rockville can get it, slightly cheaper than paneling.  (Several places stock 1/4" luan, and doors made of 1/8" luan, but not 1/8" sheets.)   So it looks like scutum-building just got easier.
       My other hopeful summer project is some beginning blacksmithing--my forge is operational and I bought an old pair of tongs and a couple other basic tools.  No ballista parts or pugio blades planned yet, just shield bosses and hopefully some pilum points, maybe some spearheads and other simple things.
       Mark Graef has made some advances in casting, refining his methods and increasing production, and his finished products are, basically, perfect.  Buckles, dagger frogs, brooches, pendants, coins, even a preliminary batch of apron studs (get back, those are MINE!), available either finished or rough-cast for you to clean and polish yourself.  Mark’s phone number is 703--- .

CONTACT
       I got a call from Steve Greeley, former optio of Dan Peterson’s Legio XIIII Gemina Martia Victrix in Germany, and currently living in Maryland.  During his years in Europe, aside from being co-founder of the best Roman group in the world, he was able to study and fondle many Roman artifacts, so we are planning to kidnap him and use hypnosis to find out All He Knows.  We are honored to welcome you to our distant province, and we hope you’ll enjoy marching with our Legion in the future!
       An artist in Indiana specializes in portraits of reenactors, and is looking for photos of individual Romans to work up a drawing for his future website.   If anyone would like to loan a likely photo (it will be returned) or is interested in commissioning a portrait, perhaps, I can give you more details.
       Yesterday I got an email from a filmmaker just up the pike who asks if any of us would be interested in any future film projects.   He's also connected with a church drama group, so we could get mixed up in that, too.
       Numerous other people have been contacting me for Handbooks, patterns, advice, or just to say Ave.

CALENDAR
 August 1-2--George Metz is hoping to trek up to Ontario for the Fort Malden Military Time Line event, but other than that the Legion will not be attending this year.  (Not officially or in force, at least--doesn’t mean you can’t go.)
 August ?--Workshop, right?
 September ?--ditto
 September 26-27--Leg. XX encamped at Marietta Mansion with La Belle Compagnie (14th cent.).
 October 11--Columbus Day parade and festival, Piermont, NY.  Quintus and Titus can’t go, but is anyone else up for it?  Hotel rooms for Saturday night and all meals will be provided.
 November--Legio III Gallica appearing at Destrehan Plantation, New Orleans.  Legio XX has been invited.  Road trip?
 December--Probably Bethlehem Market Place show at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, MD.
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Okay, let's wrap this up--I got a dozen emails to answer.
ADLOCVTIO is the monthly newsletter of the Twentieth Legion, and is written mostly by the Editor and Commander, Matthew "Quintus" Amt.  Valete!