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News > The Visit of Claudius Maximus

The Visit of Claudius Maximus
15.03.2012 - Battle at Failand
 
On Wednesday 14 March, as dawn broke over the fields at Failand, through the swirling mists of time Claudius Maximus arrived. The intrepid Year three Celts from the first century AD, ventured forth from the security of their round houses to find out if they were prepared to join the Roman Army or face the alternatives – pay huge taxes or die!
 
After a strict drill session where the fearless Celts were put into one of five contuberniums (usually 8 soldiers who live and fight together as a small unit of a century) and learnt how to turn left and right and march under the ever watchful eye of Claudius Maximus whose motto was “Discipline; Discipline; Discipline!” - the children began to realise that being a Roman soldier was far harder than they thought. Claudius Maximus then placed the Celts in a time line to place the Roman Invasion in context and talked about the building of the Roman Fortress at Isca Dumnoniorum (Exeter).
 
After a short break the Celts were allowed to examine the kit and equipment of a typical Roman soldier and learn the Latin names of reach piece and why they were important.
 
Refreshed by a delicious lunch, Claudius Maximus showed the Celts how to perform “The Tortoise Manoeuvre” using their shields, he then chose the most disciplined contubernium to represent the Roman Army in a battle on the fields. The remainder had to fight to the bitter end. The peace of Failand was shattered by the shouts of Clauidus Maximus bellowing his orders to his army and the response of the Celts, “Go home Romans” and “No more taxes” echoed around the eerily empty area. As Boudicca (Miss Ballin) valiantly led her gathered resistance to the Romans, with the inspired, “See us and die”. She led a spirited team to their glorious death at the hands of the well-disciplined and trained Romans.
 
As the mists evaporated, the sun at Failand rose to a new age of Roman rule and the vanquished Celts found themselves back in the twenty-first century AD and on the bus back to school.
 
A special thank you must go to all the children and parents who so carefully made costumes and shields.


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