In this blog we're jumping across the timeline. This blog is a guide for assembling your historical character, whether you're doing Historical Fantasy, Historical LARP or just want to put together a historical costume. Some time periods and peoples are hardly used within Living History and Re-enactment while others are incredibly popular. Reconstructing less popular peoples is both fun and a challenge. The biggest bottleneck is that, for example, hardly any objects are made from the Villanova culture. For each time period in this blog we mention whether many objects from that time period are available to assemble an outfit with. Additionally, I'll mention whether the time period is frequently played in living history and re-enactment in case you're interested in participating.
Usually it's a guide to keep your outfit historically accurate to within a hundred years. Objects remained in use longer back then than they do nowadays. And based on originals that were at least somewhat found in the same area. How historically accurate you want your outfit to be is entirely your decision, we provide as many guidelines as possible so you can assemble it however you like.
Ancient Greece
Within Living History and Re-enactment, Ancient Greece is not popular. Nevertheless, there is a wide range of objects from this era, making it no problem to assemble a museum mannequin (also for home).
History Summary
In Ancient Greece, a rich and influential period took place that had great influence on Western civilization. Ancient Greece lasted roughly from the 8th century to the 1st century BCE.
Greek civilization began with the rise of city-states, such as Athens and Sparta. These city-states each had their own government system, laws, and culture. Athens was known for its democratic government and Sparta for its military culture.
Ancient Greece was also characterized by the flourishing of Greek art and philosophy. Famous philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle developed ideas about ethics, politics, and knowledge that remain influential to this day. Furthermore, the ancient Greeks excelled in architecture, sculpture, and theater, with the Olympic Games being an important sporting event.
Ancient Greece ended with the conquest of Greece by the Macedonian realm under the leadership of Alexander the Great. Alexander expanded his realm all the way to Egypt, Persia, and India, spreading Greek culture across much of the eastern Mediterranean. After Alexander's death his realm fell apart but the Hellenistic period continued until the beginning of the Roman Realm.
Gallic (La Tène Period)
In some countries Celtic or Gallic re-enactment is popular. There is a wide range of articles you can use to assemble your Gallic outfit. Note that most articles that are made are primarily aimed at the 1st - 2nd century BCE and that as you get closer to the Hallstatt Period the articles become scarcer.
History Summary
The La Tène period was a cultural period that took place in Europe between the 5th and 1st century BCE.
During the La Tène period, Celtic culture developed into an important force in Europe. The Celts settled in large parts of West and Central Europe, from Ireland and Great Britain, Gaul (present-day France), the Alpine region, and parts of Eastern Europe.
Characteristic of the La Tène period was the refinement of Celtic art and craftsmanship. Beautiful jewelry, weapons, and utensils were made with complex patterns and detailed decorations. The Celts were known for their skills in metalworking, especially in working with iron.
Celtic society was largely based on agriculture and livestock, but also on trade and craftsmanship. They were known for their trading networks and their ability to travel over great distances.
The Celtic La Tène period ended gradually with the rise of the Roman Realm. Over time, the Celtic territories were absorbed into the Roman realm, which led to the disappearance of Celtic culture as it was known during the La Tène period.
Assembling
To assemble a Celtic outfit we've created a filter function 'timeline' on our product overview pages.
Roman Republican Period
Despite this period being addressed fairly little in Living History & re-enactment there is a wide range that you can use to assemble your republican legionary outfit. This period also includes the Punic and Gallic Wars, which in my opinion makes this period extra attractive. You can put together republican Roman outfits just fine, but for finding connections within re-enactment the 1st century CE is more central.
History Summary
The Roman Republican period lasted from 509 BCE to 27 BCE. It marked the transition from a monarchy to a republican form of government, in which power was shared by various institutions and officials.
The Roman Republican era was characterized by expansion and imperialism. Rome steadily expanded its territory through military conquests and annexations. This period included important conflicts, such as the Punic Wars against Carthage and the conquest of large parts of Greece.
Political struggle and rivalry between various factions within Roman society were characteristic of the Late Republican period. Despite political unrest and internal conflicts, the Roman Republic managed to build a powerful and influential realm. It laid the foundation for the subsequent Roman Realm, which began with the rise of Augustus and the establishment of the principate in 27 BCE.
Romans 1st - 3rd century CE
This is by far the most popular Roman period. No wonder, as the most impressive deeds and buildings from Roman history date from this period. In addition to plenty of items to assemble your outfit with, we also have a very wide range of accessories from this period that offer more depth. For example, you can set up a Roman perfumery on the re-enactment field.
History Summary
This period began with the rise of Augustus as the first emperor of Rome in 27 BCE. Augustus implemented important military reforms that laid the foundation for the success and stability of the Roman Realm. Under Augustus, the Roman army was reorganized and transformed into a well-oiled machine. He introduced the concept of a professional standing army, consisting of legions of well-trained and well-equipped soldiers. These legions were divided into cohorts and maniples, with a standardized hierarchy and equipment. In addition to this reorganization, Augustus also implemented policy measures to ensure the loyalty and discipline of the soldiers. He implemented a system of pensions and rewards for veterans and imposed strict military codes of conduct.
However, alongside these successes, the Roman Realm was confronted with challenges and crises in the 3rd century CE. Economic problems, internal conflicts, and the pressure of invading barbarian tribes led to political instability and military unrest. This marked the beginning of a period of uncertainty and change in the Roman Realm, known as the Crisis of the Third Century.
Late Roman
This period is somewhat the stepchild of the Roman realm, but incredibly interesting. This is the period of the great migrations. Just like with the republican period, there are plenty of articles available to assemble a late-Roman re-enactment outfit fairly easily. Additionally, you can also use objects that were widely used by Germanic tribes such as the Alemanni, Franks, and Merovingians.
History Summary
This phase in the history of the Roman Realm lasted from the 3rd century CE to the fall of the Western Roman Realm in 476 CE. It was a time of considerable changes and challenges for the realm. This period was characterized by political instability, economic difficulties, and invasions by barbarian tribes. The Roman Realm was confronted with internal struggles for power, usurpations of emperors, and divisions of the realm. The increasing pressure from Germanic tribes and invasions along the borders put the realm in serious danger.
Religion also played an important role during the late-Roman period. Christianity, which had previously been a persecuted minority religion, eventually became the official religion of the realm under Emperor Constantine the Great in the 4th century. This had considerable influence on the society, culture, and politics of the realm.
In the late 4th and 5th centuries, the Western Roman Realm was confronted with serious threats and invasions by Germanic tribes such as the Visigoths, Vandals, and Ostrogoths. These tribes plundered cities, caused great damage, and ultimately weakened the central authority of the realm.
The late-Roman period ended with the fall of the Western Roman Realm in 476 CE, when Germanic warlord Odoacer deposed the last Roman emperor. The Eastern Roman Realm, known as the Byzantine Realm, would, however, continue to exist until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Early Medieval
Below I classify late-Germanic, Anglo-Saxon, Frankish, Merovingian, Vendel Period. This segment partly overlaps with Late-Roman but is important to mention separately. This period is often confused with part of the 'Viking period'. This period is regularly done in Living History and Re-enactment. For this period quite a few objects are available to assemble a costume with. Additionally, many objects from this period are available to add more depth to your outfit such as matching brooches and other decorations that are usually found in grave finds.
