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				The Late Roman Army
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			Recreating Roman Cavalry					The Comitatus Ballista
							Comitatus specializes in recreating a Roman legion based in Britain during the late 4th century. This legion is the Praesidiensis. The late 4th century is a crucial time in the history of Rome, as the British garrison is wound down, Britain is to be left to look to its own defence around 407, and Rome itself will soon be occupied by the Goths. The soldiers we portray in every detail are the soldiers who left Britain for good, they are the soldiers who failed to defend Rome. Any troops that remained behind in Britain to defend these shores against the Saxons in the 5th century would have looked like this.
							It was emperor Diocletian who changed the look of the legions and created a new legionary system. This new fighting force lasted from around 300 AD through to the 6th century. Gone were "legions and auxiliaries", instead there were static frontier forces (limitanei) based in forts, and field armies (comitatus) garrisoned in cities but moving to wherever the barbarians attacked. This two-tier system created a defence in-depth. The legionaries in this reorganisation became multi-skilled warriors, capable of fighting in heavy armour, in boats, with bows or slings, or going light and skirmishing in mountainous terrain.
	A lot of what Comitatus does involves going beyond wearing the dress of the period and carrying the weapons and equipment: to use them, re-enact the tasks and inhabit the same sorts of spaces as the Legion did. This tests the reconstructions, sheds light on their original use and brings us closer to experiencing life as it was lived. Many of our public events are chosen to allow us access to some of the superb reconstructions of buildings and fortifications around the country, such as Segedunum, Arbeia, Vindolanda and Lunt, which can then afford us the opportunity to test the use of these facilities. Attacking a defended gateway across ditch defences whilst under missile attack is an illuminating experience for anyone who imagines an alert garrison could be stormed by an undisciplined or unprepared mob, or who questions the effectiveness of the hand-sized stones found stockpiled for use by defenders! By carrying and using accurate, sharp replicas of period weapons based stricly on finds, shields strong enough to resist attack, iron mail worn with the necessary padding, helmets padded and fitted correctly, better understanding of the practicalities of warfare and movementl becomes possible. By using reconstructions of the blunted weapons described in period literature for use in training, we can engage in full-spirited combat exercises which promote the development of more realistic fighting skills in the same way that Eastern Martial artists use the live bladed katana for Iaido exercises and paired drills, but the wooden boken for sparring.
	The Legio Praesidiensis was a legion based in northern Britain somewhere near York, during the 4th century. Constantine, Count Theodosius and Magnus Maximus came and went. It was probably the general Stilicho who took the legion across the Channel with him in 402, to help defend Italy. It never returned. Our shield design is taken from the Notitia Dignitatum, a surviving army list from the period. At that point Praesidiensis is listed as being part of the Gallic field army (comitatus). This is how we get our name!