by Prof. Sky Alton » Fri Aug 17, 2018 6:35 pm
I would probably take part in stage combat, though hopefully not full on gladiatorial, fight-to the death style. I would like to give a demonstration of fancy sword work or the like, where the spectacle was almost more important than besting an opponent. I might even try my hand at sword dances or something along those lines, where rhythm is the key to the display. The speed, ferocity and elegance of fencing always holds people’s attention so I’m sure this would be a hit.
The Roman’s loved a performance that told a story so I definitely think I’d have great success with some kind of battle re-enactment, complete with costumes, scenery and props. The most popular involved scenes featuring the gods or other mythical/epic literary figures, although these didn’t always end well for the person on the losing side as the show could be a bit too realistic.
When I was a child and obsessed with Roman culture, I read a fictionalised account about an incident at the coliseum where they flooded the entire arena for a watery spectacular, including live crocodiles and hippos. They sent a very picturesque boat of young nymphs across, only nobody told them that the boat was rigged to come apart and send them into the water. So I think, to be on the safe side, I would choose a costume and character that was perhaps less pretty but certainly less likely to be crocodile chow. While the goddess Minerva is a lot less battle ready than her Greek counterpart Athena, I still think she’d make a great character for a demonstration of strategic warfare; there’s also Bellona, a goddess who charges into battle with a whip and a flaming torch. If impersonating a goddess is a step too far for the audience, I’ll probably have to settle for Camilla, Queen of the Amazons who was noted for her extraordinary speed and ferocity.