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frisian28ad
01-12-2005, 21:17
(I am from Friesland (Netherlands) so my english is not the best) How can I insert pictures??????

I sadly had to agree with eadingas (topic: Just curious)
What is so specific about Frisians that they should have a separate unit? that the Frisians are to minor to give them a separate unit (but that is off course your decision). But in my search for another Dutch oriented unit, I stumbled on the Batavians (ancestors of the Dutch). A small Germanic tribe who lived in Germania Inferior, to be specific between the river Waal and the river Rhine. In the middle of the Netherlands, also know here in Holland as the Betuwe. The Batavians were a very Romanized tribe, they even worshipped the Roman god Hercules. The capital was Batavorum, or now known as Nijmegen the oldest city in the Netherlands (This year is the 2500 year anniversary of the city). The Batavians were unlike other tribes in Germania I treated as equals by the Romans, the Romans saw them as noble and civilized barbarians. They were also one of the main suppliers of the Roman auxiliary, especially the cavalry (alae), after demographic research was found out that at least every Batavian family had one son in the army. The Batavians were known for there riding skills, but also for there swimming capabilities. Tacitus praises the Batavians for there skill to cross water on the back of there horses in full armor keeping there formation, while sometimes foot soldiers could hung along side using the horse as raft, but other sources claim that the foot soldiers only hung alongside to keep the weapons of the elite Batavians dry. But there is another story that shows the excellence of the Batravorum Milliaria Equitata. The story of Soranus tells that in 118 AD, he shot an arrow high in the air and while his first arrow flew througth the skies, he shot another on and breaking his first arrow in the air. This again shows the versatility of the Batavians. Because there main weapon was the 85 cm long sword or spatha, but before using there sword they used in the initial attack there 2.6 m long shocking spear the basta. They were one of the most loyal foreign troops the Romans had.The emperors trusted the Batavians, says Tacitus, "because they were foreign." (Tacitus, Ann. 15.58), only after the Romans begun treating them badly, and disbanding them from there duty of protecting the emperor, they revolted under there king Civilis. Civilis was well respected in Rome, despite his barbaric appearance (a one-eyed giant who in battle dyed his blonde hair red), but he was accused of treason and his brother Claudius Paulus was executed. So he revolted unsuccessfully against the Romans. But the Batavians were promised to get there units back and there well-respected place in the Roman army was restored. They even had there own castellum in Rome, they took there job as mounted bodyguards very serious. After Caligula was murdered, in there frustration failing to protect there emperor, they killed everyone in there way in search of the murderers.
They wear a type Auxiliary Cavalry H to Robinson helmet, under the helmet they were a face mask under it. It is thougth that they used there decorated facemasks not only in parades but also in battle. They wear a mail or scale armor (without shoulderpads!!! ~;) ) that had an extra chestplate or extra metal crest decorations on it, under it a wool tunica with half long sleeves, with strokes of leather on it the (also on the hips). Around there neck a white linnen sort of scarf or focale, I don’t know the word for a a stroke of linnen. To be short they werent bare necked ~:) . Hung around there shoulder a thick leather belt (balteus) decorated with sowed-in germanic patterns and small metal crests, in the middle a metal crest or phalera. Leather riding trousers feminalia till there knees. On there feet leather boots the tradional caligae. The whole armor was decorated with native style paterns, they still painted there faces and somtimes even there Roman facemasks were painted. At last they wear long cloaks. As extra protection they carried a (don’t know the word) six-cornerd flat long shield, also decorated with germanic paterns. There horses had leather Batavian sadles.

To close my plea get rid of thos pesky mounted praetorians as heavy cavalery and spice the romans historicly right up!!!!!!!!!!!!

frisian28ad
01-12-2005, 22:03
with metal I meant off course IRON

frisian28ad
01-12-2005, 23:36
http://www.chariovalda.nl/plaatjes/Magis-Valaeda-kleur.jpg
http://home.wanadoo.nl/bemelen/history/romein.jpg
http://home.wanadoo.nl/bemelen/history/borst.jpg
http://www.museumhetvalkhof.nl/Images/collectiemasker.jpg
http://www.archeos.nl/images/rt-int-batav-1.jpg

thanks for the help

DemonArchangel
01-13-2005, 21:26
Dude. Ever heard of Ala Singularis? They were Roman cavalry guardsmen.
The Praetorian cavalrymen are probably gonna have their named changed to Ala Singularis.

frisian28ad
01-13-2005, 22:47
Well there you got me, I was solely focussed on the Romans, I hadn't time to do my research thorougly. Sorry a beginners-misstake, but see my last topic, and you see I made that statement unfortunatly a second time. So I withdraw it here and now that the Batavians easiliy can replace the mounted praetorians. We will see ~:handball:

Greetings... :bow:

frisian28ad
01-14-2005, 01:15
with Romans I meant Batavians, sorry I still not got a solid grip on this posting topics on a forum.

Some sources to strengthen my case.

I quote Lawrence Keppie from his book The making of the Roman army from Republic to Empire
:Augustus also maintained from the Civil Wars a small 'personal protection' squad, Germani corporis custodes (German bodyguards) drawn from tribes of the Rhineland.:

I quote Adrian Goldsworthy from his book The complete Roman army
:Attached to the praetorian guard was cavalry force whisch steadily grew in size, which along with the emperor's horse guards (equites singularis Augusti) reached a peak of 2.000 men at the end of the 2nd century AD. These men were specially chosen from the auxiliary cavalry and trained to a very high standard.:

That was by the way also the only time the equites singularis Augusti, were mentioned. In the complete Roman army. So even solid non-Dutch sources, mention my unit.

This are solid sources, not from a reinacting site nor a miniature site :rtwno: .

If you doubt the to writers above here some links:
http://www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk/people/lkeppie/ljfk.html
Just type Adrian Goldsworthy on google and you get an idea (could not find so fast find any biographic info about him).

Lets continue this discussion on the Cry for help topic ~:cheers:

Greetings..... :bow: