IS THERE NO ONE ELSE?!?
So at the end of every semester--with the exception of one-- I have usually staged some form of historical re-enactment cum insanity for my amusement and that of my students. It's also supposed to have some educational value. I've been very good about the educational part, except with this one.
In any case, this semester, just this evening, I staged Gladiatorial Games involving animal fights, chariot races, the big group combat and invidual combats. I had them choreograph the fight sequences for safety this time. It was a hoot.
I apologize for the quality of the pictures, but the light wasn't all that good and my camera is rather puny.
These are the individual combatants. Surprisingly, most of these costumes--I mandated a shoestring budget--are historically accurate. You can see three Retarii and one Secutor, among others.
These are the animal fighters in the middle. I like the lion at the far right.
More animals. Notice the bull. The three in the middle were 'extras'.
The crowd favorite were these 'ostriches'. The boy ostrich is um, something of a flamer. The costumes were his design.
The costumes of the animal fighters were also surprisingly accurate and they were actually pretty good actors. I actually thought one of them was hurt when she pretended to 'die'. Those four girls in black are more ostriches, and they fought by 'kicking'. They looked uncannily like showgirls.
This was the chariot races. They made cardboard chariots that they wore with straps and ran ala-Flintstones.
This was the group combat. This was supposed to be gladiators fighting a mock naval battle. Those are boats made out of cardboard boxes. It was very amusing.
The first of the gladiators. This was my Korean student who really got into it. He's supposed to be a net-and-trident fighter.
The main attraction would have to be this fight-- and my female students assured me, this gladiator as well, who was like totally built *fans self*. He fought about four girls at once. They even had a story that the gladiator had to fight his girlfriend.
A scene from that main attraction.
In any case, this was not quite as good as my Greek hoplite battle, but not as boring as the Renaissance Faire I tried last semester. I'm thinking of trying a full on Medieval Battle next semester.
In any case, this semester, just this evening, I staged Gladiatorial Games involving animal fights, chariot races, the big group combat and invidual combats. I had them choreograph the fight sequences for safety this time. It was a hoot.
I apologize for the quality of the pictures, but the light wasn't all that good and my camera is rather puny.
These are the individual combatants. Surprisingly, most of these costumes--I mandated a shoestring budget--are historically accurate. You can see three Retarii and one Secutor, among others.
These are the animal fighters in the middle. I like the lion at the far right.
More animals. Notice the bull. The three in the middle were 'extras'.
The crowd favorite were these 'ostriches'. The boy ostrich is um, something of a flamer. The costumes were his design.
The costumes of the animal fighters were also surprisingly accurate and they were actually pretty good actors. I actually thought one of them was hurt when she pretended to 'die'. Those four girls in black are more ostriches, and they fought by 'kicking'. They looked uncannily like showgirls.
This was the chariot races. They made cardboard chariots that they wore with straps and ran ala-Flintstones.
This was the group combat. This was supposed to be gladiators fighting a mock naval battle. Those are boats made out of cardboard boxes. It was very amusing.
The first of the gladiators. This was my Korean student who really got into it. He's supposed to be a net-and-trident fighter.
The main attraction would have to be this fight-- and my female students assured me, this gladiator as well, who was like totally built *fans self*. He fought about four girls at once. They even had a story that the gladiator had to fight his girlfriend.
A scene from that main attraction.
In any case, this was not quite as good as my Greek hoplite battle, but not as boring as the Renaissance Faire I tried last semester. I'm thinking of trying a full on Medieval Battle next semester.