A Roman Soldier's Furca

[@gatocles99]

Gives new meaning to the symbolism of carrying a cross.

[@robinharwood5044]

I’m sure Roman soldiers referred to those things with some very interesting words and phrases that we weren’t taught in our high school Latin classes.

[@luislondono2072]

As a neurophysiologist I am familiar with the internal ear’s sacculus (“small sac”), but not until today did I learn what the utriculus (utricle) was named for. Thanks!

[@willscott4178]

gives a new meaning to pick up your cross and follow me.

[@gms80sixtreme]

In Romania people in the villages still use the furca sometimes! I had a neighbour that, 35 years ago, used to carry his shopping like that! The word is the same, "furca"!

[@emanemanrus5835]

The presence and settlement of roman legionaries in the current Romania was proven and strong. They left a strong influence in the region language. Romanian language is far more bonded and similar to the ancient latin language more than Italian language. Far more, I would say!

[@i93sme]

But nowadays in Romanian it means pitchfork

[@gms80sixtreme]

@@i93sme no, it's not the same furca! Furca means two things, actually 3, ther's a "furca" for the "fus" aswell!

[@valevisa8429]

@@emanemanrus5835 Not true.

[@emanemanrus5835]

@@valevisa8429 your mom

[@izysly7166]

You forgot another purpose of the furca ,it is a perfect place to hang your armor when you aren't using it

[@Vaessen13]

@Metatron would love this

[@ScottGrow117]

Modern packs are very easy to ditch in a pinch. But I suppose it may require two actions where this furca requires only the action of dropping it.

[@davidgiles4681]

General Marius became tired of his men having to rely upon a wagon train. So, he ordered that all his men carry all they had (on themselves). General Marius then eliminated the mile(s) long wagon train. From that point forward, the Legions became known as "Marius' mules".

[@legio14gemina66]

Not exactly how it happened but Marius is credited with the reforms that reduced the wagon train.

[@FlorinSutu]

3:05 - So, the spoon is foldable. Also, it seems that at the other side of handle there is a little blade for food. Very cool !

[@sergiodemartinez1415]

Awesome job!! Always fascinated with Roman Army logistics!Nailed it guys!

[@sedghammer]

Just an awesome video - I'm fascinated by furca and am trying to make a modern equivalent for long hikes and camping. A thought came to my mind after seeing your furca planted in the ground - it kept their rations elevated while camping, keeping them out of the way of wildlife and rodents. This would, of course, also have the effect of keeping their gear clean.

[@Sky-Lan3]

This is actually brilliant! Thanks

[@larsrons7937]

Very interesting and well explained. Much alike when I pack for backpacking yet so very different and clever.

[@TXCannoli]

Wait a second.... I've seen you somewhere... like in the 19th century.... 😀 Great videos both here and CWDD! Roma Victor!

[@memorobles7857]

Victrix

[@memorobles7857]

"Roma" vocabvlvm femeninvm est.

[@fredericklockard3854]

This is twice today I’ve thought about the Roman Empire.

[@charlesarmstrong5292]

Definition of a Furca:- What Furca means? a fork FURCA, which properly means a fork, was also p563 the name of an instrument of punishment. It was a piece of wood in the form of the letter A, which was placed upon the shoulders of the offender, whose hands were tied to it.

[@josephbiggie6047]

Amazing video, really informative!

[@bcarroll7317]

My mum had one made,especially for ladies. It was called the mother- furca.

[@jaybirdcanadian]

"Pick up your cross and follow me."

[@stevepearson6983]

Basically, it was the forerunner to the bindle.

[@shelldie8523]

So it's similar to a hobos pack only with an additional stick and more bags Thanks for making the video

[@frankstippel5988]

Read Marcus Junkelmann: The Roman Legion. He is an experiemental archeologist, who marched hundres of miles as a legionary. Put the shield higher and put the furcra on the edge of it. Makes sense, doesn't it?

[@whocares4648]

Has he written a book? A few google searches didnt find much

[@PickleRick65]

03:39, those look like GO stones, I'm pretty sure they didn't play GO...

[@hugovandyk9918]

There's many games that use black and white stones, most lost to history. It's unlikely to be Go stones.

[@stolman2197]

As someone who has carried a lashed triangular wooden pack frame (a roycroft frame) for a decade, I want to try it

[@armorvestrus4119]

A great video, I would love to see more like this onw. Cheers

[@legio14gemina66]

Plenty more in the works! Thanks.

[@vaporz109]

@@legio14gemina66 Can you pls do a video on their digging/building tools?

[@Critisismsoldier999]

oh jeez this is only two months old

[@monteniggrianCRUSHER]

Now 4 years

[@commonsense2497]

Thanks

[@aex-blacksmithuk2111]

Great video!

[@LondonPower]

We still use the word furka in Greece metaphorically as problem as burden that we have to carry...also the word furkistika I get stressed with a person or problem or news... 😂

[@Westyrulz]

Bring back the Furca.

[@tasnimulsarwar9189]

Awesomely made. Thank you so much.

[@legio14gemina66]

Thank you!

[@jalenybarra3310]

Awesome!

[@tullochgorum6323]

Those guys were insanely hard. They would march 25 miles carrying 70 lbs with a primitive carrying system, and then they'd build a fortified camp before bedtime... Not many modern men who could do *that* day after day on a long campaign. And that's before you have to actually do battle.

[@Arnor2207]

That's the realm of special forces today. A grunt will walk the 35 kms with his pack and weapon, but support units usually take the burden off to make camp or food. This kind of long distance march and fight training was present until the 60's in all european armies. It's more like German infantry divisions walking 50 kms a day during the campain in russia to try and keep up with motorized, mechanized or panzer units. Their load was lighter though, at around 15/20 kg per man and most were still working with pack animals only.

[@frankburklin1116]

Emperor Gius got the nckname caligula from the boots, i believe "little boots"

[@joyhouse4625]

That's a great way too move a heavy load 🙃 You can balance in front of you to go up hills. Friend did this and the load was lighter .

[@myplane150]

No matter how many creators I ask, no one can tell where a legionary stores his phone or his kindle? ☺☻☺

[@ExiledByForce1]

In their prison pocket!

[@corymoon2439]

Some of us in reenactment (I do Viking Age, not Roman) will cheat a wee bit and put pockets on our pants. For the Roman reenactors I imagine it might be under the skirt or in the furca.

[@taiyoqun]

That's because they use tablets.

[@mikefule330]

They had a particularly small Kindle called a Kindulus which fitted in the Loculus. Devices were simpler in those days because they didn't have Bluetooth: he wasn't born until the 10th century.

[@Bestie_Brady]

Really cool

[@philliplamborn294]

So how much of a legionary soldiers kit was provided and how much did he have to supply?

[@legio14gemina66]

Most of their kit was provided but it was deducted from their pay. Personal food and drink items beyond the basic ration were bought with their own money. Personal items like games, locally sourced clothing and other non essential items would have been bought with their own money.

[@Optimusprimerib36]

Every day 10 miles then build a fort. Tomorrow 10 miles fort, next day…….

[@aenigmatrices]

I've been wondering about the contubernium, specifically the one or two servants/mules that were assigned to it. What did those guys carry for the squad? I know for sure that the mule carried the tent and the hand mill, but is that it?

[@legio14gemina66]

The mules and servant or servants would have had at minimum, the tent, spikes and uprights. Most likely, the grinding stone for grain, the additional rations, food, water and specialty items. Most likely the soldiers personal items they didn’t carry on them too.

[@philgiglio7922]

The entrenching tool is a modified mattock, a tool used by wildfire firefighters: 1 end is a pickaxe, the other a hoe.

[@MichaelArmstrong-r6x]

Who's a furca?

[@stephandeister1167]

The german translation from Latin (Langenscheid) is Mistgabel (pitchfork)

[@hinatahyuga9311]

Well each legionary carried his standard weight and items along with your gear shield if need be plus the legion marched 20 miles each day m and both pilums but you don't want your soldiers carrying much cause the legion was always on the move and you'll slowed down everything and the entire legion plus if you come under attack its easy to discarded and throw on the ground and get into battle formation and prepare for attack against the enemy

[@MustafaKemalTasangil]

Roma eterna.

[@eliasmccollum5581]

I can see how the furca could easily be cast aside when in single file, but what would they have done with it when marching in formation and suddenly ambushed? Would they have simply marched in file when moving from place to place and only then in formation when in a formal pitched battle?

[@mikefule330]

When marching to get from one place to another, a unit might be expected to be in single file, double file or maybe up to 4 men wide. Any more than that and they would need a wider road. When marching from one place to another, they would also have scouts ahead and, where possible, to each side of the column. Wider formations would only be used in, or shortly before, battles.

[@jwspeakermre5968]

I know that voice that's Will from the Civil War digital Digest KZbin channel.

[@legio14gemina66]

That is a fact!

[@nzmarkb8713]

Interesting I don’t know if you have ever been in combat but believe me I could ditch my back pack in no time if needed

[@zzzzxxxxxz6017]

Definitely don’t need to hear the word Furca for a long time

[@MaticTheProto]

And this is why logistics win wars

[@jesperohlrich7090]

I wonder if this setup would work for modern soldiers?

[@legio14gemina66]

It works quite well so you’d think it would.

[@OscarDeltaSierra]

Infantry life hasn’t changed much in 2,000 years.

[@crimsonthumos3905]

As a former soldier, I honestly think it looks easier than modern packs

[@EsmereldaWeatherwax-f1s]

Having tried on helmet and loricaI'd not even be able to stand up with all that weight!

[@cerberus6654]

The Latin word 'furca' entered into English after the conquest of Britain. Roman soldiers forced local tribesmen to carry their furcas and would do so by shouting "Furca! You!" The British would pretend they didn't understand and say "What the furca?". At which point a centurion might seize an old mother of a a tribesman and threaten her with the burden and say "Furca, you mother!"

[@antomanelven]

lol

[@dimachaerus9190]

Hahaha :)) And the mother replied: "Go Furca yourself !"

[@cerberus6654]

@@dimachaerus9190 Of course, the ultimate rejection of Roman authority was to fling the thing off your back so it fell in front of a centurion and shout, "Furca off!" But few survived the Roman reaction to THAT.

[@waltergibson9178]

These are the best lines 👏 👏 👏

[@PNNYRFACE]

What the furca you talking bout

[@intractablemaskvpmGy]

I didn't know the Romans ate granola

[@arturovaldes546]

We should use it in the USA army

[@oscarmolinaoutdooradventur1648]

👍🏼👍🏼❤️❤️❤️

[@antoniescargo1529]

Your pronunciation of 'furca' is WRONG. Furca means fork. 😮

[@cristsan4171]

During emergency, it can be use to crucify any Protestant came across.

[@NMranchhand]

Capital

[@alvinleong269]

Wonder if there were any female Roman soldiers back then

[@eddarby469]

No, there were not.

[@FlorinSutu]

Be patient, you may see some in the future Hollywood and Netflix productions.

[@DieLuftwaffel]

Hard to keep hearing the very poor pronunciation of Latin by people who are otherwise trying to accurately portray Romans. Neat topic though.

[@gorbalsboy]

Modern infantry carry way more embuggerance kit wise and regardless what the narrator says a rucksack is far superior,dumping kit is easy (just settting it down??)picking it up and then having to fight is the hard part(soldiers do not just drop their kit willy nilly ,if they did they would have bugger all oh and for all you reenactors oot their ,being engaged dosent happen at the first sign of the enemy,it means you are being directly targeted i.e.you are taking casualties!this is true of whatever period ,if you set up a defensive position everytime you felt threatened you would never set out, and no they weren't tougher nor far superior back then ,they were just ordinary men and women doin extraordinary jobs,please no one argue with this if you do you just show yourself to be a foooooooool,hope you're next shites a hedgehog 😊

[@Rapture_Ready_Rabbit]

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