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Fectio Index

I had never been to the Open Air Museum in Eindhoven before, and did not know what to expect. Well, except for the weather of course - scorchy! It would be the first heatwave of the year, that much was clear. As it turned out, it is a very fine park, with lost of houses from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and the Medieval period. Actually, us Romans were a bit out of place!

The civilians of Legio X Gemina in their hot but cosy corner.

A lone Late Roman.

I was the guest of Corbvlo in their part of the village.

The Open Air Museum.

Chatting with Geert out of the sun.

Hairdo.

There were several Roman and Celtic groups about: Corbvlo and Legio X Gemina of course, but also soldiers from Cohors I Germanorum, the Texandrii and Celtae Comatae. Together they populated the park, which is a collection of buildings from the Iron Age and the later Middle Ages. In that sense, the Romans sort of filled a gap in the historical collection of the park.

The military corner: legionaries of X Gemina.

More folks from Cobvlo and Cohors I Germanorum in the shade..

Target practise on a straw Celt - a bolt from the ballista in the throat.

Pinned...

Vanquished!

Nonetheless, we felt quite at home. I was the guest of Corbvlo, who had one house in the far end of the park, next to Legio X Gemina that had set up camp next to us. The civilians had set up their own display and the legionairies, stricktly apart of course, camped next to them. All had their beds in the great barn, a bit stuffy but very shady. As I said, the heat was murderous, and we we all clinging to every bit of shade we could get. Actually, if you could stay out of the sun it was quite pleasant, although by the end of the day I could feel the heat...
Thankfully, there were not too many visitors and the show was just a march around the park, followed by a display and a drill (by the other Roman soldiers, not me.

Royalty.

He's the Emperor's cousin.. or something.

The Court - the Royal cousin, his courtiers, ladies, guards, etc.

That's the local troop of federates - Teuxandrii.

We had practised a bit of course, by shooting at a straw humanoid dummy, which proved very attractive to shoot at. Sander from X Gemina managed a clear 'throat shot', which surely would have been deadly if for real.

The auxilia of Cohors I Germanorum from Germany.

The Teuxandrii doing their dril before his Royal cousin-ness.

The troops greet the public.

Local big shots.

The event itself went well, despite the heat we still had some public that managed to watch us in the full sun. The Teuxandrii had a good act as federates/scouts, doing an unruly mob with surprising drill capabilities. On the dais we had a relative of the Emperor no less (well, far, far, far removed..) and the legionairies managed to impress both big shots and locals. All in all, a nice first event at Eindhoven for me.

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