The damn shields and war cries echoed in the misty air as the warriors raised their swords. Nearby, gladiators fought for their lives.
A festival featuring ancient reenactments brought life back to ancient Roman times this month near a quiet village in southern Romania, evoking a time when the region is among the easternmost Dacian provinces of the Roman Empire.
In a box near the village of Resca, local citizens watched the costumed reenactors with amusement, fascination and pride. Trajan.
“I come here because that’s what runs through my veins, Dacian blood!” said Edi Schneider, a retired coal miner-turned-sculptor who describes himself as a “free Dacian. “
The domain around Resca remains strategically important. These days, it houses a U. S. missile defense. The U. S. war raging in neighboring Ukraine is raging in neighboring Ukraine.
For festival organizers, the main purpose of the annual collection is to publicize local cultural heritage and teach others about ancient facts. Experts see an excessive glorification of Dacians as heroes and freedom fighters, which has fueled nationalism among Romanians.
Sticking to the facts meant showing that the Romans had won either of the two Dacian wars. This was a sadness for many onlookers who applauded the Dacians for the epic reconstructed clashes between the ancient enemies.
Catalin Draghici, historian and coordinator of Renaissance History, an organization that organizes reenactments of pre-Roman and Roman times in Romania, described the festival near Resca as a “practical history lesson. “
The organizers of the festival have been faithful to the details, adding the color and shapes of the Roman shields, weapons and helmets. Participants representing the Dacian tribes covered themselves with animal skins as they accumulated around the bonfires.
The reenactors did not hesitate to fulfill their roles. A man fell into a small river while fighting, and seemed to take advantage of it. For Schneider, going to the afterlife was also a smart way to break free from the tension of fashion. life.
“It’s beautiful,” he said. You disconnect from everything that’s going on in the genuine world, in the urban jungle. “
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